Thomas Donovan (musician)

Last updated

Thomas Donovan
Birth nameThomas Edward Donovan
Born Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres Dance-pop, electro house
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician, recording artist, producer, videographer, social activist
Instrument(s)Vocals, synthesizer, piano
Years active1986–present
LabelsDigital Dreams Music
Website thomasdonovan.com

Thomas Donovan is a Canadian dance-pop singer-songwriter and recording artist born in Vancouver. He was known in the 1990s for his string of radio and club hits. [1] [2] Thomas' most successful electronic music works include "A Calling Around The World", "Total Controller", "High Time", "Colorcode", "All We Need For Christmas", "She'll Do What She Wants", "Trapped", "This Time I Feel It", and "Yesterday's Dream". [3]

Contents

Vancouver radio station Z95.3FM originally discovered Thomas Donovan and play-listed 10 of his songs over a 5-year span (from 1992 to 1997). [4] Other initial supporters included Vancouver's LG73 radio and Seattle's dance station C89.5FM. Top-40 radio support in both Vancouver and Seattle became a spring board for Thomas' dance music to jump to other stations and club circuits across the U.S., Canada and abroad. [5] [6]

Thomas mixes human rights and global activism lyrics in his exploration of synth-pop music. [7] [8] Thomas' release "Calling Around the World" is a visual and lyrical call to action, inspired by concern for environmental issues and the greater human condition. [9] [10] Thomas directed, edited and produced the first history documentary of Vancouver's LGBT community. [11] Thomas' support for human rights and same sex marriage is reflected in his musical and video works, as demonstrated in his sexually and politically charged dance-pop dynamo titled "What Our Love Is Made Of". [12] [13] [14]

"He had a big hit in the '90s with "Total Controller" and Thomas Donovan is still playing in the same electronica pop/dance sandbox. The biggest hook on a pretty hooky song is that insistent beat holding all the swirly stuff together, kinda disco with computers. " – John P. McLaughlin – Vancouver Province Newspaper [15]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Oakenfold</span> British record producer and trance music DJ

Paul Mark Oakenfold, formerly known mononymously as Oakenfold, is an English record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has provided over 100 remixes for over 100 artists including U2, Moby, Happy Mondays, Madonna, Britney Spears, Massive Attack, the Cure, New Order, the Rolling Stones, the Stone Roses and Michael Jackson. Oakenfold was voted the No. 1 DJ in the World twice in 1998 and 1999 by DJ Magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CBC Radio 3</span> Canadian digital radio station

CBC Radio 3 is a Canadian digital radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which plays a relatively freeform mix of indie rock, indie pop, alternative hip hop, folk, country and electronic music.

Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of rap, techno and Eurodisco. This genre of music is heavily influenced by the use of rich vocals, sometimes with rapped verses. This, combined with cutting-edge synthesizers, strong bass rhythm and melodic hooks, establishes the core foundation of Eurodance music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armin van Buuren</span> Dutch DJ and producer (born 1976)

Armin Jozef Jacobus Daniël van Buuren OON is a Dutch DJ and record producer. Since 2001, he has hosted A State of Trance (ASOT), a weekly radio show, which is broadcast to nearly 40 million listeners in 84 countries on over 100 FM radio stations. According to the website DJs and Festivals, "the radio show propelled him to stardom and helped cultivate an interest in trance music around the world".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sk8er Boi</span> 2002 single by Avril Lavigne

"Sk8er Boi" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released as the second single from her debut album, Let Go (2002). It was written by Lavigne and the Matrix, and produced by the Matrix. The song, which combines power pop and pop-punk elements, lyrically tells a story told from the singer's viewpoint about her rocker boyfriend and a girl he knew in high school who rejected him because he was a skateboarder and she did ballet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stayin' Alive</span> 1977 single by the Bee Gees

"Stayin' Alive" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was released in December 1977 by RSO Records as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It is one of the Bee Gees' signature songs. In 2004, "Stayin' Alive" was placed at No. 189 by Rolling Stone on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The 2021 updated Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Songs placed "Stayin' Alive" at No. 99. In 2004, it ranked No. 9 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. In a UK television poll on ITV in December 2011 it was voted fifth in The Nation's Favourite Bee Gees Song.

WDVD is a hot adult contemporary radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned and operated by Cumulus Media, WDVD's studios and offices are located in the Fisher Building in Detroit's New Center district near downtown, while its transmitter is located in Royal Oak Township at 8 Mile Road and Wyoming Avenue.

Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by Billboard magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CKZZ-FM</span> Radio station in Vancouver

CKZZ-FMZ95.3 is a commercial FM radio station in Vancouver, British Columbia. The station airs a hot adult contemporary format, and is owned by Stingray Group. The studios are on Horseshoe Way in Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven (Bryan Adams song)</span> 1985 single by Bryan Adams

"Heaven" is a song by the Canadian singer and songwriter Bryan Adams recorded in 1983, written by Adams and Jim Vallance. It first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album the same year and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984. It was released as the third single from Reckless and reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in June 1985, over a year and a half after the song first appeared on record. The single was certified Gold in Canada in 1985.

Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. It is generally produced for playback by DJs who create seamless selections of tracks, called a DJ mix, by segueing from one recording to another. EDM producers also perform their music live in a concert or festival setting in what is sometimes called a live PA. Since its inception EDM has expanded to include a wide range of subgenres.

A State of Trance is a Dutch trance radio show, hosted by Armin van Buuren and co-producer Ruben de Ronde, that first aired in June 2001. It is currently aired weekly every Thursday at 20:00 (CET) and 14:00 (EST) and as of January 2021, ASOT is broadcast by more than 150 stations in 84 countries claiming a weekly listener count surpassing 40 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hips Don't Lie</span> 2006 single by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean

"Hips Don't Lie" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released by Epic Records in 2006. The song was released as the first single from the reissue of Shakira's seventh studio album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, and second overall. Shakira and Jean wrote the lyrics and jointly composed the music with additional co-writing by Shakira's percussionist Archie Pena. The song was produced by Shakira and Jean with additional co-production by Jerry Duplessis. "Hips Don't Lie" is a reworking of Jean's earlier single "Dance Like This", therefore it features additional composing credits by Omar Alfanno, Duplessis, Luis Días, and LaTavia Parker. The song incorporates samples from "Amores Como el Nuestro" written by Alfanno, and "Carnaval " written by Días.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self Control (Raf song)</span> 1984 single by Raf, later covered by Laura Branigan

"Self Control" is a song by Italian singer Raf, released in 1984. It was written by Giancarlo Bigazzi, Steve Piccolo and Raf, and arranged by Celso Valli. The track topped the charts in Italy and Switzerland, and started the explosion and dominance of Italo disco-style recordings in continental European charts during the 1980s.

Dance radio is a format that consists of current and recent dance and electronic music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Get Crazy (Cassie song)</span> 2009 single by Cassie featuring Akon

"Let's Get Crazy" is a song recorded by American singer Cassie. It features a guest appearance from American singer Akon, who co-wrote the song with Bilal Hajji, Kinnda Hamid and RedOne, with the latter also helming the song's production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irresistible (Cathy Dennis song)</span> 1992 single by Cathy Dennis

"Irresistible" is a song by British dance-pop singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis, released in November 1992 as the second single from her second album, Into the Skyline (1992). The song was co-written and co-produced by Dennis, but failed to make the success of the previous singles. In the US, the single had three different promo CD singles, each with their own remixes each with a more acoustic song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masoud (musician)</span> Musical artist

Masoud is an Iranian record producer, artist, and DJ living in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran. He is known for leading the electronic dance music artist community in Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Show You Secrets</span> 1994 single by Pharao

"I Show You Secrets" is a song by German Eurodance act Pharao, which consisted of Indian/German singer Kyra Pharao and American rapper Deon Blue. It was released in 1994 by Dance Pool as the first single from the act's debut album, Pharao (1994), and was well received among music critics, hitting success in many European countries. The song was written by Stevie Steve and Alexander Hawking with Deon Thomas and Tomcat, and produced by Steve and Hawking. It was a top 10 hit in Austria, Finland, Germany, Israel and Switzerland. The music video for "I Show You Secrets" was directed by John Clayton and received A-list rotation on Germany's VIVA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Close to You (Fun Factory song)</span> 1994 single by Fun Factory

"Close to You" is a song by German Eurodance band Fun Factory, released in March 1994 by various labels as the second single from the band's debut-album, NonStop (1994). The song is written by Bülent Aris, Rainer Kesselbauer and Toni Cottura, while Aris and Cottura produced it. It received positive reviews from music critics, peaking at number-one on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart and at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Additionally, the single peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart. In Europe, it reached number 19 in Germany and number 97 in the UK. Its music video was directed by Swedish director Stefan Berg and filmed at a quarry. It was A-listed on Germany's VIVA in June 1994. "Close to You" uses the same melody as the 1993 hit single "Hold On" by German group Loft.

References

  1. ↑ Zillich, Tom. "Local dance songwriter puts independent spirit on airwaves". The West Ender, October 22, 1992. Page 41
  2. ↑ "Artist: ThomasDonovan". Radioindy.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Thomas Donovan is a dance pop recording artist from Vancouver Canada who has a long history of radio and club hits. Latest CD – Xtended.Dance is an dance electronica album featuring the single Pump Up The Love". Thomasdonovan.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Vancouver's Hottest Music" Z95.3 FM Radio Station Vancouver
  5. ↑ Sheppard, Denise. "Techno musician destined for the big time". Xtra! No. 14, February 25, 1994. Page 19
  6. ↑ "Thomas Donovan". Raised on Indie. May 11, 2010. Archived from the original on December 27, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Environmental Songs". Grinningplanet.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  8. ↑ RadioIndy (May 14, 2009). "RadioIndy New Music / CD Releases : All Genres: "Xtended.dance" by Thomas Donovan (Electronica Artist from British Columbia, Canada)". Radioindyall.blogspot.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Artists A-Z : Thomas Donovan". Much Music. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Calling-Around-The-World-Thomas-Donovan". Earth Day Network. April 20, 2009. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  11. ↑ FACES Video – Collections Canada
  12. ↑ "Gay Marriage / Gay Wedding Songs". Queermusicheritage.com. October 25, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Same Sex Rights Rally Vancouver's Thomas Donovan Sings 'what Our Love Is Made Of'". Wn.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Arts & Entertainment - Thomas Donovan". Vancouver Pride Parade & Festival. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  15. ↑ McLaughlin, John P. "He had a big hit in the 90's with Total Controller". Vancouver Province, March 23, 2010. Page B4.
  16. ↑ "Library of Congress LCCN Permalink 96792824". Lccn.loc.gov. 1993. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  17. ↑ Digital Dreams CD
  18. ↑ Trance
  19. ↑ The Lonely Show
  20. ↑ Xtended.dance
  21. ↑ Rachel Ellektra – Break 'n' Roll. "HouseRemixes.com". House-mixes.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.