Tony Mortimer

Last updated

Tony Mortimer
East 17 - Promotour in Cologne-1216.jpg
Mortimer performing with East 17 during a promotional tour in Cologne, Germany in 2012.
Background information
Birth nameAnthony Michael Mortimer
Born (1970-10-21) 21 October 1970 (age 53)
London, England
Genres Pop, dance-pop, Europop, hip hop, R&B
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1992–present
Labels FOD Records (2011–present)

Anthony Michael Mortimer (born 21 October 1970) is a British singer, songwriter and record producer from London. He is a former member of the boy band East 17, who were originally active from 1991 to 1997 and sold over 20 million records worldwide. Mortimer wrote the band's only number-one single, "Stay Another Day".

Contents

Career

Mortimer was a member of the 1990s boy band East 17, [1] and was the band's primary songwriter. With East 17, Mortimer had seven top ten singles and four hit albums on the UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart respectively between 1992 and 1997. He turned to songwriting[ clarification needed ] when the group disbanded in 1997, due to negative media coverage after fellow member Brian Harvey said that he had taken 12 ecstasy tablets in one night. [1] In 1998, Mortimer's East 17 bandmates briefly re-formed the group without him, and released two singles as E-17. They disbanded again the following year. [2]

During his time in East 17, Mortimer wrote the Childliners "The Gift of Christmas" [3] which was a charity single featuring other popular chart acts at the time such as MN8, Backstreet Boys, Peter Andre, Boyzone and Dannii Minogue among others.

In 2010, East 17 re-formed as a three piece (minus former lead singer, Brian Harvey) and were seeking a new lead singer, a position filled in 2011 by Blair Dreelan. They released the single "Secret of My Life" from the projected album Recharged but Dreelan left the band due to a contractual obligation not to contribute to East 17, while he was still connected with his previous musical group. The band scrapped the album and in 2012 released the newly recorded, Dark Light, with Mortimer in place as the lead vocalist. The group toured Europe throughout 2011 and in early 2012. In June 2012 they returned to Australia for the first time in over 15 years. Two singles were released from Dark Light; "I Can't Get You Off my Mind" and "Friday Night", whilst a third single, "Counting Clouds", was due for release in July 2012.[ clarification needed ]

Mortimer has continued as a record producer since 1997, from his studio in Essex, [1] as well as recording his own songs including the single "N Toxyc 8".

Mortimer has also managed bands, including girl group Urban Angel, whose members included Roxanne Pallett, who wrote some of the group's songs. The band broke up after Pallett won a role in ITV soap opera Emmerdale . [4]

Mortimer appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks in Season 19 on Episode 3. He competed in the BBC's Winter Wipeout series in March 2012 and finished second, ahead of former Coronation Street star Steven Arnold, but behind the winner Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards.

In December 2012, Mortimer appeared as a panellist on Channel 5 show The Wright Stuff and again in June 2013. on 17 June 2013 he released his debut solo album Songs from the Suitcase. [5] In early 2014, Mortimer departed from East 17 to focus more on his solo career. In December 2019, Mortimer released a re-recorded version of ‘Stay Another Day’ with the Waltham Forest Youth Choir, to raise money for mental health charity CALM. [6]

Personal life

Mortimer has two daughters with his partner Tracey. The award-winning lyrics of his song, "Stay Another Day", were inspired by the death of his brother, Ollie, by suicide. It starts with the entry of Deborah by Jon and Vangelis. [7] In October 2000, Mortimer was chosen as one of four pall bearers at the funeral of gangster Reggie Kray. [8]

Awards

Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buzzcocks</span> British punk rock band

Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Bolton in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady, an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as a "punk masterpiece".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Supernaturals</span> Scottish indie rock band

The Supernaturals are a five piece guitar-based indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. Fronted by singer-songwriter James McColl, they signed to Parlophone in 1996, and had a string of singles which were taken from their three albums and four EPs. Other members included Mark Guthrie, Derek McManus, Gavin Crawford and Ken McAlpine. The band's best known songs were featured prominently in a series of television advertisements. In total they scored five Top 40 entries in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Harvey</span> English musician and former lead singer of East 17

Brian Lee Harvey is an English singer from London. He was the lead singer of pop group East 17. The later incarnation of the band, E-17, had two top 20 singles on the UK Singles Chart between 1998 and 1999, with the album Resurrection peaking within the top 50 of the UK Albums Chart. After leaving E-17, Harvey signed a record deal with Edel Records and had two singles released in 2001, "Straight Up " and "Loving You ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take That</span> English pop group

Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer and primary songwriter, with Owen and Williams initially providing backing vocals, and Donald and Orange serving primarily as dancers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hollies</span> English pop rock group formed in the early 1960s

The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and rhythm guitarist/singer Graham Nash founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north, in east Lancashire. Nash left the group in 1968 to co-form Crosby, Stills & Nash, though he has reunited with the Hollies on occasion. As well as Clarke and Nash other members have included lead guitarist Tony Hicks, rhythm guitarist Terry Sylvester, bassists Eric Haydock and Bernie Calvert, and drummers Don Rathbone and Bobby Elliott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Shelley</span> English singer-songwriter (1955–2018)

Pete Shelley was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early punk band Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist in 1977 when Devoto left. The group released their biggest hit "Ever Fallen in Love " in 1978. The band broke up in 1981 and reformed at the end of the decade. Shelley also had a solo career; his song "Homosapien" charted in Australasia and Canada in 1981 and 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East 17</span> English boy band

East 17 are an English pop boy band started by Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell in 1991. As of 2020, the group consists of Coldwell, Robbie Craig and Joe Livermore. East 17 have undergone multiple lineup changes, with Coldwell remaining the only constant member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaiser Chiefs</span> English indie rock band

Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who originally formed in 1996 as Runston Parva, before reforming as Parva in 2000, and releasing one studio album, 22, in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew "Whitey" White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick "Peanut" Baines and since 2013 drummer Vijay Mistry, who replaced founding drummer Nick Hodgson following his departure from the band in late 2012.

<i>Another Music in a Different Kitchen</i> 1978 studio album by Buzzcocks

Another Music in a Different Kitchen is the first studio album by the English punk rock band Buzzcocks. It was released in March 1978 by the United Artists record label. This was the third line-up of Buzzcocks, with the guitarist Pete Shelley singing following the departure of the original vocalist Howard Devoto and then the firing of the bass guitarist Garth Smith. The album includes the single "I Don't Mind", which reached number 55 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1978.

<i>Singles Going Steady</i> 1979 compilation album by Buzzcocks

Singles Going Steady is a compilation album by English punk rock band Buzzcocks, first released on I.R.S. Records in the United States on 25 September 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altered Images</span> Scottish new wave/post-punk band

Altered Images are a Scottish new wave/post-punk band who found success in the early 1980s. Fronted by singer Clare Grogan, the group branched into mainstream pop music, having six UK top-40 hit singles and three top-30 albums from 1981 to 1983. Their hits include "Happy Birthday", "I Could Be Happy", "See Those Eyes", and "Don't Talk to Me About Love".

<i>All Set</i> 1996 studio album by Buzzcocks

All Set is the fifth studio album by English pop punk band Buzzcocks. After standardising their line-up of vocalists and guitarists Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle, bassist Tony Barber, and drummer Phil Barker for the band's previous album Trade Test Transmissions (1993), the band's first record since their reunion in 1989, the band toured relentlessly which inspired the band–especially Shelley–to create a new album. Hiring longtime punk rock producer Neill King to produce and engineer All Set, the band recorded in Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California, a studio where then-huge pop punk bands like Green Day, to whom Buzzcocks had been a big influence, had recently recorded music engineered by King.

<i>Modern</i> (Buzzcocks album) 1999 studio album by Buzzcocks

Modern is the sixth studio album by English pop punk band Buzzcocks. After the critical success of the band's previous album All Set (1996), the band became disillusioned with trying to be a rock band and set out to become more "modern," thus birthing the project. Recording the album in Chipping Barnet with the band's bassist Tony Barber producing, Modern sees a strong electronic music influence, with electronic instruments and drum machines featuring on the songs, especially those written by Steve Diggle, who wrote five of the album's songs whilst Pete Shelley wrote the other eight songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stay Another Day</span> 1994 single by British boy-band East 17

"Stay Another Day" is a song recorded by British boy band East 17, released on 21 November 1994 as the third single from their second album, Steam (1994). It is their only number-one song on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the Christmas number one of 1994. "Stay Another Day" also topped the charts of Denmark, Ireland, and Sweden and peaked within the top 10 of the charts in several other countries, including Australia, France, and the Netherlands. Two different music videos were produced for the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Alright (East 17 song)</span> 1993 single by East 17

"It's Alright" is a song by English boy band East 17, released in November 1993 by London Records as the sixth and last single from their debut album, Walthamstow (1993). The song was written by band member Tony Mortimer, and produced by Phil Harding, Ian Curnow, Richard Stannard and Neil James Stainton. The single version, labelled the "Guvnor mix", begins with a slow ballad-like intro for the first minute, before converting to the dance-pop sound for the rest of the track. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and became a number-one hit in Australia, France, Ireland, Israel, and Switzerland. The accompanying music video was directed by Chris Clunn and Lawrence Watson, depicting the band performing onstage. In 2011, English singer and songwriter Kim Wilde recorded a cover of the song for her 12th album, Snapshots (2011), which charted in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder (East 17 song)</span> 1995 single by East 17

"Thunder" is a song recorded by English boy band East 17, released as the first single from their third album, Up All Night (1995), on 23 October 1995 by London Records. It was written by band member Tony Mortimer, who co-produced it with Ian Curnow, Phil Harding and Rob Kean. The song achieved success in many countries, including Belgium (Wallonia), Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland and the UK, where it was a top-10 hit. Its music video was directed by Francis Ridley, featuring the band performing at an indoor set, where it later begins to rain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)</span> 1978 single by Buzzcocks

"Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" is a 1978 song written by Pete Shelley and performed by his group Buzzcocks. It was a number 12 hit on the UK Singles Chart and was included on the album Love Bites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory Darling</span> American singer and composer

Gregory Darling is an American singer and composer.

Boyz on Block are an English–Irish pop supergroup formed in 2019, consisting of Abz Love from Five, Ben Ofoedu from Phats & Small, Dane Bowers from Another Level and Shane Lynch from Boyzone.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Essex at 20: Tony Mortimer". BBC. 28 December 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  2. "60 SECONDS: Tony Mortimer". Metro . 26 May 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  3. "Childiners - The Gift of Christmas". Discogs. 4 December 1995.
  4. Danielle Lawler (4 September 2005). "BULLIES BEAT ME UP, SET MY HAIR ON FIRE AND CALLED ME A N***** YET". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  5. "Fod Welcomes Tony Mortimer As A Solo Artist". Fod Records. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  6. "East 17's Tony Mortimer re-records Stay Another Day with Walthamstow choir for Christmas". itv.com. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  7. "East 17 star Tony Mortimer is Stansted family man". Herts & Essex Observer. 5 November 2009. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  8. "Gangster Kray's final journey". CNN. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  9. "The Ivors 1995". The Ivors Academy. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2021.