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Thomas Dolby

Thomas Dolby

English synth pioneer best known for the 1982 new wave hit 'She Blinded Me with Science', which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

APPLE MUSIC

When Love Breaks Down - 2007 Remastered Version

Thomas Dolby

MUSIC VIDEO · Thomas Dolby Official

Thomas Dolby: How I got my hair back

VIDEO · FROM THOMAS DOLBY OFFICIAL ON YOUTUBE

About

MOODS · quirky · synth-driven · inventive · new wave · playful · eclectic · cerebral · retro-futuristic

BIOGRAPHY

Thomas Dolby, born Thomas Morgan Robertson in 1958, emerged from the British new wave scene of the early 1980s, blending electronic instrumentation with a restless creative range that went beyond the quirky pop of his biggest hits. After stints with Bruce Woolley's Camera Club and as keyboardist for Lene Lovich (for whom he co-wrote 'New Toy'), he broke through as a solo artist with 'She Blinded Me with Science' and the follow-up 'Hyperactive!', earning four Grammy nominations across 1984 and 1988. Beyond his own records, Dolby built a notable career as a producer and songwriter, writing and producing Whodini's 'Magic's Wand', one of the first million-selling rap singles, and producing Prefab Sprout's acclaimed 'Steve McQueen' and Joni Mitchell's 'Dog Eat Dog' in 1985, the same year he backed David Bowie at Live Aid.

WHY THEY'RE COOL

Dolby's catalog captures a singular moment when synthesizers, pop hooks and oddball wit collided: a scientist-tinkerer image matched by genuinely inventive production work. His fingerprints are on some unlikely landmarks, from an early platinum rap single for Whodini to Prefab Sprout's 'Steve McQueen', showing a producer's ear that reached well past his own new wave hits.

ON WOKE-1

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