Chris Braide
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Chris Braide (born 6 February 1973, Cheshire) is a British singer, songwriter, record producer and music publisher.
He has written songs for a variety of artists including Will Young, Glenn Tilbrook, Beverley Knight, Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Lisa Stansfield, Kylie Minogue, Simon Webbe, Diana DeGarmo, Jesse McCartney and Gary Barlow. He wrote S Club 7's hit singles "Have You Ever" and "Say Goodbye", plus Clay Aiken's American number one single "This Is the Night", and follow up hit "Invisible". He is currently the lead singer in new band signed to Stiff Records called The Producers.
Contents |
[edit] Early years
At 17, Braide signed his first publishing deal with Zomba Music and was also signed to Polydor Records aged 18. It was during this period that Braide worked with the producer Thomas Dolby on the single "Funny Five Minutes".
In 1993, Braide spent six weeks in Italy, recording tracks with Mick Hucknall and Gota Yashiki, who were then looking for new artists to produce. Hucknall was played several demo tapes by Polydor A&R man Paul Morgan, but it was Braide's that attracted his attention. Although the resultant album was never released, tracks were re-recorded for a later album produced by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics).
[edit] Songwriting
Braide has achieved considerable success as a songwriter at home and in the US. He co-wrote "This Is the Night" recorded by Clay Aiken (from American Idol), which entered the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2003. The single was RIAA certified platinum on 15 July 2003. Debuting at #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot 100 Single Sales Chart, it was the fastest-selling single since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" and the best-selling single of 2003. It was the first CD single to go platinum since 2002, selling over a million copies.
Braide also wrote "Anything Is Possible", a number one single for Pop Idol winner Will Young in the UK. In March 2002, this became the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history, selling 403,027 copies on its day of release (1,108,659 copies in its first week). It went on to sell over 1.7 million copies, and in the official list of the all-time best-selling singles in the UK issued later that year, it was eleventh. The song was also featured as a B-side on the debut single by Gareth Gates, which itself went on to sell over 1.4 million singles in the UK, making "Anything is Possible" one of the most successful pop songs of recent times.
Braide co-wrote the debut single for RCA recording artist Diana DeGarmo. "Dreams" debuted at #2 in record sales and went #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 17 September 2005. Braide also co-wrote DeGarmo's follow-up single "Emotional" with Desmond Child and Andreas Carlsson.
In the same year, Disney artist Jesse McCartney released his debut album Beautiful Soul. It featured a Chris Braide/Desmond Child/Andreas Carlsson song "Because You Live", which was also the title song of the Disney film, The Princess Diaries. McCartney's album has since gone on to sell over 1.5 million copies and has achieved platinum status. The song also featured on The Princess Diaries soundtrack album, which has sold over 1 million copies.
Recent writing collaborations include Gary Barlow and Will Young; plus the theme tune music for T4's Mobile Act Unsigned UK TV show. Braide has also been working on the debut album by Mercury Records artist David Jordan.
In May 2007, Australian Idol star Dean Geyer released the Braide penned debut single "If You Don't Mean It". The song peaked at #10 in the Australian chart.
[edit] Awards
In 2003 the song "Anything is Possible" earned Braide an Ivor Novello Award. In 2004 Braide received an ASCAP award for the song "Invisible" which was among the most performed singles in the US. In 2005 Braide was awarded another ASCAP for the same song "Invisible" for most performed work on American radio. He is one of few British songwriters of late to reach multi million record sales in the United States. In a 2005 article for GQ magazine, Braide was among the most successful and influential men in the music business under 40 years of age.
[edit] As a recording artist
In 1996 Braide signed a solo deal with Dave Stewart's label Anxious Records. The label released the single "If I Hadn't Got You" followed a year later by the album, Life in a Minor Key. The single was released in the US by Atlantic Records and a performance video was shot in Times Square.
The album was recorded in New York at the Electric Lady Studios and co-produced by Braide and Stewart. The second single taken from Life was "Heavenly Rain" featuring a member of Alisha's Attic on backing vocals. The single was accompanied by a music video which was shot in New Orleans. 2008 sees the release of a second studio album entitled "You Can't Be Friends With Everyone". Produced by Braide.
[edit] 2007 and The Producers
In 2007, Braide joined Trevor Horn, Steve Lipson, Lol Créme and ex-Del Amitri/Faithless drummer Ash Soan in Sarm West Studios to record a new album as The Producers.
The Producers played their first show at Camden Barfly in November 2006 and were joined on stage by Will Young for two songs and by David Jordan, then recently signed by Mercury.
[edit] Publishing Company and Recording Studios
Braide recently set up Untouchable Songs Ltd., a publishing company with Andy Graham (ex-EMI, Zomba). He is also the owner of a West London recording studio.
