Barry Blue


Barry Blue is an English singer, producer, and songwriter. As an artist he is best known for his hit songs "Dancin' " and "Do You Wanna Dance".
Blue has also been a prolific songwriter and producer for many artists and has had over forty worldwide hits including Andrea Bocelli, Diana Ross, Celine Dion, The Saturdays, The Wanted, and Pixie Lott. In film and television, Blue has provided scores and/or themes for productions including Eyes of Laura Mars, Long Good Friday, and Escape to Athena.

Early days

At the age of 13, Barry Blue made his first television appearance with his school band The Dark Knights, performing on Stubby Kaye's Silver Star Show, a weekly children's talent show hosted by Kaye via Granada TV. By the age of 14, Blue had signed with record producer Norrie Paramor whose assistant was Tim Rice – the producer of Blue's first song "Rainmaker Girl", which became a hit for Gene Pitney in the United States. Later he became a bassist in the line-up of Spice; the band featured Mick Box and David Byron and was the precursor to the heavy rock band Uriah Heep. He followed this in 1966 with a two-year period in A&R at the Bee Gees' publishing company Abigail Music, under direction of their manager Robert Stigwood.
In 1970, Blue signed as a songwriter to ATV-Kirshner located in Bruton Street, London where he joined a group of professional songwriters that included Lynsey de Paul and Ron Roker. One of their earliest songs was "Sugarloaf Hill", recorded by the reggae artist, Del Davis. Other early career notable songs co-written by Blue and de Paul include "Tip of My Tongue" for the British group Brotherly Love, as well as female vocal trio Ellie and "House of Cards" recorded by a number of artists including John Christie, Australian artist Rob Guest, and the D.J. Tony Blackburn. Another from this period included "Crossword Puzzle", also co-penned with de Paul and which led to an appearance on Top of the Pops for Irish singer Dana. At the time he was still using his real surname of Green.
Blue wrote his first UK Singles Chart hit back in 1972 with de Paul titled "Sugar Me". The song originally was written for Peter Noone, but de Paul's boyfriend at the time, Dudley Moore, suggested that she should take a demo version to manager Gordon Mills, who told her she should record it herself. The song also charted in singles charts in the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium. "Sugar Me" was also covered in the US by Nancy Sinatra and Claudine Longet.

Career

He released his first record in June 1971 under the name of Barry Green on the Ember label titled "Together", written by Jean-Pierre Mirouze, taken from the French film Le mariage collectif. He signed up to Decca Records and released four singles between 1971 and 1974. Including "Papa Do", which was released by Barry Green as a single. His first UK chart success came with a change of name and record deal with Bell Records in 1973 billed as Barry Blue, and had five hit singles, "Dancin' " , "Do You Wanna Dance?", "School Love", "Miss Hit and Run". His final Top 40 hit in the UK Singles Chart occurred in October 1974, when "Hot Shot", another song co-penned with de Paul, climbed to No. 23, and No. 3 in Zimbabwe. Blue returned to the UK charts in 1989 with a remix version of "Dancin' ". Throughout 1973-74, Blue appeared on many major TV shows and tours alongside artist such as Queen, Abba and Status Quo.
Blue achieved a million seller in 1975 with "Kiss Me Kiss Your Baby" recorded by Brotherhood of Man. Two years later he co-wrote "Devil's Gun" a song by C. J. & Company from the album of the same name. The song went to No. 1 for five weeks on the Billboard disco/dance chart. The single also peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B chart.Devil's Gun#cite note-2| Written by Blue, Ron Roker, and Gerry Shury and produced by Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey. The song is notable for being the first record played at the opening of Studio 54 on 26 April 1977 by DJ Richie Kaczor.Devil's Gun#cite note-3| The instrumental portions of "Devil's Gun" were featured prominently in the International version of Crocodile. It also featured in the film The Real Bruce Lee. In 2016, the song was included in The Get Down soundtrack, and the following year it was featured in the film Borg vs McEnroe.
One of his major production successes was the multi-racial, Anglo-US funk/soul band Heatwave, who enjoyed hits in the UK and US with "Boogie Nights", "Always and Forever", 'Mind Blowing Decisions", and "The Groove Line". Other funk songs produced by Blue include "Funk Theory, by Rokotto in 1978 reached No. 49, "Somebody Help Me Out" by Beggar and Co which reached No. 15 in the UK in 1981 and "Say Yeah" by The Limit which peaked at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play chart in 1985. In 1989, under the banner of Cry Sisco!, Blue had another minor hit with a song called "Afro Dizzi Act", which reached No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart.
Barry Blue has announced a brand new box-set recording project entitled '’ encompassing three CD’s - ‘’ / ‘’ / and an edited version of his forthcoming autobiography – ‘’
‘Songs From The Heart Book’ is a collection of his songs originally recorded by other artists but now newly recorded by him for the first time in the way that he has always wanted them to be heard... Blue states with pride but not a trace of arrogance... “On ‘Songs From The Heart Book’ I’m singing those tunes I now realise no one ever should have sung before me...because they're all too personal. They are the soundtrack to my life, and I couldn’t leave them in the past. I needed to drag them kicking and screaming back into the light where they belong”.
‘Songs From The Lost Book’ features rare tracks recorded in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s that are moments in time...with songs like ‘Afrodizziact’ recorded under the name Cry Sisco!...through the ‘New Romantic’ scene with unreleased tracks such as ‘Eye To Eye’ and ‘Nights Are Colder’ and a Les Adam’s re-work of his classic ‘Dancin’ ’89...the list of rarities goes on and on...
‘Look Blue’s Talking’ focuses on Barry’s life way-back to the time-line before his ‘70’s heart-throb days in the vanguard of Glam-Rock in an animated conversation with DJ Paul O’Reilly
‘Barry Who?’ is an edited version of Blue’s forthcoming bittersweet autobiography, where he boldly portrays the life of a ‘middling’ pop star and how he travelled through the highs and lows of an extraordinary time...

Selected songs for other artists

Song titleArtistYearSongwriterProducerAlbum / Single
"I Hope And I Pray"Alvin Stardust & Sheila Walsh1986Brenner, Lippell, MossBarry Blue see title
"E Sara' A Settembre "Andrea Bocelli2001B. Blue, A. Salerno, R. Smith Cieli di Toscana
"Old Flame Burnin'"Andy Gillin1989B. Blue, J. CavanaghUno Hoo see title
"We All Work Out"Beggar and Co1982Jonathan PerkinsBarry Blue see title
"Trop jeune à dix-sept ans"Celine Dion1984Barry Blue, P. GreedusEddy Marnay Rudi Pascal Les oiseaux du bonheur
"Who"Diana Ross1982Barry Blue, Rod BowkettDiana Ross, Michael Jackson Silk Electric
"Escaping"Dina Carroll1996Barry Blue, Robyn SmithNigel Lowis Only Human
"What A Bitch Is Love"Marcia Hines1982Paul Greedus, Barry BlueDave MacKay see title
"Love The Way You Love Me"Marti Caine1981Blue, GreedusBlueytunes Productions Point Of View
"The Little Things"Matt Monro1976Blue, WorthJohn Burgess see title
"Tremblin'"Mel Smith1986Barry Blue, Paul GreedusPete Wingfield see title
"No Time To Be Hurt"Pixie Lott2009Barry Blue, Pixie LottBarry Blue Turn It Up
"Just A Disillusion"Sandie Shaw1976W. & M. J. P. VermuelemBarry Blue see title
"Flashback"The Saturdays2010The SaturdaysBarry Blue "Ego"
"Radiator Rock"The Sting-Rays1982Paul Greedus, Barry BluePaul Greedus see title
"Replace Your Heart"The Wanted2010Cathy Dennis, Kasia LivingstonBarry Blue, Greg Kurstin The Wanted
"Don't You Remember When"Vera Lynn1976De Paul, BlueDe Paul see title
"Travelin' On"Acker Bilk & Paramount Jazz Band1972Blik, Green, MaziTerry Brown Acker Pie
"Je compte jusqu'à toi"Patricia Kaas1997Barry Blue, Robyn Smith, ZazieJefferey Vanston Dans ma chair
"Love In Me"Danni Minogue2009Blue, Mallozzi, SabiuRapino Bros The 1995 Sessions
"New York Moon"Louise1997Barry Blue, Robyn SmithSteve Levine Woman In Me
"Love Bomb"Cheryl Lynn1980De Paul, B. BlueBarry Blue see title

Chart hits as a songwriter

Blue has provided scores and/or themes for various productions:
TV Themes / SongsFilm Themes / SongsAdvertising Jingles
The Golden Shot
Alexander The Greatest
Shirley's World
Lift Off
Billy Liar
Come Midnight Monday
Praying Mantis
Puhd Aineet
Dia Spot Autogrip
Oppenheimer
Faszinationen
Sharp Intake of Breath
Sex In The City
Breaking Bad
The Getdown
Path to 911
Only Fools and Horses
Coronation Street
The Benny Hill Show
Eastenders		Escape to Athena
Eyes of Laura Mars
Long Good Friday
The Boy Who Won the Pools
Chico and the Man
Felicity
Ishikawa Hiduni
Kids World
Sweeney
Girls, Girls, Girls
Mackenzie Appointed
Mompti
Side by Side
The Get Down
The Real Bruce Lee
Crocodile
Borg vs. McEnroe
Anita & Me
Top Boy
Money Heist
British Airways
Walls
Honda
Ford
Fabreze
B & Q
Airbus Industries
Camelot
McDonald's
Paramount Pictures
Wella
.		-

Discography

Singles