Biography
Arthur Baker stood out as one of the earliest and most emulated figures among hip-hop producers, orchestrating pioneering work with tape edits and electronic rhythms before bringing the craft of remixing into broader pop visibility. His path started as a club DJ in Boston, where he secured initial production duties at Emergency Records and launched with Northend's "Happy Days." Following his relocation to New York in 1979, he immersed himself in the emerging hip-hop community and was enlisted by the Salsoul label to oversee a session for Joe Bataan that produced the rap novelty "Rap-O-Clap-O." Finding limited traction during his time in the Big Apple, Baker went back to Boston and oversaw several singles that achieved little notice, such as Glory's "Can You Guess What Groove This Is?"
Another return to New York ensued, during which he joined the team at Tommy Boy Records and collaborated with co-producer Shep Pettibone on Afrika Bambaataa's influential 1982 single "Jazzy Sensation," a reworking of Gwen McCrae's "Funky Sensation." Taking full production reins, Baker next rejoined Bambaataa for the landmark "Planet Rock," a pivotal release in hip-hop's formative period whose entirely synthesized sound, drawing from Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express," shaped countless subsequent recordings through its programmed beats. The achievements at Tommy Boy prompted Baker to establish his own imprint, Streetwise Records; after guiding underground club successes for Rockers Revenge, Nairobi, and Citispeak, he signed the then-unknown New Edition and released the teen vocal group's debut single, "Candy Girl," in 1982.
Baker's increasing integration into the pop mainstream advanced in 1983 when the innovative British dance outfit New Order reached out to him to produce their single "Confusion," which quickly became a club staple and even reached the American R&B charts. The accompanying remixes helped establish the remix approach across the rock landscape, leading Baker to helm tracks for Naked Eyes, Face to Face, Diana Ross, Jeff Beck, and additional acts. In 1989 he gathered performers including Al Green, ABC, and Jimmy Somerville to create the all-star album Merge, issued under the name Arthur Baker & the Backbeat Disciples. Following the 1991 successor Give in to the Rhythm, he resumed production work, though without matching the impact he had wielded in the previous decade.
Another return to New York ensued, during which he joined the team at Tommy Boy Records and collaborated with co-producer Shep Pettibone on Afrika Bambaataa's influential 1982 single "Jazzy Sensation," a reworking of Gwen McCrae's "Funky Sensation." Taking full production reins, Baker next rejoined Bambaataa for the landmark "Planet Rock," a pivotal release in hip-hop's formative period whose entirely synthesized sound, drawing from Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express," shaped countless subsequent recordings through its programmed beats. The achievements at Tommy Boy prompted Baker to establish his own imprint, Streetwise Records; after guiding underground club successes for Rockers Revenge, Nairobi, and Citispeak, he signed the then-unknown New Edition and released the teen vocal group's debut single, "Candy Girl," in 1982.
Baker's increasing integration into the pop mainstream advanced in 1983 when the innovative British dance outfit New Order reached out to him to produce their single "Confusion," which quickly became a club staple and even reached the American R&B charts. The accompanying remixes helped establish the remix approach across the rock landscape, leading Baker to helm tracks for Naked Eyes, Face to Face, Diana Ross, Jeff Beck, and additional acts. In 1989 he gathered performers including Al Green, ABC, and Jimmy Somerville to create the all-star album Merge, issued under the name Arthur Baker & the Backbeat Disciples. Following the 1991 successor Give in to the Rhythm, he resumed production work, though without matching the impact he had wielded in the previous decade.
Albums
Singles
