Alex Clare | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Alexander George Clare [1] [2] |
Born | Southwark, London, England | 14 September 1985
Origin | Golders Green, London, England |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Years active | 2007–present |
Labels |
|
Alexander George Clare (born 14 September 1985) is a British singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Lateness of the Hour , was released in the UK on 11 July 2011 on Island Records [3] and was produced by Mike Spencer and Major Lazer. [4]
His biggest hit, "Too Close", peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Single at the 2013 Brit Awards. [5]
Clare was born in London on 14 September 1985. [6] He grew up listening to his father's jazz records; [7] Clare described the experience as a "...benefit of having a dad who was born in 1936... very much into bebop and cool jazz. I just loved it." That drew the young Clare to blues and soul artists such as Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, which eventually led to interests in drum and bass, dubstep and UK garage. Though he took up the trumpet and drums when he was young, he eventually placed an emphasis on guitar and songwriting, playing open mic nights with original material. [8]
Clare attended Bishop Challoner School in Bromley and then Westminster Kingsway College from 2002, studying for an National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in catering.
A demo earned him a deal with the Island label in the UK. His debut album, The Lateness of the Hour , produced by Mike Spencer and Major Lazer [4] was released in July 2011. The first single from the album was "Up All Night", followed by "Too Close" and "Treading Water".
On 19 May 2011, Reggie Yates made Alex Clare's cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" his Song of the Day. [9] A day later, the Dutch radio station 3FM announced single "Too Close" to be the '3FM's Megahit of that week. [10]
On 21 June 2011, Clare performed at the Queens' College, Cambridge May Ball. [11] On 14 August 2011, Clare performed at the Summer Well festival in Buftea, Romania. Following the disappointing performance of the album, Clare was dropped from his record contract with Universal Island in the UK. [12]
In March 2012, Clare's song "Too Close" was featured in several Internet Explorer 9 advertisements. [13] Following its use, the song debuted at number 68 on the US Billboard Hot 100, [14] and later reached number 7, becoming his first top 10 hit. Clare saw success on the German charts too, reaching number one. On 13 May 2012, Clare's song peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. [15] Soon after the song appearance in charts, Universal Republic signed Clare to a distribution deal that allowed The Lateness of the Hour to be released in America in March 2012. [12] [16] In mid-2012, it was announced that Universal Republic was going defunct moving artists from its roster to Republic Records including Alex Clare. [17]
In May 2014, Clare released the video for his single "War Rages On" as the lead single from his second album Three Hearts, which was released on 11 August 2014. [18] "War Rages On" has also served as the title sequence to the popular BBC Drama, Our Girl . On 8 October 2014, ASCAP named members Alex Clare and Jim Duguid Songwriters of the Year for "Too Close". [19]
In October 2016, Clare's first single from his debut album, "Up All Night" was used as the opening theme for BBC Three science-fiction series Class .
In November 2016, he released the album Tail of Lions. [20] The name is based on a Jewish proverb emphasizing correctness over power. [21]
It was announced in July 2018 that Clare would be releasing an acoustic album called Three Days at Greenmount, to be released on 14 September 2018. The album, which features stripped-back versions of previous songs as well as unreleased tracks, was recorded during a three-day studio session in Leeds over the summer of 2017. [22]
In October 2021, Clare released a new single, "Why Don't Ya", through ONErpm. The song, a ballad written for his wife following a personal tragedy, marked the end of a five-year hiatus from the music industry. Clare also revealed that he had been working on new songs with songwriter/producer Jamie Hartman during the COVID-19 lockdown and was planning a new EP for early 2022. [23] [24]
Collaborations with other artists include:
Clare is also an international speaker, and has appeared in several sessions of South Africa's Sinai Indaba program. [30]
Brought up in what he has described as a "very, very secular" environment (though he always believed in God), [21] Clare became a baal teshuva to Orthodox Judaism in the mid-2000s. [7] [31] As such, he does not perform, travel or work on Shabbat or on Jewish holidays. He has said that he lost one record deal opportunity due to this observance, [32] but has found other ways to continue his career successfully. Clare also keeps a strictly kosher diet and maintains a schedule of Talmud study on tour. [33] He lost an album deal with Island Records because he had to turn down a radio concert for BBC in observance of the Succoth holiday in October 2011. [24]
Though his parents remain secular, they are supportive of his lifestyle. [21]
In 2006, before gaining critical success, Clare dated British singer Amy Winehouse, but the relationship only lasted about a year. [16] They met while he was performing and working at a bar she frequented, the Hawley Arms in Camden, North London. When Winehouse started dating other men, Clare sold his story regarding his relationship with her to the tabloid News of the World , which ran it with the headline "Bondage Crazed Amy Just Can't Beehive in Bed". [34]
He lived in Golders Green, an area in northwest London, [35] before moving to Jerusalem in late 2015 together with his wife and daughter. [20] [24] He and his wife had a daughter c. 2013 and a son c. 2015, [21] and later had a third child. [24]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [36] | AUT [37] | BEL [38] | FRA [39] | GER [40] | SWI [41] | US [42] | |||||||
The Lateness of the Hour |
| 17 | 16 | 190 | 95 | 8 | 49 | 48 | |||||
Three Hearts |
| 98 | — | — | — | 43 | 74 | — | |||||
Tail of Lions |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Album details |
---|---|
Three Days at Greenmount |
|
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [36] | AUT [37] | BEL [38] | CAN [47] | DEN [48] | FRA [39] | GER [40] | NL [49] | SWI [41] | US [50] | ||||
"Up All Night" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Lateness of the Hour | |
"Too Close" | 2011 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 14 | 29 | 9 | 1 | 33 | 12 | 7 | ||
"Treading Water" | 179 | — | — | — | — | — | 59 | — | — | — | |||
"Hummingbird" | 2012 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"War Rages On" | 2014 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Three Hearts | |
"Never Let You Go" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Tell Me What You Need" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Tail of Lions | |
"Get Real" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Why Don't Ya" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [56] | AUS [57] | BEL (FLA) [38] | BEL (WA) [58] | NL [49] | NZ [59] | ||||
"Not Giving In" (Rudimental featuring John Newman and Alex Clare) | 2012 | 14 | 12 | 54 | 77 | 71 | 11 | Home | |
"Endorphins" (Sub Focus featuring Alex Clare) | 2013 | 10 | — | 134 | — | — | — |
| Torus |
"Give It All" (Don Diablo featuring Alex Clare and Kelis) | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
"Living" (Bakermat featuring Alex Clare) | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Heaven to Me" (Don Diablo featuring Alex Clare) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Hold On" [62] (Ilan Bluestone and Maor Levi featuring Alex Clare) | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | TBA | |
"Thunder Child" (Jeff Wayne featuring Liam Neeson and Alex Clare) [63] | 2012 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds: The New Generation [64] | |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Give You Up" (Rudimental featuring Alex Clare) | 2012 | Home (deluxe version) |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Shine a Little Light" (Shine a Little Light featuring Alex Clare) | 2016 | Shine a Little Light (single) |
Title | Year | Director(s) |
---|---|---|
"Up All Night" | 2010 | Blake Claridge [65] |
"Too Close" | 2011 | Ian Bonhote [66] |
"Treading Water" | Sam Pilling [67] | |
"War Rages On" | 2014 | Alex Southam [68] |
"Get Real" | 2017 | Shimmy Socol [69] |
"Why Don't Ya" | 2021 | Indy Hait [70] |
Title | Year | Director(s) |
---|---|---|
"Not Giving In" (Rudimental featuring John Newman and Alex Clare) | 2012 | Josh Cole [71] |
Year | Organisation | Award | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | MOBO Awards | Best Newcomer [72] | Himself | Nominated |
UK Music Video Awards | Best Pop Video – Budget | "Relax My Beloved" | Nominated | |
2013 | Best Dance Video – UK | "Not Giving In" (Rudimental featuring John Newman and Alex Clare) | Won | |
International Dance Music Awards | Best Breakthrough Artist (Solo) | Himself | Nominated | |
New Music Awards | New AC Artist of the Year [73] | Won | ||
BRIT Awards | British Single of the Year [74] | "Too Close" | Nominated | |
2014 | ASCAP Awards Night | Songwriter of the Year (with Jim Duguid) [19] | Won | |
World Music Awards | World's Best Video | Nominated | ||
World's Best Male Artist | Himself | Nominated | ||
World's Best Live Act | Nominated | |||
World's Best Entertainer of the Year | Nominated |
The English rock band Radiohead have released nine studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums, one remix album, nine video albums, seven EPs, 32 singles, and 48 music videos. Their debut album, Pablo Honey, released in February 1993, reached number 22 in the UK, receiving platinum certifications in the UK and US. Their debut single, "Creep", remains their most successful, entering the top 10 in several countries. Their second album, The Bends, released in March 1995, reached number four in the UK and is certified triple platinum.
The discography of American traditional pop and jazz singer Tony Bennett consists of 61 studio albums, 11 live albums, 33 compilation albums, three video albums, one extended play and 83 singles.
Back to Black is the second and final studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with then-ex-boyfriend and future husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who temporarily left her to pursue his previous ex-girlfriend. Their short-lived separation spurred her to create an album that explores themes of guilt, grief, infidelity, heartbreak and trauma in a relationship.
"Rehab" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, from her second and final studio album Back to Black (2006). Produced by Mark Ronson, the lyrics are autobiographical and address Winehouse's refusal to enter a rehabilitation clinic for alcohol. "Rehab" was released as the lead single from Back to Black in 2006, and it peaked at number 7 in the United Kingdom on its Singles Chart and number 9 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Winehouse's only top 10 hit in the US.
American rock musician Kid Rock has released 12 studio albums, one compilation album, two extended plays and one live album. His debut album, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, was released by Jive Records in 1990. Following its release, Kid Rock was dropped and shuffled between an independent artist and label-signed for most of the 1990s until he created his own Top Dog label and released his mainstream debut album, Devil Without a Cause, on August 18, 1998, via Atlantic Records. The album was certified diamond by the RIAA and sold 11 million copies in the United States. From 1999 to 2000 he produced four major Billboard "Hot 100" hits: "Bawitdaba", "Cowboy", "Only God Knows Why", and "American Bad Ass".
English-American musician, DJ, singer, songwriter, record producer and record executive Mark Ronson has released five studio albums and twenty-two singles.
The discography of American musician Moby consists of twenty-one studio albums, one live album, eleven compilation albums, twelve remix albums, three video albums, four extended plays, eighty-nine singles, fourteen promotional singles, a hundred and forty-nine music videos, and forty-four remixes.
British big beat duo The Chemical Brothers have released ten studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums, two remix albums, five mix albums, one soundtrack album, two video albums, six extended plays, thirty-seven singles, fifteen promotional singles and thirty-two music videos.
British singer Amy Winehouse released two studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, five extended plays, 15 singles, three video albums and 14 music videos. At the time of her death on 23 July 2011, Winehouse had sold over 1.75 million singles and over 3.98 million albums in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, she had sold about 3.4 million tracks and 2.7 million albums in the United States as of the same date.
The discography of Beastie Boys, an American hip hop group, consists of eight studio albums, four compilation albums, five video albums, seven extended plays, 40 singles and 44 music videos.
The discography of The Ting Tings, an English indie pop duo, consists of four studio albums, three extended plays, 10 singles and 14 music videos. The Ting Tings were formed in 2004 in Salford, England by Jules De Martino and Katie White. The band was signed to independent record label Switchflicker Records in 2006 and released their limited-edition debut single, "Fruit Machine", the following year. Following an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2007, The Ting Tings were signed to Columbia Records.
The discography of Mika, an English pop singer-songwriter, consists of six studio albums, four live albums, two compilation albums, nine extended plays, thirty-six singles, thirty-one music videos, and four video albums. As of 2017, Mika has sold over 20 million records.
The American singer Jason Mraz has released eight studio albums, five live albums, two compilation albums, one video album, fourteen extended plays, twenty-eight singles, eight promotional singles and thirteen music videos. After various independent releases, Mraz signed to Elektra Records and released his debut studio album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, in October 2002. The album peaked at number 55 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "The Remedy ", the album's first single, peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Waiting for My Rocket to Come also spawned the singles "You and I Both" and "Curbside Prophet". In 2005, Mraz signed a new contract with Atlantic Records; he released his second studio album, Mr. A–Z, in July. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number five on the Billboard 200. Mr. A–Z spawned the singles "Wordplay", "Did You Get My Message?" and "Geek in the Pink".
Caroline Esmeralda van der Leeuw, known for the music project Caro Emerald, and latterly The Jordan is a Dutch pop and jazz singer who mainly performs in English. Active since 2007, she rose to prominence in 2009 with debut single, "Back It Up". Follow-up single "A Night Like This" topped charts in the Netherlands.
The discography of American electro and hip hop duo LMFAO consists of two studio albums, one extended play, sixteen singles and fifteen music videos. Consisting of rappers and singers Redfoo and SkyBlu, the duo was formed in 2006 in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. LMFAO began their career in the Los Angeles club circuit, where they were met with positive reception. American hip hop recording artist will.i.am brought the duo to the attention of industry executive Jimmy Iovine, who signed them to his label Interscope Records.
The discography of Fatboy Slim, an alias of Norman Cook, an English DJ, big beat musician, and record producer, consists of four studio albums, three live albums, one soundtrack album, two compilation albums, three remix albums, six mix albums, three video albums, five extended plays, 28 singles and 31 music videos.
Conor Paul Maynard is an English singer. Born and raised in Brighton, he signed a recording contract with Warner Music Group in 2011. Maynard rose to fame in 2012 when he was nominated for, and subsequently won, MTV's Brand New for 2012 award. His debut album, Contrast, was released in July 2012 which produced the successful single "Can't Say No". Maynard released his second and third albums, Covers and +11 Hours, in 2016 and 2023, respectively.
"Too Close" is a song by British singer Alex Clare. The track was first released in the United Kingdom on 15 April 2011 as the second single from Clare's debut studio album, The Lateness of the Hour (2011). The track was written by Clare, Jim Duguid and produced by Major Lazer, with co-production from Ariel Rechtshaid and Mike Spencer. Lyrically, the song describes the protagonist who is not ready for a committed relationship and he must end things with his love interest in good terms.
The Lateness of the Hour is the debut studio album by British singer Alex Clare. It was released on 8 July 2011 by Island Records. The album peaked at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart, number 8 on the German Albums Chart and number 48 on the US Billboard 200. The album includes the singles "Up All Night", "Too Close" and "Treading Water".
Raymond Adrien Dalton is an American singer based in Seattle, Washington. He began his career as a gospel and R&B singer. Dalton gained prominence as the featured artist on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' 2011 song "Can't Hold Us", which gained popularity between 2012 and 2013, eventually topping the charts in multiple countries including the Billboard Hot 100. The song was certified platinum in the U.S. in April 2013. He has won two MTV Video Music Awards.