Bruce Woolley#The Camera Club

Woolley was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire, on 11 November 1953 and educated at Loughborough Grammar School, where he learned electric guitar and where he met his future wife Tessa. He lived in Shepshed, playing the UK pub and club circuit extensively for some years, before landing his first professional engagement in 1974, with Ivor Kenney's Dance Band at Leicester Palais.{{Cite web|url=http://www.loughboroughecho.net/news/local-news/how-classic-hit-video-killed-12645382|title=How the classic hit Video Killed the Radio Star was born|last=Rush|first=Andy|date=2017-02-23|website=loughborough|access-date=2019-05-22}} After a transfer to Derby Tiffany's, Bruce left for London in 1976 to pursue a career in songwriting, after being offered a publishing contract with Everblue Music, in Piccadilly.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xlUhAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Everblue+Music%22+bruce+woolley|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions|date=1978|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|language=en}}

Woolley's first hit was "Dancing with Dr Bop" for Australian group the Studs,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/892884618|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}} followed by his first English hit "Baby Blue" for Dusty Springfield, co-written with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prsformusic.com/|title=PRS Tunecode 0364096A "BABY BLUE"|date=14 May 2012|website=PRS for Music}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/889209700|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}}

In 1979, Woolley established the new wave music outfit the Camera Club, with Thomas Dolby on keyboards, Matthew Seligman on bass, Dave Birch on guitar and Rod Johnson on drums.[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p139695|pure_url=yes}} Bruce Woolley Overview Allmusic] Seligman joined the Soft Boys, and was replaced by Re-Flex bassist Nigel Ross-Scott. The Camera Club released their debut and only album English Garden in 1979 and toured the UK and North America. Dolby left the band in 1982 to pursue a solo career, with one final Camera Club track he co-wrote on his debut album. They disbanded in 1983 after two years largely spent on the road, and following disagreements with CBS Records, which refused to release their second album, which was eventually released in October 2024 on a compilation of unreleased material, some of which had never seen the light of day for over 40 years.

In 1978, Woolley co-wrote the Ivor Novello Award-nominated "Video Killed the Radio Star", together with Horn and Downes, who later became the Buggles.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/520041465|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}} Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club recorded and broadcast their own version of the song before the Buggles released their version in 1979, but it was not a hit.{{cite web |title=Bruce Woolley And The Camera Club – Video Killed The Radio Star |url=https://www.discogs.com/Bruce-Woolley-And-The-Camera-Club-Video-Killed-The-Radio-Star/master/505997 |website=Discogs |date=4 December 1979 |access-date=2021-04-11}} It did rank at number 18 for 2 weeks on Canada's CHUM Chart, May 19 and 26, 1980.{{cite web|url=http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?chart=1215| title=CHUM chart archive - May 26, 1980| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060212012227/http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?chart=1215| archive-date=12 February 2006}}

In 1981, Woolley and Trevor Horn co-wrote and produced "Hand Held in Black and White" and "Mirror Mirror" for Dollar.{{cite book |title=The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles |year=2008 |edition=1st |editor-first=Martin |editor-last=Roach |publisher=Virgin Books |location=London |isbn=978-0-7535-1537-2 |page=127}} In 1983, Magnus Uggla recorded a cover of the Camera Club's 1981 single "Blue Blue (Victoria)" with new (i.e. not a translation of Woolley's) lyrics in Swedish.

In 1985, Woolley co-wrote Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/490570326|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}} The title track was originally intended for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, but Island Records' founder, Chris Blackwell, suggested using the song for Jones. The album took nearly a year to produce and made pioneering use of the Synclavier system.

In 1986, Woolley and Grace Jones co-wrote and produced Jones' eighth studio album Inside Story with Nile Rodgers, which spawned the single "I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect for You)".{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/390440576|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}} During production of the music video for this track, Woolley spent time with Andy Warhol, Timothy Leary and also Keith Haring, who were collectively responsible for set design. The song received an ASCAP Award for Black Music in 1987, presented to Woolley by Cab Calloway.

In 1989, Woolley's work was sampled for the ambient piece "A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld" by the Orb.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/886618313|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}} The track featured vocals by Woolley and Trevor Horn taken from Slave to the Rhythm.

Woolley's songs have been covered by John Farnham ("Two Strong Hearts"),{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/500405109|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}} Shirley Bassey ("Slave to the Rhythm" on 2007's Get the Party Started),{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/490570326|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}} the Feeling, Divine, Cliff Richard, Tori Amos, Donna Summer, Tom Jones, Cher ("Love Is the Groove" on 1998's Believe album),{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/420515928|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}} and Bebel Gilberto.

In 1994, Woolley, Matthew Seligman, Chris Elliott and Andy Visser founded The Radio Science Orchestra (RSO), a theremin-led space age pop ensemble inspired by the birth of electronic music.{{Cite web|url=https://www.radioscienceorchestra.com/|title=The Radio Science Orchestra|website=The Radio Science Orchestra|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-22}}{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/thereminethermus00glin|url-access=registration|title=Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage|last1=Glinsky|first1=Albert|last2=Moog|first2=Bob|date=2000|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=9780252025822|pages=[https://archive.org/details/thereminethermus00glin/page/341 341]|language=en}} The ensemble has recorded for film, television and radio, and provides bespoke arrangements and audio-visual performances combining live music, archive footage and narration.

In 1996, the RSO released a début EP, Memories of the Future.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gZIjT8PgJMEC&pg=PA155|title=The International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002|last=Gregory|first=Andy|date=2002|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=9781857431612|page=155|language=en}} In 1997, together with Grace Jones, the RSO provided the title track "Storm" for The Avengers movie starring Sean Connery, Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/490965301|title=ACE Repertory|website=www.ascap.com|access-date=2019-07-12}} In 1999, the RSO released a follow-up EP, Reverb. The RSO created a live score Ray Santilli's Alien Autopsy, an interactive soundtrack for Superstructure With Satellites at the Tate Gallery. In 2002, the RSO performed at Shanghai's International Pop Festival. The same year, Grace Jones and Luciano Pavarotti performed the RSO's arrangement of "Pourquoi me Reveiller".

In 2004, the ensemble provided music for the "Electric Storm" installation at London's South Bank for Shell. This featured a 24-hour soundtrack with forty loudspeakers, lights, music and artificial fog created from water which was pumped from the Thames. All the power for the show was derived from a huge wind turbine, specially installed alongside the Waterloo footbridge.

In 2009, the RSO performed at TED Global with Thomas Dolby. In 2013, the RSO scored a three-minute viral commercial for Greenpeace.{{Cite web|url=http://www.adlatina.com//publicidad/mucho-humor-y-ciencia-ficción-para-la-greenpeace-inglesa|title=Mucho humor y ciencia ficción para la Greenpeace inglesa {{!}} Adlatina|last=Adlatina|website=www.adlatina.com|language=es|access-date=2019-05-22}} In 2006, the RSO played with Thomas Dolby at London's ICA. In 2017, the RSO and Polly Scattergood released "Video Killed the Radio Star (Darkstar)", remixed by Steve Dub of the Chemical Brothers, and used as the soundtrack for trailers for the MTV Music Video Awards, featuring Katy Perry.

In 2019, the RSO presented "Music out of the Moon" at Bluedot Festival (Jodrell Bank Observatory),{{Cite web|url=https://www.discoverthebluedot.com/profile/radio-science-orchestra:-music-out-of-the-moon|title=Radio Science Orchestra: Music Out of the Moon|website=Bluedot Festival|language=en|access-date=2019-09-17}} and TED Summit, Edinburgh.{{Cite news|url=http://blog.ted.com/a-first-glimpse-at-the-tedsummit-2019-speaker-lineup/|title=A first glimpse at the TEDSummit 2019 speaker lineup|date=2019-05-21|work=TED Blog|access-date=2019-09-17|language=en-US}} The performances celebrated the anniversary of Apollo 11, and included reconstructed tracks for theremin and jazz band from Harry Revel and Les Baxter's 1947 record Music Out of the Moon, played from space by Neil Armstrong in 1969.

The RSO has appeared on MTV, EBN, BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC World Service Television News, ITV, Channel 1, Channel 4, Radio 2, (including the Chris Evans Drivetime show in February 2008), Radio 3, Radio 4 and at Glastonbury Festival.

After Seligman's death in 2020, one of the tracks from the debut EP titled 'The Brightest Star' was re-released in his memory, which was one of the last songs he co-wrote with Woolley. Former Camera Club member Thomas Dolby, who continued to work with Seligman after he left the band, then uploaded a music video for the track in tribute to him.

In 2006, Woolley wrote and co-produced tracks for Grace Jones's album Hurricane, together with Brian Eno, Ivor Guest (Bomb the Bass), Pamelia Kurstin, and Sly and Robbie.

On 28 September 2010, Woolley joined Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn for the Buggles' 'live début', to raise funds for the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability.{{Cite web|url=http://www.trevorhorn.com/news/buggles_the_lost_gig_280910.html|title=Trevor Horn • The Buggles - The Lost Gig - 28.09.10|date=2010-08-25|website=trevorhorn.com|access-date=2016-06-02|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901203027/http://www.trevorhorn.com/news/buggles_the_lost_gig_280910.html|archivedate=1 September 2010}}

In 2004, Woolley performed for a Prince's Trust concert at Wembley Arena celebrating Horn's production career and 25 years of "Video Killed the Radio Star".

Woolley performed the theremin on Thomas Dolby's song "Simone", which was released on Dolby's Oceanea EP in November 2010, and subsequently on the studio album A Map of the Floating City in October 2011.

On 4 October 2011, Woolley received a Gold Medal Award from the BMI in recognition of airplay for "Check It Out", a track by Nicki Minaj and will.i.am, which featured on Minaj's US number 1 album "Pink Friday" which sampled "Video Killed the Radio Star".

In 2018, Woolley sang backing vocals on Trevor Horn's debut album. Woolley notably sings with Rumer on her version of "Slave to the Rhythm". Trevor Horn Reimagines the Eighties entered the UK Independent Album chart at No. 1 in February 2019.

Woolley lives in Surrey, England. His wife, Tessa, died in February 2023. They have three sons, who are all involved in the music and media industries.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.brucewoolleyhq.com Bruce Woolley HQ]
• {{discogs artist|Bruce Woolley}}
• [http://www.albertglinsky.com/book.html Albert Glinsky's biography of Leon Theremin]
• {{imdb name|0941241}}

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Category:1953 births

Category:English male singers

Category:English male songwriters

Category:English new wave musicians

Category:English record producers

Category:English video game composers

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Leicestershire

Category:People educated at Loughborough Grammar School

Category:People from Loughborough

Category:People from Shepshed

Category:People from Surrey

Category:Theremin players