Belouis Some (born Neville Keighley; 12 December 1959) is a British singer, songwriter and musician. He had UK and Worldwide hits in the 1980s with " Some People", "

Imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...

" and " Round, Round" from the John Hughes film ''

Pretty in Pink ''Pretty in Pink'' is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about love and social cliques in American high schools in the 1980s. A cult classic, it is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film. It was directed by Howard Deutch, produc ...

''. "Some People" and "Imagination" charted on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1985.

Career

1980s

Neville Keighley grew up in Forest Hill, South London. He started playing guitar and writing songs while at school (

Dulwich Prep London Dulwich Prep London (DPL), formerly known as Dulwich College Preparatory School, is an independent preparatory school in Dulwich, south London, England for boys aged 3–13 years. The current Head Master is Louise Davidson. In 1938 headmaster ...

and

Royal Russell School Royal Russell School is an independent school in the Shirley area of Croydon, South London. It is a co-educational day and boarding school. The motto of the school is ''Non sibi sed omnibus'' meaning "Not for one's self but for all". The school ...

). After leaving school in 1978, Keighley spent several years developing his songwriting, recording demos and playing small gigs. Keighley's first release was "Lose It to You" on The Cue Record Label in 1981 under the name Nevil Rowe. This record was produced at Crescent Studios, Bath, by David Lord and Darren Hatch, later of the

Italo disco Italo disco (variously capitalized, and sometimes hyphenated as Italo-disco) is a music genre which originated in Italy in the late 1970s and was mainly produced in the early 1980s. Italo disco evolved from the then-current underground dance, p ...

group My Mine.

Roland Orzabal Roland Orzabal (born Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana; 22 August 1961) is a British musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and author. He is best known as a co-founder of Tears for Fears, of which he is the main songwriter and joint v ...

and

Curt Smith Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Smith plays bass guitar, has co-written several ...

from the band Graduate, later

Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...

, played on the recording with

Manny Elias Manny Elias (born 21 February 1953) is an Indian drummer and record producer of British descent. He is notable for being the original drummer with Tears for Fears during the 1980s. Originally a member of the rock band Interview from Bathford, ...

on drums. In 1982 Keighley formed his first band and started performing live gigs in and around London under the new name Belouis Some.The line up included guitarist Scott Taylor who later became a founding member of

Then Jerico Then Jerico are an English rock band. They scored four top 40 hits in the UK during the 1980s. Career The band's early line-up included singer Mark Shaw, bassist Jasper Stainthorpe, drummer Steve Wren, and guitarist Scott Taylor. The band pl ...

and on keyboards Phil Harrison from

The Korgis The Korgis are a British pop band known mainly for their hit single "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" in 1980. The band was originally composed of singer/guitarist/keyboardist Andy Davis (born Andrew Cresswell-Davis 10 August 1949) and singe ...

. Belouis Some played numerous gigs over the next year with his band developing his songs and musical style and after a gig at The Embassy Club, Old Bond Street in the summer of 1983 Belouis Some signed to Tritec Music owned by Paul and Michael Berrow, who at the time managed

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

. In October 1983, Belouis Some was signed to

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

's David Ambrose. The single "

Target Practice In the military and in shooting, target practice are exercises in which weapons are shot at a target. The purpose of such exercises is to improve the aim or the weapons handling expertise of the person firing the weapon. Targets being shot at ...

" was released in Spring 1984, his first single on a major label. To promote the release Belouis Some supported

Nik Kershaw Nicholas David Kershaw (born 1 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Kershaw came to prominence in 1984 as a solo artist. He released eight singles that entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during the ...

on Kershaw's Human Racing UK tour 1984. In 1985, a new version of "Target Practice" was recorded and produced by Steve Thompson and

Michael Barbiero Michael Francis Barbiero (born June 25, 1949)Infidel Biography
. Infidel Records. Retri ...

; this new track was included on Belouis Some's first album and also later released as a single.

''Some People''

Belouis Some's first album '' Some People'' was released in 1985. ''Some People'' was produced by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

late 1984 early 1985, recorded at Media Sound. Guitarist

Carlos Alomar Carlos Alomar (born 7 May 1951) is a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican guitarist. He is best known for his work with David Bowie from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, having played on more Bowie albums than any musician other than pianist Mike Garso ...

arranged and played on the sessions along with

Bernard Edwards Bernard Edwards (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bass player and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco music with guitarist Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the ...

, Tony Thompson, Dave LeBolt,

Jimmy Maelen Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

Carmine Rojas Carmine Rojas (February 14, 1953) is an American bass guitarist, musical director and composer. His musical styles include rock, R&B/funk, and jazz. Music career Early years, as sideman Born in Brooklyn, Rojas toured the world with David Bowie ...

, Alan Childs, Rick Bell,

Jack Waldman Jack Waldman (September 6, 1952 – May 17, 1986) was a jazz and rock musician, composer, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Waldman was best known for his studio work and performances with singer Rob ...

Robin Clark Robin Clark is an American vocalist known for her work as a vocalist on David Bowie's 1975 album ''Young Americans'' and Simple Minds' 1985 album ''Once Upon a Time''. Clark was born in New York. In 1966, when Clark was 16, she and future s ...

, Frank Simms and

Earl Slick Earl Slick (born Frank Madeloni in Brooklyn, New York, October 1, 1952) is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Robert Smith. He has also worked with other artists including John Waite, Tim ...

. Initial production had taken place on some tracks in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

at Maison Rouge, Good Earth and

AIR Studios Associated Independent Recording (AIR) is an independent recording company founded in London in 1965 by record producer Sir George Martin and his business partner John Burgess, after their departure from Parlophone. The studio complex was founded ...

produced by Ian Little and Pete Schwier with musicians

Guy Fletcher Guy Edward Fletcher (born 24 May 1960) is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known for his position as one of the two Keyboard instrument, keyboard players in the rock band Dire Straits from 1984 until the group's dissolution, and his subs ...

Chester Kamen Chester Kamen (born in Hackney, London) is an English session guitarist, whose work has included performing with Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Bob Geldof, Madonna, Duran Duran, Robbie Williams, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Seal, Massive Attack, Ki ...

, Andy Duncan, Gary Twigg,

Gary Barnacle Gary Barnacle (born 1959 in Dover, England) is an English saxophonist, flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer, and producer. Barnacle is primarily noted for his session work and live work, including various Prince's Trust concerts at Wem ...

. The

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...

for the first single release from the album "

" was directed by

Storm Thorgerson Storm Elvin Thorgerson (28 February 1944 – 18 April 2013) was an English graphic designer and music video director. He is best known for closely working with the group Pink Floyd through most of their career, and also created album or other a ...

and caused controversy as it contained full frontal nudity, using the 12" version it was a big success in bars and clubs, the worldwide premier of the "Imagination" video was held at

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...

. An alternative version removed the nudity and used the 7" edit of the track suitable for

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

and mainstream TV. The video for the second single, " Some People", also directed by Thorgerson, was used as a

Swatch Swatch is a Swiss watchmaker founded in 1983 by Ernst Thomke, Elmar Mock, and Jacques Müller. It is a subsidiary of The Swatch Group. The Swatch product line was developed as a response to the "quartz crisis" of the 1970s and 1980s, in which i ...

television advertisement in the U.S. Belouis Some London 1985

"Some People" and "Imagination" were both US

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

hits. In spring 1985, Belouis Some supported

Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English synth-pop band formed in Liverpool in 1980. The group's best-known line-up comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Peter Gill (drums, percussion), Mark O'Toole (bass guit ...

on their North American tour with band members Chester Kamen, Gary Twigg, Larry Tolfree,

Bias Boshell Tobias Boshell (born 20 July 1950) is an English songwriter and musician, best known as the founder of the folk rock band Trees. He was born in Wye, Kent, was educated at Bedales and the Royal College of Music. Boshell formed Trees in 1969 wit ...

, Robin Clark and Sandy Bar. Belouis Some was sponsored by Swatch on the tour. Belouis Some's contribution to the ''Pretty in Pink'' soundtrack (released February 1986) "Round,Round" was written specially for the film and produced by Bernard Edwards, recorded in Los Angeles August 1985. The album was listed on "The 25 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time" list in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' "Round,Round" propelled Belouis Some towards audiences outside of the clubs and

college radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...

in USA and so, after worldwide chart success and extensive touring, the single "Imagination" was re-issued in the UK and become a hit in the United Kingdom Spring 1986. Both "Some People" and "Imagination" were remixed and re-issued several times. "Imagination" can be heard in the films ''Ghost Chase'' (''

Hollywood-Monster ''Hollywood-Monster'' (working title - released as ''Ghost Chase'' in the United States) is a 1987 horror comedy film directed by Roland Emmerich, about a film crew working in a haunted mansion.Haase, Christin''When Heimat Meets Hollywood: German ...

'') and '' The Business''. and has been used in many national and international TV adverts including

Panasonic formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Osaka P ...

Barclays Bank Barclays () is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services. Barclays traces ...

and Rimmel London In May 1986, whilst on tour in the UK, Belouis Some also performed in Swatch Live at the Beacon Theatre New York. Swatch Live also featured

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. S ...

Rodney Mullen John Rodney Mullen (born August 17, 1966) is an American professional skateboarder who practices freestyle skateboarding and street skateboarding. He is considered one of the most influential skaters in the history of the sport, being credited fo ...

In the summer of 1986, Belouis Some was one of the support acts on

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

's Magic Tour appearing at

Knebworth Knebworth is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Hert ...

, Paris and Manchester.

''Belouis Some''

In late 1986, Belouis Some recorded his second album ''

Belouis Some Belouis Some (born Neville Keighley; 12 December 1959) is a British singer, songwriter and musician. He had UK and Worldwide hits in the 1980s with " Some People", "Imagination" and " Round, Round" from the John Hughes film ''Pretty in Pink''. ...

'' at Right Track and

The Hit Factory The Hit Factory is a recording studio in New York City owned and operated by Troy Germano. History On March 6, 1975, Edward Germano, a singer, record producer, and one of the principal owners of the Record Plant Studios New York, purchased the ...

New York, produced by

Gary Langan Gary Michael Langan (born 19 April 1956) is an English engineer, record producer, mixer and musician. Biography His career started at age 18 when he worked as an assistant engineer at Sarm East Studios, learning the craft from Gary Lyons and M ...

and Guy Fletcher. Main band members were Carlos Alomar,

Geoff Dugmore Geoff Dugmore (born 12 April 1960) is a Scottish drummer, musical director and producer. He was a member of the bands The Europeans, and Wildlife. Career Educated at Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow, Scotland, Dugmore started his musical career ...

, Carmine Rojas, Chester Kamen and Fletcher on keyboards. Also Jimmy Maelen (The Borneo Horns),

Lenny Pickett Lenny Pickett (born April 10, 1954) is an American saxophonist and musical director of the ''Saturday Night Live'' band. From 1973 to 1981 he was a member of Tower of Power. He is known for his skill in the altissimo register (executed by using ...

, Steve Elson,

Stan Harrison Stan Harrison (born December 8, 1953) is an American saxophonist who is also accomplished in playing other woodwind instruments, namely the horn, flute and clarinet. He has also written music for television. Harrison released his first solo album ...

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...

Julian Lennon Julian Charles John Lennon (born John Charles Julian Lennon; 8 April 1963) is an English musician. He is the son of Beatles member John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia, and he is named after his paternal grandmother, Julia Lennon. Julian in ...

and

Neal X Neal X (born Neal Whitmore) was the guitarist with the British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik. They had a No. 3 UK hit single with " Love Missile F1-11" in 1986. He has also worked as a sideman for Adam Ant and Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "M ...

made guest appearances on the album. The album was mixed in London at Eel Pie Recording Studios and Roundhouse Recording Studios. " Let It Be with You" and " Animal Magic" were also both US

hits.

In Spring 1988 Belouis Some toured USA, Carmine Rojas (musical director/ bass) put the band together with Alan Childs (drums), Doug Worthington (guitar), Chuck Kentis (keys), Frank Elmo (sax), Kati Mac and Kim Lesley (backing vocals). In 1989, Belouis Some formed The Big Broadcast. The band toured the UK throughout the summer playing small venues and clubs.

1990-95: ''Living Your Life''

In 1993, Belouis Some released the album '' Living Your Life'' on

BMG Records Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music com ...

. The album was recorded at Marcus Recording Studios in London and produced by Geoff Dugmore and Nigel Butler. Musicians included

Karl Hyde Karl Hyde (born 10 May 1957) is an English musician and artist. He is a founding member of British electronic group Underworld. Hyde has also released a solo album, made albums with Brian Eno and Matthew Herbert, and contributed towards the sco ...

, Steve Barnacle,

Peter Oxendale Peter Oxendale (b. ) is an English forensic musicologist and an expert witness on copyright infringement in music. He was involved as an expert in the notable Blurred Lines lawsuit. He was a keyboardist in the glam rock bands Sparks and Jet and m ...

and J.J. Belle. "Sometimes" and "Something She Said" were released as singles in the UK and Europe. In 1995, Belouis Some released the single " Let Me Love You for Tonight" produced by Richard "Biff" Stannard (

Biffco Biffco is a music production and songwriting team from Brighton, England, formed by Richard "Biff" Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Ash Howes. The group have worked with a number of high-profile artists, including Kylie Minogue, One Direction, Atomi ...

) and Matt Rowe.

2019-present

In 2019, Belouis Some performed at the 80's orientated

Let's Rock ''Let's Rock'' (known as ''Keep It Cool'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1958 rock and roll film starring Julius LaRosa as a crooner attempting to fight off the rival music rock and roll, Phyllis Newman as his songwriting girlfriend who convinces ...

summer festivals across the UK. In February 2023, producer Lee Rose with Belouis Some released a

tech house Tech house is a subgenre of house music that combines stylistic features of techno with house. The term ''tech house'' developed as a shorthand record store name for a category of electronic dance music that combined musical aspects of techno ...

version of "Imagination" on Deevu Records.

Personal life

Belouis Some lives in London and is married to Swedish model Eva Linderholm, they have two daughters.

Discography

Albums

*'' Some People'' (1985) *''

'' (1987) *'' Living Your Life'' (1993)

Singles

References

External links

* Belouis Some biographyat

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Some, Belouis 1959 births Living people English male singers English pop singers English new wave musicians Singers from London People from Forest Hill, London Sophisti-pop musicians Male new wave singers Parlophone artists Capitol Records artists EMI Records artists Arista Records artists Ariola Records artists Second British Invasion artists