Stephen Bray

This article is about the musician. For the Gaelic football player, see Stephen Bray (footballer).

Stephen Bray (born December 23, 1956 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer. He is best known for his collaboration with Madonna. Bray owns and operates Saturn Sound recording studios and the Soultone Records record label. He is married to movie producer Stephanie Allain, who produced Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan.

Career

Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Collaboration with Madonna

Bray met Madonna during her pre-stardom when she attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for dance. He moved to New York after receiving a call from Madonna years later, who at that time, was a member of the band The Breakfast Club in New York City. Madonna wanted to form a new band and invited Bray to play the drums. Together they formed the band Emmy and the Emmys.

Madonna obtained her recording contract with Gotham Management, with Camille Barbone. The music she was producing with them was more rock oriented and Madonna had her eyes set on dance music. She and Stephen Bray continued working on a parallel project, more club oriented. After being signed to Sire Records, Madonna continued collaborating with Bray.

Together, they have written and produced some of the biggest hit songs of the 1980s, including several of Madonna's biggest hits. The songs Bray and Madonna composed often followed a distinctive structure, many of which repeats the song's second verse and bridge before fading out with the chorus. Their partnership appears to have concluded with their work on Madonna's Like a Prayer album.

Bray still holds the master recordings to many unreleased Madonna songs, including those on the album Pre-Madonna (which 1800Harmony released in 1997 without Madonna's authorization).

The Breakfast Club

Following Madonna's rise to stardom, Bray rejoined The Breakfast Club, and the quartet signed first with ZE Records and later with MCA. The band's eponymous first album was released in early 1987, preceded by the Top 10 hit "Right on Track". Bray co-wrote most of the albums' songs with bandmate Dan Gilroy and Bray produced several songs. The band's second album was not released and The Breakfast Club broke up shortly afterward.

The Color Purple

Bray made his Broadway debut in 2005 as composer and lyricist for the Broadway version of the Alice Walker book, The Color Purple. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his work on the show.

Selected credits

• "Ain't No Big Deal", by Barracuda (original demo by Madonna) on Epic Records 1982
• "Warning Signs", Madonna (unreleased)
• "Angel", Madonna
• "Stay", Madonna
• "Pretender", Madonna
• "Over and Over", Madonna
• "Into the Groove", Madonna
• "Desperately Seeking Susan", Madonna (unreleased)
• "Say It, Say It", E.G. Daily
• "Baby Love", Regina, later covered by Dannii Minogue
• "True Blue", Madonna
• "Jimmy Jimmy", Madonna
• "Where's The Party", Madonna
• "Spotlight", Madonna
• "Working my Fingers to the Bone", Madonna (unreleased)
• "Pipeline", Madonna (unreleased)
• "Cross My Broken Heart, The Jets
• "Sendin' All My Love", The Jets
• "Each time You Break My Heart", Nick Kamen with Madonna (original demo by Madonna)
• "Right On Track", The Breakfast Club
• "Causing a Commotion", Madonna
• "Can't Stop", Madonna
• "Love Attack", Madonna (unreleased)
• "First Is A Kiss", Madonna (unreleased)
• "Express Yourself", Madonna
• "Keep It Together", Madonna
• "Baby Gonna Shake", Royalty
• "Get Over", Nick Scotti (original demo by Madonna)
• "Count The Days", "Rhythm Of Love", Kylie Minogue (on her 1990 album "Rhythm Of Love")
• "Little Black Book", Gina G (on her 2005 album "Get Up & Dance")
• "That's Why", The Party
• "Needin' Someone", The Party
• "Change On Me", The Party
• "Most Of All", Jody Watley

See also

Category:Songs written by Stephen Bray

References

• Sclafani, Tony (March 7, 2008). "Madonna true blue enough for Rock Hall". Today.com. Retrieved October 19, 2013.

External links

• Stephen Bray at IMDb
• Pop Music and the New Musical - Working in the Theatre Seminar video at American Theatre Wing.org, September 2005