Clive Langer

English record producer and songwriter (born 1954)

Clive Langer

Born|  (1954-06-19) 19 June 1954 (age 71)
Hampstead, London, England[1]
Genres|

* Rock
* pop
* new wave

Occupations|

* Record producer
* songwriter

Years active| Mid 1970s – present

Musical artist

Clive Langer (born 19 June 1954) is an English record producer and songwriter, active from the mid-1970s onwards.

He usually works with Alan Winstanley.[2][3] He composed the music for the films Still Crazy and Brothers of the Head.

## Biography

[edit]

Langer was born in 1954, to a Jewish Polish father who had fled Poland to escape the Nazis, before later settling in England and enlisting in the Royal Air Force.[4] Having grown up in London, Langer studied at art school in Canterbury and at the Liverpool College of Art.[4]

Prior to his record producing career he was a guitarist with the British cult band Deaf School.[2]

Langer sometimes performed under the alias of 'Cliff Hanger', and his production work was sometimes attributed to 'Clanger'. After Deaf School, in mid 1977, Langer joined Big in Japan which he suggested to his friend Bill Drummond (later founder of Zoo Records and member of The KLF) to form, but Langer quit shortly afterwards and began a new band, Clive Langer and the Boxes.[2] Their releases were I Want the Whole World, a 12" EP released in 1979 on Radar Records.[5] and Splash!, an album released in 1980 on F-Beat Records.

Langer co-wrote the song "Shipbuilding" with Elvis Costello, and played organ on the version by Robert Wyatt which was a Top 40 hit in the UK.

As of 2025, he lives in Hackney, London and is tee-total.[4]

## Albums produced by Langer and Winstanley

[edit]

* One Step Beyond ... – Madness (1979)[2]
* Absolutely – Madness (1980)[2]
* Kilimanjaro – The Teardrop Explodes (1980)[2]
* 7 – Madness (1981)[2]
* Rhythm Breaks The Ice – Bette Bright and the Illuminations (1981)[6]
* Wilder – The Teardrop Explodes (1981)[2]
* Too-Rye-Ay – Dexys Midnight Runners (1982)[7]
* The Rise & Fall – Madness (1982)[8]
* Punch the Clock – Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1983)[2]
* Keep Moving – Madness (1984)[9]
* Goodbye Cruel World – Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1984)[2]
* Despite Straight Lines – Marilyn (1985)[10]
* Easy Pieces – Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (1985)[2]
* Mad Not Mad – Madness (1985)[11]
* What Price Paradise – China Crisis (1986)[2]
* People – Hothouse Flowers (1988)[2]
* Flood – They Might Be Giants (1990)[12]
* Bona Drag – Morrissey (1990)[2]

* Home – Hothouse Flowers (1990)[2]
* Kill Uncle – Morrissey (1991)[2]
* The Rockingbirds – The Rockingbirds (1992)[13]
* Sixteen Stone – Bush (1994)[2]
* Frestonia – Aztec Camera (1995)[14]
* Local – Ho-Hum (1996)[15]
* Wonderful – Madness (1999)[16]
* The Science of Things – Bush (1999)[17]
* Paper Scissors Stone – Catatonia (2001)[18]
* Mink Car – They Might Be Giants (2001)[19]
* Jealous God – Nathan Larson (2001)[20]
* Lifelines – a-ha (2002)[21]
* The First Drop – Fireapple Red (2004)
* Oh No! – Crackout (2004)[22]
* Please Describe Yourself – Dogs Die in Hot Cars (2004)[23]
* So This Is Great Britain? – The Holloways (2007)[24]
* The Liberty of Norton Folgate – Madness (2009)[25]

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## Albums produced by Langer

[edit]

* Brothers of the Head (soundtrack) (2006)
* Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da (2012)[26]
* Can't Touch Us Now (2017) [27]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Biography". Langerwinstanley.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Ankeny, Jason. "Clive Langer – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
3. ^ Sillitoe, Sue (July 1998). "Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley: Producing Madness, David Bowie, Mick Jagger & Elvis Costello". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
4. ^ a b c Simpson, Dave (29 January 2025). "'My job was making hits': Clive Langer on taking Bowie, Dexys and Madness to No 1 – and why he turned Madonna down". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
5. ^ "Clive Langer and the Boxes* – I Want The Whole World (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. May 1979. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
6. ^ "Bette Bright – Rhythm Breaks The Ice (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1981. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
7. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Too-Rye-Ay – Dexys Midnight Runners : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
8. ^ "Madness Presents the Rise & Fall – Madness : Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
9. ^ Woodstra, Chris. "Keep Moving – Madness : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
10. ^ "Marilyn – Despite Straight Lines (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1985. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
11. ^ Cater, Darryl. "Mad Not Mad – Madness : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
12. ^ "Flood – They Might Be Giants : Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
13. ^ "Rockingbirds, The – The Rockingbirds (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1992. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
14. ^ "Frestonia – Aztec Camera : Credits". AllMusic. 14 November 1995. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
15. ^ Crawford, Erik (21 May 1996). "Local – Ho-Hum : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
16. ^ Cater, Evan (14 December 1999). "Wonderful – Madness : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
17. ^ Thomas, Stephen (26 October 1999). "The Science of Things – Bush : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
18. ^ "Catatonia – Paper Scissors Stone (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
19. ^ Damas, Jason (11 September 2001). "Mink Car – They Might Be Giants : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
20. ^ Drageset, Travis (21 August 2001). "Jealous God – Nathan Larson : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
21. ^ Hayes, Kelvin (14 May 2002). "Lifelines – a-ha : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
22. ^ "Crackout – Oh No! (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 15 March 2004. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
23. ^ "Please Describe Yourself – Dogs Die in Hot Cars : Credits". AllMusic. 31 August 2004. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
24. ^ "So, This Is Great Britain? – The Holloways : Credits". AllMusic. 30 October 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
25. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (18 August 2009). "The Liberty of Norton Folgate – Madness : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
26. ^ "OUI OUI, Si Si, Ja Ja, da Da - Madness | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
27. ^ "Madness release 'Can't Touch Us Now' album". 4 February 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Langer and Winstanley official site
* Clive Langer & The Clang Group

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Netherlands
* Norway

Artists|

* MusicBrainz