Top Rank Suite was the name given to a chain of nightclubs in the United Kingdom owned by the Rank Organisation . They were sometimes known as Top Rank Ballrooms .
105-456: Trevor Charles Horn CBE (born 15 July 1949) is an English record producer and musician. His influence on pop and electronic music in the 1980s was such that he has been called "the man who invented the eighties". Horn took up the bass guitar at an early age and taught himself to sight-read music. In the 1970s, he worked as a session musician, built his own studio, and wrote and produced singles for various artists. Horn gained fame in 1979 as
210-518: A Roland TR-808 drum machine, a sequencer , a Minimoog synthesiser and Simmons electronic drums. He spent £18,000 on a Fairlight CMI , an early digital synthesiser , one of four in the UK at the time. The Fairlight was one of the first digital samplers , allowing musicians to play back samples such as sound effects at different pitches. He said later: "I knew what it was capable of, because I understood what it did. Most other people didn't understand at
315-410: A dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition was to be given for services rendered in
420-562: A 1995 Grammy Award for Seal's song " Kiss from a Rose ", and a 2010 Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. Trevor Charles Horn was born on 15 July 1949 to John and Elizabeth Horn in Hetton-le-Hole , County Durham , England, and grew up in Durham City . The second of four children, he has two sisters, including the novelist Marjorie DeLuca, and a brother, the television producer Ken Horn . His father
525-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
630-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
735-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
840-453: A chartered accountant as he performed well in maths, but Horn had failed the required exams. Horn's parents pleaded with him to try one more job, but three months into his role as a progress chaser in a plastic bag factory, he was fired. "I said, 'That's it, I'm never going into that world again!'", and the next day, received an offer to play the bass in a local semi-professional band at a Top Rank Ballroom , playing top 40 and dance music for £24
945-453: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
1050-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1155-592: A former mathematics teacher, in 1977. They married in 1980 and became business partners. They had four children: two sons, Aaron and Will, and two daughters, Gabriella and Alexandra, the latter of whom has worked as a trainee solicitor. Aaron (known in the industry as "Aaron Audio"), like his father, is a musician and producer. He was in the band Sam and the Womp and frequently DJs around London (he lives in north London). Both Aaron and Ally Horn are co-directors of Sarm Studios. As of August 2016, Horn has three grandsons. He
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#17327823836821260-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
1365-597: A member of the Buggles , who achieved a hit single with " Video Killed the Radio Star ". He was invited to join the progressive rock band Yes , becoming their lead singer. In 1981, Horn became a full-time producer, working on successful songs and albums for acts including Yes, Dollar , ABC , Malcolm McLaren , Grace Jones and Frankie Goes to Hollywood . In 1983, Horn and his wife, the music executive Jill Sinclair , purchased Sarm West Studios , London, and formed
1470-464: A multi-album collaboration which Horn reasoned down to his liking of Seal's voice and a "musical empathy" with how he works and the songs he writes. Seal reached No. 1 in the UK and lead single " Crazy " went to No. 2. The album marked a turning point in Horn's production method, switching typical studio hardware for computers, and he recorded tracks on Seal using MIDI and Studio Vision software. Horn
1575-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
1680-546: A record label, ZTT Records , with the journalist Paul Morley . Horn also co-formed the electronic group Art of Noise . Horn achieved hits in the following decades with Seal , t.A.T.u. and LeAnn Rimes , and produced the 2003 Belle and Sebastian record Dear Catastrophe Waitress . He has performed with the supergroup Producers, later known as the Trevor Horn Band , since 2006. Horn's awards include Brit Awards for Best British Producer in 1983, 1985, and 1992,
1785-541: A song for Leicester City F.C. By 1976, Horn had returned to London. He played bass in Nick North and Northern Lights, a cabaret and covers band, which also featured the keyboardist Geoff Downes and the singer Tina Charles . Horn formed Tracks, a jazz fusion band inspired by Weather Report and Herbie Hancock , with the future Shakatak drummer Roger Odell, before he left to play in Charles's backing band. Also in
1890-518: A songwriter, producer, or orchestra director, but without profit. Among his first was "Natural Dance" by Tony Cole and "Don't Come Back" by Fallen Angel and the T.C. Band, featuring Woolley as songwriter, which Horn produced under the name "T.C. Horn". He wrote "Boot Boot Woman", the B-side to the Boogatti single "Come Back Marianne". In 1978, Horn wrote, sang, and produced "Caribbean Air Control" under
1995-440: A week for five nights' work. Horn also received airplay on BBC Radio Leicester , performing self-written songs on a guitar. At 21, Horn relocated to London and took up work by playing in a band which involved re-recording top 20 songs for BBC radio due to the needle time restrictions then in place. This was followed by a one-year tenure with Ray McVay's big band, included performances at the world ballroom dancing championship and
2100-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
2205-410: Is not Jewish, but he has attended synagogue with his children, who were raised in his wife's faith. In a 2019 interview, he said that he "believes in [Judaism] more than anything else". On 25 June 2006, Sinclair was accidentally hit by a pellet from an air gun, causing irreversible brain damage and paralysing her. She died of cancer on 22 March 2014, aged 61. Solo studio albums Commander of
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#17327823836822310-973: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
2415-569: The Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron soundtrack and produced 3 tracks (La Sombra del Gigante, Un Angel No Es and Mujer Amiga Mia) of Stilelibero (Freestyle) Estilolibre by Eros Ramazzotti , released on 29 May 2001. Horn produced the 2003 Belle and Sebastian album Dear Catastrophe Waitress . Horn, known for using electronic equipment to transform music, was seen as a surprising choice for Belle and Sebastian, who were described by
2520-537: The 12" version and remixed it for the 1985 rerelease. In the late 1980s, Horn relocated to Bel Air, Los Angeles , where he established Sarm West Coast LA, a residential recording studio. Horn produced another Yes album, Big Generator (1987) and co-produced the Simple Minds album Street Fighting Years with Steve Lipson (1989). In 1990, Horn produced the debut album by the English singer Seal . This began
2625-501: The Guardian as "the last living purveyors of arts-and-crafts indie values". On 11 November 2004, a Prince's Trust charity concert celebrating Horn's 25 years as a record producer took place at Wembley Arena , featuring performances from Horn and many acts he produced. It was released on DVD as Produced By Trevor Horn: A Concert For The Prince's Trust - Live At Wembley Arena London 2004 (2005) and Trevor Horn and Friends: Slaves to
2730-559: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
2835-473: The 2008 movie Wanted (starring James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie ), Horn produced Danny Elfman 's vocals on the closing credits song "The Little Things". In 2009, Horn produced Reality Killed the Video Star , the eighth album by Robbie Williams . The album title references the Buggles song and Horn and Williams' mutual disdain for reality television and music contest programmes. It reached No. 2 on
2940-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
3045-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
3150-494: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
3255-628: The Jags (" Back of My Hand "). Horn achieved his first production hit when " Monkey Chop " by Dan-I reached No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart in 1979. In 1978, Horn and Downes formed the new wave band the Buggles with early contributions from Woolley. They secured a recording deal with Island Records and spent much of 1979 recording their debut album, The Age of Plastic (1980). The credits list Horn with co-production, lead vocals, guitar and bass. The Buggles' debut single, " Video Killed
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3360-776: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
3465-697: The Moonlight " by the American singer LeAnn Rimes . It sold more than two million copies worldwide and reached No. 1 in the UK and Australia. Horn co-wrote "Pass the Flame" (the official torch relay song for the 2004 Olympics in Athens) in collaboration with Lol Creme and co-wrote the title track from Lisa Stansfield 's 2004 album The Moment . Horn co-wrote "Sound the Bugle", performed by Bryan Adams and featured on
3570-515: The Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or
3675-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
3780-520: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
3885-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
3990-596: The Outer Limits, named after the 1963 television series , playing mainly covers by the Kinks . Horn went on to pursue a "succession of day jobs", including one at a rubber company. He also put on a Bob Dylan imitation act for two nights a week "with a harmonica around my neck", and played the bass at odd gigs. Then, at seventeen, Horn decided to pursue a career in music and "woke my parents up at 4am to tell them". They were reluctant at first as they wanted him to become
4095-591: The Radio Star ", was released in September 1979 and reached No. 1 in the UK, propelling Horn, aged 30, to fame. In August 1981, "Video Killed the Radio Star" became the first music video to air on MTV . The Buggles secured management from Brian Lane , who was also managing the progressive rock band Yes . The Yes singer, Jon Anderson , and the keyboardist, Rick Wakeman , had both departed. Horn and Downes were invited to replace them, and Yes recorded an album, Drama (1980), with Horn on vocals and bass. On tour, Horn
4200-651: The Rhythm (2008), and accompanied by a compilation album, Produced by Trevor Horn (2004). In 2006, Horn co-formed the supergroup the Producers , with the singer Lol Creme , the producer Steve Lipson , the drummer Ash Soan and the singer-songwriter Chris Braide . They performed their first gig at the Camden Barfly in November 2006. They continue to perform under the name the Trevor Horn Band. Horn produced
4305-694: The Rhythm . It features the Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour . In 1984, Horn was asked by Bob Geldof to produce the song " Do They Know It's Christmas? ", a charity song to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia . Horn was receptive but said he would need at least six weeks, which would make it impossible to release by Christmas. However, he allowed the team to use his studios, Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill , London, free for 24 hours on 25 November. Horn later remixed and co-produced
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4410-634: The Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. He wrote new lyrics for " All the Things She Said " and " Not Gonna Get Us " and coached t.A.T.u. to sing them in English. He also rerecorded the instruments, as he did not have access to the original multitracks. "All the Things She Said" reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2020, The Guardian named it Horn's greatest work since the mid-80s. For the 2000 film Coyote Ugly , Horn produced " Can't Fight
4515-481: The UK Album Chart and was Williams' first studio album not to reach No. 1. Horn was the executive producer of Jeff Beck 's 2010 album Emotion & Commotion . He returned to work with Yes again, producing their new album from October 2010. That album, 2011's Fly From Here , is a reunion of sorts for Horn's former bandmate Geoff Downes ; not only is Downes a member of the band's current incarnation, but
4620-526: The UK Singles Chart. At this point, Horn was working with Foreigner in the US on their album Agent Provocateur (1984). He left the project to work on the followup Frankie Goes to Hollywood singles " Two Tribes " and " The Power of Love ", which also reached No. 1. Horn worked with Yes again to produce their 1983 album 90125 . He persuaded them to record " Owner of a Lonely Heart ", which they resisted, deeming it "too poppy". It became their only No. 1 single in
4725-485: The UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
4830-425: The UK charts. In the 1990s, Horn wrote "Riding into Blue (Cowboy Song)", recorded by Inga Humpe , and "Docklands", recorded by Betsy Cook . He also co-wrote two songs with Terry Reid for his 1991 album The Driver, and wrote "The Shape of Things to Come" for the 1995 Cher album It's a Man's World . Horn co-produced Mike Oldfield 's 1992 album Tubular Bells II alongside Oldfield and Tom Newman . Oldfield
4935-599: The USA. In 1983, Horn co-formed the band the Art of Noise , co-writing several hits including " Close (To the Edit) ", " Beat Box ", "Moments in Love", and "Slave to the Rhythm". "Slave to the Rhythm" was intended as Frankie Goes to Hollywood's second single, but was instead given to Grace Jones . Horn and his studio team reworked it into six separate songs to form Jones's 1985 album Slave to
5040-463: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
5145-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
5250-492: The album also takes its title from a song written by Horn and Downes and performed by Yes during their original stint with the band in 1980. In 2017, Horn wrote the music for the Stan Lee co-produced anime The Reflection , the soundtrack being released as the first album under Horn's name. Horn remixed 2011's Fly From Here with Yes, adding new vocals and editing parts. The album is called Fly from Here – Return Trip and
5355-404: The band were the keyboardist Geoffrey Downes and the guitarist Bruce Woolley , both of whom Horn later worked with in the band the Buggles . Horn and Charles entered a short relationship, and Horn learned from her inspiring producer Biddu . In the mid-1970s, Horn worked for a music publisher on Denmark Street , London, producing demos . From 1977 to 1979, Horn worked on various singles as
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#17327823836825460-413: The band. In 1982, Horn and Sinclair formed a music publishing company, Perfect Songs . In 1983, Horn produced Duck Rock by the former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren . It featured the single " Buffalo Gals ", credited as the first British hip hop single. In 1983, Horn and Sinclair purchased Basing Street Studios in west London from Chris Blackwell and renamed it Sarm West Studios. With
5565-610: The building being demolished in 2015 to make way for the Station Hill redevelopment. The Sheffield Top Rank opened in 1968 on Arundel Gate, before becoming the Roxy Disco in 1985. The venue still exists as a destination for live music, and is now part of the O2 Academy Group . The Southampton Top Rank opened in the mid 1960s, was renamed The Mayfair , and closed in the late 1980s. The Swansea Top Rank
5670-474: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
5775-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
5880-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
5985-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
6090-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
6195-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
6300-604: The final time in 2004 & has been vacant & boarded up ever since. The Doncaster Top Rank Suite was on Silver Street from 1964 to 1974. Situated on the corner of Cheapside and Albion Square opposite the Hanley Town Hall the Top Rank Suite and Ballroom opened on 03/02/1965 at 12 noon with the official opening by The Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Alderman J. E. Hulme J.P. This was then followed on 05/02/1965 with an opening “CHARITY BALL” where Evening Dress
6405-529: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
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#17327823836826510-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
6615-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
6720-682: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Top Rank Suite The Brighton Top Rank Suite opened in October 1965. It
6825-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
6930-534: The journalist Paul Morley , they co-founded a record label, ZTT Records . The first act they signed was Frankie Goes to Hollywood , for whom Horn produced their successful debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome . He dramatically restructured the lead single, " Relax ", described by Sound on Sound as a " hi-NRG brand of dance-synth-pop" that "broke new sonic ground, while epitomising '80s excess in all its garish, overblown glory". "Relax" reached No. 1 on
7035-640: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
7140-528: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
7245-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
7350-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
7455-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
7560-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
7665-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
7770-515: The ninth album by the synth-pop duo the Pet Shop Boys , Fundamental , released in May 2006. It reached No. 5 in the UK chart. In the same month, he featured in a Pet Shop Boys concert specially recorded for BBC Radio 2 . Horn produced an album version of the event, Concrete , released on 23 October 2006. Horn also produced Captain 's debut album, This is Hazelville , released in late 2006. In
7875-454: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
7980-620: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
8085-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
8190-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
8295-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
8400-485: The pop duo Dollar , writing the songs " Mirror Mirror ", "Hand Held in Black and White", " Give Me Back My Heart " and " Videotheque ". All four became top 20 hits in the UK. Though Dollar were a middle-of-the-road band with little credibility, Horn saw an opportunity to combine the electronic music of Kraftwerk and the crooner Vince Hill . The music journalist Alexis Petridis said that The Dollar Album "mapped out ...
8505-416: The pseudonym Big A, which features Horn pictured as a pilot on the front sleeve. In 1979, a full studio album, Star to Star, by Chromium, a "sci-fi disco project", was released. It featured Horn and Downes as songwriters and producers, and Horn's future Art of Noise bandmate Anne Dudley on keyboards. Other artists that Horn worked with included Woolley, John Howard , Dusty Springfield ("Baby Blue"), and
8610-603: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
8715-482: The same year, he also worked with British band Delays on their song "Valentine", which was released as the lead single from their album You See Colours . He has also worked with John Legend and David Jordan . On 25 June 2006, Sinclair was accidentally hit by a pellet from an air gun, causing irreversible brain damage and paralysing her. The following year, Horn sold their Sarm Hook End residential studio for £12 million and relocated to Primrose Hill , London. For
8820-481: The sonic future of 80s pop", with "booming drums, high-drama synthesisers and sampled voices". Horn's success with Dollar generated interest from other acts. He next produced The Lexicon of Love by ABC , which became one of the best-selling albums of 1982. During the recording, he persuaded ABC to replace their bassist, feeling he was subpar. Horn regretted the decision, and he later learnt that U2 had declined to work with him as they were concerned he would split
8925-643: The spare room of the house. In his early teens, Horn filled in for his father on the double bass in the Joe Clarke band when he was late for a gig. At school Horn was given a recorder which he picked up with little effort as he already had music knowledge, and performed in the local youth orchestra. His interests turned to contemporary rock acts such as the Beatles , the Rolling Stones , and Bob Dylan . At 14, Horn played electric guitar in his first group,
9030-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
9135-689: The television show Come Dancing . Horn also joined the Canterbury Tales, a group based in Margate , and spent time in Denmark where he ended up broke. His mother sent him money for his return journey. He also worked as a session musician for rock groups and jingles . At 24, Horn began work in Leicester , where he had a nightly gig playing bass at a nightclub and helped construct a recording studio. He produced songs for local artists, including
9240-525: The theme song to the comedy series The Glam Metal Detectives broadcast on BBC2 in 1995. This was another collaboration with Lol Creme . In the mid-1990s, Horn and Sinclair bought Hook End Manor in Oxfordshire and renamed its recording facility Sarm Hook End. In 1995, Horn produced "The Carpet Crawlers 1999", a rerecording of " The Carpet Crawlers " by Genesis , which featured vocals from their former singers, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins . It
9345-523: The time – sampling was like a mystical world." Horn is credited as the "key architect" in incorporating sampling into "the language of pop". His understanding of electronic equipment made him influential on the development of pop music in the following decade. In 1981, Horn completed a second Buggles album, Adventures in Modern Recording , largely on his own following Downes's decision to form Asia . Horn produced The Dollar Album (1982) by
9450-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
9555-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
9660-585: The venue continued under a series of names until the building was demolished in 2005. They held a few Battle of the Bands , there as well. The 1960s saw the Top Rank active in Croydon . During the following decade it was rebranded as Cinatra's, which was an equally popular venue for many years. The reputation of the club began to decline in the 1990s, and eventually so did its trade. Cinatra's closed its doors for
9765-510: Was a fan of "Video Killed The Radio Star" and described Horn as like being a judge in a courtroom when presenting some of his ideas for the album, to which Horn would either nod or shake his head. This, according to Oldfield, gave him a kind of a filter for which ideas worked. Horn collaborated with the composer Hans Zimmer to produce the score for the 1992 film Toys , which included interpretations by Tori Amos , Thomas Dolby , Pat Metheny and Wendy & Lisa . Horn co-wrote "Everybody Up",
9870-623: Was a maintenance engineer at the neighbouring dairy and a professional musician who played the double bass in the Joe Clarke Big Band during the week. Horn attended Johnston Grammar School in Durham. At around eight years of age, Horn took up the double bass and was taught the basics by his father, including the concept of playing triads . He taught himself the bass guitar and became confident in sight-reading music, using guide books and practising on his father's four-string guitar in
9975-852: Was destroyed in the Skirball Fire . Horn was not present at the time of the fire. Horn toured as the bass player in Dire Straits Legacy in 2018–20. In late 2022, he published a memoir, Adventures in Modern Recording: From ABC to ZTT. He joined Seal's 2023 tour, playing bass in Seal's band and reviving the Buggles as an opening act. In December 2023, Horn released Echoes: Ancient and Modern , another album of covers with guest singers. Musicians and producers including Gary Barlow , DJ Shadow and Nigel Godrich cite Horn as an influence. Horn met Jill Sinclair ,
10080-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
10185-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
10290-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
10395-476: Was pleased with the results and sold his PC equipment for an Apple Macintosh . At this stage of his career, Horn had lost his enthusiasm for producing 12-inch mixes of songs, and he brought in other remixers to make them while concentrating on albums. He also produced half of the songs on Marc Almond 's 1991 album Tenement Symphony , including the three singles on the album: " Jacky ", "My Hand Over My Heart" and " The Days of Pearly Spencer ", which reached #4 in
10500-452: Was poorly received by fans, who reacted poorly to "this fat, dumpy guy at the front singing ... it was an absolute nightmare from start to finish". Yes sacked Horn after the tour. In 1980, Horn married the music executive Jill Sinclair , who became his manager. Sinclair told him that as an artist he would always be "second division", but if he pursued production he would become the best in the world. Horn assembled studio equipment, including
10605-479: Was rebranded in 1973 plus referb and called KingsWest. It was refurbished in 1990 and renamed the Event, and then refurbished and renamed Event II in 1996. In 2007 another refurbishment led to it reopening as Oceana , and later as Pryzm. The Cardiff Top Rank Suite opened in 1963 on Queen Street in the centre of the city. It hosted acts such as The Beatles , Led Zeppelin and U2 . The Top Rank closed in 1982 but
10710-585: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
10815-912: Was released in March 2018. He has also been working on musicals, including one called "The Robot Sings". In November 2018, Horn performed a one-off concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Horn's new album, Trevor Horn Reimagines the Eighties , was released on 25 January 2019. A single, " Everybody Wants to Rule the World ", with vocals by Robbie Williams , was released on 24 October 2018. Further guests include Rumer , All Saints , Simple Minds and Gabrielle Aplin . In late 2017, Horn's Sarm West Coast residential studio in Bel Air, Los Angeles ,
10920-452: Was released on the compilation Turn It On Again: The Hits (1999). In 1996, Horn produced the multi-platinum album Wildest Dreams by Tina Turner . According to the duo Wendy & Lisa , Horn produced an album for them in the late 1990s that went unreleased. Lisa Coleman said Horn and Sinclair objected to their homosexuality as sinful. In the 2000s, Horn was hired by Interscope Records to create English-language versions of songs by
11025-471: Was required and was In Aid of Rotary Charities. It advertised Dancing from 8:00 pm – 2:00 am, Tickets were strictly limited at a cost of 30 shillings and this price included a buffet and music provided by two bands with a Cabaret and Fully Licensed Bars. It remained a popular venue and continued until it closed in 1974. After its closure it became Baileys Club in the same year until its closure in 1977. The Reading Top Rank Ballroom opened in October 1967, with
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