Nick Coler (born 10 April 1952) is an English musician, producer, composer and songwriter. He has been nominated for and won awards for songwriting and music production and has written, produced and played on hit songs for diverse acts ranging from Goldie, KLF, and Alice Cooper to Girls Aloud, Sugababes, and Gabriella Cilmi.[1]
Coler was born in London and was educated at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Nunnery, Redhill, Surrey (where he was thrown out),
Alexander road, infants, Woodhatch, St. Johns, Primary, St Mary's preparatory and choir school, Balcombe road Horley, Reigate art school.
Career
1970s
His first music-related job was working as a session player for Bronze Records in 1978 after being scouted by producer Martin Smith while recording the band he was in, "Why Worry.” During this time he worked with and appeared live with such bands as Goldie and The Small Ads amongst others. In 1979, Coler was signed to Warner Bros. Music with the band The Tigers.[2]
Coler rented a studio with Hans Zimmer and was an integral creative part of the cult band The KLF.[6] In the book[7] "The Manual" Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond write – "Our programmer, Nick Coler, is a genius. He can play on the piano every piece of music ever written, his left hand a blur of fumbled bass notes, while his spectacles slide down his perspiring nose. His cathedral choir boy sense of fun has never left him and he sports a line of strange hand knitted jumpers. Is continually trying out new haircuts. Drives second hand Audi's. He plays keyboards with The Rubettes.”
In 1993, Coler also worked on the less well received single "Lemmings", based upon the Lemmings computer game and credited to SFX, released under Parlophone, spending three weeks in the charts.[8]
He left Xenomania in 2010 and is now signed to BMG Berlin working on new acts with his own independent production company Mr Magus including acts such as CTA, Felony Disco and Randomizer.[11][12]
In 2011, Coler played at the Southbank Centre Festival Hall participating in a Vintage Weekend at the behest of Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley playing alongside other notable musicians such as Graham Gouldman of 10cc and Rob Davis of Mud fame.[13]
