Martina Gillian Topley-Bird is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained fame as the featured female vocalist on trip hop pioneer Tricky's debut album, Maxinquaye.
19 Facts About Martina Topley-Bird
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Martina Topley-Bird worked with him on his subsequent albums Nearly God and Pre-Millennium Tension.
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In 2003, Topley-Bird released her debut solo album, Quixotic, which was critically praised and earned her a Mercury Prize nomination.
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Martina Topley-Bird has collaborated with Gorillaz, appearing on their album Demon Days, as well as with Mark Lanegan, Diplo and Massive Attack on Heligoland, which she followed by a world tour with the group.
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Martina Topley-Bird was born in London, England, to Charlette Conlon and Martin Geoffrey Topley, who died in 1974 before her birth; Martina was named after him.
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Martina Topley-Bird's stepfather is British direct marketing specialist Drayton Bird, whose surname she adopted in addition to her father's.
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Martina Topley-Bird's mother is of Salvadoran and Seminole descent, while her father was of untraceable African-American descent.
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Martina Topley-Bird grew up in a large family, with five siblings and three step-siblings.
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In 1993, as a teenager at Clifton College, Martina Topley-Bird was discovered by trip hop pioneer Tricky when he saw her sitting on a wall near his house, singing to herself.
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Martina Topley-Bird commented on the ideas underpinning the album, saying:.
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Martina Topley-Bird sang "I Only Have Eyes for You", a song originally by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin.
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In 2010, Martina Topley-Bird appeared on the album Heligoland by Massive Attack, lending her voice on the tracks "Psyche" and "Babel".
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Martina Topley-Bird toured with Massive Attack as their support act and providing guest vocals at their shows.
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Martina Topley-Bird performed Maxinquaye live at the Sundance Festival, London, in April 2012, and appeared on the tracks "Open" and "Secret" on electronic musician Clark's album Iradelphic.
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In 2018 Martina Topley-Bird released the single "Solitude", which would subsequently appear on the four-track EP MTB Continued.
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In May 2021 Martina Topley-Bird released the single "Pure Heart" from her upcoming album Forever I Wait.
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Martina Topley-Bird cites Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday as vocal influences, as well as Tom Waits and Serge Gainsbourg as instrumental influences.
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Martina Topley-Bird has cited Bollywood and Asian cinema as an influence on her album artwork as well, including the work of Park Chan-wook.
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Martina Topley-Bird has said that she doesn't consider herself religious, though she "believes in the need to have a healthy spiritual life".