30 Facts About Rupert Hine

Rupert Neville Hine was an English record producer and musician.

Rupert Hine produced albums for artists including Rush, Kevin Ayers, Tina Turner, Howard Jones, Saga, the Fixx, Bob Geldof, Thompson Twins, Stevie Nicks, Chris de Burgh, Suzanne Vega, Underworld, Duncan Sheik, Formula and Eleanor McEvoy.

Additionally, Hine recorded eleven albums, including those billed under his own name, the pseudo-band name Thinkman, and as a member of the band Quantum Jump; with the latter, he achieved a number 5 hit on the UK Singles Chart in 1979, "The Lone Ranger".

Rupert Hine was born in Wimbledon, London on 21 September 1947.

Rupert Hine was the son of Maurice, a timber merchant, and Joan, a Red Cross nurse.

Rupert Hine grew up in a house full of music; his mother was an amateur ballet dancer and his father an amateur musician who played drums in a jazz band when he was young.

Rupert Hine's mother was convinced he would be an architect, but Rupert Hine's early ambition was to become a cartographer.

Rupert Hine started playing in the school band at age 14 and played the mouth organ, mostly because it was the cheapest instrument to buy.

Rupert Hine attended St John's school in Horsham, West Sussex, before he came to King's College School in Wimbledon.

For several years Rupert Hine wrote songs with MacIver while working at temporary jobs, until he was helped by Deep Purple's bassist Roger Glover, whom Rupert Hine knew from Glover's previous band Episode 6.

However, Rupert Hine now became increasingly in demand as an independent producer, first with the 1972 single "Who Is the Doctor", featuring Jon Pertwee narrating over the theme music from TV's Doctor Who.

Rupert Hine then produced Yvonne Elliman's album Food of Love, a second world war-themed compilation album called Colditz, and Kevin Ayers's The Confessions of Dr Dream and Other Stories.

In 1985, Rupert Hine wrote and produced much of the soundtrack for the black comedy film Better Off Dead.

Rupert Hine obtained a number of credits with some of the biggest musicians of his era.

Rupert Hine produced the Grammy-winning single "Better Be Good to Me" as well as co-writing "I Might Have Been Queen".

Thinkman is credited for one song on the Better Off Dead soundtrack, while Rupert Hine is credited for six.

In 2008, Rupert Hine oversaw the direction of the compilation album Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace, and contributed to it a remixed version of his song, "The Heart of the Matter".

Rupert Hine wrote two songs for Le Cheshire Cat et moi, a 2009 CD by Nolwenn Leroy which was produced by Teitur Lassen.

In 2011, Rupert Hine launched Auditorius, a joint music publishing project with BMG Rights Management.

Rupert Hine joined Joe Boyd, Clive Green, Bob Ludwig, Jimmy Page and Chris Thomas to receive the award from Sir George Martin, APRS President, who together with a group of past recipients; sound and music innovators, including Sir Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Chris Blackwell, holds a Fellowship Award.

In March 2015, Esoteric Recordings issued "Unshy on the Skyline", a compilation from a trio of albums Rupert Hine made between 1981 and 1983, Immunity, Waving Not Drowning and The Wildest Wish to Fly, complemented by the lyrics of poet and artist Jeannette-Therese Obstoj, and featuring guest contributions from musicians Robert Palmer, Phil Collins and guitarist Phil Palmer.

In 2017, Rupert Hine was appointed Chairman of the Ivor Novello Awards, presented annually by The Ivors Academy.

On 30 August 2019, Esoteric Recordings issued "Fighting Apathy With Shock", a "best of" chosen by Rupert Hine from his Thinkman project, the albums The Formula, Life Is A Full Time Occupation and Hard Hat Zone all with lyrics by Jeannette Obstoj.

Rupert Hine has directed videos for the artists he has produced.

Rupert Hine was an early adopter of electronic music production techniques, and Hine was a founding member of Music Producers Guild, the International MIDI Association and a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the US.

Rupert Hine has sat on the boards of committees for BASCA and the Ivors Academy.

Rupert Hine had quadruple bypass surgery in 2010 and was diagnosed with renal cancer the following year.

Rupert Hine died at his home in Wiltshire on 4 June 2020 at the age of 72.

Rupert Hine is survived by his wife Fay and his son Kingsley from a previous marriage.

At a London reception on September 20,2023, Rupert Hine was posthumously honoured by Ivors Academy with an award recognising 'exceptional people across the music industry who create positive change and champion music creators'.