A Man Called Adam

A Man Called Adam

A Man Called Adam are a British house group formed in 1987 and active to the present. The group centres on Sally Rodgers and Steve Jones, with Paul Daley and Peter Woolcott also listed as members. Their work develops from an acid-jazz background into a style that combines jazz-influenced house rhythms with pop songwriting, and they are associated with chillout, downtempo and lounge music as well as house.

Early years and recording

The group begins as a jazz band led by Sally Rodgers. Steve Jones joins Rodgers, and Paul Daley is among the earlier members before later forming Leftfield with Neil Barnes. A Man Called Adam sign to Acid Jazz Records, which gives them more live work and leads to their first singles, including “A.P.B.” and “Earthly Powers”. These recordings reflect the impact of the acid house movement in Britain during the late 1980s. The trio of Rodgers, Jones and Daley then sign to Big Life in 1990 and narrowly miss the British Top 40 with “Barefoot in the Head”.

Albums and labels

After Daley leaves, Rodgers and Jones release their first album, The Apple. They later set up Other Records with design artist and longtime friend Steve “Jaffa” Gribbin, after becoming dissatisfied with their treatment by Big Life. Other Records is a jazz-house label and issues releases by Chris Coco, Idjut Boys and Sensory Productions. During the mid-1990s, the duo release relatively little new material under the A Man Called Adam name, although they issue singles on Other under the alias Beachflea.

Ibiza period and later work

By the end of the 1990s, their more upbeat but slightly melancholy jazz-house style becomes closely associated with Ibiza club culture. Singles such as “Easter Song”, “Estelle” and “All My Favourite People (Stay with Me)” become widely played in that setting, and the group appears on many club compilations. Their second album, Duende, appears in 1998. In 1999 they sign to Pagan Records and record a third album, Heaven Now, which includes collaborations with Brenda Fassie and Dean Miller. When Pagan goes bust before release, the album is shelved and a world tour is cancelled. In 2003 they place remixed versions of the Heaven Now recordings, together with selected catalogue tracks, with Southern Fried Records under the title All My Favourite A Man Called Adam; remixes on that release come from Ray Roc, Harvey and South Rakkas Crew.

Other work

Sally Rodgers and Steve Jones also work in sound design for theatre, film and museum exhibitions. Both are academics: Rodgers conducts doctoral research at St Andrews University, and Jones studies electro-acoustic composition at Edinburgh University. They continue to write, record and produce together, and work on projects including songs for Sarah Brightman’s album.