Biography
Michael Riley was an early member of reggae band Steel Pulse. Being one of the Handsworth school friends who began practicing in David Hinds' basement, his backing vocals and percussion were part of their successful debut album, "Handsworth Revolution". However, at the end of 1978 Riley left the band in acrimonious circumstances and took his own distinctive and successful path in the music industry. He's currently (as of 2016), a senior lecturer in music production at the University of Westminster in London and a director of a music production company. Now known as Mykaell Riley, he's also set up an archive of black music in Britain over the last 50 years in his role at the National Centre for Black Music Research and as senior trustee of the Black Music Education Trust (BMET). After leaving Steel Pulse and a brief flirtation with Bumble & The Beez and Headline, his vision led to the success of the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra (combining reggae rhythms with orchestral themes) and he was involved in production work for bands such as East 17, Bjork, Wet Wet Wet, Soul II Soul, Maxi Priest, Sinead O'Connor, Jimmy Sommerville, Yazz, Mark Morrison, Peter Andre, Gabrielle, Dina Carroll, Baba Maal, China Black, Courtney Pine and others. With credits on more than thirty albums, he's also written music for television programs (The Lenny Henry Show, Alive & Kicking, Mondo Rosso, The Good Sex Guide, Blood & Fire for the Jamaica 40 series and Cruise of The Gods) and TV adverts, as well as the MOBO Awards and the 1998 MTV music awards. In 2002, he toured with and contributed to a new album by Temple of Sound and the stage production of Ragamuffin, as composer/arranger alongside former Steel Pulse producer Jimmy 'Senyah' Haynes, who produced the stage show.
