He has been nominated for five Grammy Awards, and received two, and boasts credits that include the Pet Shop Boys, Marc Almond, Tom Jones, Seal, Tina Turner, Cher, Ian Brown, U2, Depeche Mode, Craig David, Tears For Fears, Charlotte Church, Sting, Kate Nash, Olly Murs, Paloma Faith, Aloe Blacc and many more. Originally from Ireland, Fitzmaurice came up under Trevor Horn and Julian Mendelsohn. The man who played an important role in Smith's solo success is a dyed-in-the-wool studio professional, with an impressive pedigree going back to the late 1980s. The two songs and the album all topped the UK charts, while 'Stay With Me' was number five on the Billboard singles chart in the US at the time of writing. Yet in the first half of 2014 Smith scored two big solo hits, 'Money On My Mind' and 'Stay With Me', while In The Lonely Hour charted high in many different countries around the world. While it was clear that someone with a great voice had arrived on the scene, there were no inklings that this would instantly lead to a successful international solo career. Photo: Steve FitzmauriceSmith first caught the world's attention at the end of 2012 as the featured singer on Disclosure's hit song 'Latch', and a few months later when he fulfilled the same role on Naughty Boy's international mega-hit 'La La La'. The producer, mixer and engineer had a hand in the making of eight of the album's 10 tracks, and his emphasis on Smith's voice, as well as on economy of means in the arrangements, played an important role in the album's astonishing success. The album Fitzmaurice is talking about is Sam Smith's debut, In The Lonely Hour, released in May. His vocals had to be at the centre, and we stripped away everything that got in the way.” So when we made his album, the vocals were the key. The first time I recorded him, laying down his vocals on 'Money On My Mind', it was immediately obvious what an amazing talent he is. He sings completely effortlessly and natural. He is the best singer I have worked with since I worked those legends. "I've been lucky enough to work with some of the world's greatest singers, like Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Cher and Seal,” says Steve Fitzmaurice, "and Sam is easily in the same league. In the Lonely Hour also received a nomination for Best British Album at the 2015 Brit Awards the accolade ultimately went to Ed Sheeran for x.When an unknown act such as Sam Smith hits the big time, there's often an experienced producer behind the scenes - like Steve Fitzmaurice. It was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, winning the latter and losing to Morning Phase by Beck in the former. It was the second best-selling album of 2014 in the UK, and the third best-selling of 2014 in the United States. The album was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom. When In the Lonely Hour was released, it received mostly lukewarm reviews from critics, many of whom praised Smith's singing but were critical of the songwriting. A deluxe edition of the album contains five bonus tracks, including a solo acoustic version of Disclosure's single "Latch" and Naughty Boy's number-one single "La La La", on both of which Smith provided guest vocals. The album's third hit single, "I'm Not the Only One", reached number three in the UK and number five in the US. The album includes the hit singles "Money on My Mind" and "Stay with Me", both of which were number one in the UK the latter becoming a hit worldwide, peaking in the top ten in over 20 countries, including reaching number two in the US. In the United States, it was released on 17 June 2014 through Capitol Records America. It was released in the United Kingdom on, via Capitol UK and Method Records. In the Lonely Hour is the debut studio album by English singer Sam Smith.
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