Martin Steven Briley, born on August 17, 1949 in London, is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist. He began playing and writing music at the age of ten, with Arthur Brown as his events teacher. At seventeen, Briley and his band Mandrake Paddle Steamer signed their first record deal with Parlophone/EMI and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, though their output was limited to two singles. Briley later joined George Martin's Associated Independent Recording (AIR) group of companies, becoming a key figure in the London studio scene as an arranger, vocalist, and session guitarist. He briefly toured with the progressive rock band Greenslade, playing on their 1975 album Time and Tide. Moving to New York, Briley worked as a touring and session musician for various artists including Meat Loaf, Julian Lennon, Bonnie Tyler, and Olivia Newton-John. In the early 1980s, Briley signed with Mercury Records and released three solo albums: Fear of the Unknown (1981), One Night with a Stranger (1983), and Dangerous Moments (1984). His single "The Salt in My Tears" reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 30, 1983. Briley has also written songs for numerous artists such as Céline Dion, Michael Bolton, and Barry Manilow.
