From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rodney Lynn "Rod" Temperton (born 1947 in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England)[1] is an
English songwriter, record producer
and musician most famous
for writing a number of songs performed by Michael
Jackson, including the title track of Jackson's Thriller,[2] the
biggest-selling album of all time.
Biography
Temperton attended the De Aston School in Market Rasen. He was
one of the original members of the popular funk/disco band, Heatwave. With the band, he composed
some of the group's big-selling singles including "Boogie
Nights", "Groove Line" and the memorable ballad, "Always and Forever".
All three tracks were
million-sellers in the U.S.[3
]
In 1972 Temperton and guitarist Bernd Springer formed a soul
cover band in Worms, Germany called Sundown Carousel.
With Temperton on an old Hammond organ, the band performed in clubs
and GI bars in cities such as Mannheim. During the 1970s Temperton
started to work with Quincy Jones, who once visited Temperton in
Worms. In the early 1980s Temperton left Germany and moved to
Beverly Hills, California.[4]
In 1979, he was recruited by Quincy Jones to write for what became Michael
Jackson's first solo album in four years, and his first full-fledged
solo release for Epic
Records, entitled Off The Wall. Temperton wrote
three songs for the album, including Rock with You
which became the second US #1 single from the album. In 1982,
Temperton wrote three songs,
including the title track, for Jackson's next LP, Thriller, which became the
biggest-selling album of all time.
Temperton was nominated for an Oscar for a song on the soundtrack of the film, The Color Purple, as the
co-writer of the song "Miss Celie's Blues".[5]
Songwriting
credits
Temperton wrote/co-wrote for the following singers/bands:[6][7]
- Michael
Jackson: "Rock with You",
"Off the
Wall", "Burn This Disco Out", "Baby Be Mine", "The Lady in My
Life", "Thriller", "Someone in the Dark", "Hot
Street".
- Heatwave: "Boogie
Nights", "Always and Forever",
"The Groove Line", "Gangsters of the Groove", "Lettin' It Loose",
"Keep Tomorrow for Me", "Party Suite"
- James Ingram
& Michael McDonald: "Yah Mo B
There".
- Tamia: "You Put a Move on My
Heart".
- Rufus:
"Masterjam", "Live In Me".
- The Brothers Johnson: "Stomp!" and
"Treasure" "Light up the Night", "All About The Heaven".
- Donna Summer:
"Love Is in
Control (Finger on the Trigger)", "Livin' In America" and "Love
Is Just A Breath Away".
- Quincy Jones:
"The Dude", "Razzamatazz", "Somethin' Special", "Turn On The
Action", "The Secret Garden" and "Back On The Block", "You Put a
Move on My Heart" and "Q's Jook Joint".
- Herbie
Hancock: "Lite Me Up", "Getting To The Good Part", "Motor
Mouth".
- Aretha
Franklin: "Livin' In The Streets".
- Jeffrey
Osborne: "We Belong To Love" (which Temperton also produced).
- Bob James: "Sign Of The Times" and
"The Steamin' Feelin'".
- The Manhattan Transfer:
"Mystery", "The Spice Of Life", from their Bodies and
Souls album.
- George
Benson: Give Me the Night LP, including
"Love x Love", "Turn Out the Lamplight" and the title track.
- James Ingram:
It's Your Night LP.
- Anita Baker:
"Mystery" from her Rapture album.
- Patti Austin:
Every Home Should Have One LP; "Do You Love Me?", "The
Genie", "Baby, Come To Me" (with James Ingram).
- Second Image: "Lights Out" on Strange Reflections
- Michael McDonald: "Sweet
Freedom".
- Stephanie
Mills: "Time of Your Life" and "Hold On to Midnight".
- Karen
Carpenter: "Lovelines" and "If We Try".
- LL Cool J featuring
Boyz II Men: "Hey
Lover".
- Mica Paris: "Love
Keeps Coming Back", "Two in a Million", & "You Put A Move On My
Heart".
- Mýa: "Man in my Life".
- Klymaxx: "Man-Size
Love".
- C+C
Music Factory: "Share That Beat of Love".
- Angie Stone:
"Lovers' Ghetto" from her Stone Love album.
- Mariah Carey:
"I'm That Chick" (which sampled Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall")
from her E=MC² album.
Production
credits
- Kim Wilde: "Say
You Really Want Me".
- Jeffrey Osborne: "We Belong To Love".
- Quincy Jones: "I'll Be Good to You", "The Secret Garden", "I
Don't Go For That", "Stomp"[8]
- Patti Austin: "Givin' In To Love"
See also
References
External
links
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