Charlie Midnight
Charlie Midnight is an American songwriter and record producer who has been nominated for the 1987 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (Writer, "Living in America" by James Brown), two Golden Globes, and has been a producer and/or writer on several Grammy-winning albums, including The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album, Joni Mitchell's Turbulent Indigo, and Marlo Thomas & Friends: Thanks & Giving All Year Long. He also is a writer on the Barbra Streisand Grammy-Nominated, Platinum-Selling "Partners" album having co-written the Streisand and Bocelli duet, "I Still Can See Your Face."
Charlie Midnight | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Genres | Pop, pop rock, rock music |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, record producer |
| Associated acts | Dan Hartman Joni Mitchell Barbra Streisand Hilary Duff Joe Cocker Chaka Khan Billy Joel The Doobie Brothers Christina Aguilera Paul Stanley |
Biography
Midnight, born Charlie Kaufman[1] in New York City, has produced and written songs for more than 30 films including Rocky IV,[2] The Bodyguard,[2] Bull Durham, Lizzie McGuire and Ruthless People, as well as for such notable and varied artists as Cher, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, Seal, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, James Brown, Chaka Khan, Joe Cocker, The Doobie Brothers, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jamey Johnson, George Thorogood, John Waite, Hilary Duff, Dan Hartman, Paul Stanley and Paul Young.
Although primarily known as a producer/songwriter for other artists, Midnight actually began his career as a singer and musician himself, performing in several groups throughout the late 1970s/early 1980s, culminating in the release of his solo album Innocent Bystander in 1982.[3]
Shortly after this album, Midnight came to the attention of famed singer-songwriter/musician/producer Dan Hartman. The two began collaborating on songwriting, forming a musical partnership that would last until Hartman's death in 1994.
In 1987, Midnight was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for co-writing "Living in America", a song for which James Brown won the Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.
In 1987, he co-wrote two Joe Cocker songs, "Trust in Me" and "A Woman Loves a Man" for Cocker's "Unchain My Heart" album. In 1992, an updated version of "Trust in Me" (this time w/ Sass Jordan on backing vocals) was released on The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album, which won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
In 1988 he was twice nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. First, for the aforementioned "A Woman Loves a Man" which was re-released in the 1988 movie Bull Durham, and second, for the song "Why Should I Worry?" from the 1988 Disney animated film, Oliver & Company.
In 1994, the song "How Do You Stop", that he co-wrote with Dan Hartman for James Brown's 1986 album Gravity was covered by Joni Mitchell on her album Turbulent Indigo in a version featuring vocals by Seal. The album later won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Pop Album.
In 2004, he wrote and produced "I'll Give Anything But Up", sung by Hilary Duff, for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children winning children's album Marlo Thomas & Friends: Thanks & Giving All Year Long.
In 2010, Charlie co-wrote with Jamey Johnson the song "My Way To You", which appears on Johnson's album The Guitar Song, which was nominated in 2011 for the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. The same year, he co-wrote "Welcome To Burlesque", Cher's first song in the feature film Burlesque. Its soundtrack album won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
In 2012, Charlie co-wrote two specialty lyrics for Barbra Streisand's "Back To Brooklyn" tour, on "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard, and "You're the Top" from Anything Goes.[4]
2012: "Welcome To Burlesque", sung by Cher, co-written by Charlie Midnight appeared on the Grammy-Nominated Soundtrack Album "Burlesque" (Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Visual Media).
2013: Charlie co-wrote two specialty lyrics for Barbra Streisand for her Back To Brooklyn tour.
2014: Charlie co-wrote the duet, "I Still Can See Your Face," for Ms. Streisand and Andrea Bocelli, for Barbra Streisand's "Partners" album, which reached Number One, making her the only artist to have a Number One album in each of the past six different decades.
2015: Song on Grammy Nominated Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Barbra Streisand – Partners: I Still Can See Your Face/ Streisand, Bocelli duet (C.Midnight, J. Landers, B. Herms)
2018: Charlie co-wrote, "The Rain Will Fall" (B. Streisand, C. Midnight, Jay Landers, J. Myrin)
Continuing his success in having his songs featured in films, Charlie co-wrote the song "Keep On Movin'" sung by Thomas Hien for the DIsney feature "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," and co-wrote "The Healing" performed by Gedeon Luke and the People featured in the Kevin Hart, Will Ferrell Film, "Get Hard."
With Idina Menzel and Walter Afanasieff Charlie wrote "December Prayer," for Idina Menzel's "Holiday Wishes": Number One Billboard Holiday Album
He's a co-writer of the song "Big Time Rush", which serves as the theme song for the hit Nickelodeon series of the same name. He also won a BMI Cable Award at the 2006 BMI Awards for the theme song to the comedy series Daisy Does America.
He worked with Jordyn Jones on her song, I'm Dappin'.[5]
Charlie has worked extensively as a writer and a producer with artists from all around the world. These include such notable international artists as Lin Yu-chun (Taiwan), Tata Young (Thailand), Chage and Aska (Japan), Peter Maffay and Yvonne Catterfeld (Germany), Gölä (Switzerland) Saint Lu (Austria) Time Bandits (Netherlands), El Último de la Fila (Spain), Rhydian (UK), Dodo and the Dodos (Denmark), Sahlene and Don Patrol (Sweden), Rodsogarden (Finland), Rouge (Brazil).
SOME ARTISTS:
- CHER: “Welcome To Burlesque” (Film, “Burlesque”) Thanksgiving 2010 Release
- JAMES BROWN: “Living In America” (“Gravity” Album)/
- BILLY JOEL: “Why Should I Worry” (“Oliver & Company,” Disney animated feature) – Writer/
- BRITNEY SPEARS: "Shadow" ("In The Zone" album) – Writer/
- BARBRA STREISAND: 2012 “Back To Brooklyn” tour, Writer – specialty lyrics/
- ANDREA BOCELLI & BARBRA STREISAND DUET: Writer "I Still Can See Your Face" on Ms. Streisand's Number One "Partners" album/
- CHRISTINA AGUILERA: “This Year” (Christmas album, “My Kind of Christmas") – Writer/
- JONI MITCHELL: “How Do You Stop” (“Turbulent Indigo” Album) – Writer/
- SEAL: "How Do You Stop" (duet w/ Mitchell, “Turbulent Indigo”) – Writer/
- JOE COCKER: “Unchain My Heart” Album, “One Night Of Sin” Album – Producer and Writer; “Love Lives On” (“Harry & The Hendersons” feature film) – Producer
- CHAKA KHAN: “Can’t Stop The Street” (Top Ten Dance Single “Krush Groove” Soundtrack) – Writer/
- DOOBIE BROTHERS: “Cycles” Album – Writer and Producer of various tracks including “The Doctor” (Top Five Single); “Take Me To The Highway” Live Album – Producer of album, Writer of various tracks/
- IDINA MENZEL: Co-writing songs with Ms. Menzel and Walter Afanasieff for original musical; performs "God Save My Soul" from musical in concert/
- IDINA MENZEL – "December Prayer" – Writer on Ms. Menzel's Christmas album/
- PAUL STANLEY- "It's Not Me" – Writer – "Live to Win" album
- ANASTACIA – "Stay" – Writer on Anastacia's "Resurrection" album/
- WEIRD AL YANKOVIC – “Living With A Hernia (Parody of “Living In America”)/
- MIRANDA COSGROVE: “Raining Sunshine” End Title Song and Soundtrack album from Sony Animated Feature “Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs”- Writer/
- BIG TIME RUSH: “Big Time Rush,” Theme Song – Writer/
- JAMEY JOHNSON: “My Way To You” – Writer/
- NATALIE IMBRUGLIA: “Outside Looking In” – Writer/
- PAUL YOUNG: “I’m Only Fooling Myself” (“Time to Time” Album”) – Writer/
- JOHN WAITE: “Sometimes” (“Rover” Album) – Writer/
- DAN HARTMAN: “I Can Dream About You” Album (except the title song and "Electricity") – Writer/
- LAUREN CHRISTY: “My Spot in the World” (102 Dalmatians soundtrack Album) – Writer/
- HILARY DUFF: "Lizzie McGuire" Soundtrack, Writer and Producer; Hilary Duff Christmas Album ("Santa Claus Lane"), Writer & Producer; Metamorphosis Album, Writer & Producer on various songs including the hit song, "So Yesterday";
- LIL' ROMEO: Hilary Duff Christmas Album, duet on "Tell Me A Story" – Writer & Producer/
- GEORGE THOROGOOD: "American Made" – Writer/
- SHEENA EASTON: “When The Lightning Strikes Again” – Writer/
- 2 LIVE CREW: “Living In America”/
FILMS & SOUNDTRACK ALBUMS:
- Get Hard – Release Date March 27, 2015, Starring Ferrell, Kevin Hart
“The Healing” – Writer
- Burlesque: Starring Christina Aguilera And Cher: “Welcome To Burlesque” (Artist – Cher) – Writer
- Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs: “Raining Sunshine” (Miranda Cosgrove) – Writer
- Cheaper By The Dozen: "What Christmas Should Be" (Hilary Duff)
- The Santa Clause 2 – "Santa Claus Lane" (Hilary Duff) – Writer/Producer
- Lizzie McGuire Movie -"Why Not" (single) (Hilary Duff)- Writer, "Girl In The Band" (Hilary Duff)- Writer/Producer "Girl In The Band"(Haley Duff)- Writer & Producer
- The Bodyguard – “Trust In Me” (Joe Cocker/Sass Jordan) – Writer/Producer
- Rocky IV – “Living In America” (James Brown) – Writer
- Bull Durham – “A Woman Loves A Man” (Joe Cocker) – Writer/Producer
- Green Street Hooligans – “One Blood” –Writer/Producer
- Oliver & Company – “Why Should I Worry” (Billy Joel) – Writer
- Ruthless People – “Waiting to See You” (Dan Hartman) -Writer
- Harry & the Hendersons – “Love Lives On” (Joe Cocker) – Producer
- Fletch – “Get Outta Town” (Dan Hartman) – Writer
- Great Expectations – “Walk This Earth Alone” (Lauren Christy) – Writer/Producer
- The Jackal – “It’s Over, It’s Under” (DollsHead) – Writer/Producer
- Wild Things – “I Want What I Want” (Lauren Christy) – Writer
- Desperado – “Back To The House That Love Built” (Tarantula) -Writer/ Producer
- Gunmen – “This House” (The Cruzados) – Writer/Producer
- Breakin’ – “Breakin’...The Heart Of The Beat” (3-V) – Writer
- Krush Groove – “Can’t Stop The Street” (Chaka Khan) – Writer
- Perfect – “Talking To The Wall” (Dan Hartman) – Writer
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I – “9.95" – Writer
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II – “Consciousness” – Writer
- Streetfighter II – “Something There” – (Chage & Aska, major Japanese recording stars)- Writer
- Return To Me – “Here I Am” – Writer/Producer
- 102 Dalmatians – “My Spot In The World” – on Soundtrack album – Writer
- Raise Your Voice – "Jericho" (Hilary Duff) – writer and producer
- Casual Sex – "Behind Your Eyes" – Writer/Producer
- Iron Eagle ll – "Gimme Some Lovin'" – Producer
- Ringmaster – "Living in America" (2 Live Crew version) – Writer
- Come Away Home – Various Songs – Writer/Producer
- Naomi & Wynonna – Love Can Build a Bridge – “Dream Time” – Writer
- Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Forever – “Riot In The Playground” – Writer
- Eye Of The Tiger – “Gravity” – Writer
- Kim Possible – A Stitch In Time – “It’s Just You” (LMNT) – Writer
- Alexander And The Very Bad Day – “Keep On Movin”” – Writer
Nominations
- Grammy Award Nomination for Best R&B Song – 1987 – "Living in America" performed by James Brown[6]
- Golden Globe Award Nomination for Best Original Song – 1988 – "Why Should I Worry?" performed by Billy Joel, from Oliver & Company[7]
- Golden Globe Award Nomination for Best Original Song – 1988 – "A Woman Loves a Man" performed by Joe Cocker, from Bull Durham[7]
- Grammy Award for Best Album for Children – 1990 – Oliver & Company : Story and Songs from the Motion Picture performed by various artists[8]
- BMI Cable Award – 2006 – Daisy Does America.[9]
Some Writer credits
| Year | Artist | Song | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Dan Hartman | "We Are the Young" "Shy Hearts" "I'm Not a Rolling Stone" "Rage to Live" "Name of the Game" "Power of a Good Love" "Second Nature" "I Can't Get Enough" |
I Can Dream About You | |
| 3V | "Heart of the Beat" | Breakin' soundtrack | ||
| 1985 | Chaka Khan | "(Krush Groove) Can't Stop The Street" | Krush Groove soundtrack | |
| Dan Hartman | "Get Outta Town" | Fletch soundtrack | ||
| "Talking to the Wall" | Perfect soundtrack | |||
| Sheena Easton | "When the Lightning Strikes Again" | Do You | ||
| 1986 | Dan Hartman | "Waiting to See You" | Ruthless People soundtrack | |
| James Brown | "Living in America" | Gravity | ||
| 1987 | John Waite | "Sometimes" | Rover's Return | |
| Joe Cocker | "A Woman Loves a Man" "Trust in Me" "Satisfied" |
Unchain My Heart | Writer and album co-producer. | |
| 1988 | Dan Hartman | "Behind Your Eyes" | Casual Sex? soundtrack | |
| The Insiders | "Gimme Some Lovin'" | Iron Eagle II soundtrack | ||
| Billy Joel | "Why Should I Worry?" | Oliver & Company soundtrack | ||
| 1989 | The Doobie Brothers | "The Doctor" "Take Me to the Highway" |
Cycles | Co-writer and album co-producer. |
| Joe Cocker | "Letting Go" "Bad Bad Sign" |
One Night of Sin | Writer and album producer. | |
| "Love Lives On" | Harry and the Hendersons soundtrack | Co-producer. | ||
| 1990 | Spunkadelic | "9.95" | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
| 1991 | Dan Hartman | "(That's Your) Consciousness" | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II The Secret of the Ooze: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
| Paul Young | "I'm Only Fooling Myself" | From Time to Time – The Singles Collection | ||
| Corey Feldman & The Eradicators | "Riot in the Playground" | Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever | ||
| Quarterflash | "Diamonds in the Rough" | Girl in the Wind | Writer and producer. | |
| 1992 | Joe Cocker featuring Sass Jordan | "Trust in Me" | The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album | Writer and producer. |
| 1994 | Cruzados | "This House" | Gunmen soundtrack | Writer and producer. |
| Chage and Aska | "Something There" | Street Fighter soundtrack | English lyrics. | |
| Joni Mitchell | "How Do You Stop" | Turbulent Indigo | Cover of the 1986 song by James Brown. | |
| 1995 | Tito & Tarantula | "Back to the House That Love Built" | Desperado: The Soundtrack | Co-writer and co-producer. |
| 1995 | The Bonnevilles | "Dream Time" | Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge soundtrack | |
| 1997 | Dollshead | "It's Over, It's Under" | The Jackal soundtrack | Writer and producer. |
| 1998 | Lauren Christy | "I Want What I Want" | Wild Things soundtrack | |
| "Walk This Earth Alone" | Great Expectations soundtrack | |||
| 1999 | 2 Live Crew | "Living in America" | Ringmaster soundtrack | Cover version of the James Brown hit song. |
| 2000 | Joey Gian | "Here I Am" | Return To Me soundtrack | |
| Lauren Christy | "My Spot in the World" | 102 Dalmatians soundtrack | ||
| Christina Aguilera | "This Year" | My Kind of Christmas | ||
| 2002 | Hilary Duff | "Santa Claus Lane" "I Heard Santa on the Radio" (with Christina Milian) "When the Snow Comes Down in Tinseltown" "Tell Me a Story (About the Night Before)" (with Lil' Romeo) "Same Old Christmas" (featuring Haylie Duff) |
Santa Claus Lane | Co-writer and co-producer. |
| 2003 | George Thorogood & The Destroyers | "American Made" | Ride 'Til I Die | |
| Britney Spears | "Shadow" | In The Zone | ||
| LMNT | "It's Just You" | Kim Possible soundtrack | ||
| Haylie Duff | "Girl in the Band" | The Lizzie McGuire Movie soundtrack | Co-writer and co-producer. | |
| Hilary Duff | "Why Not" | |||
| "So Yesterday" "Workin' It Out" "Where Did I Go Right?" "The Math" "Love Just Is" "Metamorphosis" "Why Not" |
Metamorphosis | Co-writer and co-producer. | ||
| "What Christmas Should Be" | Cheaper by the Dozen soundtrack | |||
| 2004 | Hilary Duff | "Weird" "Hide Away" "Dangerous to Know" "Who's That Girl?" "Cry""Haters" "Rock This World" "Jericho" |
Hilary Duff | Co-writer and co-producer. |
| 2005 | Various | N/A | Come Away Home soundtrack | Music supervisor. |
| Terence Jay | "One Blood" | Green Street soundtrack | Writer and producer. | |
| 2009 | Miranda Cosgrove | "Raining Sunshine" | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs soundtrack | |
| 2010 | Big Time Rush | "Big Time Rush" | BTR | |
| Jamey Johnson | "My Way To You"[10] | The Guitar Song | ||
| Cher | "Welcome To Burlesque" | Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||
| 2013 | Barbra Streisand | "As If We Never Said Goodbye" "You're the Top" |
Back to Brooklyn | Co-wrote specialty lyrics. |
Television credits
| Year | Name | Song | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (Ep. "Hansel and Gretel") (HBO) | "Los Ninos Deliciosos" | Rosie Perez | |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (Ep. "Rapunzel") (HBO) | "Hoodoo Diva" | Whoopi Goldberg | |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (Ep. "Sleeping Rosita") (HBO) | "Que Es Esto" "Good Fairies Song" |
Carmen Zapata Vanessa Marquez |
|
| 2005 | Daisy Does America (TBS) | "Daisy Does America" | N/A | Main theme. |
| 2009–2013 | Big Time Rush (Nickelodeon) | "Big Time Rush" | Big Time Rush | Main theme. |
References
- Gervais, Gabrielle. "BWW Interview: Charlie Midnight: The Man Behind the Music!". BWW Music World. Wisdom Digital Media. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- Bessman, Jim (May 15, 2004). "Famous strikes Midnight", Billboard 116 (20): 67.
- Charlie Midnight interview originally retrieved from danhartman.com Archived October 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- Barbra Streisand – Back to Brooklyn at AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- YouTube
- Rock On The Net : 29th Grammy Awards – 1987 Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- Golden Globes Awards Official Website – Best Original Song – Motion Picture Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- Charlie Midnight – Awards – IMDb.com Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- 2006 BMI Film & Television Awards Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- The Guitar Song album
External links
- Charlie Midnight on IMDb
- Charlie Midnight discography at Discogs
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