I was thrilled to hear that Streisand was making a video of the song. I knew the song had made the album but wasn't sure if it would be picked as a single. Then we heard that she had prepared a video called "The Making of Emotion" that was played in theaters as a trailer. This has never been released officially but YouTube comes through again! I think Boy George was the stylist on the set!
The J. Geils Band were coming off the super successful Centerfold / Freeze Frame record and I was asked to help Peter Wolf and Don Covay (composer of "Mercy Mercy" and "Chain Of Fools") write and record. Some incredible days and nights of soul! "I Need You Tonight" popped out one day!
I had always wanted to write a Christmas song! My friend Shelly Peiken and I got together and came up with "I Guess It's Christmas Time". It took a few years but Shelly got in touch and told me not to get too excited but a new group called SUNK had recorded it. GREAT!!! SUNK! Turns out it was NSYNC! Now that's more like it! Brazilian star XUXA found the song and recorded it as the title song of her Christmas CD/DVD entitled "Natal Magico". She does an annual Xmas pageant which is quite the spectacle. Here's a video she did of the song!
I met Don Oriolo back in 1980 when I signed to Chappell/Intersong Music as a staff writer. Don's father was one of the original creators of Felix The Cat. Don presented me with a "animatic" video mockup of what would be the opening of a new series on CBS Saturday mornings called "Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat" produced by Film Roman. My first score to pix!
Children's Television Workshop "Square One TV" Math show. I was asked to write a song for Bobby McFerrin to record for an eventual video for the series. My demo of the song was pretty funny sounding as a sang a guide melody, thumped on my chest for a beat, and added one or two extra voices as a mockup. The genius that is Bobby McFerrin transformed it into a wonderful piece of music. The video is lot of fun!
What does a producer do when a friend calls up and asks if you would produce a Chanukah song? This producer lights a menorah - and welcomes songwriter Madeline Stone and her co-writer Senator Orrin Hatch into the studio to record! Does it matter that one is Jewish - one is Mormon - and I pick a lead singer who is Syrian? Ahh - if only the world got along as well!
Back in 1987 I made a writing trip to Nashville and was introduced to writer Todd Cerney. We sat outside and wrote the song "Wildest Dreams" which Annie Haslam of Renaissance fame picked up to record for her first solo Epic Records release. Annie and I got together to write another tune for the record and I had the great pleasure of working with producer Larry Fast on the the tracks including keyboard and guitar work along with my background vocals on the track. Here's Annie singing it live!