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Rod Temperton

alieNDNalieNDN 2,181 Posts
edited July 2011 in Strut Central
So I was youtubing Heatwave's "Mind Blowing Decisions" cause it's an amazing track and was watching some other clips and the leadsinger mentioned that the organist, Rod Templeton wrote/produced their songs. Naturally I googled him and learned he was responsible for 3 tracks off "Off The Wall" (including Rock With You) and the track Thriller as well. Listening to "Star of the Story" right now, and love it! Reading more about him I guess he had an influence on disco? Insights into tracks to check out that he contributed to?

  Comments

  • spivyspivy 866 Posts

    rod temperton wrote "yah mo be there".
  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    :latte:
  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    I talked with a lady that does custom hand-knit sweaters about getting a "heatwave" replica sweater made. She wants 275$ but says it will be top quality. I told her I had to pass now. If anyone wants her info hit me up.
  • TheKindCromangTheKindCromang 1,463 Posts
    jjfad027 said:
    I talked with a lady that does custom hand-knit sweaters about getting a "heatwave" replica sweater made. She wants 275$ but says it will be top quality. I told her I had to pass now. If anyone wants her info hit me up.

    How much do you think she would charge to make a sweater with a crude depiction of a little black guy in pin-striped pants and coattails?
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    There is already a pretty extensive thread about Rod if u search.
    He had his run during the Disco era but Disco was well established by that time.

    Its funny cause dude doesnt really have a super deep catalog.

    But yeah, Off The Wall was his album hands down. And a couple of those hits were rejected by Heatwave themselves.
  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    TheKindCromang said:
    jjfad027 said:
    I talked with a lady that does custom hand-knit sweaters about getting a "heatwave" replica sweater made. She wants 275$ but says it will be top quality. I told her I had to pass now. If anyone wants her info hit me up.

    How much do you think she would charge to make a sweater with a crude depiction of a little black guy in pin-striped pants and coattails?

    lol

    maybe she wants to trade
  • alieNDNalieNDN 2,181 Posts
    Thanks Batmon, did some searchin, wasn't aware of the man until today...responsible for some great stuff! Even like the Karen Carpenter tracks!
  • willie_fugalwillie_fugal 1,862 Posts
    jjfad027 said:
    I talked with a lady that does custom hand-knit sweaters about getting a "heatwave" replica sweater made. She wants 275$ but says it will be top quality. I told her I had to pass now. If anyone wants her info hit me up.

    damn...i've been wanting one of those sweaters ever since i got that album!
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    alieNDN said:
    Thanks Batmon, did some searchin, wasn't aware of the man until today...responsible for some great stuff! Even like the Karen Carpenter tracks!

    go to utube for some Heatwave docs. and the off the wall special edition has him ans quincy discussing the tracks they made.
  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    I can't find it, but I remember watching one of those Classic Album type shows a few years back, about the Mj & Quincy era. It had some good stuff in it, like how Quincy used to call Mj "smelly" because Michael refused to ever swear and just said 'oh that's smelly'.
    Those signature little flourishes, yelps or squeals the Mj did, used to drive Quincy crazy & he got so tired of telling him to cut them out, and Mj not listening, he bust into the studio and started to beat on him.
    Or how everything to do with the recording of Thriller was done at a breakneck speed, including Quincy, Rod & Bruce Swedien staying up for 3 days straight (or something like that) mixing the whole album fuelled by caffeine & coke.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    at this point im thillered out and want to hear about rods work wi th oth artists like patti austin and mica paris.

  • facesdfacesd 236 Posts
    What about the work the Chaka?....he did stuff on the MasterJam LP like this:

  • jamesjames chicago 1,863 Posts
    Interested parties should not sleep on the Running Scared soundtrack. It has a couple songs written by Rod, and a couple under his own name, which is something you don't see every day. (You've kinda gotta be really interested, though; a lot of it has not aged well.)

    And I've mentioned this before, but I love the story about how "Rock With You"--MJ at his shimmering, merry-go-rounding, rated-PG best--was originally called "Eat You Up," until Quincy told Rod that there was no way that America's sweetheart Michael fucking Jackson was gonna record a song called "Eat You Up," and ordered Rod to clean it up.
  • TDLT02TDLT02 149 Posts
    Have a listen to Rod laying down the demo ideas for the melody of "Eat You Up" (Rock With You) in the studio, possibly a little drunk at the time as well....LOL!

    http://soundcloud.com/a-jimmy-michaels-mix-4/rod-temperton-the-drunks-worms


    Also feelin' the remixes of "Rock With You" done by Jimmy Michaels, instrumental version is mellow and sweet.
    Following Jimmy on Soundcloud since last year, always gets hold of cool master-tapes stuff!
  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    That's crazy.

    Listening to this always makes me feel a little uneasy.
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    Didn't Raj put together / post up a Rod Temperton mix a while back? A kind of chronological sampler with interview snippets cut in ... really nice mix.
  • alieNDNalieNDN 2,181 Posts
    TDLT02 said:
    Have a listen to Rod laying down the demo ideas for the melody of "Eat You Up" (Rock With You) in the studio, possibly a little drunk at the time as well....LOL!

    http://soundcloud.com/a-jimmy-michaels-mix-4/rod-temperton-the-drunks-worms


    Also feelin' the remixes of "Rock With You" done by Jimmy Michaels, instrumental version is mellow and sweet.
    Following Jimmy on Soundcloud since last year, always gets hold of cool master-tapes stuff!

    Wow learn something everyday!
  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,960 Posts
    Do you think that is actually Rod laying down that vocal or just some contemporary goofing on behalf of Jimmy?
  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    Okem said:
    I can't find it, but I remember watching one of those Classic Album type shows a few years back, about the Mj & Quincy era. It had some good stuff in it, like how Quincy used to call Mj "smelly" because Michael refused to ever swear and just said 'oh that's smelly'.
    Those signature little flourishes, yelps or squeals the Mj did, used to drive Quincy crazy & he got so tired of telling him to cut them out, and Mj not listening, he bust into the studio and started to beat on him.
    Or how everything to do with the recording of Thriller was done at a breakneck speed, including Quincy, Rod & Bruce Swedien staying up for 3 days straight (or something like that) mixing the whole album fuelled by caffeine & coke.

    I interviewed Bruce Swedien just after MJ died. Amongst other things, I crapped out of asking him if the "no squeaks, motherfucker!" story was true, but he told me that, at the time The Girl Is Mine got to number one, they still hadn't finished the album, and there was a real panic to complete it.

    Rod Temperton's catalogue may not be deep, but take a look at what's in it.

    My girl used to work for his publisher and she met him once. When they did the deal, which was a couple of months before MJ's death, they paid him a $2m advance. Unsurprisingly, he recouped it within one accounting period. She also said he dresses like a tramp. Rod Temperton may be many things, but "fly" is not one of them.
  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,960 Posts
    She also said he dresses like a tramp

    I guess Heatwave jumpers are hard to find.

    That list is missing Siedah Garrett's first solo set; which has a Rod tune "Nobody Does Me" also covered by Diane Schuur which must have made him a few bob.

    Diane Schuur. I was told a story about her once...
  • TDLT02TDLT02 149 Posts
    J i m s t e r said:
    Do you think that is actually Rod laying down that vocal or just some contemporary goofing on behalf of Jimmy?

    Alway possible it could be Jimmy, but from previous tapes Jimmy's worked on he tends to leave some of the original voice out-takes in his remixes if they are present on the master tapes.

    I'd say more than likely that it is Rod, humming along to the melody as he lays the track down in the studio for future development!
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Shouldn't there be a lot more Heatwave tunes and productions on that wikipedia list?

    The soundtrack Jamal was talking about is missing too.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    Shouldn't there be a lot more Heatwave tunes and productions on that wikipedia list?

    The soundtrack Jamal was talking about is missing too.

    Too Hot To Handle - produced by Blue, but all Songwriting Rod Temperton.....wiki....

    Central Heating.....
    All tracks by Rod Temperton except were noted

    "Put the Word Out" - 6:33
    "Send Out for Sunshine" - 4:28
    "Central Heating" - 4:42
    "Happiness Togetherness" (Johnnie Wilder) - 3:59
    "Groove Line" - 4:14
    "Mind Blowing Decisions" (Johnnie Wilder) - 4:16
    "The Star of a Story" - 5:35
    "Party Poops" - 3:51
    "Leavin' for a Dream" - 3:24

    so is Mind Blowing Decisions NOT by Temperton????
  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    Too Hot To Handle - produced by Blue, but all Songwriting Rod Temperton.....wiki....

    Central Heating.....
    All tracks by Rod Temperton except were noted

    "Put the Word Out" - 6:33
    "Send Out for Sunshine" - 4:28
    "Central Heating" - 4:42
    "Happiness Togetherness" (Johnnie Wilder) - 3:59
    "Groove Line" - 4:14
    "Mind Blowing Decisions" (Johnnie Wilder) - 4:16
    "The Star of a Story" - 5:35
    "Party Poops" - 3:51
    "Leavin' for a Dream" - 3:24

    so is Mind Blowing Decisions NOT by Temperton????

    I don't know what's up w/those credits but every song on the album is credited to Temperton.
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