Rodney Lynn "Rod" Temperton (9 October 1947 – 5 October 2016) was an Englis… Read Full Bio ↴Rodney Lynn "Rod" Temperton (9 October 1947 – 5 October 2016) was an English songwriter, record producer, and musician from Cleethorpes, England. He initially made his mark as the keyboardist and main songwriter for the R&B band Heatwave before writing several internationally known songs performed by Michael Jackson, including "Off The Wall," "Rock With You," and "Thriller."
As Temperton remembers music was in his bones from an early age; " My father wasn't the kind of person who'd read you a story before you went off to sleep - he used to put a transistor radio in the crib, right on the pillow, and I'd go to sleep listening to Radio Luxemburg and I think that had an influence." Temperton attended the De Aston School in Market Rasen and he formed a group for the school's music competitions. He was a drummer at this time. " I'd get in the living room with my snare drum and my cymbal and play along to the Test Card, which was all kinds of music they'd be playing continuously." On leaving school he started working in the office of a frozen food company in Grimsby. He soon became a full-time musician however, a keyboard player now, and played in several dance bands, and this took him to Worms in Germany. In 1972 Temperton and guitarist Bernd Springer formed a soul cover band called Sundown Carousel. With Temperton on an old Hammond organ the band performed in clubs and GI bars in cities such as Mannheim.[citation needed] In 1974 he answered an advert in Melody Maker placed by Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and so became a member of the popular funk/disco band, Heatwave which Wilder was putting together at the time. "He was the first British guy that I had ever met personally. He spoke kind of funny but he had a good sense of humour and he was a very friendly guy. After meeting him and then seeing him play I kind of determined he was a good enough player and entertainer and I just knew he would fit in the group", said Wilder. Temperton played tunes he had been composing to Johnny Wider, Jr. : "I was very interested because we were doing a lot of cover tunes - we weren't doing a lot of original material - I was really interested." The songs provided material for 1976's Too Hot to Handle including "Boogie Nights", which broke the band in Britain and the United States, and the memorable ballad, "Always and Forever" - both tracks were million-sellers in the U.S.
Temperton's work attracted the attention of Quincy Jones, and he asked his engineer Bruce Swedien to check out the Heatwave album. " Holy cow! I simply loved Rod's musical feeling - everything about it - Rod's arrangements, his tunes , his songs - was exceedingly hip," recalled Swedien. Despite the slick American sound Temperton's working surroundings were still far from glamorous . Alan Kirk, a Yorkshire musician with Jimmy James and the Vagabonds who toured with Heatwave in the mid 1970s remembered; " The Always and Forever track was written on a Wurlitzer piano at the side of a pile of smelly washing - sorry to disappoint all the romantics." And producer Barry Blue recalled; "He had a very small flat, so everything had to be done within one room and he had piles of washing, and had the T.V. on top of the organ. It was a nightmare..he had trams running outside..but he made it, he just absorbed himself in the music and Rod seemed to come up with these amazing songs." In 1977 Heatwave followed up the success of their first L.P. with their second, Central Heating, Barry Blue again producing, and Temperton behind the majority of the songs. It included Groove Line, another huge selling hit single with the by now familiar Heatwave sound and Rod Temperton hook. In 1978 Temperton decided to concentrate on writing and left Heatwave though he continued to write for the band.
In the early 1980s Temperton left Germany and moved to Beverly Hills, California.
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".
Songwriting credits
Temperton wrote/co-wrote for the following singers/bands:
* 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: "One More Rhythm" from his It's Your Night LP (also includes "Yah Mo B There").
* 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" (Temperton listed as co-writer for sampled section from Michael Jackson's "The Lady in My Life").
* 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" (Temperton listed as co-writer for sampled section from Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall") from her E=MC² album.
As Temperton remembers music was in his bones from an early age; " My father wasn't the kind of person who'd read you a story before you went off to sleep - he used to put a transistor radio in the crib, right on the pillow, and I'd go to sleep listening to Radio Luxemburg and I think that had an influence." Temperton attended the De Aston School in Market Rasen and he formed a group for the school's music competitions. He was a drummer at this time. " I'd get in the living room with my snare drum and my cymbal and play along to the Test Card, which was all kinds of music they'd be playing continuously." On leaving school he started working in the office of a frozen food company in Grimsby. He soon became a full-time musician however, a keyboard player now, and played in several dance bands, and this took him to Worms in Germany. In 1972 Temperton and guitarist Bernd Springer formed a soul cover band called Sundown Carousel. With Temperton on an old Hammond organ the band performed in clubs and GI bars in cities such as Mannheim.[citation needed] In 1974 he answered an advert in Melody Maker placed by Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and so became a member of the popular funk/disco band, Heatwave which Wilder was putting together at the time. "He was the first British guy that I had ever met personally. He spoke kind of funny but he had a good sense of humour and he was a very friendly guy. After meeting him and then seeing him play I kind of determined he was a good enough player and entertainer and I just knew he would fit in the group", said Wilder. Temperton played tunes he had been composing to Johnny Wider, Jr. : "I was very interested because we were doing a lot of cover tunes - we weren't doing a lot of original material - I was really interested." The songs provided material for 1976's Too Hot to Handle including "Boogie Nights", which broke the band in Britain and the United States, and the memorable ballad, "Always and Forever" - both tracks were million-sellers in the U.S.
Temperton's work attracted the attention of Quincy Jones, and he asked his engineer Bruce Swedien to check out the Heatwave album. " Holy cow! I simply loved Rod's musical feeling - everything about it - Rod's arrangements, his tunes , his songs - was exceedingly hip," recalled Swedien. Despite the slick American sound Temperton's working surroundings were still far from glamorous . Alan Kirk, a Yorkshire musician with Jimmy James and the Vagabonds who toured with Heatwave in the mid 1970s remembered; " The Always and Forever track was written on a Wurlitzer piano at the side of a pile of smelly washing - sorry to disappoint all the romantics." And producer Barry Blue recalled; "He had a very small flat, so everything had to be done within one room and he had piles of washing, and had the T.V. on top of the organ. It was a nightmare..he had trams running outside..but he made it, he just absorbed himself in the music and Rod seemed to come up with these amazing songs." In 1977 Heatwave followed up the success of their first L.P. with their second, Central Heating, Barry Blue again producing, and Temperton behind the majority of the songs. It included Groove Line, another huge selling hit single with the by now familiar Heatwave sound and Rod Temperton hook. In 1978 Temperton decided to concentrate on writing and left Heatwave though he continued to write for the band.
In the early 1980s Temperton left Germany and moved to Beverly Hills, California.
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".
Songwriting credits
Temperton wrote/co-wrote for the following singers/bands:
* 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: "One More Rhythm" from his It's Your Night LP (also includes "Yah Mo B There").
* 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" (Temperton listed as co-writer for sampled section from Michael Jackson's "The Lady in My Life").
* 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" (Temperton listed as co-writer for sampled section from Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall") from her E=MC² album.
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Rod Temperton Interview
Rod Temperton Lyrics
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keef71
one of the biggest legends that most people have never heard of. what a life for rod - you're writing a song for michael jackson. you know quincy jones, his wife knows vincent price and it all happens in a few phone calls. then the classic lines are frantically written in the back of a cab with minutes to spare..amazing. but then the really amazing thing is how many massive US songs Rod was involved with - i bet most people in the UK are none the wiser to Rod's greatness
E4RLIES
Rod is definitely one of my musical heroes; so humble with so much talent.
He is, and always will be a huge inspiration to us all 😎
raganelle
Totally astonishing. A gem for all times.
Sean Powell
@The Truth exactly! He wrote Boogie Nights and The Groove Line. Rod was the keyboard player in Heatwave.
The Truth
He was with Heatwave that’s where it all started for him
Markus Böttner Music
And Rod was painfully down-to-earth. I had the privilege to spend a day with him - though sadly at a funeral. Our wifes are first cousins. Rod was so down-to-earth, he didn't need to stoop down to arrogance. Once you have achieved what Rod achieved you don't need arrogance. Rod is a legend!
jordan budwich
rest in peace rod :( one of the greatest musical writers of all time!
Lale Arpaci
His discography is supreme
Ian Southward
You never know what youve got til its gone.... and this guy created some real music.... never to be forgotten and enjoyed for the rest of time..... a worthy accolade
Analog synth player
My hero and inspiration. His band, " Heatwave" and he wrote the song " Boogie nights" for Saturday night fever and others. "Grooveline" uses some of the best synths, keyboards, piano mix i've ever heard. The rag time piano solo in a disco song was perfect and so original. Old school anyone... Let's jam