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Michael Sembello
Michael Andrew Sembello (born April 17, 1954) is an American singer, guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer and producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sembello was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his 1983 song "Maniac", which he sang and co-wrote. The song reached number one in the United States and featured in the ''Flashdance'' film soundtrack. He is the brother of the late songwriter and composer Danny Sembello and the late singer songwriter John Sembello of Dino & Sembello fame. Early life Sembello was born and raised in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, a western suburb of Philadelphia. Career Sembello began his career in music as a session musician, working as a guitarist. By age 17, he was working professionally with Stevie Wonder on electric and acoustic guitar as a studio player on Wonder's ''Fulfillingness' First Finale''. He continued the same year, chosen as one of the core artists who worked on '' Songs in the Key of Life'', an ambitious dou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Act of Consolidation, 1854, Since 1854, the city has been coextensive with Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County, the List of counties in Pennsylvania, most populous county in Pennsylvania and the urban core of the Delaware Valley, the Metropolitan statistical area, nation's seventh-largest and one of List of largest cities, world's largest metropolitan regions, with 6.245 million residents . The city's population at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census was 1,603,797, and over 56 million people live within of Philadelphia. Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flashdance (soundtrack)
''Flashdance: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture'' is the soundtrack to the 1983 film ''Flashdance'', which tells the story of Alex Owens (played by Jennifer Beals), a welder and exotic dancer who dreams of becoming a professional ballerina. The nightclub performances by Alex and her co-workers and other set pieces involving training and auditioning provided opportunities to present the songs that would make up the soundtrack album. The film's music supervisor, Phil Ramone, made selections that he felt were the best fit for their respective scenes, and composer Giorgio Moroder contributed additional tracks in the process of scoring the film. One of his contributions, " Flashdance...What a Feeling" by Irene Cara, was released as a single in March 1983, weeks before the film's April 15 release, and eventually spent six weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. When the film became a surprise success, the soundtrack sold out within days, and the record company was lef ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flashdance
''Flashdance'' is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend and the owner of the steel mill where she works by day in Pittsburgh. It was the first collaboration of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and the presentation of some sequences in the style of music videos was an influence on other 1980s films including '' Footloose'', '' Purple Rain'', and ''Top Gun'', Simpson and Bruckheimer's most famous production. It was also one of Lyne's first major film releases, building on television commercials. Alex's elaborate dance sequences were shot using body doubles (Beals's main double was the uncredited French actress Marine Jahan, while a breakdance move was doubled by the male dancer Crazy Legs). The film opened to negative reviews by professional critics, including Roger Ebert, who panne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bossa Nova Hotel
''Bossa Nova Hotel'' is the 1983 debut album of rock singer/guitarist Michael Sembello. The album was a continuation of the work that Sembello began with producer Phil Ramone on "Maniac," which became a number one US pop hit after it was featured in the film ''Flashdance'' and on its soundtrack album. ''Bossa Nova Hotel'' peaked at number 80 on the US album chart and included the soundtrack hit in addition to two more chart entries, "Automatic Man" and "Talk." Background Songwriters Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky recorded a demo of a song titled "Maniac" that they had written after Matkosky watched a news report about a serial killer, and the tape landed in the hands of Phil Ramone, who was looking for songs to use in the film ''Flashdance''. After changing the lyrics, a new version of "Maniac" recorded by Sembello was released on the soundtrack album and went to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the summer of 1983. The singer-songwriter chose to work with Ramone ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thriller 25
''Thriller 25'' is the 25th anniversary edition reissue of American singer Michael Jackson's sixth studio album ''Thriller'' (1982). The original album has sold 70 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album of all time. ''Thriller 25'' was released by Sony BMG's reissue division, Legacy Recordings. It is the first Jackson album with an age certificate. Along with the original material, the reissue contains remixes, new material, a DVD (for some versions) and collaborations with several contemporary artists. ''Thriller 25'' was one of the last recorded works released during Jackson's lifetime, which he was moreover deeply involved with, as Jackson co-produced all of the newly remixed tracks. The prospect of a "second chapter" to ''Thriller'' was first publicly discussed on ''Access Hollywood'' in late 2006. Jackson said he would discuss the idea with collaborator will.i.am. ''Thriller 25'' was released on February 8, 2008 in Australia, on February 11, 2008 intern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Globe And Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it falls slightly behind the '' Toronto Star'' in overall weekly circulation because the ''Star'' publishes a Sunday edition, whereas the ''Globe'' does not. ''The Globe and Mail'' is regarded by some as Canada's " newspaper of record". ''The Globe and Mail''s predecessors, '' The Globe'' and ''The Mail and Empire'' were both established in the 19th century. The former was established in 1844, while the latter was established in 1895 through a merger of '' The Toronto Mail'' and the '' Toronto Empire''. In 1936, ''The Globe'' and ''The Mail and Empire'' merged to form ''The Globe and Mail''. The newspaper was acquired by FP Publications in 1965, who later sold the paper to the Thomson Corporation in 1980. In 2001, the paper merged with broadc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Human Nature (Michael Jackson Song)
"Human Nature" is a song performed by American singer Michael Jackson, and the fifth single from his sixth solo album, ''Thriller''. The track was produced by Quincy Jones and performed by members of Toto with Michael Jackson providing vocals. It was originally written by keyboardist Steve Porcaro, based on a conversation he had with his young daughter Heather after a boy pushed her at school, Porcaro said "he probably likes you and it's human nature". Porcaro, along with some of his bandmates from the band Toto, had been assisting with the production of ''Thriller'', but he had not intended for "Human Nature" to be used by Jackson. However, ''Thriller'' producer Quincy Jones inadvertently heard a demo version of the track and thought it would be a great fit for the album. Jones then brought in songwriter John Bettis to rewrite the verses, whose lyrics are about a passerby in New York City. "Human Nature" was released as a single on July 3, 1983. Like the four ''Thriller'' sin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thriller (album)
''Thriller'' is the sixth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released on November 29, 1982, by Epic Records. It was produced by Quincy Jones, who had previously worked with Jackson on his 1979 album ''Off the Wall''. Jackson wanted to create an album where "every song was a killer". With the ongoing backlash against disco music at the time, he moved in a new musical direction, resulting in a mix of pop, post-disco, rock, funk, and R&B sounds. ''Thriller'' foreshadows the contradictory themes of Jackson's personal life, as he began using a motif of paranoia and darker themes. Paul McCartney appears on "The Girl Is Mine", the first credited appearance of a featured artist on a Michael Jackson album. Recording took place from April to November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, with a budget of $750,000. ''Thriller'' became Jackson's first number-one album on the US ''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it spent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres; through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated dance moves such as the moonwalk, to which he gave the name, as well as the robot. He is the most awarded musician in history. The eighth child of the Jackson family, Jackson made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). Jackson began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown Records. He became a solo star with his 1979 album '' Off the Wall''. His music videos, incl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jazz Fusion
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and keyboards that were popular in rock and roll started to be used by jazz musicians, particularly those who had grown up listening to rock and roll. Jazz fusion arrangements vary in complexity. Some employ groove-based vamps fixed to a single key or a single chord with a simple, repeated melody. Others use elaborate chord progressions, unconventional time signatures, or melodies with counter-melodies. These arrangements, whether simple or complex, typically include improvised sections that can vary in length, much like in other forms of jazz. As with jazz, jazz fusion can employ brass and woodwind instruments such as trumpet and saxophone, but other instruments often substitute for these. A jazz fusion band is less likely to use piano and do ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Songs In The Key Of Life
''Songs in the Key of Life'' is the eighteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder. A double album, it was released on September 28, 1976, by Tamla Records, a division of Motown. It was recorded primarily at Crystal Sound studio in Hollywood, with some sessions recorded at the Record Plant in Hollywood, the Record Plant in Sausalito, and The Hit Factory in New York City; final mixing was conducted at Crystal Sound. The album has been regarded by music journalists as the culmination of Wonder's "classic period" of recording. By 1974, Wonder was one of the most successful figures in popular music; his previous albums '' Music of My Mind'', '' Talking Book'', '' Innervisions'', and ''Fulfillingness' First Finale'' were all back-to-back critical successes. However, by the end of 1975, Wonder seriously considered quitting the music industry and emigrating to Ghana to work with disabled children. When plans for a farewell concert had already begun, Wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fulfillingness' First Finale
''Fulfillingness' First Finale'' is the seventeenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released on July 22, 1974 by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. It is the fourth of five albums from what is considered Wonder's "classic period". The album was Wonder's second to top the ''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it remained for two weeks, and also reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Soul LPs chart, where it spent nine non-consecutive weeks. At the 17th Annual Grammy Awards, it won in three categories, including Wonder's second consecutive win for Album of the Year. Retrospectively, the album was voted number 413 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' (2000) and included in the book ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''. Recording Following the epic sweep and social consciousness of ''Innervisions'', ''Fulfillingness' First Finale'', in contrast, projected a more reflective, personal, and decidedly somber ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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