Chuck Wild (born September 22, 1946, in Kansas City) is a keyboardist, composer, producer, recording artist and Emmy Award-nominated songwriter best known for his series of relaxation music albums using the artist name and imprint Liquid Mind®. As of April 2021, there are 18 albums in the Liquid Mind catalog.

Early work

Wild's career spans 50 years from 1972 to the present, including writing 125 songs and compositions used in TV, films, and music albums. He was signed to

Warner/Chappell Music Warner Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company and a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group. Warner Chappell Music's catalogue consists of over 1.4 million compositions and 65,000 composers, with offices in over 40 countries. ...

and Lorimar-Telepictures as a staff songwriter in 1987 and co-wrote "You’re My One And Only" with songwriter Marti Sharron, a #1 hit in Germany for

Jennifer Rush Jennifer Rush (born Heidi Stern; September 28, 1960) is an American pop and rock singer. She achieved success during the mid-1980s with several singles and studio albums including the million-selling single " The Power of Love", which she co- ...

on '' Passion''. His catalog includes studio work and concert performances as keyboardist with the 1980s Capitol Records band

Missing Persons A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, de ...

on the ''

Spring Session M ''Spring Session M'' is the debut studio album by American new wave band Missing Persons. It was released on October 8, 1982 by Capitol Records. The title of the album is an anagram of the band's name. Produced by Ken Scott with the songs writ ...

'' (1982) and '' Rhyme & Reason'' (1984) albums, during which time he worked with vocalist

Dale Bozzio Dale Frances Bozzio (née Consalvi; born March 2, 1955) is an American rock and pop vocalist. She is best known as co-founder and lead singer of the '80s new wave band Missing Persons and for her work with Frank Zappa. While with Zappa, she perf ...

, drummer

Terry Bozzio Terry John Bozzio (born December 27, 1950) is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa. He has been featured on nine solo or collaborative albums, 26 albums with Zappa and seven albums with Missing Perso ...

, guitarist

Warren Cuccurullo Warren Bruce Cuccurullo (born December 8, 1956) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, restaurant owner and former body builder who first worked with Frank Zappa during the 1970s. He was also a founding member of Missing Persons in the 1980s ...

, and bassist Patrick O'Hearn. Studio work with

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 ...

from 1994 to 1998 includes drums, keyboards, percussion, programming, sound design, sound effects, soundscapes, synthesizer and synthesizer programming on the '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' album. Wild was mentored by the late five-time

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

-winning engineer/producer

Bruce Swedien Bruce Swedien (; April 19, 1934 – November 16, 2020) was an American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer. He was widely known for his work with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney and Barbra Streisand. Swedien fi ...

from 1984 to 2021. Notable projects with other recording artists include studio work with Frank Zappa, Paula Abdul, and songwriting/studio recording for

Philip Bailey Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, ...

The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, bl ...

and

Tommy Page Thomas Alden Page (May 24, 1967 – March 3, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1990 hit single " I'll Be Your Everything" and was later a music industry executive. Page collaborated with many artists, including Malaysi ...

among many others. He composed and recorded original music for ''

The Panama Deception ''The Panama Deception'' is a 1992 American documentary film, critical of the 1989 United States invasion of Panama. The film was directed by Barbara Trent, written and edited by David Kasper, and narrated by actress Elizabeth Montgomery. It was a ...

'', a documentary film about the 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States and corporate media complicity. The film won an

Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosoph ...

in 1992. Wild co-wrote the song "Starr X'd Lovers" with Michèle Vice-Maslin and Dorian Cheah for the ABC TV series '' One Life to Live'', which was nominated for Outstanding Original Song For A Drama Series at the 2011

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

s. Wild was signed to the Real Music record label from 2004 to 2014. They remain the exclusive distributor for all Liquid Mind albums. He received a Special President's Award from Barbara Wheeler, president of the American Music Therapy Association, on November 12, 2009, in San Diego California at their 2009 Annual Conference, “In recognition for outstanding advocacy, generosity and support of the

Music Therapy Music therapy, an allied health profession, "is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music t ...

profession."

Liquid Mind

Wild is best known for his series of Liquid Mind albums; Liquid Mind is classified by music critics and listeners as therapeutic music, sedative music, ambient music, or new-age music. For example, ''Liquid Mind XI: Deep Sleep'' charted at #1 on the iTunes USA Top 100 New Age album charts after its release on February 5, 2016. ''Relax: A Liquid Mind Experience'' charted at #10 on the New Age

Billboard charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

on March 22, 2008.

Inception

Wild discusses the inception and process of creating the Liquid Mind series in many published interviews:

The Liquid Mind series was born from my struggle with panic attacks and anxiety while co-scoring the Emmy Award-winning
American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
television series ''
Max Headroom Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence (AI) character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. Advertised as "the first computer-generated TV presenter", Max was known for his biting commentary on a variety of topical issues, arrogant wit, ...
'' with composer
Michael Hoenig Michael Hoenig (born 4 January 1952) is a German composer who has composed music for several films and games, in addition to two solo albums, including the highly acclaimed 1978 album '' Departure from the Northern Wasteland''. In 1997, he was ...
. During the same period more than 60 of my friends, associates, and family members died of HIV and cancer. To help heal from the panic, a counselor suggested that I write music representing the way I wanted to feel. This resulted in the first Liquid Mind album, ''Ambience Minimus'', completed in 1988. When I discovered this music was effective in healing my own anxiety and panic attacks, and with the encouragement of fellow artist Suzanne Doucet, I decided to release it through major distribution. The ultimate compliment to me is that people fall asleep to my music. Liquid Mind is functional music, assisting us to be tranquil at those times when that may not be easy.

Discography

Liquid Mind albums

* Ambience Minimus (1994) * Slow World (1996) * Liquid Mind III: Balance (1999) * Liquid Mind IV: Unity (2000) * Liquid Mind V: Serenity (2001) * Liquid Mind VI: Spirit (2003) * Liquid Mind VII: Reflection (2004) * Liquid Mind VIII: Sleep (2006) * Relax: A Liquid Mind Experience (2007) * Liquid Mind IX: Lullaby (2009) * Dream: A Liquid Mind Experience (2011) * Liquid Mind X: Meditation (2012) * Liquid Mind: Relaxing Rain & Ocean Mixes (2014) * Liquid Mind XI: Deep Sleep (2016) * Liquid Mind XII: Peace (2018) * Liquid Mind XIII: Mindfulness (2020) * Liquid Mind: Musical Healthcare (2021) * Liquid Mind XIV: Simplicity (2022) Renowned photographer and graphic designer Glen Wexler designed the album covers and packaging for eleven Liquid Mind albums.

Selected work with other recording artists

* Missing Persons (band),

(1982 album) - Certified gold by the

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

* Missing Persons (band), Rhyme & Reason (1984 album) * Paula Abdul, drums and programming on the song ''State Of Attraction'' from the

Forever Your Girl ''Forever Your Girl'' is the debut studio album by American singer Paula Abdul. It was released on June 21, 1988, through Virgin Records. The album was Abdul's breakthrough into the music industry after being a choreographer for high-profile ...

album (1988) *

, drum machine, programming and synthesizer on the song ''Say The Word'' from the ''Hot Together'' album, co-written with

Glen Ballard Basil Glen Ballard Jr. (born May 1, 1953) is an American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer. He is best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's 1995 album '' Jagged Little Pill'', which won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Alb ...

and Marti Sharron. (1986) * Philip Bailey (album) of

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

, co-writer with

Roxanne Seeman Roxanne Joy Seeman is an American songwriter and lyricist. She is best known for her songs by Billie Hughes, Philip Bailey, Phil Collins, Earth, Wind & Fire, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, The Sisters of Mercy, The Jacksons, Jacky Cheung, and in ...

of the song ''Yours'' on Bailey's solo album (1994) *

, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, drums, keyboards, percussion, programming, sound design, sound effects, soundscapes, synthesizer and synthesizer programming (1995) * Beautiful Music Machine, songwriting, programming, keyboards and arranging on the ''Soundtrack of the Inner World'' album with Seven Whitfield (2016)

Selected music for film

In addition to credits listed above, Chuck Wild has contributed music to many films in major distribution. *

The Karate Kid Part III ''The Karate Kid Part III'' is a 1989 American martial arts drama film, the third entry in the ''Karate Kid'' franchise and a sequel to ''The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986). It stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Robyn Lively, and Thomas Ian Griffith ...

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

(1989) :''High Wire'' (song) ::Written by

Jeff Silbar Jeff Silbar is a songwriter. Silbar, a native of Los Angeles, won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1990 for co-writing Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" with Larry Henley. Notable compositions *" All My Life" (Kenny Rogers) *" He's a ...

and Chuck Wild ::Performed by

Glenn Medeiros Glenn Alan Medeiros (born June 24, 1970) is an American former musician, singer, and songwriter who achieved chart success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is best known on the national and international music scene for his 1987 global s ...

* Breaking the Rules (film),

Miramax Films Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a lead ...

, starring Jason Bateman (1992) :Co-writer on four songs composed for the film: :''Gravity'' ::Music and Lyrics by Frank Fitzpatrick, Chuck Wild and Sue Sheridan ::Performed by Hidden Faces ::Produced by Frank Fitzpatrick and

David Kitay David Joseph Kitay (born October 23, 1961) is an American film composer. Filmography References External links Official website* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kitay, David Living people 1961 births American film score composers American male film sc ...

:''I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind'' ::Music and Lyrics by Frank Fitzpatrick and Chuck Wild ::Performed by Hidden Faces ::Produced by Frank Fitzpatrick and David Kitay :''Can't Stop Thinking Of You'' ::Music and Lyrics by Frank Fitzpatrick, Chuck Wild and Sue Sheridan ::Performed by Hidden Faces ::Produced by Frank Fitzpatrick and David Kitay :''Hurt So Bad (To Love)'' ::Music and Lyrics by Frank Fitzpatrick and Chuck Wild ::Performed by Hidden Faces ::Produced by Frank Fitzpatrick *

Away We Go ''Away We Go'' is a 2009 American comedy-drama directed by Sam Mendes and written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. The film's two leads are John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. It is Mendes's first film without Thomas Newman's collaboration. Plot Ve ...

, Focus Features (2009) :''Teach Me To Whisper'' from ''Liquid Mind VI: Spirit'' ::Written by Chuck Wild ::Performed by Liquid Mind

Conflict resolution album

Wild's twelfth Liquid Mind studio album, ''Liquid Mind XII: Peace,'' was released on January 19, 2018. It is unique to the series in that it is the only Liquid Mind album composed by Wild with a specific theme. Titles of the eight tracks on the album represent steps in the process of

conflict resolution Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict and retribution. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information abo ...

. Extensive liner notes and a music video were made available on the album website, including the following commentary by Wild (track titles are italicized):

"No one is born hating another person; people can and do change every day. Peace between differing ideologies and cultures, though not impossible to achieve, may be challenging to attain. However, peace on a person-to-person basis is possible between any two willing individuals, regardless of their backgrounds. Even the smallest step taken by one individual as a peacemaker can build a bridge of hope, encouragement and understanding which will grow in a harmonious way. The titles of the compositions on this album are steps we can each take towards conflict resolution: We begin by acknowledging that ''At the Center Is Love.'' Where there is a capacity for love, which all humans share, there can be peace. The peace process begins with respectful ''Communication'' between two people, ''Person to Person,'' which leads to a discovery of their ''Shared Values.'' These shared values create a willingness to ''Surrender to Love,'' and we are able to move forward together as a measure of ''Trust'' develops. As trust grows, we become aware of our ''Oneness,'' and the ''Spirit of Peace'' prevails. It is the process of engendering peace to which this album is dedicated."https://www.liquidmindmusic.com/peace/ Excerpt from the Liquid Mind XII: Peace liner notes booklet. Retrieved 29 April 2019.

References

External links

Liquid Mind official website

Chuck Wild official website

Real Music record label official website

Beautiful Music Machine official website

Myndstream record label artist page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wild, Chuck 1946 births Living people 21st-century American composers New-age musicians Ambient musicians Chill-out musicians