Charlie Midnight

Charlie Midnight (born 1949) is an American songwriter and record producer who has been nominated for the 1987 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (Writer, "Living in America" by James Brown), two Golden Globes, and has been a producer and/or writer on several Grammy-winning albums, including The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album, Joni Mitchell's Turbulent Indigo, and Marlo Thomas & Friends: Thanks & Giving All Year Long. He also is a writer on the Barbra Streisand Grammy-Nominated, Platinum-Selling Partners album having co-written the Barbra Streisand and Andrea Bocelli duet "I Still Can See Your Face."

Biography[]

Midnight, born Charlie Kaufman^[1] in New York City, has produced and written songs for more than 30 films including Rocky IV,^[2] The Bodyguard,^[2] Bull Durham, Lizzie McGuire and Ruthless People, as well as for such varied artists as Cher, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, Seal, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, James Brown, Chaka Khan, Joe Cocker, The Doobie Brothers, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jamey Johnson, George Thorogood, John Waite, Hilary Duff, Dan Hartman, Paul Stanley and Paul Young.^[3][4]

Although primarily known as a producer and songwriter for other artists, Midnight actually began his career as a singer and musician himself.^[5] He performed in several groups throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, which culminated in the release of his solo album Innocent Bystander in 1982.^[6] Shortly after this album, Midnight came to the attention of famed singer-songwriter, musician and producer Dan Hartman. The two began collaborating on songwriting, forming a musical partnership that would last until Hartman's death in 1994.^[7][8]

In 1987, Midnight was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for co-writing "Living in America", a song for which James Brown won the Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.^[9] During the same year, Midnight co-wrote two Joe Cocker songs ("Trust in Me" and "A Woman Loves a Man") for Cocker's Unchain My Heart album. In 1992, an updated version of "Trust in Me" (this time with Sass Jordan on backing vocals) was released on The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album, which won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.^[10] In 1988, he was twice nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Firstly, for the aforementioned "A Woman Loves a Man" which was re-released in the 1988 movie Bull Durham. Secondly, for the song "Why Should I Worry?" from the 1988 Disney animated film Oliver & Company.^[11] In 1994, the song "How Do You Stop"—which he co-wrote with Dan Hartman for James Brown's 1986 album Gravity—was covered by Joni Mitchell on her album Turbulent Indigo in a version that featured vocals by Seal. The album later won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Pop Album.

In 2004, he wrote and produced "I'll Give Anything But Up" (sung by Hilary Duff) for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children-winning children's album Marlo Thomas & Friends: Thanks & Giving All Year Long. In 2010, Midnight co-wrote with Jamey Johnson the song "My Way To You", which appeared on the latter's album The Guitar Song (nominated in 2011 for the Grammy Award for Best Country Album). The same year, Midnight co-wrote "Welcome To Burlesque"—Cher's first song in the feature film Burlesque. Its soundtrack album won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.^[12] In 2012, Midnight co-wrote two specialty lyrics for Barbra Streisand for her Back To Brooklyn tour on "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard and "You're the Top" from Anything Goes.^[13] During the same year, "Welcome To Burlesque" (sung by Cher and co-written by Charlie Midnight) appeared on the Grammy-Nominated Soundtrack Album "Burlesque" (Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Visual Media). In 2014, Midnight co-wrote the duet "I Still Can See Your Face" (performed by Streisand and Andrea Bocelli) for Streisand's Partners album. Partners reached No. 1, which made Streisand the only artist to have a Number One album in each of the past six different decades. Furthermore, the album was Grammy nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. In 2018, Midnight co-wrote the song "The Rain Will Fall" with Streisand, Jay Landers, and Jonas Myrin.

Continuing his success in having his songs featured in films, Midnight co-wrote the song "Keep On Movin'" (sung by Thomas Hien) for the Disney feature film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and co-wrote "The Healing" (performed by Gedeon Luke and the People) featured in the 2015 film Get Hard. Collaborating with Idina Menzel and Walter Afanasieff, Midnight wrote "December Prayer," for Menzel's "Holiday Wishes": Number One Billboard Holiday Album

He co-wrote the song "Big Time Rush", which served as the theme song for the hit Nickelodeon series of the same name. He also won a BMI Cable Award at the 2006 BMI Awards for the theme song to the comedy series Daisy Does America. Midnight worked with on her song, I'm Dappin'.^[14] He has worked extensively as a writer and a producer for artists from all around the world. These include such notable international artists as Lin Yu-chun (Taiwan), Tata Young (Thailand), Chage and Aska (Japan), Peter Maffay and Yvonne Catterfeld (Germany), Gölä (Switzerland) Saint Lu (Austria) Time Bandits (Netherlands), El Último de la Fila (Spain), Rhydian (UK), Dodo and the Dodos (Denmark), Sahlene and Don Patrol (Sweden), Rodsogarden (Finland), Rouge (Brazil).

Artists[]

• Cher: "Welcome To Burlesque" (Film, "Burlesque") Thanksgiving 2010 Release
• James Brown: "Living In America" ("Gravity" Album)/
• Billy Joel: "Why Should I Worry" ("Oliver & Company," Disney animated feature) – Writer/
• Britney Spears: "Shadow" ("In The Zone" album) – Writer/
• Barbra Streisand: 2012 "Back To Brooklyn" tour, Writer – specialty lyrics/
• Andrea Bocelli and Barbra Streisand duet: Writer "I Still Can See Your Face" on Ms. Streisand's Number One "Partners" album/
• Christina Aguilera: "This Year" (Christmas album, "My Kind of Christmas") – Writer/
• Joni Mitchell: "How Do You Stop" ("Turbulent Indigo" Album) – Writer/
• Seal: "How Do You Stop" (duet w/ Mitchell, "Turbulent Indigo") – Writer/
• Joe Cocker: "Unchain My Heart" Album, "One Night Of Sin" Album – Producer and Writer; "Love Lives On" ("Harry & The Hendersons" feature film) – Producer
• Chaka Khan: "Can't Stop The Street" (Top Ten Dance Single "Krush Groove" Soundtrack) – Writer/
• The Doobie Brothers: "Cycles" Album – Writer and Producer of various tracks including "The Doctor" (Top Five Single); "Take Me To The Highway" Live Album – Producer of album, Writer of various tracks/
• Idina Menzel: Co-writing songs with Ms. Menzel and Walter Afanasieff for original musical; performs "God Save My Soul" from musical in concert; "December Prayer" – Writer on Ms. Menzel's Christmas album/
• Paul Stanley: "It's Not Me" – Writer – "Live to Win" album
• Anastacia: "Stay" – Writer on Anastacia's "Resurrection" album/
• "Weird Al" Yankovic: "Living With A Hernia (Parody of "Living In America")/
• Miranda Cosgrove: "Raining Sunshine" End Title Song and Soundtrack album from Sony Animated Feature "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs"- Writer/
• Big Time Rush: "Big Time Rush," Theme Song – Writer/
• Jamey Johnson: "My Way To You" – Writer/
• Natalie Imbruglia: "Outside Looking In" – Writer/
• Paul Young: "I'm Only Fooling Myself" ("Time to Time" Album") – Writer/
• John Waite: "Sometimes" ("Rover" Album) – Writer/
• Dan Hartman: I Can Dream About You album (except the title song and "Electricity") – Writer/
• Lauren Christy: "My Spot in the World" (102 Dalmatians soundtrack Album) – Writer/
• Hilary Duff: "Lizzie McGuire" Soundtrack, Writer and Producer; Hilary Duff Christmas Album ("Santa Claus Lane"), Writer & Producer; Metamorphosis Album, Writer & Producer on various songs including the hit song, "So Yesterday";
• Lil' Romeo: Hilary Duff Christmas Album, duet on "Tell Me A Story" – Writer & Producer/
• George Thorogood: "American Made" – Writer/
• Sheena Easton: "When The Lightning Strikes Again" – Writer/
• 2 Live Crew: "Living In America" - Co-Writer/

Films and soundtrack albums[]

• Get Hard – Release Date: March 27, 2015; Starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart
• Barbershop 2: The Next Cut - "The Healing" – Writer
• Burlesque: Starring Christina Aguilera And Cher: "Welcome To Burlesque" (Artist – Cher) – Writer
• Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs: "Raining Sunshine" (Miranda Cosgrove) – Writer
• Cheaper By The Dozen: "What Christmas Should Be" (Hilary Duff)
• The Santa Clause 2 – "Santa Claus Lane" (Hilary Duff) – Writer/Producer
• The Lizzie McGuire Movie -"Why Not" (single) (Hilary Duff)- Writer, "Girl In The Band" (Hilary Duff)- Writer/Producer "Girl In The Band"(Haley Duff)- Writer & Producer
• The Bodyguard – "Trust In Me" (Joe Cocker/Sass Jordan) – Writer/Producer
• Rocky IV – "Living In America" (James Brown) – Writer
• Bull Durham – "A Woman Loves A Man" (Joe Cocker) – Writer/Producer
• Green Street Hooligans – "One Blood" –Writer/Producer
• Oliver & Company – "Why Should I Worry" (Billy Joel) – Writer
• Ruthless People – "Waiting to See You" (Dan Hartman) -Writer
• Harry and the Hendersons – "Love Lives On" (Joe Cocker) – Producer
• Fletch – "Get Outta Town" (Dan Hartman) – Writer
• Great Expectations – "Walk This Earth Alone" (Lauren Christy) – Writer/Producer
• The Jackal – "It's Over, It's Under" (DollsHead) – Writer/Producer
• Wild Things – "I Want What I Want" (Lauren Christy) – Writer
• Desperado – "Back To The House That Love Built" (Tarantula) -Writer/ Producer
• Gunmen – "This House" (The Cruzados) – Writer/Producer
• Breakin' – "Breakin'...The Heart Of The Beat" (3-V) – Writer
• Krush Groove – "Can't Stop The Street" (Chaka Khan) – Writer
• Perfect – "Talking To The Wall" (Dan Hartman) – Writer
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – "9.95" – Writer
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II – "Consciousness" – Writer
• Street Fighter – "Something There" – (Chage & Aska, major Japanese recording stars)- Writer
• Return to Me – "Here I Am" – Writer/Producer
• 102 Dalmatians – "My Spot In The World" – on Soundtrack album – Writer
• Raise Your Voice – "Jericho" (Hilary Duff) – writer and producer
• Casual Sex? – "Behind Your Eyes" – Writer/Producer
• Iron Eagle ll – "Gimme Some Lovin'" – Producer
• Ringmaster – "Living in America" (2 Live Crew version) – Writer
• Come Away Home – Various Songs – Writer/Producer
• Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge – "Dream Time" – Writer
• Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever – "Riot In The Playground" – Writer
• Eye Of The Tiger – "Gravity" – Writer
• Kim Possible: A Sitch In Time – "It's Just You" (LMNT) – Writer
• Alexander And The Very Bad Day – "Keep On Movin"" – Writer

Nominations[]

• – 1987 – "Living in America" performed by James Brown^[15]
• – 1988 – "Why Should I Worry?" performed by Billy Joel, from Oliver & Company^[16]
• – 1988 – "A Woman Loves a Man" performed by Joe Cocker, from Bull Durham^[16]
• Grammy Award for Best Album for Children – 1990 – Oliver & Company : Story and Songs from the Motion Picture performed by various artists^[17]
• BMI Cable Award – 2006 – Daisy Does America.^[18]

Some writer credits[]

Television credits[]

References[]

External links[]

• Charlie Midnight at IMDb
• Charlie Midnight discography at Discogs