Rod Temperton, "Thriller" composer -- RIP

[duaneiac]

Rod Temperton, who composed the mega-hit "Thriller" for Michael Jackson has passed away at age 66.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rod-temperton-thriller-songwriter-dead-at-66-w443480

While he probably could have lived comfortably on the royalties from that one song alone, he actually had a very successful career crafting pop songs.  His other works included "The Lady In My Life", "Rock With You", "Always and Forever", "Yah Mo Be There", "The Spice of Life", "Give Me The Night" and "Baby, Come To Me".

[sidewinder]

What really amazes me is that he was born and brought up in Cleethorpes and escaped the North Sea fishing industry into the music biz.

An incredible talent and one of the greatest songwriters to ever come out of these islands ! RIP to a good guy..

Edited October 7, 2016 by sidewinder

[felser]

Rod Temperton will always be this great song to me above all else.  Archetypal disco.

 

And this one by Temperton and Heatwave is cerrtainly iconic of the disco era:

 

[sidewinder]

Amazing that he kept so under the radar. He was worth about £100M apparently and rarely gave interviews or appeared in PD photos. Probably very wise !

[catesta]

Never did care for Thriller but songs like "The Grooveline, "Boogie Nights", "Always and Forever" and "Stomp!" are timeless classics.

 

RIP

[JSngry]

He learned from the inside. Dues paid, proven pedigree, every penny, and every ounce of respect, earned. RIP.

 

[duaneiac]

8 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Amazing that he kept so under the radar. He was worth about £100M apparently and rarely gave interviews or appeared in PD photos. Probably very wise !

And that is the surprising and unusual thing.  So many singer-songwriters of the rock era began as songwriters first writing songs for established performers until they could get a record deal of their own -- think of people like Randy Newman, Neil Diamond, Carole King, Paul Williams.  Mr. Temperton, though, started out performing in a band and had some big hits with that band.  The most likely career trajectory would have been for him to start his own band or head off on a solo career.  Instead, he was happy to forego the performing business altogether and focus on the songwriting.  He wrote some massive hits for others in the 1980's and it seems likely he could have had a record deal of his own any time then had he so desired.  Most unusual in this age when everybody, it seems, wants to be famous that he was content to be rich but not famous.

I'd seen his name on many song credits, but knew nothing at all about him.  I must admit, until reading his obit, I always assumed he was African American, not a white Brit.

[Soulstation1]

Off The Way Is prob my fav MJ Album

[felser]

Did not reaize he wrote "Stomp" and "Masterjam".. Both excellent!