Charlie Midnight
Charlie Midnight is an American songwriter and record producer who has been nominated for the 1987 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, two Golden Globes, and has been a producer and/or writer on several Grammy-winning albums, including ', Joni Mitchell's Turbulent Indigo, and '. He also is a writer on the Barbra Streisand Grammy-Nominated, Platinum-Selling "Partners" album having co-written the Streisand and Bocelli duet, "I Still Can See Your Face."
Biography
Midnight, born Charlie Kaufman in New York City, has produced and written songs for more than 30 films including Rocky IV, The Bodyguard, Bull Durham, Lizzie McGuire and Ruthless People, as well as for such notable and 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.Although primarily known as a producer/songwriter for other artists, Midnight actually began his career as a singer and musician himself, performing in several groups throughout the late 1970s/early 1980s, culminating in the release of his solo album Innocent Bystander in 1982.
Shortly after this album, Midnight came to the attention of famed singer-songwriter/musician/producer Dan Hartman. The two began collaborating on songwriting, forming a musical partnership that would last until Hartman's death in 1994.
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.
In 1987, he 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" was released on , which won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
In 1988 he was twice nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. First, for the aforementioned "A Woman Loves a Man" which was re-released in the 1988 movie Bull Durham, and second, for the song "Why Should I Worry?" from the 1988 Disney animated film, Oliver & Company.
In 1994, the song "How Do You Stop", that 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 featuring 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, Charlie co-wrote with Jamey Johnson the song "My Way To You", which appears on Johnson's album The Guitar Song, which was nominated in 2011 for the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. The same year, he co-wrote "Welcome To Burlesque", Cher's first song in the feature film Burlesque. Its won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
In 2012, Charlie co-wrote two specialty lyrics for Barbra Streisand's "Back To Brooklyn" tour, on "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard, and "You're the Top" from Anything Goes.
2012:
"Welcome To Burlesque", sung by Cher, co-written by Charlie Midnight appeared on the Grammy-Nominated Soundtrack Album "Burlesque".
2013:
Charlie co-wrote two specialty lyrics for Barbra Streisand for her Back To Brooklyn tour.
2014:
Charlie co-wrote the duet, "I Still Can See Your Face," for Ms. Streisand and Andrea Bocelli, for Barbra Streisand's "Partners" album, which reached Number One, making her the only artist to have a Number One album in each of the past six different decades.
2015:
Song on Grammy Nominated Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Barbra Streisand – Partners: I Still Can See Your Face/ Streisand, Bocelli duet
2018:
Charlie co-wrote, "The Rain Will Fall"
Continuing his success in having his songs featured in films, Charlie co-wrote the song "Keep On Movin'" sung by Thomas Hien for the DIsney feature "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 Kevin Hart, Will Ferrell Film, "Get Hard."
With Idina Menzel and Walter Afanasieff Charlie wrote "December Prayer," for Idina Menzel's "Holiday Wishes": Number One Billboard Holiday Album
He's a co-writer of the song "Big Time Rush", which serves 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.
He worked with Jordyn Jones on her song, I'm Dappin'.
Charlie has worked extensively as a writer and a producer with artists from all around the world. These include such notable international artists as Lin Yu-chun, Tata Young, Chage and Aska, Peter Maffay and Yvonne Catterfeld, Gölä Saint Lu Time Bandits, El Último de la Fila, Rhydian, Dodo and the Dodos, Sahlene and Don Patrol, Rodsogarden, Rouge.
SOME ARTISTS:
- CHER: “Welcome To Burlesque” Thanksgiving 2010 Release
- JAMES BROWN: “Living In America” /
- BILLY JOEL: “Why Should I Worry” – Writer/
- BRITNEY SPEARS: "Shadow" – Writer/
- BARBRA STREISAND: 2012 “Back To Brooklyn” tour, Writer – specialty lyrics/
- ANDREA BOCELLI & BARBRA STREISAND DUET: Writer "I Still Can See Your Face" on Ms. Streisand's Number One "Partners" album/
- CHRISTINA AGUILERA: “This Year” – Writer/
- JONI MITCHELL: “How Do You Stop” – Writer/
- SEAL: "How Do You Stop" – Writer/
- JOE COCKER: “Unchain My Heart” Album, “One Night Of Sin” Album – Producer and Writer; “Love Lives On” – Producer
- CHAKA KHAN: “Can’t Stop The Street” – Writer/
- DOOBIE BROTHERS: “Cycles” Album – Writer and Producer of various tracks including “The Doctor” ; “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/
- IDINA MENZEL – "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 /
- 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” – Writer/
- JOHN WAITE: “Sometimes” – Writer/
- DAN HARTMAN: “I Can Dream About You” Album – Writer/
- LAUREN CHRISTY: “My Spot in the World” – Writer/
- HILARY DUFF: "Lizzie McGuire" Soundtrack, Writer and Producer; Hilary Duff Christmas Album, 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”/
- Get Hard – Release Date March 27, 2015, Starring Ferrell, Kevin Hart
- Burlesque: Starring Christina Aguilera And Cher: “Welcome To Burlesque” – Writer
- Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs: “Raining Sunshine” – Writer
- Cheaper By The Dozen: "What Christmas Should Be"
- The Santa Clause 2 – "Santa Claus Lane" – Writer/Producer
- Lizzie McGuire Movie -"Why Not" - Writer, "Girl In The Band" - Writer/Producer "Girl In The Band"- Writer & Producer
- The Bodyguard – “Trust In Me” – Writer/Producer
- Rocky IV – “Living In America” – Writer
- Bull Durham – “A Woman Loves A Man” – Writer/Producer
- Green Street Hooligans – “One Blood” –Writer/Producer
- Oliver & Company – “Why Should I Worry” – Writer
- Ruthless People – “Waiting to See You” -Writer
- Harry & the Hendersons – “Love Lives On” – Producer
- Fletch – “Get Outta Town” – Writer
- Great Expectations – “Walk This Earth Alone” – Writer/Producer
- The Jackal – “It’s Over, It’s Under” – Writer/Producer
- Wild Things – “I Want What I Want” – Writer
- Desperado – “Back To The House That Love Built” -Writer/ Producer
- Gunmen – “This House” – Writer/Producer
- Breakin’ – “Breakin’...The Heart Of The Beat” – Writer
- Krush Groove – “Can’t Stop The Street” – Writer
- Perfect – “Talking To The Wall” – Writer
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I – “9.95" – Writer
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II – “Consciousness” – Writer
- Streetfighter II – “Something There” – - Writer
- Return To Me – “Here I Am” – Writer/Producer
- 102 Dalmatians – “My Spot In The World” – on Soundtrack album – Writer
- Raise Your Voice – "Jericho" – writer and producer
- Casual Sex – "Behind Your Eyes" – Writer/Producer
- Iron Eagle ll – "Gimme Some Lovin'" – Producer
- Ringmaster – "Living in America" – 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 Stitch In Time – “It’s Just You” – Writer
- Alexander And The Very Bad Day – “Keep On Movin”” – Writer
Nominations
- Grammy Award Nomination for Best R&B Song – 1987 – "Living in America" performed by James Brown
- Golden Globe Award Nomination for Best Original Song – 1988 – "Why Should I Worry?" performed by Billy Joel, from Oliver & Company
- Golden Globe Award Nomination for Best Original Song – 1988 – "A Woman Loves a Man" performed by Joe Cocker, from Bull Durham
- Grammy Award for Best Album for Children – 1990 – Oliver & Company : Story and Songs from the Motion Picture performed by various artists
- BMI Cable Award – 2006 – Daisy Does America.
Some Writer credits