Michael Moran is a musician, songwriter and record producer.
Biography
Moran studied at the Royal College of Music in London prior to becoming a session musician and composer and arranger, including scoring music for such Handmade Films productions as Time Bandits, The Missionary and Water. He also played with the Ian Gillan Band. "Rock Bottom", which he wrote in partnership with Lynsey de Paul, was the UK entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, and put him in the spotlight for the first time. Although leading early on in the voting, the song eventually came second in the contest. Nevertheless, it went on to become a Top 20hit in many European countries including France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where it reached the top of their singles chart. It was more successful in Continental Europe than in the United Kingdom. De Paul and Moran went on to write a number of songs such as "Let Your Body Go Downtown", a Top 40 hit for the Martyn Ford Orchestra, and the follow-up "Going to a Disco", as well as "Without You", and "Now and Then", which appeared on the de Paul albums Tigers and Fireflies and Just a Little Time, respectively. For many years, Moran was the musical director for the UK ITVchildren's music series, Get It Together, performing each week, accompanying the various studio guests and playing the theme music. He had another attempt at writing a UK Eurovision entry in 1990, when he wrote "That Old Feeling Again" for Stephen Lee Garden, which placed fifth out of the eight songs in the UK song selection competition. Other songs co-written by Moran are "Snot Rap", as well as "No Mean City", "It's Alright" and the music for the UK game seriesChain Letters, Lucky Ladders and The Krypton Factor. Moran has worked with various members of Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, Nicko McBrain and George Harrison. He was co-producer, arranger, keyboards performer and co-author of all the tracks on the album Barcelona, the classical crossover collaboration between Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and opera singerMontserrat Caballé, released in 1988. He produced The Queen Album, Piaf and Essential Musicals for Elaine Paige. Recently, Moran appeared in Dragon's Den as the musical director of a Dusty Springfield musical, and also produced the hugely successful Tommy Fleming album The West’s Awake.
Personal life
Moran has been married to his wife Lynda for 25 years and lives in Buckinghamshire.
