Michael Thompson (guitarist)
Encyclopedia
Michael Thompson is an American
guitarist and songwriter.
Thompson achieved enduring modest success with his 1989 melodic rock/AOR
group Michael Thompson Band but is most noted for his work as a popular session guitarist on the recordings of some of the most popular musical artists of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s spanning the genres of pop
, rock
, R&B, Country music
and Latin music. Thompson has continued to play his own compositions on solo albums and gigs, and founded the melodic rock group TRW in 2007.
Thompson and his wife Gloria, married since 1977, have four children and live in Culver City, California
.
and attended Berklee College of Music
for two years, studying with Pat Metheny
before leaving to tour and record with a local R&B/funk group called The Ellis Hall Group. After four years with the group, Thompson moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of starting a career as a studio musician, almost immediately getting a touring gig with Joe Cocker
. Money was tight and to support himself and his wife Gloria, Thompson supplemented gigs playing on songwriters' publishing demos and sporadic session work with a job as a cab driver
until landing a year-long world tour with Cher
.
Following the tour, Thompson played guitar for the TV series Fame
, a gig he would hold for four years, and started his own band, Slang. In 1983 he was invited by Andy Fraser
, formerly of Free
, to be the guitarist on his album Fine Fine Line, for Island Records
(1984).
. The eponymous Michael Thompson Band (also known by its initial logo, MTB), featuring lead vocals by Moon Calhoun, released the album How Long in 1989 and had a Billboard chart hit that year with the single "Can't Miss". The single hit #33 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Other musicians on the album included Toto
singer Bobby Kimball
and ex-Kansas
singer John Elefante
on background vocals and John Keane
, Terry Bozzio
(Frank Zappa
and Missing Persons) and Pat Torpey
(Mr. Big
) on drums.
by the commercial fusion
act Animal Logic
, the brainchild of Police drummer Stewart Copeland
and bassist Stanley Clarke
. Thompson shared guitar duties with Peter Haycock (Climax Blues Band
) and Steve Howe
(Yes
, Asia
, GTR
). Clarke and Copeland both went on to successful careers composing film scores for which they continued to tap Thompson for guitar work, and he has also worked on film scores by Hans Zimmer
, James Newton Howard
and Randy Edelman
.
Just as Thompson's session career was hitting its stride, 1980s studio guitar staple Dan Huff left L.A. for Nashville
and put out the word that producers and contractors who wanted him should instead call Michael Thompson. Thanks to a studio engineer's suggestion, Thompson began what would become a decade-long hit-laden association with producer/songwriter David Foster
, including a number of Celine Dion records, beginning with "The Power of Love
". It was during another Dion session for Foster in 1995 that R&B singer/songwriter/producer Babyface heard him through the wall of the studio and invited him to play on the project he was there for, the #1 Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album for Whitney Houston
. Babyface, too, would frequently use Thompson throughout the 1990s, including on the huge hit "Change the World
" with Eric Clapton
and Babyface's own hit single, "Every Time I Close My Eyes
". Thompson was in Babyface's live band for the MTV
special, album and DVD Babyface: MTV Unplugged NYC 1997
.
Quincy Jones
invited Thompson to be a guest on his 1995 album Q's Jook Joint. The following year Thompson released his first solo album, The World According to M.T. The album featured compositions by Thompson; a collaboration with Jeff Paris, who had guested on How Long; and a song written by another How Long collaborator, Mark Spiro
. A cover of a Sam Cooke
song, "A Change is Gonna Come
", featuring Bobby Womack
on vocals, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles.
Thompson's abilities and sensibilities are so trusted that BT magazine noted in its 2001 "Platinum Touch" cover story on Thompson that "These days, many artists and producers just drop their tapes off at Thompson's home studio and let him add whatever he wants. It is a convenient, low-pressure way to work, but Thompson says he still loves to interact with other musicians at the big studios."
In 2001 Thompson was awarded the "Distinguished Alumni" award from his alma mater Berklee College of Music to commemorate his contributions to the music industry. Berklee's program for the event noted that "he is widely regarded as being among the elite studio session players, and his amazing list of credits includes such prominent names as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, 'N Sync
, Toni Braxton, Phil Collins
, Rod Stewart
, Joe Sample
, the Scorpions
, Vince Neil
, Christina Aguilera, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler
, Madonna, Babyface, En Vogue
, Gloria Estefan
, Stanley Clarke, and Ricky Martin
."
In 2007, Thompson revisited his late-'80s melodic rock heyday with two projects. He recorded three new songs for a remastered re-release of Michael Thompson Band's How Long, released in the summer of that year. He also formed a new band, TRW, with Mark Williamson
on vocals and bass and John Robinson
on drums. The group released the album Rivers of Paradise (2007).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist and songwriter.
Thompson achieved enduring modest success with his 1989 melodic rock/AOR
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
group Michael Thompson Band but is most noted for his work as a popular session guitarist on the recordings of some of the most popular musical artists of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s spanning the genres of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, R&B, Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and Latin music. Thompson has continued to play his own compositions on solo albums and gigs, and founded the melodic rock group TRW in 2007.
Thompson and his wife Gloria, married since 1977, have four children and live in Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
.
Early years
Michael Thompson grew up in Port Washington, New YorkPort Washington, New York
Port Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the community population was 15,846....
and attended Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
for two years, studying with Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
before leaving to tour and record with a local R&B/funk group called The Ellis Hall Group. After four years with the group, Thompson moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of starting a career as a studio musician, almost immediately getting a touring gig with Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
. Money was tight and to support himself and his wife Gloria, Thompson supplemented gigs playing on songwriters' publishing demos and sporadic session work with a job as a cab driver
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
until landing a year-long world tour with Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
.
Following the tour, Thompson played guitar for the TV series Fame
Fame (1982 TV series)
Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
, a gig he would hold for four years, and started his own band, Slang. In 1983 he was invited by Andy Fraser
Andy Fraser
Andy Fraser is an English songwriter and bass guitarist whose career has lasted over forty years and includes a notable period as one of the founding members, in 1968, at age 15, of the rock band Free.-Peak years :...
, formerly of Free
Free (band)
Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a...
, to be the guitarist on his album Fine Fine Line, for Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(1984).
The Michael Thompson Band
In 1988, Thompson finally landed a record deal for an album of his own, with Geffen RecordsGeffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. The eponymous Michael Thompson Band (also known by its initial logo, MTB), featuring lead vocals by Moon Calhoun, released the album How Long in 1989 and had a Billboard chart hit that year with the single "Can't Miss". The single hit #33 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Other musicians on the album included Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
singer Bobby Kimball
Bobby Kimball
Robert Troy "Bobby" Kimball is an American singer, best known as the longtime frontman of the rock band Toto.- Early life:...
and ex-Kansas
Kansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...
singer John Elefante
John Elefante
John Elefante is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer.-Early years:Born in Levittown, New York, his family soon moved to Long Beach, California. Growing up, he sang and performed drums for his family band, the Brotherhood...
on background vocals and John Keane
The Keane Brothers
The Keane Brothers was an American pop music duo from 1976 to 1982, composed of pre-teens Tom Keane on piano and John Keane on drums. The duo released four albums and briefly hosted a television variety show on CBS...
, Terry Bozzio
Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...
(Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and Missing Persons) and Pat Torpey
Pat Torpey
Pat Torpey is an American rock and roll drummer, known as the drummer of the hard rock band Mr. Big. He has also played for Impellitteri, The Knack, David Lee Roth Band and the Exile Social Club. He is noted by Neil Peart for composing unique rhythms such as that of "Take Cover", a rock song from...
(Mr. Big
Mr. Big (band)
Mr. Big is an American rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988. The band is a quartet composed of Eric Martin , Paul Gilbert , Billy Sheehan , and Pat Torpey ; Mr. Big also included Richie Kotzen, a reputable blues-based guitarist who replaced Gilbert in 1999...
) on drums.
Later work
Thompson played on the eponymous debut albumAnimal Logic (album)
Animal Logic is an album by Animal Logic.-Track listing:*All songs Arranged and Produced by Stewart Copeland & Stanley Clarke*All songs by D. Holland, except......
by the commercial fusion
Fusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
act Animal Logic
Animal Logic (band)
Animal Logic is the name of a band formed in 1987 by ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland, virtuoso bassist Stanley Clarke, and singer-songwriter Deborah Holland...
, the brainchild of Police drummer Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
and bassist Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
. Thompson shared guitar duties with Peter Haycock (Climax Blues Band
Climax Blues Band
Climax Blues Band was formed in Stafford, England in 1968. The original members were guitarists Peter Haycock and Derek Holt; keyboardist Arthur Wood; bassist Richard Jones; drummer George Newsome; and vocalist and harmonica player, Colin Cooper.In 1970, the group shortened its name to the Climax...
) and Steve Howe
Steve Howe (guitarist)
Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...
(Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, Asia
Asia (band)
Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
, GTR
GTR (band)
GTR were a rock band founded in 1985 by former Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe and former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. In comparison to the two leaders' earlier work within progressive rock, GTR's work followed more of an Adult Oriented Rock format. The band was short-lived, lasting for two...
). Clarke and Copeland both went on to successful careers composing film scores for which they continued to tap Thompson for guitar work, and he has also worked on film scores by Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
, James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard is an American composer best known for his scores to motion pictures. He is one of the most popular and respected composers for cinema, and has scored over 100 films...
and Randy Edelman
Randy Edelman
Randy Edelman is an American film and TV score composer.-Life and career:Edelman was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the son of a first-grade teacher and an accountant. He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before heading to New York where he played...
.
Just as Thompson's session career was hitting its stride, 1980s studio guitar staple Dan Huff left L.A. for Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and put out the word that producers and contractors who wanted him should instead call Michael Thompson. Thanks to a studio engineer's suggestion, Thompson began what would become a decade-long hit-laden association with producer/songwriter David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
, including a number of Celine Dion records, beginning with "The Power of Love
The Power of Love (Jennifer Rush song)
"The Power of Love" is a power ballad co-written and originally recorded by Jennifer Rush. It has been covered by several artists, most notably by Laura Branigan, Air Supply, and Céline Dion, and translated into several languages, becoming a pop standard....
". It was during another Dion session for Foster in 1995 that R&B singer/songwriter/producer Babyface heard him through the wall of the studio and invited him to play on the project he was there for, the #1 Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album for Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
. Babyface, too, would frequently use Thompson throughout the 1990s, including on the huge hit "Change the World
Change the World
"Change the World" is a song written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy and Wayne Kirkpatrick which was recorded by Eric Clapton with backing by Babyface for the soundtrack of the 1996 film Phenomenon. The song won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year , as well as Best Male Pop Vocal...
" with Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
and Babyface's own hit single, "Every Time I Close My Eyes
Every Time I Close My Eyes
"Every Time I Close My Eyes" is the title of a song written, produced and performed by Babyface. It was released as the second single from his album The Day...
". Thompson was in Babyface's live band for the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
special, album and DVD Babyface: MTV Unplugged NYC 1997
Babyface Unplugged
MTV Unplugged NYC 1997 is a live album from R&B artist, Babyface. It includes other performers such as Eric Clapton, Shanice, K-Ci & JoJo, Kevon Edmonds, Melvin Edmonds, Sheila E...
.
Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
invited Thompson to be a guest on his 1995 album Q's Jook Joint. The following year Thompson released his first solo album, The World According to M.T. The album featured compositions by Thompson; a collaboration with Jeff Paris, who had guested on How Long; and a song written by another How Long collaborator, Mark Spiro
Mark Spiro
is an American Songwriter, Record Producer, Recording Artist, and TV Series Original Music Producer. He is represented on over 100 Million Records sold World-Wide.-Discography and Soundtrack Filmography:SONGWRITER* JULIAN LENNON - “”...
. A cover of a Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
song, "A Change is Gonna Come
A Change Is Gonna Come (song)
"A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the...
", featuring Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
on vocals, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles.
Thompson's abilities and sensibilities are so trusted that BT magazine noted in its 2001 "Platinum Touch" cover story on Thompson that "These days, many artists and producers just drop their tapes off at Thompson's home studio and let him add whatever he wants. It is a convenient, low-pressure way to work, but Thompson says he still loves to interact with other musicians at the big studios."
In 2001 Thompson was awarded the "Distinguished Alumni" award from his alma mater Berklee College of Music to commemorate his contributions to the music industry. Berklee's program for the event noted that "he is widely regarded as being among the elite studio session players, and his amazing list of credits includes such prominent names as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
, Toni Braxton, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, Joe Sample
Joe Sample
Joseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
, the Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, Vince Neil
Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
, Christina Aguilera, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Madonna, Babyface, En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
, Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
, Stanley Clarke, and Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
."
In 2007, Thompson revisited his late-'80s melodic rock heyday with two projects. He recorded three new songs for a remastered re-release of Michael Thompson Band's How Long, released in the summer of that year. He also formed a new band, TRW, with Mark Williamson
Mark Williamson
Professor Mark H. Williamson OBE is professor emeritus of biology at the University of York. He is an expert on biological invasions.Williamson gained a BA from the Oxford in 1950 and received a D.Phil. eight years later, having been a demonstrator of at Oxford since 1952...
on vocals and bass and John Robinson
John Robinson (drummer)
John Robinson is an American drummer and session musician...
on drums. The group released the album Rivers of Paradise (2007).
Personal Discography
- Michael Thompson Band (1989) Michael Thompson Band
- The World According to M.T. (1996) Solo
- M.T. Speaks (2005) Solo
- Rivers of Paradise (2007) TRW
- Michael Thompson Band (Remastered re-release with newly recorded bonus tracks, 2007) Michael Thompson Band
Selected Session Discography
- CherCher (1987 album)Additional notes*"I Found Someone" was originally recorded by Laura Branigan and appears on her 1985 album Hold Me.*"Bang-Bang" was previously recorded for Cher's second studio album The Sonny Side of Chér in 1966.-Personnel & Production:...
(1987) CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in... - The Simpsons Sing the BluesThe Simpsons Sing the BluesThe Simpsons Sing the Blues is the first album released as an offshoot of The Simpsons. The album contains originally recorded music not featured in the series save for the first verse of the track "Moaning Lisa Blues" which was first featured in the episode "Moaning Lisa", aired February 11, 1990...
(1990) The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie... - For My Broken HeartFor My Broken HeartFor My Broken Heart is the eighteenth album, released in 1991 by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was the first album recorded after an airplane crash which killed most of the members of her touring band...
(1991) Reba McEntireReba McEntireReba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma... - Love HurtsLove Hurts (Cher album)Love Hurts is the twenty-first studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on June 11, 1991 by Geffen Records. The RIAA certified it Gold on August 27, 1991. It is the final studio album with the record label Geffen...
(1991) Cher - LovescapeLovescapeLovescape is a 1991 Neil Diamond album. It peaked at number 44 on the Billboard 200. "Hooked on the Memory of You" was a duet with Kim Carnes.-Track listing:# "If There Were No Dreams"# "Mountains of Love"# "Don't Turn Around"...
(1991) Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present.... - Time, Love & TendernessTime, Love & Tenderness-Credits:*Produced By Walter Afansieff & Michael Bolton*Mixed & Engineered By Dana Jon Chapelle, Michael Gilbert, Mick Higgins, Manny Lacarrubba, Matthew LaMonica, Jim Mitchell, Devon Rietveld, David Thoerner, Roger Talkov, Michael Christopher, Richard Kerr...
(1991) Michael BoltonMichael BoltonMichael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack... - Celine DionCeline Dion (album)Celine Dion is an eponymous album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on March 31, 1992. It is her second English album and 17th in total...
(1992) Celine Dion - Start the CarStart the CarStart the Car is the third solo album from the singer/songwriter Jude Cole. Released in 1992, five years after his self-titled debut solo album....
(1992) Jude ColeJude ColeJude Cole is a manager, record producer and singer/songwriter/guitarist.-Career:Cole's solo records, "Jude Cole", "A View from 3rd Street" and "Start the Car" were released on Warner Bros./Reprise Records, and contained the singles "Baby, It's Tonight", "Time for Letting Go" and "Start the Car"... - Have a Little Faith (1994) Joe CockerJoe CockerJohn Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
- Rhythm of LoveRhythm of Love (Anita Baker album)Rhythm of Love is the fifth album by the American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker. Released in 1994, the album peaked at #2 on Billboard 200 and #1 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop chart...
(1994) Anita BakerAnita BakerAnita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit.... - Something To RememberSomething to RememberSomething to Remember is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 7, 1995 by Maverick Records. It came after a controversial period of Madonna in the 1990s and at this time critics had deemed her career over...
(1995) Madonna - HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995) Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- Falling Into YouFalling into YouFalling into You is an album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on March 8, 1996. It is her fourth English-language album and twenty-first overall...
(1996) Celine Dion - Sweet 19 BluesSweet 19 BluesSweet 19 Blues is Namie Amuro's first original studio album under the avex trax label, her first with producer, Tetsuya Komuro, and her second album overall. The success of the album helped Amuro accomplish feats never realized by a solo female artist, and made her one of the most popular and...
(1996) Namie AmuroNamie Amurois a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's... - "For You I WillFor You I Will (Monica song)"For You I Will" is a pop ballad written by Diane Warren and performed by Monica. Her version was included on the soundtrack to the film Space Jam. In 1997, when released as a single, the song became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as Billboards R&B chart. It also experienced some...
" (1996) Monica - "Un-Break My HeartUn-Break My Heart"Un-Break My Heart" is a song by American recording artist Toni Braxton from her second studio album, Secrets . Written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster, the ballad was released as the album's second single...
" (1996) Toni BraxtonToni BraxtonToni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide... - Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1997) Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- Cowgirl Dreamin (1997) Yumi MatsutoyaYumi Matsutoya', nicknamed , is an influential Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and pianist. She is renowned for her idiosyncratic voice, and live performances, and is an important figure in Japanese popular music....
- Concentration 20Concentration 20Concentration 20 is Namie Amuro's third original studio album. The album is a fusion of styles including Pop, Dance and Rock. Released a year after her record shattering hit Sweet 19 Blues, the album raced to the top of the chart further solidifying her place in Japanese music history.- History...
(1997) Namie Amuro - Butterfly (1997) Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
- EdenEden (Sarah Brightman album)Eden is a 1998 album by English soprano Sarah Brightman. It was released under license by Nemo Studios to Angel Records.Like Brightman's later album, La Luna, Eden juxtaposed mostly English pop songs with mostly Italian opera songs. This was a departure from her previous albums which was almost...
(1998) Sarah BrightmanSarah BrightmanSarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register... - Greg Bissonette (1998) Greg Bissonette
- Affirmation (1999) Savage GardenSavage GardenSavage Garden were an Australian pop rock performance and songwriting duo. Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones formed the group in Brisbane, Queensland in 1994...
- Christina AguileraChristina Aguilera (album)Christina Aguilera is the self-titled debut studio album by American pop singer Christina Aguilera released on August 24, 1999 in the United States by RCA Records...
(1999) Christina AguileraChristina AguileraChristina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994... - Short StoriesShort Stories (Miyuki Nakajima album)is the 28th studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Miyuki Nakajima, released in November 2000. The album features commercially successful double A-Side single "Earthly Stars "/"Headlight, Taillight", which became the number-one hit in later years and sold more than a million copies in Japan...
(2000) Miyuki NakajimaMiyuki Nakajimais a Japanese vocalist, guitarist, lyricist, composer and radio personality. As a principal Japanese female veteran singer-songwriter she is often compared to Yumi Matsutoya, she has released 37 studio albums, 40 singles, 2 live albums and multiple compilations to date, and whose sales have been... - You, Too Cool (2001) Eikichi YazawaEikichi Yazawais an influential Japanese singer-songwriter, and important figure in Japanese popular music.Yoko Yazawa of The Generous is his daughter.-Biography:...
- Up!Up! (album)-Critical reception:Upon its release, the album received very positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 72/100 from Metacritic...
(2003) Shania TwainShania TwainShania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million... - Genius Loves CompanyGenius Loves CompanyGenius Loves Company is the final studio album by rhythm and blues and soul musician Ray Charles, posthumously released August 31, 2004 on Concord Records. Recording sessions for the album took place between June 2003 and March 2004...
(2004) Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records... - Motown Two (2004) Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald (singer)Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
- It's Time (2005) Michael BubléMichael BubléMichael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
- Lullaby SingerLullaby Singeris the 34th studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Miyuki Nakajima, released in November 2006.The album comprises 12 tracks, and 4 of them were initially composed for other artists, such as "A Key" for...
(2006) Miyuki Nakajima - Primera FilaPrimera fila (Thalía album)Primera fila is the first Live CD/DVD album by Mexican singer-songwriter Thalía. The album was recorded in Miami, Florida at the BankUnited Center on July 29 and 30, 2009, with a selected audience to attend the concert. Primera fila is the first Thalia's project under the label of Sony Music...
(2009) ThalíaThalíaAriadna Thalía Sodi Miranda , known simply by the mononym Thalía , is a Mexican singer and actress. She has sold over 40 million albums worldwide...
Selected film and TV scores
- FameFame (1982 TV series)Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
(1982–1987) - Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
(1989–1990) - What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)