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Michael Thompson (guitarist)

January 06, 2023

This article is about the blues guitarist. For the heavy metal guitarist, see Mick Thomson.

Michael Thompson (born Michael Wood Thompson, February 11, 1954 in Port Washington, New York) is an American guitarist and songwriter.

Michael Thompson
Birth nameMichael Wood Thompson
Born (1954-02-11) February 11, 1954 (age 68)
Port Washington, New York, U.S.
GenresRock, alternative rock, pop, blues
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1975–present
LabelsGeffen, Frontiers

Thompson is known for his work as a session guitarist during the last 4 decades. He founded the rock group TRW in 2007.

Early years

Michael Thompson grew up in Port Washington, New York and attended Berklee College of Music for two years, studying with Pat Metheny[1] 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.[1]

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.[2] 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).[3]

The Michael Thompson Band

In 1988, Thompson finally landed a record deal for an album of his own, with Geffen Records. The eponymous Michael Thompson Band (also known by its initial logo, MTB), featuring lead vocals by Moon Calhoun, released the album How Long[4] 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.[4] 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.

Later work

Thompson played on the eponymous debut album 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 Dann Huff left L.A. for Nashville and put out the word that producers and contractors who wanted him should instead call Michael Thompson.[1] Thanks to the studio engineer Humberto Gatica'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".[1] 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.[1] 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.[5]

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."[1]

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 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, Thalía, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, Madonna, BabyFace, En Vogue, Gloria Estefan, Stanley Clarke, and Ricky Martin."[6]

Robert John "Mutt" Lange worked with Thompson on Shania Twain's album Up! (2003). Here Mutt and Twain flew down to Milano to collaborate, as Thompson was working on recording with an Italian artist at the time. According to Thompson he first played on 7 tracks in Italy, and later Mutt asked him to come to Hawaii to play on most of the remaining tracks as well.

In 2007, Thompson revisited his late-1980s 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).

Discography

Solo

  • The World According to M.T. (1998)
  • M.T. Speaks (2005)

Michael Thompson Band

  • How Long (1989)
  • How Long (2007, Remastered with 3 Bonus Tracks)
  • Future Past (2012)
  • Love & Beyond (2019)
  • High Times - Live In Italy (2020, Live CD/DVD)

TRW (Thompson, Robinson, Williamson)

  • Rivers of Paradise (2007)

Selected session discography

Selected film and TV scores

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Small, Mark L. "Platinum Touch". Berklee College of Music. Retrieved June 18, 2009.
  2. ^ Thompson, Michael. . Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2009.
  3. ^ "Credits for Fine, Fine Line". AllMusic. Retrieved June 18, 2009.
  4. ^ a b . Discogs. Archived from the original on 2015-05-05. Retrieved 2015-02-14.
  5. ^ [1][dead link]
  6. ^ Gordon, Peter. "Alum Notes: L.A. Newsbriefs". Berklee College of Music. Retrieved June 18, 2009.

External links

Michael Thompson at AllMusic

January 06, 2023
michael, thompson, guitarist, this, article, about, blues, guitarist, heavy, metal, guitarist, mick, thomson, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, adding, reliable, sources, contentious, material, about, li. This article is about the blues guitarist For the heavy metal guitarist see Mick Thomson This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately especially if potentially libelous or harmful Find sources Michael Thompson guitarist news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Michael Thompson born Michael Wood Thompson February 11 1954 in Port Washington New York is an American guitarist and songwriter Michael ThompsonBirth nameMichael Wood ThompsonBorn 1954 02 11 February 11 1954 age 68 Port Washington New York U S GenresRock alternative rock pop bluesOccupation s Musician songwriterInstrument s GuitarYears active1975 presentLabelsGeffen Frontiers Thompson is known for his work as a session guitarist during the last 4 decades He founded the rock group TRW in 2007 Contents 1 Early years 2 The Michael Thompson Band 3 Later work 4 Discography 4 1 Selected session discography 4 2 Selected film and TV scores 5 References 6 External linksEarly years EditMichael Thompson grew up in Port Washington New York and attended Berklee College of Music for two years studying with Pat Metheny 1 before leaving to tour and record with a local R amp 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 1 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 2 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 3 The Michael Thompson Band EditIn 1988 Thompson finally landed a record deal for an album of his own with Geffen Records The eponymous Michael Thompson Band also known by its initial logo MTB featuring lead vocals by Moon Calhoun released the album How Long 4 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 4 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 Later work EditThompson played on the eponymous debut album 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 Dann Huff left L A for Nashville and put out the word that producers and contractors who wanted him should instead call Michael Thompson 1 Thanks to the studio engineer Humberto Gatica 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 1 It was during another Dion session for Foster in 1995 that R amp 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 1 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 amp B Hip Hop Singles 5 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 1 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 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 Thalia Mariah Carey Bette Midler Madonna BabyFace En Vogue Gloria Estefan Stanley Clarke and Ricky Martin 6 Robert John Mutt Lange worked with Thompson on Shania Twain s album Up 2003 Here Mutt and Twain flew down to Milano to collaborate as Thompson was working on recording with an Italian artist at the time According to Thompson he first played on 7 tracks in Italy and later Mutt asked him to come to Hawaii to play on most of the remaining tracks as well In 2007 Thompson revisited his late 1980s 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 Discography EditSolo The World According to M T 1998 M T Speaks 2005 Michael Thompson Band How Long 1989 How Long 2007 Remastered with 3 Bonus Tracks Future Past 2012 Love amp Beyond 2019 High Times Live In Italy 2020 Live CD DVD TRW Thompson Robinson Williamson Rivers of Paradise 2007 Selected session discography Edit Cher 1987 Cher Till I Loved You 1988 Barbra Streisand Not Me 1988 Glenn Medeiros Heart of Stone 1989 Cher Good to Be Back 1989 Natalie Cole Bowling in Paris 1989 Stephen Bishop Somebody Loves You 1989 Paul Anka The Simpsons Sing the Blues 1990 The Simpsons Kiss Me with the Wind 1990 Brenda Russell For My Broken Heart 1991 Reba McEntire Love Hurts 1991 Cher Lovescape 1991 Neil Diamond Time Love amp Tenderness 1991 Michael Bolton Celine Dion 1992 Celine Dion Jennifer Rush 1992 Jennifer Rush Timeless The Classics 1992 Michael Bolton Breathless 1992 Kenny G Start the Car 1992 Jude Cole The Colour of My Love 1993 Celine Dion Back to Broadway 1993 Barbra Streisand The One Thing 1993 Michael Bolton Soul Talkin 1993 Brenda Russell Have a Little Faith 1994 Joe Cocker Window 1994 Christopher Cross Rhythm of Love 1994 Anita Baker The Christmas Album Volume II 1994 Neil Diamond Groove On 1994 Gerald LeVert Through the Fire 1994 Peabo Bryson Something To Remember 1995 Madonna Waiting to Exhale 1995 Various A Very Fine Love 1995 Dusty Springfield HIStory Past Present and Future Book I 1995 Michael Jackson Out of My Hands 1995 Jennifer Rush It s a Mystery 1995 Bob Seger Falling Into You 1996 Celine Dion Sweet 19 Blues 1996 Namie Amuro For You I Will 1996 Monica Secrets 1996 Toni Braxton Every Time I Close My Eyes 1996 Babyface Blood on the Dance Floor HIStory in the Mix 1997 Michael Jackson Flame 1997 Patti LaBelle Cowgirl Dreamin 1997 Yumi Matsutoya Concentration 20 1997 Namie Amuro Butterfly 1997 Mariah Carey Open Road 1997 Gary Barlow Let s Talk About Love 1997 Celine Dion Deborah 1997 Debbie Gibson Flesh and Bone 1997 Richard Marx Freedom 1997 Sheena Easton Eden 1998 Sarah Brightman Greg Bissonette 1998 Greg Bissonette Hits 1998 Phil Collins Bathhouse Betty 1998 Bette Midler A Body of Work 1998 Paul Anka Back with a Heart 1998 Olivia Newton John Jennifer Paige 1998 Jennifer Paige Keep the Faith 1998 Faith Evans These Are Special Times 1998 Celine Dion Affirmation 1999 Savage Garden Christina Aguilera 1999 Christina Aguilera Timeless The Classics Vol 2 1999 Michael Bolton Short Stories 2000 Miyuki Nakajima Days in Avalon 2000 Richard Marx Friends for Schuur 2000 Diane Schuur You Too Cool 2001 Eikichi Yazawa Christmas Memories 2001 Barbra Streisand Invincible 2001 Michael Jackson Enchantment 2001 Charlotte Church Snowflakes 2001 Toni Braxton Josh Groban 2001 Josh Groban Up 2002 Shania Twain Only a Woman Like You 2002 Michael Bolton Twisted Angel 2002 LeAnn Rimes Cry 2002 Faith Hill A New Day Has Come 2002 Celine Dion Couldn t Have Said It Better 2003 Meat Loaf Michael Buble 2003 Michael Buble Closer 2003 Josh Groban Genius Loves Company 2004 Ray Charles What a Wonderful World 2004 LeAnn Rimes Motown Two 2004 Michael McDonald My Own Best Enemy 2004 Richard Marx It s Time 2005 Michael Buble Classic Moments 2005 Patti LaBelle A Little Soul in Your Heart 2005 Lulu Lullaby Singer 2006 Miyuki Nakajima Givin It Up 2006 George Benson Al Jarreau Awake 2006 Josh Groban Taking Chances 2007 Celine Dion East of Angel Town 2007 Peter Cincotti Family 2007 LeAnn Rimes Seal 2008 Seal Emotional Remains 2008 Richard Marx Soul Speak 2008 Michael McDonald Christmas 2008 Al Jarreau Sundown 2008 Richard Marx Crazy Love 2009 Michael Buble One World One Love 2009 Michael Bolton Primera Fila 2009 Thalia After Hours 2012 Glenn Frey Loved Me Back to Life 2013 Celine Dion A Volte Esagero 2014 Gianluca Grignani Man on the Rocks 2014 Mike Oldfield Tracks of My Years 2014 Bryan Adams Beautiful Goodbye 2014 Richard Marx Wallflower 2015 Diana Krall Electropop 2016 Miguel Mateos Encore un soir 2016 Celine Dion Love 2018 Michael BubleSelected film and TV scores Edit Fame 1982 1987 Miami Vice 1989 1990 Tiny Toon Adventures 1990 1991 Days of Thunder 1990 Hans Zimmer Additional only Melrose Place 1992 1999 California Dreams 1992 1994 Animaniacs 1993 1998 Cool Runnings 1993 Hans Zimmer What s Love Got to Do with It 1993 Stanley Clarke I ll Do Anything 1994 Hans Zimmer Renaissance Man 1994 Hans Zimmer Heat 1995 Elliot Goldenthal The Rock 1996 Hans Zimmer The Preacher s Wife 1996 Hans Zimmer Space Jam 1996 James Newton Howard Primal Fear 1996 James Newton Howard Daylight 1996 Randy Edelman Home Alone 3 1997 Nick Glennie Smith G I Jane 1997 Trevor Jones Chill Factor 1999 Hans Zimmer Romeo Must Die 2000 Stanley Clarke Gideon s Crossing 2000 James Newton Howard Big Trouble 2002 James Newton Howard Hairspray 2007 Marc ShaimanReferences Edit a b c d e f Small Mark L Platinum Touch Berklee College of Music Retrieved June 18 2009 Thompson Michael Bio page at Michael Thompson s official website Archived from the original on April 27 2011 Retrieved June 18 2009 Credits for Fine Fine Line AllMusic Retrieved June 18 2009 a b Michael Thompson Band How Long CD Album at Discogs Discogs Archived from the original on 2015 05 05 Retrieved 2015 02 14 1 dead link Gordon Peter Alum Notes L A Newsbriefs Berklee College of Music Retrieved June 18 2009 External links EditMichael Thompson at AllMusic Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Michael Thompson guitarist amp oldid 1105846852, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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