Randy Edelman
 |
Randy Edelman | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 10, 1947 Paterson, New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | Pop music, film score |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, conductor |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1972–present |
Randy Edelman (born June 10, 1947) is an American musician, producer, and composer for film and television. He began his career as a member of Broadway's pit orchestras, and later went on to produce solo albums for songs that were picked up by leading music performers including The Carpenters, Barry Manilow, and Dionne Warwick. He is known for his work in comedy films. He has been awarded many prestigious awards, including two nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and twelve BMI Awards. Edelman was given an honorary doctorate in fine arts by the University of Cincinnati in 2004.
Some of Edelman's best known films scores include Twins, Kindergarten Cop, Beethoven, Gettysburg, The Mask, Dragonheart, Daylight and XXX. He also wrote the theme of the popular television series MacGyver. Many of his musical pieces have been reused in television advertising, trailers, Disney movies, and award shows.
Life and career
Edelman was born in Paterson, New Jersey, to a Jewish family.[1][2] He was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the son of a first-grade teacher and an accountant, and graduated from Teaneck High School in 1965.[3][4] He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before heading to New York where he played piano in Broadway pit orchestras. He produced several solo albums of songs (some of which were later recorded by The Carpenters ("I Can't Make Music", "Piano Picker" and "You"), Barry Manilow ("Weekend in New England"), "If Love Is Real" from Olivia Newton-John's Making a Good Thing Better, Dionne Warwick ("The Laughter and the Tears," "Blood Sweat and Tears," "Blue Street") and many others before moving to Los Angeles. It was there where Edelman started to work in television and film scoring, while producing his solo albums which found a cult following in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan.
Musical scores
One of his first film scores was for the 1973 film Executive Action, which put forward a conspiracy theory concerning the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy in 1963. In the mid-1980s, Edelman wrote the theme to, and scored many episodes of, MacGyver, a popular television series starring Richard Dean Anderson.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, he also collaborated with Ivan Reitman, producing scores for several of his comedies, including Ghostbusters II, Twins and Kindergarten Cop. He also contributed to Beethoven; The Last of the Mohicans; The Mask; Daylight; Anaconda; XXX; Gettysburg; My Cousin Vinny; While You Were Sleeping; Dragonheart; Shanghai Noon; Six Days, Seven Nights; The Indian in the Cupboard; Billy Madison; Angels in the Outfield; and EDtv to name just a few.
Edelman was honored with the Richard Kirk Award at the 2003 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music. In 2004, he received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from the University of Cincinnati. He was given the degree along with three other honorees distinguished in various other fields, including Coretta Scott King.[5]
He produced the scores for the 2008 film The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. This score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, where in 2010 Edelman also recorded and composed the Irish flavored music score for Amy Adams's film Leap Year. He was awarded the Goldspirit Award (named in honor of Jerry Goldsmith) for best comedy score of 2011 for the Leap Year soundtrack CD on Varèse Sarabande.
Scores reused elsewhere
While some of the films scored by Edelman were not commercial successes, the music was often reused elsewhere. Themes he wrote for Kindergarten Cop (particularly Rain Ride), Dragonheart, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (particularly the film's love theme Bruce and Linda), Gettysburg and other films have been widely used in television advertising, film trailers, Disney movies including Mulan, and during the Academy Awards. Themes from his score for Come See the Paradise have been used in film trailers more than cues from any other film soundtrack.[6][7]
NBC Sports
His music from The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. is featured during NBC's Olympic Games coverage when announcing upcoming events. In addition, it was used during NBC's coverage of the 1997 World Series. At the end of the 1996 Summer Olympics, it used the closing music of Gettysburg. In the 1990s, Edelman composed the popular theme music for NBC's NFL telecasts which was used for the 1995–97 seasons through Super Bowl XXXII.[8]
Personal life
Edelman has been married to singer Jackie DeShannon since June 3, 1976. DeShannon is known for such 1960s hits as "When You Walk in the Room", "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" and "What the World Needs Now Is Love". Edelman is DeShannon's second husband and they have a son, Noah D. Edelman.
Musical discography (as artist and songwriter)
Charted solo singles
- "Everybody Wants to Find a Bluebird" (March 1975) – No. 92 US / No. 18 AC (US)
- "Concrete and Clay" (March 1976) – No. 11 AC (US), No. 11 UK - cover version of the hit for the British pop group Unit 4 + 2
- "Uptown Uptempo Woman" (September 1976) – No. 25 UK
- "You" (January 1977) – No. 49 UK
- "Nobody Made Me" (July 1982) – No. 60 UK
Solo albums
- Randy Edelman – MGM Records, 1972 (LP)
- The Laughter and the Tears – MGM Records, 1972 (LP)
- Outside In - MGM Records, 1972 (LP)
- Prime Cuts – 20th Century Records, 1974 (LP and CD)
- Farewell Fairbanks – 20th Century Records, 1975 (LP and CD)
- If Love Is Real – Arista Records, 1977 (LP and CD)
- You're the One – Arista Records, 1979 (LP and CD)
- 'Up-Town Up-Tempo: The Best of Randy Edelman – 20th Century Records, 1979 (LP)
- On Time – Rocket Records, 1982 (LP)
- Randy Edelman and His Piano – PRT Records, 1984 (LP and CD)
- Switch of the Seasons – PRT Records (Polar), 1985 (LP)
- Up-Town Up-Tempo Woman (compilation album) – Warwick Reflection Records, 1987 (CD)
- And His Piano ... The Very Best of Randy Edelman – Revola/Cherry Red Records, 2003 (CD)
- The Pacific Flow to Abbey Road – Cherry Red (UK) / Varese Sarabande (US), 2011 (CD)
Partial list of artists who have covered Edelman's songs (both music and lyrics)
- Barry Manilow – "Weekend in New England" (No. 10, US)
- The Carpenters – "I Can't Make Music", "You", "Piano Picker"
- Labelle – "Isn't it a Shame"
- Olivia Newton John – "If Love Is Real"
- Nelly – "My Place"
- Dionne Warwick – "You Are the Sunlight, I Am the Moon", "The Laughter and Tears", "Give a Little Laughter"
- Blood Sweat and Tears – "Blue Street"
- Jackie DeShannon – "Sunny Days", "Let the Sailors Dance"
- Agnetha Faltskog – "Turn the World Around"
- The Fifth Dimension – "Everybody Wants to Call You Sweetheart"
- Kool and the Gang – "Amore Amore"
- Bing Crosby – "The Woman on Your Arm"
- Shirley Bassey – "Isn't It a Shame"
- Nancy Wilson – "The Laughter and the Tears"
- Rosemary Clooney – "You"
- Petula Clark – "Make a Time for Lovin'"
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Ryan's Four | 6 episodes |
| 1984 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | episode: All the Kids Do It |
| 1985–87 | MacGyver | seasons 1–2 |
| 1986 | Mr. Sunshine | episode: Pilot |
| 1988 | ABC Afterschool Special | episode: A Family Again |
| 1993 | The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. | episode: Pilot |
| 2006 | The Ten Commandments | miniseries |
Awards, milestones and announcements
Platinum and gold Records [9]
Barry Manilow Greatest Hits, Live,
This One's for You
- The Carpenters: "A Song for You", Now And Then, and A Kind of Hush
- Olivia Newton John: Making A Good Thing Better
- Nelly: Suit
- Now 17: "My Place"
- Last of the Mohicans (soundtrack)
Saturn Awards
- "Dragonheart" nominated by Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (Saturn Award for Best Music)
International Film Music Critics Association Nomination
- "Ten Commandments": Nominated by the IFMCA (International Film Music Critics Association) for
Best Original Score for Television for ABC's mini-series [10]
Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts
- University of Cincinnati: Recipient of Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts [11]
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
- Recipient of BMI's highest honor, the Richard Kirk Lifetime Achievement Award [12]
- Top Grossing Film Award: 27 Dresses
- Top Grossing Film Award: The Mask
- Top Grossing Film Award: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
- Top Grossing Film Award: The Last of the Mohicans
- Top Grossing Film Award: XXX
- Top Grossing Film Award: Kindergarten Cop
- Top Grossing Film Award: Six Days Seven Nights
- Top Grossing Film Award: Ghostbusters II
- Top Grossing Film Award: Anaconda
- Top Grossing Film Award: Twins
- Top Grossing Film Award: While You Were Sleeping
- Top TV Series Award: MacGyver
- Spotlight Award: Awarded for two decades of NBC's Randy Edelman Olympic Theme[13]
Emmy Awards
- Winner: "Atlanta Olympics NBC Broadcast" Emmy Award [14]
Golden Globes Award
- Nominated: Last of the Mohicans ( Best Original Score - Motion Picture) [15]
British Academy of Film and Television Awards Nomination
- Last of the Mohicans: Nominated (Best Original Film Score) BAFTA Award for Best Film Music
Kautz Alumni Masters Awards
- University of Cincinnati: Kautz Alumni Masters Award for Outstanding Alumnus [16]
Goldspirit Awards
- Leap Year (film): Named in honor of Jerry Goldsmith as Best Comedy Score [17]
Long Island International Film Expo
- Lifetime Achievement Award: In Film Scoring and Composition [18]
- 2018 Composer and Lyricist Guild
- Lifetime Achievement Award L.A.
References
- ^ "Edelman, Randy 1947–". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ^ "Randy Edelman". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ^ Sheff, David. "Jackie Deshannon Wrote the Tune but Randy Edelman Put a Little Love in Her Heart", People, May 5, 1980. Accessed September 27, 2011. "Edelman, in fact, was scarcely 22, just out of Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music and still living part-time in Teaneck, N.J. with his parents (an accountant and a first-grade teacher)."
- ^ Coutros, Evonne. "The guy who knows the score; Composer's movie career is on a roll", The Record (North Jersey), May 18, 1994. Accessed February 12, 2020. "Edelman, born in Paterson and raised in Teaneck, also has scored the films Beethoven, Beethoven's 2nd, The Distinguished Gentleman, The Last of the Mohicans, and Kindergarten Cop.... For the 1965 graduate of Teaneck High School, his big break came after scoring the children's animated feature The Chipmunk Adventure."
- ^ "Randy Edelman, Merv Griffin, Eminem Among Honorees at BMI Film/TV Awards". bmi.com. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
- ^ "Top 100 Frequently Used Cues". soundtrack.net. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
- ^ Sella, Marshall (July 28, 2002). "The 150-Second Sell, Take 34". New York Times. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- ^ "1995–1997 NFL on NBC Theme". Ilovewavs.com. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ^ "Randy Edelman Returns To CMM" Archived 2016-10-25 at the Wayback Machine, Wards } Randy Edelman, Undated
- ^ " IFMCA Award Composer Stats ", IFMCA, No Date
- ^ "Randy Edelman Returns to CMM", CinciPulse, January 2, 2013
- ^ "Randy Edelman, Merv Griffin, Eminem Among Honorees at BMI Film/TV Awards", BMI, May 14, 2003
- ^ "CCM Alumnus Randy Edelman Receives 2014 BMI Spotlight Award ", CCM The Village News Blog, May 22, 2014
- ^ "Randy Edelman", Billboard, No date
- ^ " The Last of the Mohicans", IMBD, 1993
- ^ "Famed alumnus film composer conducts CCM orchestra ", University of Cincinnati, No Date
- ^ "Spirit", BSO Spirit, 2010
- ^ "L.I. International Film Expo to Run July 8-16" Archived 2016-11-30 at the Wayback Machine, The Island Now, July 2, 2015
External links
- 1947 births
- 20th-century American composers
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American composers
- 21st-century American male musicians
- American film score composers
- American Jews
- American male singers
- American television composers
- Epic Records artists
- Jewish American film score composers
- Living people
- Male film score composers
- Male television composers
- MCA Records artists
- Musicians from Paterson, New Jersey
- People from Teaneck, New Jersey
- Singers from New Jersey
- Songwriters from New Jersey
- Sony Classical Records artists
- Teaneck High School alumni
- Varèse Sarabande Records artists