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Michel Rubini

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michel Rubini
Born(1942-12-03)December 3, 1942(age 81)
Los Angeles, California,U.S.
GenresPop,R&B,blues,film score
Occupation(s)Composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, orchestrator, arranger, songwriter
InstrumentKeyboards
Formerly ofThe Wrecking Crew
Websitemichelrubini.com

Michel Rubini(born December 3, 1942) is an American musician, conductor, arranger, producer, songwriter and composer. A professional classical pianist since early childhood, he was a prolificsession musicianof the 1960s and '70s, part of a group known as "The Wrecking Crew",and worked with such artistsRay Charles,Frank Zappa,Sonny and CherandBarbra Streisand.He has also written several film scores, notably forTony Scott'sThe Hunger(1983) andMichael Mann'sManhunter(1986),Silhouette(1990) starring Faye Dunaway and the television seriesCapitol(1982-87),The Hitchhiker(1984-87) andTales from the Crypt(1990). He is the son of violinistJan Rubini.

As a musician

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As a session player and arranger

Rubini was producer, conductor and arranger forMotown Records.He was one of the most sought-after Los Angeles session players during the 1960s and 1970s, performing on albums bySonny & Cher(and the hit single "The Beat Goes On"),Loggins and Messina,Michael Parks,the Cats,the Righteous Brothers,and many others. Rubini arranged and conducted Sonny & Chér single "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done",arranged Cher single"Don't Hide Your Love"andMaureen McGovernsingle "I Won't Last A Day Without You". Rubini also made numerous television appearances in the house band of the 1980s game showsFace the MusicandName That Tune.Rubini played the organ on "That's Life"by Frank Sinatra and the grand piano on"Strangers in the Night",also by Sinatra.[1] [2]

As a writer

Rubini co-wrote three songs forThelma Houston:"Give Me Something To Believe In", "Memories", and "I've Got the Devil in Me" – all included onThe Devil in Mealbum. He composed two songs forThe New Kidsfilm: "Edge Of Survival" (lyrics and performed by Jess Harnell) and "Over And Over And Over Again" (lyrics and performed by Miriam Cutler).

Solo Career

Rubini, together with Don Dunn, wrote and recorded an albumDiggin' Itin 1976. During recording session, he played on piano, organ, clavinet, harpsichord, electric piano, and synthesizer. In 1978 a follow-up of sorts was issued under the Motown imprint, this one by Friendly Enemies, a pop trio consisting of Dunn, Rubini, and lead vocalist Chuck Smith. The albumRound Onealso bore the original version of "Baby It's Me", which was recorded by Diana Ross in 1977 (the Enemies' version was made that year, but remained in the can until the 1978 LP release.) In 1988 he recorded his LP album for Gold Castle Records calledSecret Dreams.The album was re-recorded, mixed and released on CD by Essence Records in 1994. Rubini recalled:

It was a solo effort on my part, and everything that I played was totally improvised. There was no prearranging, composing or thought other than just letting the music flow out through me onto the tape.

He started playing gospel and blues about age 13, but he wrote, recorded and released his first and, so far, only blues albumBand is Tight Tonitein early 1990s. Rubini had said:

I called my 5 favorite blues players, got 6 of my favorite blues/gospel singers from the CME Community Choir, went into the studio and blew it out for 4 days. All live, no overdubs.

Rubini also wrote two instrumental songs, released as a single by Atco, calledSummer Song /Moonlight Mood.

As a film score composer

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Rubini’s most famous score may be as the composer of the soundtrack toThe Hunger,ahorror filmdirected byTony Scott.This 1983 score is emblematic of dark 1980s electronic music (created usingsynthesizersandsynclavierII) inspired by the work ofKrzysztof PendereckiandGyörgy Ligeti.In 1985 he composedGraham's ThemeforMichael Mann's filmManhunter.The theme composed by Rubini forManhunterwas also dark but more melodic than the score toThe Hunger.Rubini collaborated with Mann a second time, forBand of the Hand,a more traditional score using ashakuhachi.In 1992 Rubini composed the score forNemesis,a jazz and oriental music fusion with an electronic ensemble. His instrumental music features in the filmsPanic( "HSML Cha Cha Cha #1", "HSML Bossa Nova Source #1" ) andHollywood Homicide( "Lord Made An Angel" ). He composed two songs for the 1985 filmThe New Kids:Edge Of Survival(lyrics written and performed byJess Harnell) andOver And Over And Over Again(lyrics written and performed by Miriam Cutler). In 1992 he wrote and performed music for theMerlin & The Dragonsaudiobook byJane Yolen(read byKevin Kline).

As a television score composer

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Rubini's first television work was as pianist for the Tommy Oliver Orchestra on the 1980 musicalgame showFace the Music,where he was frequently referred to on-air by hostRon Elyand occasionally performed solo pieces. This was followed by composing music for episodes for the TV seriesThe Hitchhikerbeginning in 1983, along with co-scoring the daytimesoap operaCapitoland theHBOseriesTales from the Crypt.Since 1987, he became successful as a mini-series, HBO special andTV moviecomposer.

In June 2008, as a member of the Wrecking Crew, a legendary group of studio musicians responsible for backing most of the hits recorded in Los Angeles during the 60’s, Rubini was named on a Plaque with other key players in the group in a ceremony at the Guitar Center WALK OF FAME in Hollywood.[3]

Discography

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  • Summer Song /Moonlight Mood(Single)
  • Diggin it '76(with Don Dunn)
  • Round One(with Don Dunn and Chuck Smith as "Friendly Enemies" ) 1978
  • Secret Dreams
  • Band is Tight Tonite

Soundtracks released

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References

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  1. ^"AFM contract -" That's Life ""(PDF).RetrievedJune 1,2014.
  2. ^"AFM contract -" Stranger's in the Night ""(PDF).RetrievedJune 1,2014.
  3. ^"Hal Blaine & the Wrecking Crew Honored in Hollywood".27 June 2008.
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