Mikey McCleary

Mikey McCleary
Mikey McCleary
Background information
Born	Michael McCleary (1969-01-08) 8 January 1969 (age 56) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Origin	Auckland, New Zealand
Occupation(s)	Songwriter, composer, performer, producer, director
Years active	1993–present
Website	mikeymccleary.com

Michael McCleary is a New Zealand songwriter, composer and producer based in Mumbai. He is known for Khoya Khoya Chand and Hawa Hawai from Shaitan , Neend Na Mujhko Aaye and Eena Meena Deeka from Shaandaar , ^[1] Fifi from Bombay Velvet , O Lal Meri / Mast Kalandar from David and Dhak Dhak from Nautanki Saala . ^{[2] [3]} He has also released an album of full-length versions of some of his most popular advertisement jingles called TV Dinners. ^[4]

Personal life

Michael McCleary ^[5] is a New Zealander who was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He is married to writer and actress Diksha Basu. ^[6]

Career

McCleary began his career in the Indian industry with a collaboration with Lucky Ali. He was responsible for the music arrangement for the album Sunoh and several subsequent Lucky Ali albums and he has also worked regularly with A. R. Rahman. ^[7]

He composed & produced all the tracks and background music for the film Waiting . In 2015 he won the Best Composer Award for the film Margarita with a Straw at the Asian Film Awards. ^[8] He also created the background score for Dibakar Banerjee's 2012 political thriller Shanghai as well as contributing music for several other films including Shaitan , Kahaani , Love Sex aur Dhokha , Shaandaar , Bombay Velvet and Chennai Express . ^[9] He composed the background score and a few tracks for Bejoy Nambiar's second film, David and then turned into a full-fledged Bollywood music director for Rohan Sippy's 2013 film, Nautanki Saala . ^[10] He also created the background score and one track for the 2014 film, Shaadi Ke Side Effects . ^[11]

Going by the stage name of The Bartender, McCleary has three albums released, Classic Bollywood: Shaken not Stirred (2011), B Seventy (2013) and Classic Bollywood with a Twist (2014).^{[ citation needed ]}

The Bartender as an artist includes Suman Sridhar, Shalmali Kholgade, Shibani Dandekar, Rachel Varghese, Saba Azad and Mauli Dave on vocals, Vinay Lobo on guitar, Aditya Ashok on drums, Anand Bhagat on percussions, Ramon Ibrahim on keyboards, Rhys D'Souza on saxophone, Kishore Sodha on trumpet and Mikey McCleary on bass. It has in the past also included Anushka Manchanda, Monica Dogra and Sagarika Mukherjee on vocals, Merlin D'Souza on keyboards, and Warren Mendonsa on guitar.

TV Dinners was McCleary's debut album of English songs. ^[12] Featuring his own vocals on half the album, it also features the singers Anushka Manchanda, Shalmali Kholgade, Monica Dogra and Mauli Dave. Five music videos directed by him have been released for tracks from this album. ^[13]

In 2024, McCleary launched an all-girl Indian pop group, named W.i.S.H. The group consisted of Ri, Suchi, Zo and Sim. The group released its first song Lazeez on 1 March. ^[14]

Discography

Music albums

Artist	Position	Album
Lucky Ali	Music Arrangement	Sunoh Sifar Kabhi Aisa Lagta Hai Aks Xsuie Raasta Man
A. R. Rahman	Co-Producer	Pray for Me Brother
The Bartender	Music Composer and producer	Classic Bollywood: Shaken not Stirred
The Bartender	Music Composer and producer	B Seventy
The Bartender	Music Composer and producer	Classic Bollywood with a Twist
Mikey McCleary	Music Composer and producer	TV Dinners

Films

Year	Film	Position	Track
	It's a Wonderful Afterlife	Song composer	* Hai Mar Jawaan
2010	Love Sex aur Dhokha	Arranger	LSD Remix Can't Hold it any Longer Tu Gandi
2011	Shaitan	Music Revamped and Produced	Khoya Khoya Chand Hawa Hawai
2012	Shanghai	Background score composer
	Kahaani	Arranger	Piya tu Kaahe Rootha re
2013	David	Music Composer Music Revamped and Produced Background score composer – Hindi and Tamil versions	Out of Control Mast Kalandar
	Nautanki Saala	Songs revamped and Produced Song Composer Background score composer	Dhak Dhak Mera mann Kehne Laga Tu Hi Tu Draamebaaz Dil Ki... Toh Lag Gayi So Gaya yeh Jahan Saadi Galli Aaja (unplugged)
	Chennai Express	Song Composer	Titli – Drum & Bass Remix
2014	Shaadi Ke Side Effects	Song composer Background score composer	Ahista Ahista
	Angry Young Man	Song Composer	Ek Wajah Do
	Kuku Mathur Ki Jhand Ho Gayi	Song composer	Chop Chop
	Pizza	Song composer	Gimme Pizza!
2015	Bombay Velvet	Songs revamped and Produced	Mohobbat Buri Bimari Fifi
	Margarita with a Straw	Song composer Background score composer	Foreign Balamwa Choone Chali Aasman I Need a Man
	Shaandaar	Music revamped and Produced	Neend Na Mujhko aaye Eena Meena Deeka
	Waiting	Song composer Background score composer	Tu Hai Toh Main Hoon Zara Zara Got My Eyes on You Waiting For you
2016	Befikre	Song producer with Vishal–Shekhar Background score composer	"Nashe Si Chadh Gayi" "Ude Dil Befikre" "Je T'aime" "You & Me" "Labon Ka Karobaar" "Khulke Dulke" "Love Is a Dare" (Instrumental) "Nashe Si Chadh Gayi" (Remix)
2018	Blackmail	Background score composer along with Parth Parekh.
2019	Gully Boy	Song Composer	"Jeene Mein Aaye Maza"
	The Sky Is Pink	Background score along with Pritam
2022	Phone Bhoot	Song Composer	"Phone Bhoot Theme"
	Monica, O My Darling	Song Composer along with Achint Thakkar	"Yeh Ek Zindagi"

References

1. "Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt groove to Eena Meena Deeka in Shaandaar". hidustantimes.com. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
2. "Indian Music Talks". Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
3. "Meet music maverick Mikey McCleary". The Times of India . 22 February 2013. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
4. Sonam Savlani (10 June 2014). "Now Playing: Mikey McCleary's The Bartender". Elle. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
5. Ferreira, Verus (27 June 2014). ""Everyone can relate to the song sitting in front of the TV while eating a meal" Mikey McCleary". Musicunplugged.in. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
6. Surekha Kadapa-Bose (10 May 2015). "Hearing it anew". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
7. "I'm not trying to be a popstar: Mikey McCleary". The Times of India . 25 July 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
8. "Mikey McCleary gets Best Composer award for 'Margarita, With a Straw' at Asian Film Awards". radioandmusic.com. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
9. "'Shanghai' music rooted in Indian street music: Composer". Realbollywood.com. 10 June 2012. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
10. "Mikey Mccleary: The man behind music of Nautanki Saala, 'Khoya Khoya Chand' remix". bollywodhungama.com. 8 May 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
11. "Farhan has a unique voice: Mikey McCleary". Deccan Chronicle. 23 March 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
12. Sonali Shenoy (25 June 2014). "Mikey and the Jingle Factory". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
13. "Mikey McCleary debuts his new album 'TV Dinners'". Musicunplugged.in. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
14. "Mikey McCleary's project W.I.S.H set to bring new pop star energy to India". The Times of India. 29 February 2024. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 17 March 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Mikey McCleary at IMDb