Rob Hegel

Last updated
Rob Hegel
Birth nameRobert Eric Hegel
Born (1948-08-05) August 5, 1948 (age 75)
Dayton, Ohio
Genres Pop rock, country
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, author
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, guitar
LabelsRed Lips Records
Website www.robhegel.com

Robert Eric Hegel (born on August 5, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter best known for writing the Air Supply top twenty hit "Just as I Am" (with guitarist Dick Wagner) and the top ten disco hit "Sinner Man" for Sarah Dash (of Labelle).

Contents

Early life

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Hegel attended Centerville High School and was in the garage band The Chandells that changed its name to Bittervetch with the release of the 7" single "Bigger Fool", in 1966. [1]

Hegel enrolled at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and continued to write and perform in various clubs around campus.

Music career

In 1973, RCA signed Hegel to a recording contract and released the singles "New York City Girl" [2] and "Hello Jekyll, Goodbye Mister Hyde".

Hegel signed a publishing deal with Don Kirshner and Hegel, along with his lyricist Amanda George, wrote songs for various television projects such as NBC's The Kids from C.A.P.E.R. , the CBS sitcom A Year at the Top (co-produced with Norman Lear), theme songs for the pilot episodes of Say Uncle and Stick Around (starring Andy Kaufman), and the theme for Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.

In 1980, RCA released the Hegel LP.[ citation needed ] The first single from the album, "Tommy, Judy & Me", received radio airplay on the East Coast, including New York City. The single would peak at No. 109 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. [3] The opening lyric, "Tommy said that he's had some girls in the strangest positions in the back of his car", was deemed too controversial for many stations to add it to their playlists. The popularity of the song on the stations that did play it caught the attention of Dick Clark, and Hegel was invited to appear on American Bandstand .[ citation needed ] Upon arriving in Hollywood, Hegel was informed that the network censors would not clear "Tommy, Judy & Me" and the producer asked for two other songs to be performed instead.

Choreographer Patricia Birch, who had just been given the director's chair for the film Grease 2 , noticed "Tommy, Judy & Me" and asked Hegel to submit some songs. After receiving the script, Hegel wrote "Do It for Our Country" for the bomb shelter scene and played it over the phone to Birch.

In 1982, Hegel was introduced to guitarist and songwriter Dick Wagner and they decided to write some songs for Hegel to record and Wagner to produce. The first song written and recorded was "Just as I Am". Record promoter Chuck Dembrak took the recording to Chip Taylor at Polydor/Mercury Records and Hegel was signed to a recording contract. In 1983, on the day Chip Taylor and the entire promotion department were fired, "Just as I Am" was released.

Hegel later received a call from a former associate at RCA, Dave Carpin, who was now at Arista, and suggested "Just as I Am" would be the perfect follow-up to Air Supply's hit song "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" and was to give it to Clive Davis for evaluation. In 1985, Arista released Air Supply's version of the song and it became a top twenty U.S. hit.

Also in 1985, Chuck Dembrak approached Hegel with an idea to do a dance instrumental version of the Iron Butterfly song, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" for Kama Sutra Records. Dembrak brought in guitarist Les Fradkin and with Hegel producing and playing the synthesizer parts with Fradkin, their version was recorded. Needing a B-side, Hegel enlisted his friend Dick Wagner, and together they recorded an instrumental version of Hegel's "Frustrated", released in 1985.

Hegel released Hegel 2 – Displays (a 20-song CD compilation) on Red Lips Records in 2009. The CD features original first recordings of his songs "Tommy, Judy & Me", "We’re Lovers After All", and "You Wonder". A download-only collection titled Road Signs was released in 2012 and features some of Hegel's current work. In 2014, Hegel was asked to contribute songs to the Pete Quaife Foundation CD, Legends – Shoulder to Shoulder. Hegel contributed "You & I" from his Road Signs CD and recorded a mostly a cappella version of the Kinks hit song, "Tired of Waiting for You". The CD set was released in 2014.

In addition to songwriting and recording, Hegel has been recognized for his vocal harmonies and background vocal arranging skills. For Don Kirshner, Hegel arranged and sang background vocals (with Jay Siegel of The Tokens) for The Kids from C.A.P.E.R. project, and two albums by Sarah Dash; her eponymous debut album that featured "Sinner Man" and the follow-up Oo-La-La. During this time, Hegel was also hired to write, arrange, and perform the theme songs for two television pilots: Say Uncle (starring Richard B. Shull) and Stick Around (starring Andy Kaufman). Producer Steve Katz called Hegel into the studio to sing multi-overdub background vocals for the "Sad Song" track on Lou Reed Live, and for Harper Hug at Thunder Underground Recording Studio. Hegel arranged and performed all background vocals on Jamie Palumbo's Realistic CD and sang the background vocals on John Stanley King Band's "Dem Boulettes".

Novel

In his first novel, Tuxedo Bob, [4] co-authored with his wife Susan, Hegel combines his songwriting abilities with his quick wit and love for the English language to weave a tale of whimsy and wonder about a uniquely talented, impeccably dressed, and compulsively honest man.

In addition to Tuxedo Bob and Hegel's extensive music catalogue, he has written a musical thriller, The Mirror of Mister Moore, an action/detective screenplay, All That Glitter, and a stage play, And Then… What?.

Discography

Albums

Recordings

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Dorsey</span> American jazz trombonist and bandleader (1905–1956)

Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombone playing. His theme song was "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You". His technical skill on the trombone gave him renown among other musicians. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey. After Dorsey broke with his brother in the mid-1930s, he led an extremely successful band from the late 1930s into the 1950s. He is best remembered for standards such as "Opus One", "Song of India", "Marie", "On Treasure Island", and his biggest hit single, "I'll Never Smile Again".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Sedaka</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1939)

Neil Sedaka is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard "Howie" Greenfield and Phil Cody.

"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" is a popular song written by Harry Warren with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song was published in 1944, spanned the hit chart in mid-1945, and won the 1946 Academy Award for Best Original Song, the first win for Mercer.

"Blues in the Night" is a popular blues song which has become a pop standard and is generally considered to be part of the Great American Songbook. The music was written by Harold Arlen, the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for a 1941 film begun with the working title Hot Nocturne, but finally released as Blues in the Night. The song is sung in the film by William Gillespie.

<i>Headquarters</i> (The Monkees album) 1967 studio album by the Monkees

Headquarters is the third studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1967 by Colgems Records. It was issued after the first season of their television series had concluded and was the first album on which the group members made substantial songwriting and instrumental contributions, rather than relying on session musicians and professional songwriters. After a struggle for creative autonomy with their record label, the group had been allowed, to a degree, to record by themselves. Headquarters became the group's third consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum in the United States with sales of more than two million copies within the first two months of release. It also peaked at No. 2 on the UK charts. It is included in the 2006 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

<i>The Monkees</i> (album) 1966 studio album by the Monkees

The Monkees is the debut studio album by the American band the Monkees. It was released on October 10, 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, after which it was displaced by the band's second album. It also topped the UK charts in 1967. The Monkees has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of over five million copies.

<i>Lou Reed Live</i> 1975 live album by Lou Reed

Lou Reed Live is a live album by Lou Reed, released in 1975. It was recorded at the same concert as Rock 'n' Roll Animal ; on December 21, 1973, at Howard Stein's Academy of Music in New York. It features three songs from Transformer, one song from The Velvet Underground & Nico and two songs from Berlin. Between this album and the remastered Rock 'n' Roll Animal, the entire show has been released, albeit in a different order than the original concert setlist.

<i>Just Between You and Me</i> (Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton album) 1968 studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton

Just Between You and Me is the first collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on January 15, 1968, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned one single, "The Last Thing on My Mind", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

<i>The Fairest of Them All</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Dolly Parton

The Fairest of Them All is the fifth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on February 2, 1970, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It was the first of Parton's albums on which she wrote the majority of the songs. The Fairest of Them All peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album's only single, "Daddy Come and Get Me", peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

<i>Missing Links</i> (album) 1987 compilation album by the Monkees

Missing Links is a compilation album of rare and previously unreleased songs by the Monkees, issued by Rhino Records in 1987. It is the first volume of a three-volume set, followed by Missing Links Volume Two in 1990 and Missing Links Volume Three in 1996.

The Four Lovers was a band formed in 1956 that was the result of vocalist Frankie Valli joining The Variatones in 1954. The Four Lovers achieved minor success before a name change to The Four Seasons in 1960. During those five years, group members also included Nicolas DeVito, Hugh Garrity, Charles Calello (bass), Nick Massi, Bob Gaudio, and Philip Mongiovi (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Posey</span> American popular singer (born 1944)

Sandy Posey is an American popular singer who enjoyed success in the 1960s with singles such as her 1966 recording of Martha Sharp's compositions "Born a Woman" and "Single Girl". She is often described as a country singer, although, like Skeeter Davis, her output has varied. Later in her career, the term "countrypolitan", associated with the "Nashville sound", was sometimes applied. Posey had four hit singles in the United States, three of which peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chain of Fools</span> 1967 single by Aretha Franklin

"Chain of Fools" is a song written by Don Covay. Aretha Franklin first released the song as a single in 1967 and subsequently it appeared on many of her albums. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues chart and number two on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. In the lyrics, the singer has been with her boyfriend for five years but realizes she's one of his "chain of fools," women with whom he's been cheating. Others tell her to leave him, but she says his love is too strong and she's too weak. Yet someday, she predicts the chain will break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuxedo Junction</span> 1939 song by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

"Tuxedo Junction" is a popular big band song recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, becoming a No. 1 hit in 1940. The music was written by Erskine Hawkins, Bill Johnson, and Julian Dash and the lyrics by Buddy Feyne. The song was introduced by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra, a college dance band previously known as the Bama State Collegians. RCA released it in 1939 and it climbed to #7 on the American pop charts.

Les Fradkin is an American MIDI guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He is best known for being a member of the original cast of the hit Broadway show Beatlemania. In addition to playing MIDI guitar, he plays 12 string guitar, the Starr Labs Ztar, guitar synthesizer, SynthAxe, Hammond organ, Mellotron, piano, bass guitar, and Moog synthesizer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You</span> 1967 single by the Monkees

"A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" is a song written by Neil Diamond, recorded by the Monkees in 1967 and released as a single on the Colgems label. The lead vocal was Davy Jones' first on a Monkees single. The single reached No. 1 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart, while on the Billboard Hot 100 it reached No. 2, with "Somethin' Stupid" by Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra keeping it from the top spot.

<i>Greatest Hits: Songs from an Aging Sex Bomb</i> 1993 greatest hits album by K. T. Oslin

Greatest Hits: Songs from an Aging Sex Bomb is a compilation album by American country music artist K. T. Oslin, released by RCA Records in 1993. "A New Way Home", a re-recording of a track from her Love in a Small Town album, and "Feeding a Hungry Heart" were the only singles released from the project. The album also includes a re-recording of Oslin's 1988 hit "Hold Me". The album reached number 31 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You'll Be Gone</span> 1965 single by Elvis Presley

"You'll Be Gone" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and released in 1965 on the Girl Happy soundtrack album and as a 45 single. The song was recorded in 1962 and was one of very few which Presley was involved in writing; his co-writers were his bodyguard Red West and Charlie Hodge. The other song that Elvis Presley composed was "That's Someone You Never Forget" in 1961 with Red West, which was on the Pot Luck LP released in 1962. The song was recorded on Sunday, March 18, 1962, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Radcliffe</span> American singer

James Radcliffe was an American soul singer, composer, arranger, conductor and record producer.

<i>Hank Locklin</i> (1962 album) 1962 studio album by Hank Locklin

Hank Locklin is a self-titled studio album by American country singer–songwriter Hank Locklin. It was released in March 1962 via RCA Camden records. It was Locklin's first album released on the RCA Camden label was co-produced by Chet Atkins and Steve Sholes. The album was Locklin's fifth proper studio effort, which compiled a handful of songs previously not released on albums. A total of 12 tracks were contained on the record. This included 1961 hit, "From Here to There to You."

References

  1. "Gear Fab Catalog".
  2. "Rob Hegel - New York City Girl". Discogs . 1974.
  3. "Rob Hegel - Top Songs / Chart Singles". musicvf.com. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  4. Amazon.com Tuxedo Bob