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Rod Temperton

(1949–)

Cleethorpes, United Kingdom

Cleethorpes-born songwriter who went from filleting fish to writing 'Thriller.' Keyboardist of funk band Heatwave ('Boogie Nights,' 'Always and Forever'), discovered by Quincy Jones. Wrote 'Rock with You,' 'Off the Wall,' and 'Burn This Disco Out' for Off the Wall, then 'Thriller,' 'Baby Be Mine,' and 'The Lady in My Life' for Thriller. Also wrote George Benson's 'Give Me the Night' and songs for Herbie Hancock. Known as 'The Invisible Man' for his extreme privacy. Passed away 2016.

Rod Temperton's albums

Thriller
Thriller
Michael Jackson · 1982
Thriller
Michael Jackson · 1982
Rock with You
Michael Jackson · 1979

Rod TempertonRod Tempertonロッド・テンパートン — who wrote 'Thriller,' 'Rock with You,' and 'Off the Wall' — was a former fish filleter from Cleethorpes, England, and keyboardist of funk band Heatwave. When Quincy JonesQuincy JonesQuincy Jonesクインシー・ジョーンズ called him, he hung up thinking it was a prank. 'Thriller' was originally titled 'Starlight,' but Jones said it wasn't strong enough for an album title. Temperton wrote 200–300 alternatives in his hotel room before landing on 'Thriller.' He composed Vincent Price's spoken-word script in a taxi on the way to the studio — Price recorded it in two takes.

— How Heatwave's Rod Temperton ended up writing songs for Michael Jackson — MusicRadar

Rod Temperton's albums

Rod Temperton's albums

The Dude
The Dude
Quincy Jones · 1981
Thriller
Thriller
Michael Jackson · 1982

Quincy JonesQuincy JonesQuincy Jonesクインシー・ジョーンズ's jazz album The Dude (1981) and Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Jacksonマイケル・ジャクソン's Thriller (1982) were recorded just a year apart with nearly the same rhythm section — Greg PhillinganesGreg PhillinganesGreg Phillinganesグレッグ・フィリンゲインズ (keys), JR Robinson (drums), Louis JohnsonLouis Johnsonルイス・ジョンソン (bass), Paulinho Da CostaPaulinho Da CostaPaulinho Da Costaパウリーニョ・ダ・コスタ (percussion), Steve LukatherSteve LukatherSteve Lukatherスティーヴ・ルカサー (guitar), Rod TempertonRod Tempertonロッド・テンパートン (songwriter). The Dude was essentially the jazz-side rehearsal for Thriller.

— The Dude — Sessiondays.com

Rod Temperton's albums