Michael Moran (music producer)

Michael Moran (born 4 March 1948, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer.

Mike Moran
Birth name	Michael Moran
Born	4 March 1948 Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Occupation(s)	Record producer
Instruments	Keyboards
Years active	1960s to present
Associated acts	Ian Gillan Band

Biography

Moran studied at the Royal College of Music in London prior to becoming a session musician and composer and arranger, including scoring music for such Handmade Films productions as Time Bandits (1981), The Missionary (1982) and Water (1985). He also played with the Ian Gillan Band.

"Rock Bottom", which he wrote in partnership with Lynsey de Paul, was the UK entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, and put him in the spotlight for the first time. Although leading early on in the voting, the song eventually came second in the contest. Nevertheless, it went on to become a Top 20 hit in many European countries including France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where it reached the top of their singles chart. It was more successful in Continental Europe than in the United Kingdom and was also covered by many local artists in a number of different languages.[1]

De Paul and Moran went on to write a number of songs such as "Let Your Body Go Downtown", a Top 40 hit for the Martyn Ford Orchestra,[2] and the follow-up "Going to a Disco", as well as "Without You", and "Now and Then", which appeared on the de Paul albums Tigers and Fireflies and Just a Little Time, respectively.

For many years, Moran was the musical director for the UK ITV children's music series, Get It Together, performing each week, accompanying the various studio guests and playing the theme music. He had another attempt at writing a UK Eurovision entry in 1990, when he wrote "That Old Feeling Again" for Stephen Lee Garden, which placed fifth out of the eight songs in the UK song selection competition.

Other songs co-written by Moran are "Snot Rap" (recorded by Kenny Everett), as well as "No Mean City" (the theme to the crime drama Taggart, sung by Maggie Bell), "It's Alright" (the theme to the crime drama New Tricks, sung by Dennis Waterman) and the music for the UK game series Chain Letters, Lucky Ladders and The Krypton Factor.

Moran has worked with various members of Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, Nicko McBrain and George Harrison. He was co-producer, arranger, keyboards performer and co-author of all the tracks on the album Barcelona, the classical crossover collaboration between Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and opera singer Montserrat Caballé, released in 1988. He produced The Queen Album (1988), Piaf (1994) and Essential Musicals (2006) for Elaine Paige.

Recently, Moran appeared in Dragon's Den (series 7, episode 3) as the musical director of a Dusty Springfield musical, and also produced the Tommy Fleming album The West's Awake (2014).

Personal life

Moran has been married to his wife Lynda for 25 years and lives in Buckinghamshire.

Discography

As sideman

With Norma Tanega

• I Don't Think It Will Hurt If You Smile (RCA, 1971)

With Oliver Nelson

• Oliver Edward Nelson in London with Oily Rags (Flying Dutchman, 1974)

With Chris Rea

• One Fine Day (Rhino Entertainment, 2019)

References

1. "Cover versions of Rock Bottom by Lynsey De Paul & Mike Moran | SecondHandSongs". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 208. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links

• Mike Moran at IMDb