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Rodney Franklin

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American jazz pianist and composer

Rodney Franklin
Birth nameRodney Franklin
Born (1958-09-16) September 16, 1958 (age 66)
Berkeley, California
GenresJazz
Jazz Fusion
OccupationMusician
InstrumentPiano
Years active1972–present
Musical artist

Rodney Franklin (born September 16, 1958) is an American jazz pianist and composer.

Biography

Franklin was born in Berkeley, California in September, 1958. In 1964, aged six, he took jazz piano lessons at the Washington Elementary School and was taught by Dr Herb Wong who was a jazz journalist, disc jockey and music teacher. In 1972 at the young age of 14 he led the funk-jazz band In One Piece (alt. In One Peace) performing his first 3 recordings at a studio in Ray Dobar's House of Music in Berkeley, California. Produced by George Semper, only one of the songs has been released on the 2003 Inner City Sounds 2X LP Compilation released on Luv N'Haight Ubiquity Recordings.

Prior to signing up with CBS Records in 1978, Franklin worked with John Handy in San Francisco, as well as Bill Summers, Freddie Hubbard and Marlena Shaw.

His debut CBS album was In the Center (1978), a jazz fusion album featuring "On the Path" and "I Like the Music Make It Hot". Although aged 20 when he recorded the album, he had already developed his own sound which was influenced by McCoy Tyner and George Duke, Chick Corea, Lonnie Liston Smith and George Semper.

In 1980 the album You'll Never Know he had major chart success with "The Groove" (it reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart). The track was released on both 7" and 12" format. It created a UK dance craze called 'The Freeze' which was started up by DJ Chris Hill.

Additional albums which were also recorded on the CBS label have included Rodney Franklin (1980), Endless Flight (1981), Learning to Love (1982), Marathon (1984) (probably his most famous in the UK, produced by bass player Stanley Clarke and the LP which released a single called Stay on in the Groove), Skydance (1985) and It Takes Two (1986).

In 1988 he moved over to the BMG record label and recorded Diamond Inside of You which introduced vocals by Jennifer Holliday on the single, "Gotta Give It Up". In addition, Franklin has also produced and released an album on Nova Records called Love Dancin' in 1992.

Discography

Albums

Year Title Peak chart positions
UK
 US US Jazz US Cont. Jazz US R&B
1978 In the Center — — — x —
1980 You'll Never Know 64 104 10 x 25
Rodney Franklin — 207 12 x 62
1981 Endless Flight — — 15 x 47
1982 Learning to Love — 190 9 x 45
1984 Marathon — 187 15 x 54
1985 Skydance — — 31 x —
1986 It Takes Two — — 34 x —
1988 Diamond Inside of You — — — 20 —
1992 Love Dancin' — — — — —
1995 Rhythms of Africa (with Bernie Krause) — — — — —
Rain Forest Dreams (with Bernie Krause) — — — — —
1998 Ocean Odyssey (with Bernie Krause) — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. "x" denotes that chart did not exist at the time.

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
BE (FLA)
 CAN AC
 NL
 UK
 US Dance
 US R&B
1978 "I Like the Music Make It Hot" — — — — — —
1980 "The Groove" 30 — 31 7 27 41
"In the Center" — — — — — 91
1981 "Windy City" — — — — — 89
"The Theme from Hill Street Blues" — 29 — — — —
1982 "Enuff Is Enuff" — — — — — 68
1983 "That's the Way I Feel 'Bout Your Love" — — — — — 64
1984 "Stay On in the Groove" — — — — — 72
1985 "Fiesta" (Promo) — — — — — —
1986 "Look What's Showing Through" — — — — — 59
"The Eagle and the Condor" — — — — — —
1987 "Bustin' Out" — — — — — —
1988 "Gotta Give It Up" — — — — — —
"Stop to Love" — — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

References

  1. ^ "Rodney Franklin Biography". Oldies.com.
  2. Bush, John. "Rodney Franklin - Artist Biography". AllMusic.
  3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 213. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ^ "RODNEY FRANKLIN | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  5. "Billboard, June 14, 1980". Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 24. June 14, 1980. p. 75.
  6. "Billboard, July 5, 1980". Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 27. July 5, 1980. p. 30.
  7. "Billboard, May 24, 1980". Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 21. May 24, 1980. p. 33.
  8. "Billboard, November 29, 1980". Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 48. November 29, 1980. p. 29.
  9. "Billboard, January 10, 1981". Billboard. Vol. 93, no. 1. January 10, 1981. p. 84.
  10. "Billboard, December 6, 1980". Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 49. December 6, 1980. p. 27.
  11. "Billboard, November 28, 1981". Billboard. Vol. 93, no. 47. November 28, 1981. p. 53.
  12. "Billboard, December 19, 1981". Billboard. Vol. 93, no. 50. December 19, 1981. p. 67.
  13. "Billboard, February 5, 1983". Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 5. February 5, 1983. p. 67.
  14. "Billboard, April 2, 1983". Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 14. April 2, 1983. p. 42.
  15. "Billboard, January 15, 1983". Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 2. January 15, 1983. p. 40.
  16. "Billboard, March 10, 1984". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 10. March 10, 1984. p. 73.
  17. "Billboard, April 7, 1984". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 14. April 7, 1984. p. 49.
  18. "Billboard, April 14, 1984". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 15. April 14, 1984. p. 50.
  19. "Billboard, August 3, 1985". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 31. August 3, 1985. p. 58.
  20. "Billboard, August 16, 1986". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 33. August 16, 1986. p. 37.
  21. "Billboard, December 24, 1988". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 52. December 24, 1988. p. 60.
  22. "ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS". ultratop.be. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  23. Library and Archives Canada. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  24. "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  25. ^ "Rodney Franklin Songs ••• Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Music VF. Retrieved September 24, 2020.

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