Who Is Dan Hartman And Why Is Everyone Saying Wonderful Things About Him?

Upon launching a solo career in 1976, Dan released a promotional album which contained a compilation of his songs as well as tracks from Johnny Winter and the Edgar Winter Group.

Promo album, now a collectors item.

Blue Sky XSM 160840 - 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975

Back cover blurb includes:

"In the summer of 1971 Dan recorded 13 of his songs, playing all of the instruments himself. He sent his material to several industry figures, including Steve Paul. Steve heard the tape and asked Dan to audition for Edgar Winter, who was in the process of forming the Edgar Winter Group. According to Dan, "I had been offered a job at Electric Lady Studios, but I jammed with Edgar in a hotel room one night and both of us liked it." Edgar also liked Dan's writing, and says, "But most important, Dan was the right kind of person. He is someone who can work within the structure of a band yet express himself personally in many different ways."

Steve Paul believes Dan Hartman has the perfect combination of multiple music talents and the patience and discipline necessary for success.

Dan Hartman's second full-length release but his first album of new material and includes Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer and Ronnie Montrose as guests.

Other guests include Clarence Clemons, Randy Brecker, Dan's father Carl, and from his hometown band The Legends, drummer Larry Sadler. Supplying background vocals on two songs was RSO Records' soul group, Revelation.

Continuing themes heard on They Only Come Out at Night, Hartman follows up with two Montrose-assisted straight-ahead rockers.

High Sign sounds like the son of Free Ride with Ronnie supplying a revving sports car sound reminiscent of Bad Motor Scooter. The Party's in the Back Room has the party continuing from We All Had a Real Good Time. Alta Mira's reggae flavour resurfaces on Love It Too Much. The soothing acoustic sounds of Autumn echo back on Thank You for the Good Times and My Love.

Newer soul and R&B sounds appear on If Only I Were Stronger and Can't Stand in the Way of Love while Shake It Down, with great sax by Clarence Clemons, is a precursor to the dance sounds soon to follow on Instant Replay. Shake It Down appears on the collection Super Hits (2004).

Single releases

High Sign, released as a 7" Promo single in 1976. Did not chart in either the US or UK.

Lighthouse, released as a 7" single in 1977. Did not chart in either the US or UK.

Dan recorded this version of My Love during a session called the Baldwin Session Tapes, courtesy of Greg Croft.

Track Listing

Blue Sky BL 34322

All songs written by Dan Hartman, except Hear My Song - written by Hartman/Winter.

Dan Hartman: Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocals, Percussion
Strings arranged and conducted by Dan Hartman
Produced by Dan Hartman
Sound by Dave Still
Organic adviser – Steve Paul

Recorded at the De Saint Phalle Estate, Sands Point, New York. Mixed at the Hit Factory, NYC by Dave Still and Dan Hartman.

7 versions available of this album.

Album originally available on audio cassette and 8-Track in some countries.

Released on CD format in 2011 and available for MP3 download from Amazon. Available on music streaming sites.

The third full-length album from Dan Hartman. Released in 1978, where all the album tracks reached number 1 on the American dance chart. The title track/first single peaked at number 29 on the Hot 100 in the U.S. and number 8 in the United Kingdom. The follow-up single, "This Is It", was only a minor Hot 100 hit, reaching number 91 in 1979, while rising to number 18 in the U.K.

Instant Replay was released as a 12 inch single and was one of the first to play at 33 1/3 RPM (rather than the standard 45 RPM playing speed). The album was also released on audio cassette.

The album was re-released several times on CD and, in 2016, released again on CD and contained additional tracks and remixes.

Blue Sky A/BL 35641

Instant Replay, released as a 7" single in 1978, charted up to no. 1 in the US and no. 8 in the UK.

Also released as a 12" single. playing at 33.3 RPM.

The video for the song features Hartman alongside future Kiss lead guitarist Vinnie Vincent, Hilly Michaels from the band Sparks on drums, and G.E. Smith on bass. Backing vocalist Blanche Napoleon did not appear in the video.

The single picture sleeve was released in the Netherlands with a bizarre photograph of Dan playing an acoustic guitar! Picture sleeves in other countries mainly featured a smaller version of the Instant Replay album art.

7" inch single

Chocolate Box, released as a 7" single in 1978, failed to chart in either the US or the UK.

Time And Space, released as a 7" single in 1979, failed to chart in either the US or the UK.

This Is It, released as a 7" single in 1979, and reached no. 91 and no. 18 in the US and UK charts respectively.

Also released as a Limited Edition 12" single. playing at 33.3 RPM.

7" single

Demo recordings

Dan recorded a demo tape at his studio at the Schoolhouse in 1977, including the tracks This Is It and Relight My Fire - Listen to them via our Soundcloud account.

Singles Charts

Album credits

Dan Hartman: Vocals, Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocals, Bass, Scat, Percussion
Hilly Michaels  -  Drums
Vinnie Cusano*  -  Guitar, Vocals
Edgar Winter  -  Horn
Blanche Napolean  -  Vocals
G.E. Smith**  -  Guitar
Larry Washington  -  Conductor

* Vinnie Cusano is rocker Vinnie Vincent who played with Kiss

**GE Smith was the band leader for Saturday Night Live

Produced and Engineered by Dan Hartman

"A Tom Moulton Mix"

Direction - Steve Paul

Recorded at The Schoolhouse. Mixed at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, PA.

41 versions of this album available.

Album originally available on 8-Track in some countries.

Released on CD format in 2016 as an expanded edition and available for MP3 download from Amazon. Available on music streaming sites.

Instant Replay (Single) Review

Record Mirror, November 18, 1978

Hartman's Heartland

Barry Cain meets former Edgar Winter Band member Dan Hartman - the man who made 'Instant Replay' one of the most instant of this year's pop/disco hits.

The yellow cab spilt out of the New York specimen bottle mist in search of a basement studio around the corner from CBGB's for the past 15 hours Dan Hartman has been singing Instant Replay into a camera for the benefit of those people over here that don't know what he looks like and that means everybody. 15 hours of smiles that by now have upturned edges like those limp cheese sandwiches at parties, 15 hours of incessant miming of spontaneous gestures of bouncing up and down on the piano stool like he's suffering from a case of terminal piles and all for a three minute promo film on Top Of The Pops. Imagine sitting around in a sterile basement for 15 hours just to enable a Kid Travis or whoever to say to a 16 year old girl from Crawley, with a paper hat and uncontrollable giggles, who sings Instant Replay. But what's worse is that Mr Hartman has to wear extremely tight trousers and a frilly green silk shirt for the duration. You can see the tears swirling around his eyes when the light catches him in a certain way. His band, three contenders for the dumbest dresses of the Year Award. Still looking very uncomfortable and near to exhaustion but it appears that the director is a perfectionist and insists on making the film a work of Art or at least a tasteful exercise in contemporary rock cinematography.

Shame it's going to be wasted on Top Of The Pops. Instant Replay, mocked by some for its undoubted cash-in qualities, its porcelain perfection, its contrived slot in a structure, is still irrefutably one of the most polished disco hits of the year. If you're going to do it, that's the way. 'Instant Replay' stands alongside Sylvester's 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' and the Bee Gees eruptions as '78's get it on classics.

Most disco is irksome an overtly chemical by nature. Hartman's effort is entertaining simply because its intentions are unconcealed he doesn't want you to just dance. It's a vinylised party. The sort of thing Max Bygraves might have done if he'd been 100 years younger. And to think, just a few years ago Hartman was holed up in a 35 room mansion on Long Island with Edgar Winter and his gang of merry men, laughing, drinking, making pots of money and cut off from the rest of the world in a frozen tank of a dream.

"I guess the bubble had to burst eventually" Dan tells me in the kitchen, which is slightly bigger than my whole flat put together, adjoining the studio, during a break in filming which gives him ample time to try and find some material to grip around his thighs and just – er - pull the trousers down from- er - under his crotch and – ah - relieve the tension in his squashed – er -whatever.

“It was Utopia. We were four very decadent people eating lavish meals drinking vintage wines, playing tennis. But it was all a façade. It started to go wrong when we all began to think we could do anything we wanted to. We never realised we missed the mark on record. We had gotten away from what we originally set out to do communicate. Edgar, Rick Derringer and me had totally different musical tastes so when we played it was like listening to the radio.”

Obviously that terrible way of living has had its effect on 28-year-old Dan. He now looks incredibly healthy and sounds as if his only hang-up is how to decorate his newly acquired 16-room colonial house in Westport, Connecticut.

“I was with Edgar for three years. Through the successes and the failures. What magnified the problems was that we were all also going through the most critical point of our lives – y’know those years between 20 and 25. It's a crazy time ‘cos you're just evolving In the adult world "We said to each other our Idyllic lives together would never end. How wrong can you be We were halfway through our last tour, in a hotel room, when we decided to call It a day.

The end of a multi -million dollar business and multi -million dollar friendship." The Edgar Winter Band epitomised the egregious, steroid pulp pop posturing prevalent in the mid seventies which has now manifested Itself In the likes of the more successful Boston and Foreigner. In actual fact, the EWB were more talented than their shallow offspring. It was just that as a unit they appeared totally disorganised - each member chasing his own particular rainbow and disregarding band policy, if one even existed. The result was a frustrating collection of erratic, disjointed records over a three year life span which only gave fuel to the "rich kids playing at being rock stars" critic lams justifiably levelled at them.

"When we split I decided I didn't want to be In the public eye for a while," recalls Dan. "I didn't need the pressure." He got a studio together near his home and started recording Muddy Waters and Foghat.

And now for the story behind the man behind the hit behind the garden wall. A railway station in Connecticut. Dan caresses his girlfriend as she's about to board a New York bound train. It's like a hip 'Brief Encounter' with long hair. Hey Dan," says the girl wiping a tear from her eye, "I've really enjoyed today, I wish I could have an Instant Replay of the whole thing " "I said we will ... and wrote the song." Cute. Especially since up until that time Dan had released one solo album which was trashed severely. "The critics thought It had no real direction. I was shooting out in all directions - poprock. rhythm and blues, soul, you name it”

The album, called 'Images' was a disaster saleswise. "But I wasn't at all disappointed. It was Just an attempt on my part to record the kind of music I loved so much in the past - Dee Dee Sharp and the Orions. Poco, The Byrds, Jefferson Starship." He played around with 'Replay' to his studio helped by Winter, Derringer and Ronnie Montrose. "When It ended up a riot I knew It was the right version. There's an album of the same name about to be released. This time the theme and direction is essentially of the 'Replay' kind. See, If you want to reach the public and get your messages across you have to stick to one mode per album and change your style with each successive release, say like Bowie does. "It's white soul," Dan auditioned 475 people before hitting on the right band. He advertised in virtually every music publication In the world. Eventually he decided on Hilly Michaels. former Sparks drummer, G. E. Smith on bass and Vinnie Cusano lead.

Dan, for the moment, limits himself to keyboards. "This is much more of a together band than EWB. We all have the same influences - Byrds Beatles. Badfinger, Easybeats and Hendrix. We're a rock 'n roll band I know we're gonna get criticised for being a disco thing but when you really think about It disco is rock 'n' roll and rock 'n' roll Is disco. We're a rock band playing disco style numbers, that's ail "

The director looks agitated. Dan's strides are getting tighter - the signal that more filming is about to commence. Dan feels that he should make a couple of parting shots. "This is the best period of my life - musically and personally. I'm in love with my music and I'm in love with my girl, "And the world loves love." There's not much you can say after a finish like that. Except, maybe Outside, the Saturday night Bowery bums danced its the shop doorways.

Boogie All Summer (1979)

This track was released as a promo single in the UK and is a very similar genre to some of the tracks on the Instant Replay album and Dan's Relight My Fire album.

The track was played extensively on Radio Luxembourg during 1979 and 1980 and DJ Rob Jones used it as the theme tune to his show.

The European single featured Boogie All Summer on the A side and Love Is A Natural on the B side.

Written and produced by Dan Hartman.

Blue Sky S SKY 7741

An extended version of Boogie All Summer was released on Dan's April Music demo album, released in 1981. Listen to it here.

Dan Hartman's follow up album to Instant Replay included Stevie Wonder on harmonica, but was not a success - by the time the album was released the disco boom was over. The title track was re-recorded by Take That and was a UK number one hit. Dan's version was a big hit in the clubs.

The album also included a disco version of Free Ride - This did not fare well in the charts and it seemed obvious that many people didn't realise that Dan wrote and sang on the original track which was originally released by the Edgar Winter Group.

Dan recorded this demo version of Relight My Fire at his home studio, The Schoolhouse in 1977.

Hands Down was released as a 7" and 12" single in 1979.

It reached as high as no. 26 in the US but failed to chart in the UK.

7" single

12" single US 33.3 RPM

12" single UK 45 RPM

Engineer [Mix] – Michael Barbiero / Mixed By – John Luongo / Producer – Dan Hartman

It failed to chart in the US or the UK.

7" single

12" single US 33.3 RPM (1979)

12" single UK 45 RPM (1980)

Mixed by: John Luongo, Michael Barbiero / Producer, Engineer: Dan Hartman / Written by: Dan Hartman

Vertigo/Relight My Fire was released as a 7" and 12" single in 1980.

It reached as high as no.1 in the US chart but failed to chart in the UK.

7" single

12" single

There are numerous mixes of this track available.

Relight My Fire was covered by Take That and Lulu in 1993, five months before Dan's death, and topped the UK charts in October. The title track was released as a single in 1979 as the follow-up to Instant Replay, Relight My Fire topped the US dance charts for six weeks from December 12, 1979, to February 16, 1980; it was less successful in the UK, however, where it failed to chart. Loleatta Holloway is credited as a featured vocalist on some versions of the record, singing the "strong enough to walk on through the night" refrain. The song's strings and horns were played by MFSB and conducted by longtime MFSB member Don Renaldo. The 12" version includes a 4½-minute intro called Vertigo, often used in discos as a floor-filler before the song begins.

Album credits:

Produced and Engineered by Dan Hartman

Mixed by John Luongo and Michael Barbiero

Direction - Steve Paul

John Luongo - Additional Co-production, Mixer and Editor
Dan Hartman - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
G.E. Smith, Phil Houghton - guitar
Hilly Michaels, Brian Brake - drums
Jimmy Maelen, Larry Washington - congas, timbales
Craig Peyton - vibraphone
Blanche Napoleon - backing vocals
John Luongo - Additional Percussion/ Hand Claps
Michael Barbiero - additional percussion
Loleatta Holloway - lead vocals on "Vertigo/Relight My Fire"
Edgar Winter - alto saxophone on "Hands Down"
Stevie Wonder - harmonica on "Hands Down"

Recorded at The Schoolhouse. Mixed at Mediasound, NYC

Available in 20 versions.

Originally released on vinyl, cassette and 8-track.

Released in CD format in 2014 as an expanded edition and available for MP3 download from Amazon. Available on music streaming sites.

Dan Hartman changed direction with the release of this album. Although the songs were good it was not a commercial success. It is his the fourth studio album, released by Blue Sky in 1981.  It was produced by Dan and mixed by Neil Dorfsman.

After the success of his two previous disco-oriented albums Instant Replay (1978) and Relight My Fire (1979), Dan changed musical direction with It Hurts to Be in Love. Returning to the sound of his 1976 album Images, the album moved away from disco to a more melodic pop-rock sound. The album was recorded at the Schoolhouse, mixed at the Power Station and mastered at Sterling Sound.

The album failed to make a chart appearance in the US, although the three singles from it saw some chart action. The first, "Heaven in Your Arms", reached No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"It Hurts to Be in Love", a cover of the 1964 hit by Gene Pitney, was the second single, which peaked at No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 48 on the Dance Music/Club Play chart. The third and final single, "All I Need", reached No. 10 on the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. It also peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.

In a Blue Sky press release, Dan said of the album: "I felt it was time to do the things that were truly me. This music is closer to me because it has more romantic sensitivity than I've allowed myself to show in past productions. I'm really pouring it all out. I guess you could say there's more Dan Hartman in there than any other record I've done. My music is spontaneous and provides an outlet for emotional release and expression, while my studio allows me to write, arrange and record my own songs within that same space. The result is music that comes straight from my heart - I can capture more feeling that way."

Upon release, Billboard commented: "Hartman returns to his roots here; that is to the music of the mid '60s. Then he updates the sound to the '80s, creating a classy pop package. It is mid-tempo pop-rock mostly, with virtually every cut sounding like an adult contemporary single. Especially impressive here is Hartman's stylish vocalizing." People wrote: "This effort shows an eclectic taste that ranges from sensitive, James Taylorish ballads to rhythmic rockers. His rendition of the frothy pop title tune does little to improve on the 1964 original, though. Sensitive singers, the genre in which Hartman belongs, are abundant, but his agility is refreshing."

It Hurts To Be In Love was released as a 7" single in 1981.

It reached no.48 in the US chart but failed to chart in the UK.

Heaven In Your Arms was released as a 7" single in 1981.

It reached no.86 in the US chart but failed to chart in the UK.

There were at least three seperate versions of the single. The promo version featured the track on both sides of the single, and the others included either Hello Again or Forever In A Moment on the B side.

All I Need was released as a 7" single in 1981.

Released in America only, "All I Need" reached No. 10 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 Chart, making its debut on September 26, 1981. It reached no. 41 on the US chart.

It Hurts To Be In Love was released for the first time on CD format worldwide during 2024. The CD features the singles "Heaven In Your Arms" and "It Hurts To Be In Love." It is remastered by Vic Anesini from the original master tapes and includes 2 rare bonus tracks and new liner notes by Joe Marchese.

A video still from Dan's Heaven In Your Arms video (1981)

Blue Sky Press Release for the launch of It Hurts to be in Love

"I felt it was time to do the tings that were truly me," says Dan Hartman, discussing his latest Blue Sky album of contemporary pop music, IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE. The hard work and experience that helped to create such smash hits as "Free Ride" and "Instant-Replay" have culminated in an album that contains' searing ballads, flashes of farfisa organ and the insistent back-beat of ska. "This music is closer to me because it has more romantic sensitivity than I've allowed myself to show in past productions. I'm really pouring it all out. I guess you could say there’s more Dan Hartman in there than any other record I've done."

IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE was produced, written, played and recorded by Dan himself in his studio The Schoolhouse, which is built within his Connecticut home. This recording facility has also been utilized by Foghat, Johnny Winter, .38 Special, David Johansen, Derringer, Neil Sedaka, Muddy Waters and other artists. "My music is spontaneous and provides an outlet for emotional release and expression, while my studio allows me to write, arrange and record my own songs within that same space. The result is music that comes straight from my heart--I can capture more feeling that way.

Dan Hartman's multi-instrumental prowess, first discovered on a 1971 demo tape submitted to Blue Sky Records President Steve Paul and exposed to the public with the Edgar Winter Group, was put to its fullest potential when Dan came up with the songs for IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE. "Usually I'll lay down a rhythm track-,without verses-or lyrics. I don't like to just fill in the blanks then, but to create as I proceed, much like a painter working in oils It's much more spontaneous that way. For instance, 'Pick It Up' started with a different title, but as I worked with it I heard other things in there, eventually leading to what the song is now. 'Positive Forces' was similarly chameleon- like. Ideally, this is music created to play live." To that end, Dan switched his usual method of operation for this LP, and instead of using players to overdub their parts, had a 4-piece band play on all the tracks. The result is one of a strong band sound on all the tracks, one that will easily translate into a live situation. "It sounded more complete that way; sort of a return to the Edgar Winter Group feeling. Instead of overdubbing several times, we went for the most natural sounding takes, and usually, the first take wound up being the one we used."

Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Dan started classical piano studies at seven years old, but quit, after getting a taste of the pure pop, coming over his radio. At thirteen he formed his own group, The Legends, began writing songs and was soon producing gospel at a local studio. Upon listening to Dan's demo tape, Steve Paul introduced Hartman to Edgar Winter, who had just disbanded White Trash. The double platinum They Only Come Out at Night was the end product of Dan and Edgar's first collaboration, featuring Dan playing bass, guitar, keyboards and singing lead on the hit single, "Free Ride." Hartman also co-wrote half of the album's songs. After three more years with Edgar--which saw the Gold album ' Shock Treatment and The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer--Dan left that band and devoted himself to creating his own music. Images was his first solo outing, released in 1976, followed up with the co-production and engineering of Edgar Winter's solo LP, Jasmine Nightdreams. He followed that by producing Foghat's Nightshift, earning a Gold album in the act. And ever the active songwriter, his songs have been covered by Tavares, the Three-Degrees, Derringer, Johnny Winter, Montrose and Sergio Mendes.

In 1978, sensing the rock scene had grown increasingly jaded, Dan decided to experiment with the pop/dance sound. He wrote, sang and produced the Gold single "Instant Replay," included on the album of the same name. After a world-wide tour, Dan scored again with a sizzling duet with Loleatta Holloway "Relight My Fire," which spawned an album featuring Dan jamming with Edgar Winter and Stevie Wonder on the song "Hands Down."

Now, with the release of IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE, Dan Hartman further expands his musical parameters while still sounding like the individual Dan Hartman. "I'm absorbed by the elements of 180's pop music. The new album shows how aware I've become, and how I think others have become as well, with the personal needs for love. People are happy in love, and people are hurt by love, and in that way it does talk about my personal life and feelings too."

PRESS & PUBLIC INFORMATION.
51 WEST 52ND STREET
NEWYORK, N.Y. 1001 9
TEL. 975-5051 -

Produced by Dan Hartman. Mixed by Neil Dorfsman.

Dan Hartman - Vocals and keyboards.
Blanche Napoleon - Vocals
Art Wood - Drums
John Pierce - Bass
Erik Cartwright - Guitars
Jeff Bova - Synthesizers

Mixed at the PowerStation, NYC by Neil Dorfsman
Assistance to Shaidmaster Dorfsman - Barry Bongiovi, James Farber, Ray Willhard, Dave Greenberg
Mastered at Sterling Sound, NYC by Ted Jensen
Graphic design by Carin Goldberg
Management and Co-ordination - Steve Paul and Teddy Slatus.

As well as vinyl, the album was also released on audio cassette.

Blue Sky – JZT 37045

Collector's item: LP issued by April Music as a promo recording.

All Instruments and Vocals by Dan Hartman

Produced by Dan Hartman

April Music, 1981 APR 1000

I Can Dream About You was Dan's debut album for MCA Records and marked the first album to feature his longtime songwriting partner Charlie Midnight, with whom he would continue to write throughout the rest of the decade. They wrote eight out of the ten tracks together, with the title track being written solely by Dan, and the album's closing track, "Electricity", written by Dan and Nona Hendryx.

During 1983, Jimmy Iovine contacted Dan about writing a song for a film he was working on. Dan was told that the song would be sung by four black guys in a concert situation within the film, and he ended up thinking of a demo he had made of "I Can Dream About You".

The use of the song in the film being performed by actors was not due to feature Dan on vocals but, instead, the voice of studio singer Winston Ford. After some contract negotiating, Dan insisted that his vocal should be on the soundtrack, and that his version be released if a single were to be issued from the soundtrack album. Additionally, any associated music video had to feature his own voice using the song.

In a subsequent interview on a European TV show, Dan explained the circumstances behind the I Can Dream About You vocals.

Dan Hartman and Jimmy Iovine worked on the solo album following the song's use in the film. It was recorded at Dan's own home Multilevel studio and was mixed at Image Recording in Los Angeles. Speaking to the Orange Coast in 1985, Dan said: "It's been 10 years since my last tour, and I'm really enjoying being back out there. Musically I've stayed in touch with what's going on, what people relate to, so it's no surprise appearing in front of an audience in 1985. What is a surprise is that they relate to me. They're giving back so much, which means they're responding to my music. And that makes me feel great."

I Can Dream About You peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard chart. The album spawned four singles in total. The title track became Dan's biggest hit, also appearing on the soundtrack to the 1984 film Streets of Fire. The song peaked at No. 6 in the US and No. 12 in the UK. "We Are the Young" followed as the second single and reached No. 25 in the US but did not chart in the UK.

"Name of the Game" was issued as a single, but was not a commercial success and "Second Nature" became the fourth and final single, where it peaked at No. 39 in the US and No. 66 in the UK. This track was Dan's penultimate listing on the chart. (Keep The Fire Burnin' reached No. 49 in the UK chart during 1995, a year after Dan's passing).

I Can Dream About You was Dan's final mainstream studio album, although he did record a follow-up in 1986 titled Whiteboy. However, MCA felt the songs did not suit Dan's image and so the album was shelved, although it is available online.

Recalling his memories of the album on danhartman.com, Charlie Midnight commented:

"Working with Dan on the album was a privilege and a great learning experience. He wanted to create a work that had depth as well as accessibility. We wrote many more songs than finally appeared on the album. Dan took some risks on quite a few of those songs that, because of the edginess of the music and lyrics, were ultimately rejected by the record company. He involved me in all phases of the production and because of that experience I was able to make the transition into record production. In essence, I went to school during making of the album."

"Second Nature" was released in 1985 as the fourth and final single from I Can Dream About You (1984). The song was written by Hartman and Charlie Midnight, and produced by Dan and Jimmy Iovine. The single reached no. 19 and no. 66 in the US and UK charts respectively.

Fun Fact - Charlie Midnight and Glenn Ellison both made cameo appearances in the official video, dressed as paramedics.

Review: UK Western Daily Press, May 29th, 1985

Success is Second Nature to Dan... THE hit record Instant Replay could have been an ironic epitaph for Dan Hartman. After the world-wide hit in 1978 and the follow-up This Is It a few months later, he plummeted out of the British charts. But now he's back in the running and in the charts with his latest single, Second Nature. And he's not in the least depressed by the apparent lack of success for the last few years. "I really just do it because I enjoy it and I don't look at the consequences," he told me recently from a hot Las Vegas where he was on tour supporting Toto. He described Vegas as the epitome of the American fast food-culture.

"I think that if there's a heaven on earth, I have it. I am able to do what I want and am able to be a free thinker. I have the ability to achieve what I want to achieve and to communicate with people. "There is no single high point to my life it just goes on happening. Second Nature going into the charts in Britain, becomes a high point -but it feels like the first time to me," said Dan, whose idea of relaxation is pumping iron and other athletic pursuits on the river at the bottom of his garden at Connecticut. He says there are no immediate plans to tour Britain, but with the likely success of Second Nature some could be pencilled in.

I Can Dream about you was released as the first single from the album of the same name. It reached no. 6 and no. 12 in the US and UK charts respectively.

According to Daryl Hall, Dan had initially written the song with Hall & Oates in mind, and offered the song to them to record as their own. They subsequently declined, as their new album was complete and about to be released. Later in their career, however, they issued an album of covers called Our Kind of Soul, in 2004, on which they recorded their own version (with changed lyrics). When performing the song live in February 2005, Hall revealed before the performance: "Here's a song that we did on the new album that we sort of did twenty years late. An old friend of ours, Dan Hartman, wrote this song. I remember back in the day he came up to me and said 'You know, I have this great song I wrote for you guys. It's you, you know? – you have to sing this song.' And unfortunately we had just finished an album, we couldn't put it on the album so I said sorry Dan. About six months later I was watching MTV and there it was, and it was a hit for him, God bless him. So here we are twenty years later, I hope he's hearing it, and I hope he enjoys it."

Name Of The Game was released in Europe in 1984 and then in the US in 1985. The single did not chart in either the US or UK.

The song was part of the 'Fletch' soundtrack.

In 1991, Marc Anthony covered the song.

"We Are the Young" is a 1984 crossover single. The song was released on September 6, 1984 by MCA as the second single from the I Can Dream About You album. It was written by Dan and Charlie Midnight, and produced by Dan. The single was Dan's third and last to hit number one on the dance chart in the U.S. The single did not chart in the UK.

In his exclusive interview with DanHartman.com, Charlie Midnight explained that "Dan was contacted by the music supervisor for a film called "Breakin'". He wanted Dan to write a song for the main dance sequence….Dan was wary of doing it because it was a fairly low budget film and he questioned its chances for success. I, however, was anxious to do it for the synchronization fee. It was almost noon and Dan said, "if you have a lyric by 5 today, I'll write the music." I completed a lyric before 5 for "We Are The Young," and the music supervisor loved it. The dance sequence was cut to the song with Dan as the artist and everyone was happy."

"Then Jimmy Iovine, who was producing Dan's solo album, heard the song and wanted it for Dan's album as the first single. Dan withdrew the song amidst much furor. The dance number had already been cut to the song and withdrawing it was a big problem. As a result, we wrote another song called "Heart Of The Beat." Dan did not want to be the artist on this song and so we created a faux group called '3V' which was, in fact, Dan and me."

Album credits

Recorded at Multi-Level
Mixed at Image Recording, LA.

Producers – Dan Hartman and Jimmy Iovine
Engineer – Dan Hartman
Assistant Engineers – Shelly Yakus (all tracks); Gabe Veltri (Track 2).
Mixing – Juergen Koppers (Tracks 1, 4 & 5) Humberto Gatica (Track 2); Shelly Yakus (Tracks 3, 8 & 9); Dan Hartman (Tracks 6, 7 & 10).
Mix Assistants – Steve Krause (all tracks); Shelly Yakus (Track 5).
Mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Lacquer (Los Angeles, CA).
Art Direction – Vartan Kirjian
Photography – Jim Shea
Management – Robert A. Finkelstein

The album was also released on audio cassette.

MCA Records MCF3239, 1984

Get Outta Town is a song which was released in 1985 as a single from the soundtrack to the film Fletch. Get Outta Town was written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight, and produced by Dan and Richard Landis.

The single failed to find commercial success in the US, but reached No. 99 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1985.

Dan performed / lip synced the song on UK TV during BBC 1's The Wogan Show on October 25th 1985, and on ITV's GMTV Wide Awake Club on 11th November 1985.

On its release, Cash Box described Get Outta Town as "a techno dancer with plenty of rhythm" and "slick and rough with a spanking hook". They felt the song was suited for rock and contemporary hit radio, with club potential.

Jerry Smith of Music Week wrote, "The fact that this is the main featured song from the hit movie Fletch should mean that this should do just as well despite being a repetitive, rather lackluster funk number."

Despite the middle of the road reviews and the song's failure to chart in the US the single has become a collectors item and has been seen on Amazon, priced up for as much as $203 USD.

7-inch single

1. "Get Outta Town" – 4:11
2. "Get Outta Town" (Instrumental) – 4:11

7-inch single (UK release)

1. "Get Outta Town" – 4:12
2. "I Can Dream About You" (M&M Edit) – 4:05

12-inch Single

1. "Get Outta Town" (Extended Dance Mix) – 5:34
2. "Get Outta Town" (7" Version) – 3:42
3. "Get Outta Town" (Dub Version) – 4:24

12-inch Single (UK release)

1. "Get Outta Town" (Extended Mix) – 5:34
2. "Get Outta Town" (Extended Dub) – 4:24
3. "I Can Dream About You" (M&M Extended Mix) – 7:30
4. "I Can Dream About You" (M&M Dub) – 5:10

Credits:

	Dan Hartman	producer on "Get Outta Town" and "I Can Dream About You"
	Richard Landis	producer on "Get Outta Town"
	Jimmy Iovine	producer on "I Can Dream About You"
	Chris Lord-Alge	remixer on "Extended (Dance) Mix" and "Dub Mix" of "Get Outta Town"
	John Morales	remixer on "M&M Edit", "M&M Extended Mix" and "M&M Dub" of "I Can Dream About You"
	Graham Dickson	remix engineer on "M&M Edit", "M&M Extended Mix" and "M&M Dub" of "I Can Dream About You"
	Luis Jardim	additional production on "M&M Edit", "M&M Extended Mix" and "M&M Dub" of "I Can Dream About You"

Waiting to See You was released in 1986 as a single from the film soundtrack of Ruthless People. It was written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight, and was produced by Dan.

The song was also to be included on Dan's album Whiteboy, which was shelved by MCA in 1986.

The song's music video was directed by Ken Ross and Richard Levine for Ross & Levine Inc. and N. Lee Lacy and associates. The video features Dan Hartman recording the song in the studio with his backing band, with interspersed shots from Ruthless People.

Mike Abrams of The Ottawa Citizen described Waiting to See You as "powerful" and one of the tracks that "add some snap to this somewhat uninteresting soundtrack". Brian Chin of Billboard felt the song "may be another club late-nighter" like Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You".

7" single

1. "Waiting to See You" - 4:09
2. "Waiting to See You (Film To Dance Mix)" - 3:42

7" single (American promo)

1. "Waiting to See You" - 4:09
2. "Waiting to See You" - 4:09

12" single (UK release)

1. "Waiting to See You" - 4:09
2. "Waiting to See You (Film To Dance Mix)" - 3:42
3. "Instant Replay (Album Version)" - 5:18
4. "This Is It (Remix)" - 6:43

CD single (Dutch release)

1. "Waiting to See You" - 4:09
2. "Relight My Fire"

Credits:

Dan Hartman - vocals, producer
Chris Lord-Alge - mixing on Waiting to See You
Robert Funk - narration on Waiting to See You (Film to Dance Mix)
Betty Marshall - cover photography

Whiteboy is the sixth studio album from Dan Hartman. It was recorded during 1985 and 1986 but was never released.

Following the commercial success of I Can Dream About You, and the album of the same name, in 1984, Dan started to record his second album for MCA. Continuing his writing with songwriting partner Charlie Midnight, the new material was marked by Dan's desire to create an edgier recording. However, when the new album was provided to MCA, they felt the songs did not suit his image and subsequently shelved the album.

White Boy was not the first product of Hartman's to suffer rejection from MCA as the I Can Dream About You album also had songs that were never released. These songs, written by Hartman and Midnight, were rejected due to what MCA considered the edginess of the music and lyrics. After Whiteboy was shelved, Dan returned to writing and producing for others until his death in 1994.

White Boy is known to have definitely featured ten particular tracks via Dan Hartman's original tape as well as MCA vinyl test pressings, all written by Dan and Charlie Midnight, although other recordings were produced around the time and these may have been intended to end up on the album, including The War is Over and Shadow Boxing. Only one song intended for the album, Waiting to See You, was released officially.

Waiting to See You and another song from the album, I'm Only Foolin' Myself, were both performed in 1986 by Dan on the UK ITV show Rock Around the Dock.

Speaking about the Whiteboy album in an interview with danhartman.com, Charlie Midnight said that:

"The album was a result of Dan's continuing desire to create an edgier recording that would signify an evolution in his career as an artist. There were points that he wanted to express both musically and lyrically that were considered, by the record company, to be outside the box for an artist like Dan. Although the nabobs at the label conceded that the songs were good, they did not feel that the material suited Dan and his "image." As a result, the album, with wonderful songs like Age of Simulation and The War Is Over were not released."

When asked if he had a favourite composition, Glenn Ellison said: "Gosh – there are so many, some of which were on the "Whiteboy" project that has never been released. Circle of Light comes to mind as a brilliant and moving track. I have a tape of the whole project and it was some of their best work. Dan's music was always evolving and Charlie was right there with him.

Above, a facsimile of the original track listing for the White Boy album...

Side 1:

1. Age Of Simulation

2. Simulated Cake

3. Shadow Boxing

4. In The Heat Of The Night

5. Four In The Morning

Side 2:

1. Circle OF Light

2. Drivin' All Night

3. Deep Sleep

4. The War Is Over

5. The First Impression

A small number of vinyl test pressings were made by MCA during 1986. In recent years, the songs from the album have circulated unofficially on the internet, courtesy of danhartman.com. In 2000, a cassette copy of the album was mailed from a former CBS recording engineer, Henry Thompson, in Oslo, Norway, for the attention of the webmaster at danhartman.com. A few years later, Jonathan Creaser met up with Glenn Ellison in London and Glenn provided him with a number of cassette recordings that Dan had made at Multilevel, including a cassette which contained the unreleased Whiteboy album.

All tracks are written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight

The Love You Take is a duet song by Dan Hartman and singer Denise Lopez and forms part of the official soundtrack for the 1988 comedy film Scrooged, starring Bill Murray. It was released as a single in 1998. The song was both written and produced by Dan Hartman.

In the late 1980s, Dan Hartman focused more on production and writing material for other artists; however, he contributed the occasional solo performance for movie soundtracks such as The Love You Take. Although his usual songwriter partner was Charlie Midnight beginning around 1983, this song was solely written by Dan.

In the March 7, 1989 edition of the Mohave Daily Miner, Dan Hartman was interviewed by Mary Campbell. When it came to talking about the various songs that he has contributed for film soundtracks, Dan said that:

"I wish they'd snap out of having rock songs in films to try and sell the film, and go back to writing good scripts and making good films. I think ultimately they don't care about songs anyway. I got tired of cranking out pop songs that end up over the credits at the end. It's territory I moved through and don't want to do anymore."

The Love You Take was one of the last songs Hartman would perform and contribute to a film soundtrack. The song features Pat Thrall on guitar. Having worked with Dan at Multilevel on Tina Turner's 1989 album Foreign Affair, Thrall returned to Dan's studio again to record the guitar for The Love You Take. As Pat Thrall recalled,

"He told me after Tina's album he was going to take a break for a while and get his health together. I didn't realise at the time that he had contracted AIDS. He passed way too soon. He was a sweetheart of a guy and an amazing talent."

The single was released on 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl and CD single via A&M Records in America only. The 7" vinyl release was the only commercially available format to purchase, and it featured Lopez's hit dance chart song "If You Feel It" as the B-Side.

	7" Single
		"The Love You Take"	4:21
		"If You Feel It"	3:52
	12" Single (promo)
		"The Love You Take"	4:21
		"The Love You Take"	4:21
	CD Single (promo)
		"The Love You Take"	4:21

 

 

 

Credits:

• Dan Hartman - vocals, producer, writer
• Denise Lopez - vocals
• Pat Thrall - guitar

New Green Clear Blue is Dan Hartman's seventh and final studio album, released by Private Music in 1989. The album represented a big stylistic departure; it consists of instrumental, ambient songs, with the concept of being a journey into the subconscious. New Green Clear Blue was written, performed, engineered and produced entirely by Dan.

"The subconscious mind is a powerful world possessing experiences and feelings we don not necessarily recognise in our daily movements; but nonetheless they influence our entire lives. The tones and shades in this collection were performed live and intuitively for the purpose of opening channels by which the listener may visit their own subconscious" - Dan Hartman.

With his departure from MCA, Hartman was inspired to record an instrumental, ambient album after listening to the music of Brian Eno and Vangelis. Once he decided to begin the New Green Clear Blueproject, Dan began reading material on the subconscious mind and intuitiveness, as well as how songs work to create an emotional reaction with their listener. He spent eighth months researching and reading, and then began writing and recording material in his home studio in Connecticut between August 1987 and August 1988.

Dan told the Mohave Daily Miner:

"The basis of this album was to use tones and shades in certain patterns so the door to a listener's subconscious would be opened. My music has more of a neoclassical leaning than new age. There's nothing placed in the music to tell you things. It's merely my trying to tap the subconscious feelings of people who listen to it. It may bring up bad memories. In a lot of ways it's very melancholy to me. It's not an upper. Life isn't either. In a lot of ways this music is very soothing. I think there's a place for music that is peaceful and soulful unto the spirit. After plane bombings, AIDS and everything that has come upon us in this decade, I think we can use a little solace and reflection."

Dan attempted to unlock his own subconscious during the writing and recording of the album:

"I became frightened, to the point I was going to stop doing it. I was unlocking my own subconscious. And the first two or three pieces I listened to I felt were planets away from fulfilling my concept. Little by little, it began to flow. By that time I think I was on automatic pilot. I knew I had shifted gears to another level of the creative process. I ended up making 23 pieces for the collection. I narrowed it down to 11."

Dan Hartman dedicated the album to his sister, Kathy, because of the colour of her eyes and how he felt she was still seeking her inner self. In an interview with danhartman.com, Edgar Winter said of the album:

"It is pure music of the spirit with no commercial intentions - meditative, peaceful, and serene. I know it came straight from his heart and was a beautiful parting gift to us all."

Record Review Magazine:

Yes, it's Disco Dan the Tina Turner production man, but he sounds uncannily like Brian Eno and Harold Budd. Indeed, the credits include thanks to Budd and, a tad more surprisingly, Vangelis, for "musical and personal inspirations". The Vangelis connection may lie in Hartman's basic approach - he recorded these pieces "live and intuitively" as does that inscrutable Greek maestro. There's certainly little in the way of Vangelis-like artifice or melodic development, but much that brings to mind Budd's sublimely drifting, charming constructions. Hartman builds layer upon layer of gauzy synthesizer wash, cavernous echoes intermingled with distant thunder and enlivened by simple Satie-like piano tinklings. Finally, he introduces what Eno calls "singularities", aural events which occur only once or twice in a piece, but which serve as lenses enabling the mind's eye to focus more sharply on his mist-hung musical landscapes. Beautiful. ****

Johnny Black

Album review, 1997:

Dan Hartman is better known as a dance producer, co-writing hits like Black Box's "Ride on Time" and working with Holly Johnson, but here is another side to Hartman. New Green/clear blue is ambient but not New Age, with a sense of unease to what should be relaxing. The result is melancholy, perhaps reminiscent of Vangelis' music for "Blade Runner", but with a more abstract use of sound. The choice of 'Cold War' titles like "Soviet Nights" and "Scaramanga" or the more general "Hope of No End" add to the foreboding. The result is worthy of attention in the opening piece, "Sigh of Relief".

Sadly, the rest of the album does not work as well as its beginning: some comes across as superfluous to me, although I am not generally an aficionado of the more ambient scene. Unlike pieces like "Romance" or "The Swan", later pieces may lack a sense of completeness or resolution. There is some use of repeating themes throughout the album, but you must be in the right mood to pick up on them.

Tangerine Dream's Peter Baumann guests, mixing "Scaramanga" and performing 'ambient treatment' on "The Swan". The results, however, are hard to distinguish from Hartman's own work. On the other hand, Hartman gives a distinct Tangerine Dream undercurrent to "Alpha Waves".

Henry Potts, 31.3.97

Credits:

• Dan Hartman - producer, instruments, engineer
• Rod Hui - mixing (tracks 1, 11)
• Peter Baumann - mixing (track 8), noises (ambient treatment) (track 4)
• Amanda Stone, Andrew Derrick - design
• Danny Goldberg - management

Produced, composed, and engineered by Dan Hartman. Recorded at Multi Level. All songs © Second Nature Music, Inc/SBK April Music Inc. (ASCAP). Management: Danny Goldberg. Special thanks to Vangelis Papathanassiou, Harold Budd and Richard Harries, Jr. for musical and personal inspiration, NYC; all at Green Street Recording Studios; Amanda Stone and Andrew derrick Design, London; Dana Millman and all at Gold Spaceship and at Private Music.

Keep the Fire Burnin' is a compilation album which was released posthumously on December 20, 1994 by Columbia. The album features remakes of Dan's hits and previously unreleased material.

Dan Hartman died on March 22, 1994, from an AIDS-related brain tumor. Keep the Fire Burnin 'was then released later in the year. The album spawned two singles, both of which were new songs: "The Love in Your Eyes" and "Keep the Fire Burnin'", the latter featuring Loleatta Holloway.

As a single, the song reached No. 49 in the UK. "Living in America", written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight, was originally released by James Brown in 1985, who scored a big hit with the track. The version that appears here is Dan Hartman's own previously unreleased version.

In an interview for danhartman.com Charlie Midnight recalled:

"I last saw Dan in the hospital in New York City. He was very optimistic and expected to go back into the studio to record more songs for a new album that eventually became, "Keep the Fire Burnin'." Because I had moved to Los Angeles, we subsequently kept in touch by telephone."

Greg Morago of The Courant wrote: "Hartman was preparing to reconquer the '90s dance floor with a pop-dance collection at the time of his death. From that effort, the title song, "Keep the Fire Burnin," is Hartman at his best. Aggressive, bouncy and up-front, the track - with additional smokin' vocals by diva Loleatta Holloway of "Love Sensation" fame - proves he never lost his touch. He puts his own vocal stamp on "Living in America," the pretty "I Can Dream About You" shimmers anew in a remake, as does "Instant Replay," as close to disco perfection as possible. And "Free Ride" still takes us there. This sampling of Hartman's remarkably diverse career is a treat."

The Love In Your Eyes was released as a CD maxi single and on 12" vinyl and cassette in 1994. The single failed to chart in both the US and UK.

This song was one of Dan's final compositions before he passed away in March 1994. Dan had began recording a new album of contemporary pop and dance music. He revealed in 1993, "So many things have changed in terms of social and political issues, as well as the need for love and personal relationships. All of these things are the reasons why writing and recording new material is most meaningful to me." He died before the album was completed.

CD Maxi Single:

1. The Love In Your Eyes (Radio Version) 4:06

2. The Love In Your Eyes (Album Version) 4:58

3. The Love In Your Eyes (Hip Radio Version) 3:59

4. The Love In Your Eyes (Classic Frankie) 7:03

Chaos – OSK 6494

12" vinyl, 33.3 RPM:

A1. The Love In Your Eyes (Classic Frankie) 7:05

A2. The Love In Your Eyes (Classic Song) 4:12

A3. The Love In Your Eyes (Reprise) 7:05

B1. The Love In Your Eyes (DJ EFX's Raw Club) 5:42

B2. The Love In Your Eyes (DJ EFX's Trip Hop) 8:19

Chaos Recordings – 42 77050

Cassette single:

A. The Love In Your Eyes (Radio Version) 4:06

B. Living In America

Chaos – 32T 77051, Columbia – 32T 77051

Engineer – John Poppo / Programmed By [Keyboards] – Eric Kupper, Terry Burrus / Remix, Producer [Additional] – Frankie Knuckles

Keep The Fire Burnin' single was released as a CD maxi single and on 12" vinyl in 1995. Although the single did not chart in the US it reached no. 49 in the UK chart.

CD Maxi Single:

1. Keep The Fire Burnin' (Tee's Mix) 6:00

2. Keep The Fire Burnin' (Tee's Dub) 6:00

3. Keep The Fire Burnin' (Tee's Freeze Mix) 5:18

4. Keep The Fire Burnin' (Classic Throwback Mix) 6:05

5. Keep The Fire Burnin' (12 Inch Mix) 5:57

6. Keep The Fire Burnin' (LP Mix) 5:56

Columbia – COL 661155 2, Chaos – 661155 2

CD Single (UK):

1. Keep The Fire Burnin' (7 Inch Mix/M. Brauer) 4:24

2. Keep The Fire Burnin' (Tee's Mix) 6:00

Columbia – COL 661155 1

2 x Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo:

A1. Keep The Fire Burnin' (Classic Throwback Mix)

A2. Keep The Fire Burnin' (LP Version)

B1. Keep The Fire Burnin' (SFB Feeling Mix)

B2. Keep The Fire Burnin' (SFB Feeling Bonus Beats)

C1. Keep The Fire Burnin' (Tee's Mix)

C2. Keep The Fire Burnin' (Tee's Dub)

D1. Keep The Fire Burnin' (That Roxy Mix)

D2. Keep The Fire Burnin' (Tee's Freeze)

Columbia – XPR 2140, Columbia – XPR2140

Engineer [Remix] – John Poppo Keyboards [Programming] – Eric Kupper, Terry Burrus Remix, Producer [Additional Production] – Frankie Knuckles - Remix, Producer [Additional Production] – Michael Brauer - Remix, Producer [Additional Production] – Todd Terry

Liner Notes from Keep the Fire Burnin' - Larry Flick

The secret to Dan Hartman's longevity and success was always in his willingness to shine a light on every corner of his creative psyche.

Instead of comfortably inhabiting a specialised musical niche that kept the hits and cash flowing freely, Hartman continually challenged himself. In doing so, the scope and breadth of his career was constantly expanding, and it was astonishingly exclusive. Whether you are a headbanger or disco disciple, there is little doubt that at least one Dan Hartman composition tickled your fancy. On a palette so rhythmically diverse, the common denominators were always purity of soul and a warm, inviting spirit.

Hartman's career spanned more than two decades, and it included a glorious and eclectic sting of tunes that ranged in style from rhythm rooted pop to jazz, with razor sharp rock guitars or lush new age keyboards sewn into the fabric for good measure. His lyrics were almost always urgently anthemic and full of the kind of unabashed hope that makes the heart melt. Whether it was fraught with masculine aggression, as on "Free Ride" with the Edgar Winter Group, or wriggling with the night life glitter, as on "Relight My Fire," Dan could make you believe everything would be just fine tomorrow. All ya needed was a little love.

In addition to an illustrious performing career that glistens with gems like "Instant Replay" and "We Are The Young," Hartman was also revered for his work as a writer and producer of countless hits for other artists. For example, a keen ear can detect Dan's magic touch on Tina Turner's pop radio staple, "The Best." "Dan produced Tina's "Foreign Affair" album, and I think it is probably the best album we have made to date," says Roger Davies, Turner's manager. "Dan taught me a lot about production. He had a great ear for commercial songs, and was fantastic with arrangements."

But that wasn't where he stopped. Hartman then directed his attention toward motion picture scores and soundtracks, earning a deservedly sterling reputation for his work on Fletch, Krush Groove, Bull Durham, Down and Out In Beverly Hills and Ruthless People. Among his crowning achievements was penning and producing "Living In America," the Grammy-nominated, James Brown-sung theme to Rocky IV, and his own worldwide smash, "I Can Dream About You," from the cult film Streets Of Fire. The latter comes as close to perfection as a song can get, and is likely to attain status among the pop standards of this generation.

With such a diverse résumé, it hardly comes as a surprise that Hartman would once again completely shift musical gears at the height of his reign over the Hollywood movie-music scene. In 1989, he unveiled "New Green Clear Blue", which was easily one of his most adventurous efforts. Of the enchanting, ambient collection of plush instrumentals, he once said, "This music is meant to be something that helps people connect with their subconscious. It is intended to be played at very low levels in a tranquil environment. It's a platform for the imagination."

Before his untimely passing in March 1994, Hartman had set out to reclaim his crown as the king of dance floors by recording an album of pop and dance music. Sadly, he died before the project was completed. While in the studio during 1993, he noted that "So many things have changed in terms of social and political issues, as well as the need for love and personal relationships. All of these things are the reasons why writing and recording new material is most meaningful to me."

Those words resonate during the two new tunes on this retrospective, "Keep The Fire Burnin' (Duet starring Loleatta Holloway)" and "The Love In Your Eyes." The former reunites Dan with Loleatta Holloway, the diva who fronted his much-sampled classic composition "Love Sensation." That latter showcases Dan's evocative tenor range, as well as his ability to transform simple love prose into a profound statement.

While chatting with the people who populated his life, it becomes clear that Hartman was as romantic, spontaneous, and energetic as his music. "I remember when we met in '78," says Nona Hendryx, one of his closest friends. "He just showed up on my doorstep one day, flashed the brightest smile, and asked me to write with him. I'd never spoken with him before. But he had the kind of personality and warmth that allowed him to do something like that. We were best friends from that very moment."

Veteran A&R executive Nancy Brennan, who signed Hartman to his first major publishing deal with CBS Music in 1981, has similar memories. "Dan's dedication to his craft was unmatched and unequaled, as evident on the first 'job' I got him. I sent him to Denmark to produce an English album for the Danish equivalent of Simon and Garfunkel, Rugsted and Kreutzfeld. Before Dan would go he insisted on going to a crash Berlitz class, just so he could walk into their studio and chit-chat in Danish - even though they spoke English. We're still getting covers on those songs Dan wrote in English for R&K over ten years ago."

The touching tales and fond memories of Hartman's creative impact could fill volumes. But as you listen to his music, we ask that you keep the simple words of his longtime writing partner, Charlie Midnight, in mind:

"Two thousand years ago a Roman poet named Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote,

'The real friend is, as it were another self.'

"Gotta have a celebration. Rock my soul."

In the end, we believe, that Dan Hartman would have most wanted to be remembered as a great friend who touched many. The fire will never dim.

Larry Flick
Dance Music Editor
Billboard

Many thanks to Larry Flick for allowing these notes from Keep the Fire Burnin to be reproduced on danhartman.com. Used with permission.

Thanks for their help and support to: Don Lenner, David Kahne, David Shaw, Pam Turbov, Linda Adams, Elisa Peimer and all at Chaos/Columbia. Also Steve Paul, Pail Marshall and Patrick McNamara.

Special thanks to Elzra Williams, Dan Farmon and Peg Pryor.

Pam Turbov and David Shaw would like to thank the following people who helped in the completion of this project: Nat Brewster, Nancy Brennan, Charlie Midnight, Ann Rulger, John Luongo, Jeff Walker, Vicki Petrella, Trudy Braham, Lisa Frank Ehrlich.

CD issued by Sony Music UK

All Instruments and Vocals by Dan Hartman

Produced by Dan Hartman

Sony Music , 2004

Columbia – 517342 2

Rare CD manufactured and sold in the Russian Federation

1 Relight My Fire
2 Free Ride
3 Fletch, Get Outta Town
4 I Can Dream About You
5 Just For Fun
6 Instant Replay (12-inch Mix)
7 We Are The Young
8 Talking to the Wall
9 Keep The Fire Burnin'
10 The Name of the Game
11 Living in America
12 Keep The Fire Burnin' (The Sfb Feeling Mix)

All Instruments and Vocals by Dan Hartman

Produced by Dan Hartman

All Instruments and Vocals by Dan Hartman

Produced by Dan Hartman

Hotshot Records, 2014

FEBRUARY 28, 2014 - Relight My Fire, Expanded Edition review

BY JOE MARCHESE

Talk about fusion! For "Hands Down," the opening cut of his 1979 album Relight My Fire, Dan Hartman enlisted rock and roll great Edgar Winter to weave his alto saxophone licks throughout the Latin-flavored disco track, and Stevie Wonder to provide his instantly recognizable harmonica. Hartman wasn't just a dilettante, but a regular musical renaissance man. A veteran of the Johnny Winter Band and the Edgar Winter Group, he wrote the latter's smash hit "Free Ride," and successfully completed the transition to solo stardom with 1978's "Instant Replay," a No. 1 Disco hit that also reached the Pop Top 30. In the eighties, he revitalized James Brown's career with "Living in America" and gave blue-eyed soul a contemporary makeover with "I Can Dream About You." The title song of "Relight My Fire," on which Hartman was joined by Salsoul queen Loleatta Holloway, proved that he could capture the disco magic twice, as the song remained atop the Billboard dance chart for six weeks. In 1993, it became a hit all over again for Take That and Lulu. Now, thanks to Hot Shot Records, Hartman's Fire has once again been relit.

Over just six tracks - all written by Hartman, who also played keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and percussion on the album - Relight My Fire pulsates with the energy of the era as filtered through Hartman's pop sensibility. It was a catholic sensibility that made the musician and songwriter adaptable to pop, rock and soul settings. For the album centerpiece "Vertigo/Relight My Fire," Hartman traveled to Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios and enlisted veteran Norman Harris (Blue Magic, The O'Jays) to arrange and conduct. Harris brought his sublime orchestrated style to the introductory "Vertigo" as well as to the main body of the sizzling, catchy "Relight My Fire," with a typically passionate duet vocal from Loleatta Holloway. (Harris had also frequently produced Holloway at Salsoul.) Whether in the original, nearly 10-minute album version of "Vertigo/Relight My Fire" or the 3+-minute single edit of "Relight" (among the six bonus tracks on Hot Shot's reissue), Hartman and Holloway's musical invitation can't be denied.

"Just for Fun" ("Just do what makes you feel all right...If you're hungry for some good times now, don't be late, let me show you how!") is lyrically in the good-time, hedonistic vein expected of a disco record, and the singer's enthusiasm is infectious, as is his boogie piano solo. (The piano has a bit of the flavor of another disco anthem, Peter Allen's "I Go to Rio.") The same goes for the bubbly "I Love Makin' Music," which flows out of "Just for Fun" and epitomizes what could have been Hartman's personal credo throughout his all-too-short 43 years. "Love makin' music, love makin' love," the female background vocalist coo during the track, but on Relight My Fire, the two acts seem synonymous. Hartman's disco remake of his own "Free Ride" is surprisingly effective. If it doesn't replace the original, it succeeds on the strength of the song's abundant melody, signature riff and energetic performance here.

Soulmusic Records is proud to present an expanded edition of “Instant Replay”, the best-selling 1978 album by multi-faceted music man Dan Hartman. In addition to the original album, this reissue includes four bonus tracks consisting of the both sides of two U.S. 12” singles.

The entire LP was written and produced by Dan (who passed away in 1994) and recorded at his home studios in Connecticut and mixed by the legendary Tom Moulton, the pioneer of dance music/disco remixes who contributed at length to this 2016 reissue’s notes, penned by renowned us writer, Justin Kantor; great remastering by Donald Cleveland on this exciting release that includes the two sides of the single ‘This Is It’ and ‘Countdown’.

I've followed Dan Hartman's career since the addictive "Instant Replay" thumped into my life in late '78. While he is an all-time disco hero for that single & LP and the followup (disco-only, alas) and equally amazing "Relight My Fire," Mr. Hartman also has a place in rock and roll history. He was the bassist and a singer with the Edgar Winter Group from '72-'76 and wrote their big hit "Free Ride."

Out of nowhere, perhaps literally, comes this 2-disc collection of his other three pop albums: "Images," "It Hurts to Be in Love," and "I Can Dream About You." Two of those are very hard to find on CD, and "It Hurts..." has never been out on CD before. (I've looked and complained about it for years.) By literally out of nowhere, I mean that there are no liner notes or any clue as to who is responsible for this long-deserved addition to Mr. Hartman's CD catalog. It's called "The Collection." It's made in Switzerland. The catalog # is DHLP #255255. I suspect I've decoded the "DH" and that these discs were mastered from LPs. The sound is very good. No crackles or hissing, but the sound on "I Can Dream About You" is somewhat inferior to the now-ancient CD release (the only one of the 3 I found on CD before).

"Images" was Dan's solo debut from 1976, when he left the EWG. It is an upbeat, fun rock record with guests Ronnie Montrose ("High Sign" and "The Party's in the Back Room"), Clarence Clemons (on "Shake it Down"), and Rick Derringer ("Thank You for the Good Times"). I took that info from my LP. From the copy of the back cover provided you'd need a microscope to find that out. "It Hurts to Be in Love" came out in 1981, after "Relight My Fire" cemented Mr. Hartman as an all-time disco king. There is almost nothing dance-oriented on it, though the good/not great remake of Gene Pitney's all-time classic title track reached #48 dance (#77 pop) in its 7", 2:44 version (I counted it as 2:50 here). Much better was the lead-off ballad "Heaven in Your Arms" which only reached #86 pop. "All I Need" (not the later Jack Wagner hit) also reached #41 Adult Contemporary. 1984 saw a surprise comeback, as all 25 people who saw the movie "Streets of Fire" helped its love song, "I Can Dream About You," make Top Ten pop (and dance, and A/C). It got much farther up the chart (#6) than "Instant Replay"'s #29. To this day, many people probably think it's Hall and Oates. Radio favored Dan's sound this time around, with "We Are the Young" (#1 dance) and the giddy "Second Nature" also making the pop top 40. I'm glad this is back in circulation even in this poorly packaged form.

Tacked on to Disc 2 is an odd version of "Instant Replay" that's under four minutes but doesn't fade like the 45. It ends with too few "thumps" and ten seconds of silence before the next track, which sounds like a faithful copy of the follow-up 45, "This is It" (#91 pop '79). It times out at 3:34. Then, at about twice the volume of that version is a "long version" of "This is It" that runs about 7:44.

After "I Can Dream..." Dan Hartman made several soundtrack appearances (Ruthless People, Perfect) but no more albums except a new age CD in 1989 called "New Green Clear Blue." He did co-write and/or co-produce James Brown's comeback hit "Living in America" as well as Tina Turner's "Foreign Affair" album/CD. Tragically, Mr. Hartman passed away from a brain tumor in March 1994. Only now are all his hits available on CD. I don't even know if Siri can conjure up some of this stuff, so I'm glad for this release. I would still like to see a comprehensive "Essential Dan Hartman" one day though.

Jeff Pearlman (Amazon review)

Import from Switzerland

There is scant information about this 'album' which is, in fact, a recording of a live concert which Dan performed at the Hollywood Palace, LA in 1985. The recording was made by Westwood One and was only previously available to a number of hard core collectors.

Although the recording has been around for many years, it suddenly appeared on the majority of online music streaming sites in 2022, released by a company called See-Saw.

Oddly, there is a glaring mistake on the track listing for "Rage To Live" which is incorrectly listed as "Razor's Edge". Also, Get Outta Town is incorrectly listed as "Get Out Of Town". Although DanHartman.com has reached out to both Spotify and Amazon Music, neither of these sites have taken steps to correct the error. The recording is also available on Deezer and Tidal and does not appear to be available in other formats.

First Time on CD Worldwide for Dan Hartman's 1981 album. Features the singles "Heaven In Your Arms" and "It Hurts To Be In Love." Remastered by Vic Anesini from the original master tapes. Includes 2 rare bonus tracks and new liner notes by Joe Marchese (The Second Disc).

Dan Hartman’s restless artistry took yet another twist with 1981’s It Hurts To Be In Love, which plays as a tribute to classic Brill Building songwriting sensibilities while doubling as a concept album on unrequited love. A revival of Gene Pitney’s 1964 hit “It Hurts To Be In Love” sets the scene, before the album alternates lovelorn ballads with more upbeat and quirkier tracks, each filled with sumptuous melodies and Hartman’s emotionally expressive vocals and lyrics. Hartman even reassures his disco fans that he hasn’t forgotten them on “I Still Remember.”

“This music is closer to me because it has more romantic sensitivity than I’ve allowed myself to show in past productions. I’m really pouring it all out,” Hartman commented at the time of It Hurts To Be In Love’s release. “I guess you could say there’s more Dan Hartman in there than any other record I’ve done.”

For its worldwide CD debut, It Hurts To Be In Love has been expanded with two album outtakes, both of which originally appeared on a rare publishing sampler in 1981.

Heaven In Your Arms: Iconoclassic Brings Dan Hartman's "It Hurts to Be in Love" to CD for First Time

- November 29, 2023

On December 8, Dan Hartman would have turned 73.  Sadly, the singer-songwriter-producer-musician-engineer's life was cut short by an AIDS-related brain tumor on March 22, 1994.  He was just 43.  The immense musical legacy of the "I Can Dream About You" hitmaker hasn't been forgotten, though.  On his birthday, Iconoclassic Records will bring his 1981 solo album It Hurts to Be in Love to CD for the very first time.  This newly remastered, expanded edition adds a pair of rare outtakes from the album sessions.

A musician's musician, Hartman refused to be pigeonholed in just one style or genre.  Upon hearing his demo tape, Blue Sky Records founder Steve Paul introduced him to brothers Edgar and Johnny Winter.  Edgar soon invited him to become a full-fledged member of the newly-christened Edgar Winter Group, and the band released their debut, They Only Come Out at Night, in November 1972.  Dan was off and running.  He had written or co-written six of the LP's ten songs in addition to contributing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, ukelele, bass, maracas, and percussion.  Of the three singles pulled from They Only Come Out at Night, Hartman wrote "Free Ride" and co-wrote "Hangin' Around" with Winter.  (The third single, the chart-topping instrumental showcase "Frankenstein," was a Winter solo composition.)  "Free Ride" displayed Dan's knack for a pop hook even within the framework of a fist-pumping, arena-ready rocker, and rewarded him with his first hit record when it reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Dan continued to work with both Winter brothers through 1975 at which time he went out on his own.

Dan's first solo album, Images, arrived in 1976 as an expansive statement of his musical vision.  Produced and almost entirely written by Hartman with guests including Edgar, their Winter Group bandmates Ronnie Montrose and Rick Derringer, Utopia's John "Willie" Wilcox and John Siegler, Clarence Clemons, and Randy Brecker, Images impressively fused rock, pop, soul, jazz, and reggae.  But it was the disco boom that would set Hartman on the path to his first solo No. 1.  1978's Instant Replay merged his rock sensibility with the dance boom; the title track featuring Edgar Winter rose to No. 1 Dance and No. 29 Pop.  The 1979 follow-up Relight My Fire was no mere carbon copy of its predecessor, though it again deployed some heavy hitters of rock including Edgar Winter, guitarist G.E. Smith, and drummer Hilly Michaels, to bring its lush dancefloor grooves to life.  Its disco epic "Vertigo/Relight My Fire" featured Salsoul Records star Loleatta Holloway on vocals, with a lavish orchestration from MFSB and Salsoul Orchestra veteran Norman Harris.  Mixed by John Luongo, "Vertigo/Relight My Fire" (paired with a dazzling reinvention of "Free Ride") went to No. 1 Dance, peaking there on January 12, 1980 and remaining atop the chart for six weeks.

Though Relight My Fire had survived the so-called "disco backlash," Dan chose not to repeat himself.  Instead, in 1981, he released his most personal album: It Hurts to Be in Love.  Other than the title track (a faithful cover of the Helen Miller/Howard Greenfield song first recorded by Dan's good friend Neil Sedaka and turned into a hit by Gene Pitney in 1964), the material was all Hartman. Erik Cartwright (guitar), Jeff Bova (synthesizer), John Pierce (bass), Art Wood (drums), and Blanche Napoleon (vocals) joined him in the studio for a set of romantic, yearning, aching, and deeply-felt songs that spoke profoundly about love in its various incarnations.  Side One featured radio-friendly pop anthems including "Heaven in Your Arms" and "All I Need," while the second side indulged Dan's more experimental side while reassuring his disco fans with the floor-filling "I Still Remember."  Overflowing with melodic invention, moving lyrics, and expressive vocals, It Hurts to Be in Love captured Hartman's most authentic self.

Iconoclassic's worldwide CD premiere adds two outtakes.  "Rejection" and "Go-Go" also make their CD debuts, having only previously appeared on a rare vinyl publishing sampler.   Vic Anesini has beautifully remastered the audio for this release from the original master tapes, and the booklet, superbly designed by Chris Eselgroth, features new liner notes by TSD's Joe Marchese drawing on archival quotes from Dan Hartman and his collaborators.

It Hurts to Be in Love is a remarkable musical statement from one of pop's greatest multi-hyphenates. 

LINEUP

Bass – John Pierce
Design – Chris Eselgroth
Drums – Art Wood
Graphic Design – Carin Goldberg
Guitar – Erik Cartwright
Keyboards – Dan Hartman
Liner Notes – Joe Marchese
Mastered By – Ted Jensen
Mixed By – Neil Dorfsman
Photography By – Jerry King Musser
Producer – Dan Hartman
Recorded By – Dan Hartman, Jeff Jones
Reissue Producer – Jeremy Holiday
Remastered By – Vic Anesini
Synthesizer – Jeff Bova
Vocals – Blanche Napoleon, Dan Hartman

Remastered CD with Bonus Tracks | ICON 1075

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Epic
Copyright © – Iconoclassic Records, LLC
Recorded At – The Schoolhouse
Licensed To – Iconoclassic Records
Licensed From – Sony Music Commercial Music Group
Manufactured By – A to Z Media
Mixed At – Power Station
Mastered At – Sterling Sound
Remastered At – Battery Studios, New York

It Hurts To Be In Love was released for the first time on CD format worldwide during 2024. The CD features the singles "Heaven In Your Arms" and "It Hurts To Be In Love." It is remastered by Vic Anesini from the original master tapes and includes 2 rare bonus tracks and new liner notes by Joe Marchese.