Tom Bahler
Encyclopedia
Thomas Lee Bähler (Inglewood, Los Angeles, California
, June 1, 1943) is an American singer, composer, songwriter, arranger and producer.
He is the brother of John Bähler
.
). Later Tom and his brother John were vocalists in the Ron Hicklin Singers
. Together with the Wrecking Crew
, the Bahlers have sung, produced, and arranged hundreds of worldwide hits. Most notably Tom and his brother John (along with Ron Hicklin and Jackie Ward) were the featured background voices on The Partridge Family
recordings in the 1970s.
which was not a great success. They made three records as a band. The last record, "Montage", is considered to be a project just by John and Tom. As session vocalists for The Partridge Family
the brothers re-recorded the Screen Gems
-published song "Let the Good Times In" for the series' pilot episode, which they had originally recorded for their debut "Love Generation" album in a slightly different arrangement. The Partridge version of the song remained a heavily sought after unreleased track until it appeared officially for the first time ever on the group's "The Very Best Of" CD
which was released in 2005.
) to promote the products of the Ford Motor Company
. Tom appeared on Ford's 1969 "Going Thing" television commercial. As John and Tom were given great freedom and a steady income, this may be the place where they learned to arrange and produce songs.
hit "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" (1970).
She's Out Of My Life
, a well-known song recorded by Michael Jackson and a variety of other artists, was written by Bähler in 1979 and published by Tom Bähler Music under BMI
. It has been claimed he wrote the song about Karen Carpenter
, who broke up with Bähler after discovering he had fathered a child with another woman, but Bahler says the song was written about Rhonda Rivera.
He has also worked with popular musicians like Billy Joel
and Michael Jackson
. Tom is a close associate of Quincy Jones
and associate producer and arranger of We Are The World
.
He produced the music for the Miss (Teen) USA and Miss Universe Pageant, for a number of years.
Tom composed the music to a number of movies and scored a number of soundtracks: Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary (1975) and Cold Feet (1989). He also made cameo appearances in movies like Wag The Dog
.
Update 2010: Tom has completed his first novel, "Anything Is Possible" and is also active as a composer. One project that has his attention is a song cycle he is composing on the poetry of the Sufi
poet Hafiz (also known as Hafez
).
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, June 1, 1943) is an American singer, composer, songwriter, arranger and producer.
He is the brother of John Bähler
John Bahler
John Bähler is an American vocalist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer.John Bähler is brother of Tom Bähler and husband of Janet Lennon .-Early career:...
.
Early career
Tom is known for his early work with Jan Berry (of Jan and DeanJan and Dean
Jan and Dean were a rock and roll duo, popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence...
). Later Tom and his brother John were vocalists in the Ron Hicklin Singers
Ron Hicklin Singers
The Ron Hicklin Singers were a group of Los Angeles studio singers contracted and organized by Ron Hicklin. They are most famously known as the real singers behind the background vocals on The Partridge Family recordings....
. Together with the Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew (music)
The Wrecking Crew was a nickname coined by the drummer Hal Blaine after the fact for a group of session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who earned wide acclaim in the 1960s. They backed dozens of popular singers, and were one of the most successful "groups" of studio musicians in music history...
, the Bahlers have sung, produced, and arranged hundreds of worldwide hits. Most notably Tom and his brother John (along with Ron Hicklin and Jackie Ward) were the featured background voices on The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
recordings in the 1970s.
The Love Generation
John and Tom tried their hands with their own band The Love GenerationThe Love Generation
Not To Be Confused with the Swedish Group Love GenerationThe Love Generation was an American pop rock band from the 1960s. The band was together from 1967 to 1969.-History:...
which was not a great success. They made three records as a band. The last record, "Montage", is considered to be a project just by John and Tom. As session vocalists for The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
the brothers re-recorded the Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
-published song "Let the Good Times In" for the series' pilot episode, which they had originally recorded for their debut "Love Generation" album in a slightly different arrangement. The Partridge version of the song remained a heavily sought after unreleased track until it appeared officially for the first time ever on the group's "The Very Best Of" CD
Come On Get Happy!: The Very Best of The Partridge Family
Come On, Get Happy!: The Very Best of The Partridge Family was a greatest hits compilation from The Partridge Family, released on May 3, 2005 in conjunction with the first season DVD collection. It contained some previously unreleased songs...
which was released in 2005.
The Going Thing
After The Love Generation, John and Tom joined The Going Thing, a band which was devised by the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson (now known as JWTJWT
JWT is one of the largest advertising agencies in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world. It is one of the key companies of Sir Martin Sorrell's WPP Group and is headquartered in New York. The global agency is led by Worldwide Chairman and Global CEO Bob Jeffrey who took over the...
) to promote the products of the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. Tom appeared on Ford's 1969 "Going Thing" television commercial. As John and Tom were given great freedom and a steady income, this may be the place where they learned to arrange and produce songs.
Later career
He wrote the Bobby ShermanBobby Sherman
Robert Cabot "Bobby" Sherman, Jr. , is an American singer, actor and occasional songwriter, who became a popular teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s.He graduated in 1961 from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California...
hit "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" (1970).
She's Out Of My Life
She's Out of My Life
"She's Out of My Life" is a song written by musical artist Tom Bahler. Although it has been claimed that Bahler wrote the song about Karen Carpenter, Bahler stated, "The fact is, I had already written that song by the time Karen and I became romantic. That song was written more about Rhonda Rivera...
, a well-known song recorded by Michael Jackson and a variety of other artists, was written by Bähler in 1979 and published by Tom Bähler Music under BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
. It has been claimed he wrote the song about Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. She was a drummer of exceptional skill, but she is best remembered for her vocal performances of idealistic romantic ballads of true love...
, who broke up with Bähler after discovering he had fathered a child with another woman, but Bahler says the song was written about Rhonda Rivera.
He has also worked with popular musicians like Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. Tom is a close associate of Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
and associate producer and arranger of We Are The World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
.
He produced the music for the Miss (Teen) USA and Miss Universe Pageant, for a number of years.
Tom composed the music to a number of movies and scored a number of soundtracks: Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary (1975) and Cold Feet (1989). He also made cameo appearances in movies like Wag The Dog
Wag the Dog
Wag the Dog is a 1997 black comedy film starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro, co-starring Anne Heche, Denis Leary and William H. Macy about a Washington spin doctor who, merely days before a presidential election, distracts the electorate from a sex scandal by hiring a Hollywood film producer...
.
Update 2010: Tom has completed his first novel, "Anything Is Possible" and is also active as a composer. One project that has his attention is a song cycle he is composing on the poetry of the Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
poet Hafiz (also known as Hafez
Hafez
Khwāja Shamsu d-Dīn Muhammad Hāfez-e Shīrāzī , known by his pen name Hāfez , was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry are to be found in the homes of most Iranians, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day...
).