Denny Randell was born in New York City and at an early age exhibited the musical talent that has powered his successful career. He played piano and accordion and had the ability to pick up and play a variety of other instruments, from the bass to the trumpet and trombone, guitar to the drums.

Denny spent his high school years in Silver Spring, MD and during that time played and sang in one of the most popular local bands. Always into music and records, by day he was spending whatever time he could in the school band room and at night he performed at dances and shows. His band was managed by a popular local deejay who also played his tapes on the radio. Still in his teens, he began writing his own songs and was also into arranging, skills that would become an important entrée to his professional career.

In the early ‘60’s Denny wrote, arranged and produced a record on which he was also the artist. The record became a regional hit and caught the ear of New York music publisher Shapiro Bernstein who brought him on board as a staff songwriter. In addition to working on his own songs, he was soon arranging and producing tracks for the company’s other writers and artists.

This led to an introduction to Bob Gaudio of the super-hot Four Seasons by Al Kasha, a production partner of Gaudio’s and an A&R man and record producer for CBS Records, who heard Denny’s songs and musical arrangements. Gaudio asked Denny to arrange and conduct for the Four Seasons’ and introduced him to writer/producer Bob Crewe, the Seasons’ producer.

Denny arranged and conducted a number of sides for the Seasons during this period. These included much of the Rag Doll album, the big band rendition of the TV theme song "On Broadway Tonight" and the group’s hit singles "Big Man In Town" and "Save It For Me". And he arranged and conducted a last minute live version of Rag Doll when President Johnson’s daughter Lynda Bird asked the Seasons to sing at the 1964 Democratic Convention in Atlantic City.

Denny’s work with Bob Crewe on these Four Seasons records was also the entrée to the successful songwriting collaboration between Denny and Crewe, both as a twosome, as on the later written "Swearin to God" and other chart songs including the Disco Tex hit "I Wanna Dance Witchoo", and also with lyricist Sandy Linzer, as on "Let’s Hang On". Denny and Linzer had also been introduced by Kasha who thought the two might hit it off as collaborators.

Denny’s collaboration with Linzer led to a number of hit songs, including such worldwide classics as "A Lover’s Concerto" and "Workin My Way Back To You" and also such songs as "Opus 17 (Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me)", the Top 5 follow-up to "Workin", "Betrayed", their first Seasons recorded song, and songs recorded by a number of other well-known artists.

As Denny’s own writing and production efforts began to take off, he became less interested in arranging for others and was more focused on his own projects. Since then the musical arrangements he’s done through the years have been primarily for his own songs and productions. He did later arrange the Four Seasons’ hit version of "And That Reminds Me" after Gaudio heard the concept Denny had created on a cut for one of his own groups.

In the late 60’s Denny worked with Don Kirshner at Screen Gems Music and with Epic/CBS Records as a producer/A&R man. While with these companies his songs included the hits "Keep The Ball Rolling" and "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music" by Jay and the Techniques, the former also hitting the charts by New Orleans jazz trumpeteer Al Hirt, "Breakin Down The Walls of Heartache", #1 record in the UK, and songs on the Monkees Gold and Platinum albums and TV show.

In ’69, Denny moved to L.A.

"I had spent time in LA and recorded some sides there for Epic and the sounds and vibe felt fresher to me at that point".

In the 70’s Denny’s background in jazz, big band and sophisticated harmonies were an asset in writing for the dance music of the decade. He wrote hits ranging from the camp Disco Tex ("I Wanna Dance Wit’ Choo") and much of the hot Disco-Tex dance album to the suave sound of solo Frankie Valli’s "Swearin’ To God" and Odyssey’s "Native New Yorker". On the other end of the musical spectrum Denny’s rock and roll chops also served him during this period.

Not long after coming to LA, Denny was asked to join the A & R staff of RCA Records where he remained for approximately a year before trading in the corporate experience to return to his own writing, production and publishing activities.

Back on his own, Denny’s scoring abilities led to his work on a "musical adaptation for theatre" of The Who’s rock opera "Tommy" in the early 70’s and as the musical director of the stage production at the Aquarius Theatre in Los Angeles. (He was motivated to score the show by his love of the ‘Tommy" opera.)

Soon after, Frank Zappa asked Denny to handle the A&R and production activities for the "commercial" division (as Frank called it) of his Warner/Discreet Records. Denny did so while continuing with his own projects.

While with Warner/Discreet, Denny produced Tim Buckley’s Billboard charted "Sefronia" album. Denny considered Tim to be a special talent. Frank felt (and Denny concurred) that Tim needed to record a more radio-oriented album instead of the folkish and eclectic direction he had taken on past efforts. Based on Tim’s promise to allow Frank and Denny the room to go in a more commercial direction, Frank agreed to go ahead with the project and was a big fan of the resulting album and what he felt was a positive move for Tim.

After Buckley, Frank asked Denny to produce the second Mercury Records album for his pet group "Ruben and the Jets". Frank had produced the first one. Denny told Frank "it’s always good to do a little doo-wop" and took on the project. (Ruben and his trumpet appeared in the Cheech and Chong classic movie "Up In Smoke".)

Denny then produced an album with Iron Butterfly who had signed a new agreement with MCA.

In the mid 70’s Denny brought the Four Seasons to Curb Records where they remain to this day. The deal at that time allowed Frankie Valli to remain on Private Stock Records as a solo artist while recording with the Four Seasons for Curb.

At some point in ’74, Denny and Bob Crewe got together to begin writing for some upcoming projects, including Frankie’s next session for Private Stock. It was then that Frankie’s hit "Swearin To God" was written as well as the songs for Disco Tex, a crazed dance DJ played by Johnny Carson Tonight Show favorite Monte Rock. Denny also wrote a number of arrangements for the album.

"We cut the Frankie Valli and Disco Tex music tracks in New York. Once back on the West Coast, we wanted to create the feeling on the Disco Tex album of a live show recorded in front of a stadium-sized crowd. We also wanted it to be like a nonstop mix set with no pauses between the cuts."

"To do this, after finishing all sweetening and vocals, we lined up all the cuts, rented a drum set and I played a drum groove in-between each of the cuts to connect them together so that the groove never stopped and the dancing never had to. Then Bob put on three or four wild parties in the studio and we recorded it all."

While recording Frankie and the Disco Tex cuts in the Apple, Denny got into the new musicians, sounds and studios of the NY dance era. Once back in LA he took Bob to the studio Zappa had turned him onto a few years earlier where these ultimately successful records were mixed. And after finishing these projects he made plans to go back and get into the New York energy.

Denny's return to his home city was the inspiration for his song "Native New Yorker". The song, recorded by Odyssey, was part of their successful first album that included a number of his songs. Denny’s involvement from the inception of the project was a motivation for RCA to sign the act, even before he had written any of the songs for the project.

Other successes during that period included "You Keep Me Dancin" by Samantha Sang, a song Denny gave her from the Odyssey album after her Bee Gees hit "Emotion".

Denny was also a writer/producer for the Bee Gees’ affiliated artist Terri DeSario.

Although the Bee Gees had already started her project and a single was on the charts, they needed to turn their attention to following up their "Saturday Night Fever" album. Denny worked on DeSario’s album project in Muscle Shoals and then at Criterion Studios in Miami.

"We had the overdub/mixing room at Criterion booked 24 hours a day. The Bee Gees and Carl and Albee would do 12 hours on 'Eagles Having Flown' then I’d do 12 on Terri DeSario. Every 12 we’d pass and then crash except one afternoon we all tried to edit down the then current Bee Gees/Terry DeSario single but it wouldn’t cooperate. So we called it and moved on."

The 80’s came in with the Spinners hit record of "Working My Way Back To You".

Over the next few years Denny signed a number of artists and writers to his publishing and production companies and engaged in a variety of new projects for which he was now actively involved in packaging and deal making.

For RSO Records, he wrote dialogue and music for George Lucas’ Star Wars Christmas Album, "Christmas In The Stars" (Story by George Lucas), published in part by George Lucas, Robert Stigwood and Denny.

"One night at the Power Station [recording studio] during the production of the Star Wars Christmas Album, I, Meco and my company’s then affiliated writer Maury Yeston were on a conference call with George Lucas going over story points."

"George was concerned with the Wookie’s actions when R2 is under the mistletoe and the Wookie, according to one of the Christmas present making droids, kisses him. George at first felt that this behavior might be out of character for the rather gruff Wookie. We reminded him of how at the beginning of his "Star Wars, Episode 5" the Wookie weeps for Hans Solo who is feared lost and probably frozen when stranded outside in that planet’s intense cold and snow. George thought about this Wookie behavior in his then current movie, 'The Empire Strikes Back' and concurred that, in fact, the mistletoe kiss was something the Wookie could be capable of."

"This story point remained in the production, including Wookie sounds, and is heard during the title song by Yeston, 'Christmas In The Stars' ".

For Polygram, Denny and Yeston wrote four songs for the Polygram "An American Werewolf In London" movie soundtrack album.

During this time Denny also did several projects with Clive Davis. The first was the hit album and single "Pop Goes The Movies" by Meco. Denny brought the concept to Clive and made the deal. The other was Kenny G’s debut album as a solo artist, the beginning of Kenny’s stellar solo career with Arista.

"Coming off 'Pop Goes The Movies' I suggested to Clive we look at ideas for a pop-jazz cross over project".

"Clive thought for only a minute and asked if I would take a look at Kenny Gorelick, sax man in the Kenny Lorber Band [on Arista], and let him know if I thought he could be viable as a solo Artist."

"I jumped on a plane to LA and went to see the Lorber band at a club in Redondo Beach. I felt Kenny Gorelick was an exceptional player with a fresh, jazzy yet commercial quality and an electrifying charisma who commanded the stage and was worthy of a solo shot."

"I went back and told this to Clive who was immediately positive about making Kenny Gorelick's (Kenny G’s) debut album and gave me the go ahead to organize it. I got in touch with Kenny G, Kenny Lorber and their managers, brought in Meco, worked out the deals with everyone and our deal with Arista. The album was recorded in the Santa Monica Mountains. The rest is history."

Also during this time Denny A&R’d the selection of songs for Richie Havens leading to Richie’s artist deal at Elektra Records and a production deal on his "Connections" album. ("Here’s A Song", written by Denny and Richie, is in this album.)

And on another Elektra project, Bob Crewe and Denny got together one more time to co-produce a club/radio version of John Williams’ "Themes from ET" and several of their own songs by Denny Randell & The Rockophonic Orchestra. Denny was signed to the label by Elektra President Bruce Lundval.

On the theatrical front, Denny was involved with Yeston during this time in the score to the Tommy Tune directed off-Broadway hit show "Cloud 9" and also co-produced the recordings of the score that were used in the show.

After the Rockophonic Orchestra and Cloud 9, Denny headed back to LA, and shortly after, served as a sound and mixing consultant on several episodes of the "Hart to Hart" TV series.

By now the synthesizer revolution was in full swing. Denny decided it was time to rethink his MO and reorganize. For a writer/producer, doing the work was now beginning to include and (he could see) require having one’s own equipment and some kind of a personal production studio.

While still early in this midi and digital revolution, he realized that staying current meant developing a whole new way of working and big changes in the creative process. He saw that his arranging and playing abilities could be used to great advantage in synth programming, which was now becoming central to contemporary songwriting and production.

"Feeling more introspective, LA seemed like the place I wanted to work out of again, including the chance to cool out and regroup. I was reflecting on new directions for my songwriting and recording and now wanted to find new collaborators, new projects and tap into some new energies".

Biddy Schippers, a Los Angeles songwriter, and Denny teamed up in the late 80’s after being introduced by a music publisher. They pooled their modest arsenal of synths, midi and sound equipment of the day and together delved deeper into the electronic bag.

They soon found a direction for their songs and programs that they themselves began to perform and felt a freedom to do music and records they would not have done for other artists. Biddy had never been a recording artist before and was concentrated on her writing. Denny loved her sound and wanted to record her. (Over the years Denny had been with a number of labels, including, Cameo/Parkway, United Artists, TK and Elektra).

The first Randell & Schippers record the two wrote and sang (and Denny produced) was "Let’s Go For It". Originally released on their own newly founded record label, Ear Candy Records, the cut got immediate response at New York City dance clubs and mix radio and then across the country. This led to a record deal for "R & S" at Scotti Bros/CBS.

DJs from many different formats seemed to take to R & S’s distinct, yet often unclassifiable style and sound (which they themselves describe as a little camp mixed with zany and a little jazz mixed with theatre, pop and R&B). Radio and club play ranged from urban to MOR to "house" to pop.

By 1990, the two had put together a working studio in their house, from which their self-programmed and engineered creations would then be dumped and mixed at top outside studios.

In 1991-92 Randell & Schippers (now married) released, "Love Jam", a fourteen-minute dance cut with shorter dance and radio versions included, a high charter at dance clubs and mix radio in the U.S. and the UK. (Britain’s "Blues and Soul" mag said "at times [the 14 minute version] seemed too short"). Having sold their Ear Candy label to BMG, "Love Jam" was released on their new label, Music Avenue Records.

But, with a new record deal in the offing and an invitation to perform at the upcoming national dance music convention (a huge annual event at the time with top acts and the most exciting up & coming ones selected to perform), "Love Jam" was to be their last release.

"The show had to be great or not at all. Biddy and I, songwriters before anything else, had never spent any time putting a live act together. It was now time to change everything around so we could devote ourselves to being performers or turn down the invitation and agree that songwriting and recording was the most important thing to us and that we weren't willing to spend the time away from that to do the other things needed to put R & S completely over the top. In that instant we made the very hard decision to hang up our recording artist shoes and retire the act in favor of writing for and producing other artists."

Over the next few years and several production studio incarnations (as the technology exploded at light speed), Denny’s writing, programming and production activities and his company DRC Entertainment continued to expand.

By the mid 90’s new worldwide publishing affiliations were under way. This later led to a European tour to visit the various offices of Warner Chappell Music and meet the staffs and a new worldwide administration agreement for Denny Randell’s and Biddy Schippers’ song catalogues and for DRC’s Entertainment’s publishing companies and writers.

In 1998 Denny’s song "Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby" from the movie "Can’t Hardly Wait" was a hit by Smash Mouth, and was in their triple platinum album Astro Lounge. Also at that time, Denny had several international hits with top European group Boyzone and with Kelly Chen throughout Asia.

As for the 2000's, in 2001 "Can't Get Enough" was featured in a Tiger Woods "Buick Open" commercial. And in '02 "Pass The Courvoisier", Busta Rhymes' hit single with P. Diddy (from his platinum album on J Records), in which Denny is involved as a writer/publisher, reached # 11 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Currently, Denny and partner Biddy Schippers are writing, recording and producing a number of artists (on the roster and others.) His company DRC Entertainment and its new spin-off company Zoo Jam Entertainment are actively signing and promoting various artists and projects. Also included is an active record label, a top of the line recording studio and heavy web involvement, including DennyRandell.com, and the soon to be on-line DRC Entertainment.Com, CyberMC.Com and other sites.

Denny’s song and production "You’ll Never Be Alone" for his group Soul Tempo is currently out (released 5/02) and on the air at a growing number of radio stations. He is recording and mixing their new album to be released in 2003. Other acts on the roster include urban contemporary singer/songwriter Timmy Maia, his record also to be released in 2003. (Timmy’s last single reached #2 on Billboard’s "Broadband Chart" last year).

And, yes, recording artists Randell & Schippers are back in the studio with some new sides under production.

Denny’s career continues to ride the wave of technology. His ability to play many instruments and to feel at home with various musical styles has been incorporated into his midi programming and studio engineering. His productions have traversed the spectrum from mono recording and echo in the one-time Columbia Records building stairwells to his current personal midi and digital state of the art Pro Tools studio in his Orlando crib (DRC East), where he and Biddy work and hang out when not in LA or their Palm Springs abode. He enjoys putting it down and is very grateful for the continued success of his works.

What's next? No one including Denny knows for sure -- but stay tuned to the radio and the web sites. And stay tuned to the Music.

Copyright © 2002 DRC Entertainment. All rights reserved.