Franne Golde is an American songwriter, musician, singer and writer.
Her songs have appeared on more than 100 million records worldwide, Golde has received BMI awards for singles with The Pussycat Dolls “Stickwitu”, Randy Travis’s “A Man Ain’t Made of Stone”, The Kinleys’ “Somebody’s Out There Watching” from the Touched by an Angel soundtrack, Selena’s “Dreaming of You”, Jody Watley’s “Don’t You Want Me” and “Nightshift” by the Commodores, which also won a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group and received a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.
Early in her career, Golde found a home away from home in a rented studio at the Chess Records in Chicago. Her teachers were the R&B artists, producers and songwriters who recorded there and soon took Golde under their wing. She soon formed her first band, Franne and Zoey, which received local acclaim, and she was on her way to making records herself for Atlantic and later Epic/Portrait.
In the early 1980s, Golde began writing with songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, who introduced her to Richard Perry. He was impressed with Golde and convinced her to move to Los Angeles and signed her to his publishing company Braintree Music. Soon after Diana Ross cut “Gettin’ Ready for Love”, the first song Golde co-wrote with Tom Snow, under her new deal with Perry. The Top 10 international hit graced Ross album, Baby It’s Me.
Golde also wrote the “Don’t Look Any Further” with Dennis Lambert and Duane Hitchings, which has since become one of the most frequently sampled tracks by rappers and dance artists internationally, including Snoop Dogg, TLC, Tupac Shakur, Junior M.A.F.I.A. with Notorious B.I.G, Lauryn Hill and M People, who recorded the song and made it a hit for the fourth time in the UK. Saxophonist Dave Koz gave it a jazz interpretation on Lucky Man and Michelin Tires tapped it for commercial advertising.
Golde’s work has been featured on some of the biggest soundtrack hits of the past decade, including the Grammy Award–winning The Bodyguard, and the soundtracks for Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, Selena (the biopic) which featured Golde’s hit single “Dreaming of You” and the television series Miami Vice and Touched by an Angel, which included the country hit single “Somebody’s Out There Watching”.
Kenny G recorded Golde’s “Even if My Heart Would Break” with Aaron Neville for the The Bodyguard soundtrack. He then chose to include it on his own release, Breathless. It marked only the third time in chart history that the same song appeared on both the No. 1 and No. 2 albums.
She has written songs on many albums including: Pussycat Dolls “Stickwitu” — which was also a worldwide hit single and was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group — Jessica Simpson “Be”, Christina Aguilera’s “So Emotional” and her Grammy Award–winning Latin CD Mi Reflejo with “El Beso Del Final”, Jody Watley’s “Don’t You Want Me”, Whitney Houston’s “I Belong to You”, The Commodores’ “Nightshift” and Selena’s “Dreaming of You”.
Discography
Restless
Portrait Records 1980
Tracks: Lookin' For The Stranger, Natives Are Restless, Run For Your Life, Survivor, Stranded, Cool Kids, Shadowland, I Do Love & Sailin'.
Musicians on the Restless album: Franne Golde, Billy Steele Bass : Eric Nelson, Erik Scott, Kim Ballard, Peter McIan, Craig Krampf, Tommy Funderburk, Max Gronenthal, Jon Lind, Peter McIan & John Townsend.
Frannie
Portrait Records 1979
Tracks: Lotta Love, Rhumba Girl, You Send Me, Can't Get Away From You, Mexican Divorce, Baby Don't You Do It, Give A Little, Angels Rejoiced, French Waltz, Come Early Mornin' & Last In Love.
Musicians on the Frannie album: Franne Golde, Albert Hammond, Joey Murcia, George Terry, Hog Cowart, George Perry, George Bitzer, Ronald Ziegler, Joe Lala, Gary Brown, Charles Chalmers, Teri DeSario, Donna Rhodes, Sandra Rhodes, John Sambataro & Tom Snow.
Franne Golde
Atlantic Records 1976
Tracks: Love Is, I'm Hypnotized, Do You Want To Be A Dreamer (Dream On), Time Has A Way (And It's Getting Better), All You Need Is Love, Just For Tonight, Stop (And Look Around), Save Me (I'm Falling In Love Again), I'm Going To Make It (Without You) & As Long As There's Music.
Musicians on the Franne Golde album: Franne Golde, Jerry Friedman, Jeff Layton, Jeff Mironov, Lance Quinn, Bob Babbitt, Stephen Burns, John Stroll, Allen Schwartzberg, Jimmy Young, George Devens, Howard Levy, Carl Martin, Jo Anna Brownel, Bernadene Davis & Jan Hruby.