West coast music poet…
A singer/songwriter and poet, Rupert Holmes has performed and written for many music legends, and gained fame on his own with a series of successful pop singles during the 1970s and ’80s. Although a reserved playwright and book writer, his contributions to the rock music industry and Broadway have been numerous. Holmes was born in England because of his father’s involvement in the U.S. Air Force. After the family moved to New York, Holmes developed an interest in music. He attended the Manhattan School of Music and, after graduation, began seriously considering a career as a songwriter. He played piano with the Cuff Links and the Buoys in the ’70s, also arranging and composing songs for Gene Pitney, the Platters, the Drifters, and the Partridge Family. In 1971, at the age of 24, Holmes gained a hit on both the American and U.K. charts with “Timothy.”
After this first hit, Holmes decided to pursue a singing career of his own. He released his first album, Widescreen, in 1974, and then produced albums for Barbra Streisand, Sparks, and Sailor. He released several more albums in the ’70s, including Rupert Holmes, Singles, and Pursuit of Happiness. The ’80s took Holmes into a new realm of success. Although known as a singer/songwriter, he acquired international fame with “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” and “Him,” which placed on both the U.K. and American charts. It only added to the success of the albums Partners in Crime, Adventure, and Full Circle.
Holmes later turned his attention to Broadway, and became a playwright. His 1986 Broadway musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, was the recipient of five Tony Awards. (Two awards, Best Book of a Musical and Original Score, were given to Holmes himself.) He also recorded the theme for the AMC film channel’s original series, Remember WENN. Holmes also began work on another musical, The Picture of Dorian Gray, based on the Oscar Wilde book of the same name.
Read more about Rupert Holmes at this website.
Discography
The Best Of Rupert Holmes
Universal Records 2006
Tracks: Answering Machine, Let's Get Crazy Tonight, Morning Man, Less Is More, Him, I Don’t Need You, The People That You Never Get To Love, Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Partners In Crime, Town Square And The Old School, Remember When (Theme from "Remember WENN"), Speechless & Second Saxophone.
Musicians on the Best Of Rupert Holmes album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Escape - The Best Of Rupert Holmes
Spectrum Records 2006
Tracks: Escape, Him, Partners in Crime, I Don't Need You, Adventure, Blackjack, Morning Man, Answering Machine, Lunch Hour, Get Outta Yourself, Drop It, In You I Trust, People You Never Get to Love, Cold, Mask, You'll Love Me Again & Escape.
Musicians on the Escape - The Best Of Rupert Holmes album: Rupert Holmes and others.
The Rupert Holmes Songbook
Hip-O Records 2005
Tracks: CHAPTER ONE/DISC ONE: WIDESCREEN: Widescreen, Terminal, Second Saxophone, Phantom Of The Opera, Talk, Bagdad, Our National Pastime, Letters That Cross In The Mail, Soap Opera & Psycho Drama. RUPERT HOLMES: Too Scared To Sing, Brass Knuckles, You Burned Yourself Out, Deco Lady, I Don’t Want To Hold Your Hand, Rifles And Rum, Studio Musician, Everything Gets Better When You’re Drunk, The Man Behind The Woman & The Place Where Failure Goes. CHAPTER TWO/DISC TWO: SINGLES: Who What When Where Why, Weekend Lover, I Don’t Want To Get Over You, You Make Me Real, Aw Shucks, The Last Of The Romantics, For Beginners Only, Touch And Go, Annabella & Singles. PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS: Less Is More, Show Me Where It Says, Speechless, Cradle Me, So Beautiful It Hurts, Let’s Get Crazy Tonight, Bedside Companions, Guitars, The Long Way Home, Town Square & The Old School. CHAPTER THREE/DISC THREE: PARTNERS IN CRIME: Escape (The Piña Colada Song), Partners In Crime, Nearsighted, Lunch Hour, Drop It, Him, Answering Machine, The People That You Never Get To Love, Get Outta Yourself & In You I Trust. ADVENTURE: Adventure, The Mask, Blackjack, The O’Brien Girl, Crowd Pleaser, You’ll Love Me Again, Cold, Morning Man, I Don’t Need You & Special Thanks. CHAPTER FOUR/DISC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE: The End, Loved By The One You Love, Perfect, You Remind Me Of You, The One Of Us, Full Circle, How Do You Do, Love At Second Sight, My Lover’s Keeper & One Born Every Minute. SCENARIO: Business As Usual, The Eighties Never Happened, Info Superhighway, The Big Ride, Straight To The Brain, Limo, The Hurting Part, So Far So Good, You Don’t Get It & If Love Made Sense. APPENDIX/DISC FIVE: Remember When, Timothy, Jennifer Tomkins, Echo Valley – 26809, You Make It Christmas, Queen Bee, Everything, Love Out Of Time, The One Of Us, Song Of A Simple Man, No One Ever Dies, Lullaby For Myself, I Knew You When, Philly, Magic Trick, Walkaway, The Law Of The Jungle, No Small Affair, Perfect Strangers (Love Theme From The Mystery Of Edwin Drood) / duet with Rita Coolidge, Touch And Go / duet with Rita Coolidge, I’ll Believe It When I See It, Am I Crazy Or What?,You Got It All (Over Him), Hi Honey I’m Home! & My Son.
Musicians on the Rupert Holmes Songbook album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Foundation Of Love
Hallmark Records 2002
Tracks: Savannah, How Do You Like Them Apples, Wanting You, I Wonder What Happened To Sally, Stagecoach, Robins World, Thank You Pretty Baby, Foundation Of Love, Theres So Little Time, The Indian, Sandy, Thank You Girl, All The Young Woman, Ginger Snap & The World Doesnt Matter Anymore.
Musicians on the Foundation Of Love album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Greatest Hits
Hip-O Records 2000
Tracks: Remember When, Second Saxophone, Terminal, Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Him, The Last of the Romantics, The People That You Never Get to Love, Weekend Lover, Answering Machine, Speechless, I Don't Need You, Let's Get Crazy Tonight, Less Is More, Widescreen, Studio Musician, Morning Man, Talk & Town Square And The Old School.
Musicians on the Greatest Hits album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Best One
Universal Victor 1997
Tracks: Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Nearsighted, Him, Get Outta Yourself, In You I Trust, Less Is More, Speechless, Cradle Me, So Beautiful It Hurts, Bedside Companions, Morning Man, I Don´t Need You & Special Thanks.
Musicians on the Best One album: Rupert Holmes and others.
The Epoch Collection
Varese Records 1994
Tracks: Terminal, Second Saxophone, Studio Musician, I Don't Want to Hold Your Hand, Who What When Where Why, Weekend Lover, Last of the Romantics, I Don't Want to Get over You, Touch and Go, Aw Shucks, Too Scared to Sing, You Burned Yourself Out, Everything Gets Better With Time, Rifles and Rum, Man Behind the Woman, Place Where Failure Goes, Talk & Annabella.
Musicians on the Epoch Collection album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Scenario
Victor Records 1994
Tracks: Business A Usual, The Eighties Never Happened, Info Superhighway, The Big Ride, Straight To The Brain, Limo, The Hurting Part, So Far So Good, You Don't Get It & If Love Made Sense.
Musicians on the Scenario album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Full Circle
Elektra Records 1981
Tracks: Full Circle, How Do You Do, Love At Second Sight, My Lover's Keeper, One Born Every Minute, The End, Loved By The One You Love, Perfect, You Remind Me Of You, The One Of Us & Magic Trick (bonus cut on Japanese LP only).
Musicians on the Full Circle album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Adventure
MCA Records 1980
Tracks: Adventure, The Mask, Blackjack, The O'Brien Girl, Crowd Pleaser, You'll Love Me Again, Cold, Morning Man, I Don't Need You & Special Thanks.
Musicians on the Adventure album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Partners In Crime
Infinity Records 1979
Tracks: Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Partners in Crime, Nearsighted, Lunch Hour, Drop It, Him, Answering Machine, The People That You Never Get to Love, Get Outta Yourself & In You I Trust.
Musicians on the Partners In Crime album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Pursuit Of Happiness
Private Stock Records 1978
Tracks: Less Is More, Show Me Where It Says, Speechless, Cradle Me, So Beautiful It Hurts, Let’s Get Crazy Tonight, Bedside Companions, Guitars, The Long Way Home, Town Square & The Old School.
Musicians on the Pursuit Of Happiness album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Singles
Epic Records 1977
Tracks: Who What When Where, Why, Weekend Lover, I Don't Want To Get Over You, You Make Me Real, Aw Shucks, The Last of the Romantics, For Beginners Only, Touch and Go, Annabella & Singles.
Musicians on the Singles album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Rupert Holmes
Epic Records 1975
Tracks: Too Scared To Sing, Brass Knuckles, You Burned Yourself Out, Deco Lady, I Don't Want To Hold Your Hand, Rifles And Rum, Studio Musician, Everything Gets Better When You're Drunk, The Man Behind The Woman & The Place Where Failure Goes.
Musicians on the Rupert Holmes album: Rupert Holmes and others.
Widescreen
Epic Records 1974
Tracks: Widescreen, Terminal, Second Saxophone, Phantom of the Opera, Talk, Bagdad, Our National Pastime, Letters That Cross in the Mail, Soap Opera,Deco Lady, Brass Knuckles & Psycho Drama.
Musicians on the Widescreen album: Rupert Holmes and others.
She Lets Her Hair Down
Excelsior Records 1969
Tracks: Robin's World, Sandra, The World Doesn't Matter Anymore, Foundation Of Love, She Lets Her Hair Down, What Do You See In Marvin, You Bet Your Life, I Wonder What Happened To Sally & Savannah.
Musicians on the She Lets Her Hair Down album: Rupert Holmes and others.