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Dan Hartman

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Daniel Earl "Dan" Hartman (December 8 1950 - March 22 1994) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer best known for the 1984 song "I Can Dream About You."

Career

Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Hartman joined his first band, The Legends, at the age of thirteen, with his brother, Dave. Hartman played keyboards and wrote much of the band's music. The band released several records, but none were hits. He joined the Edgar Winter Group and played on three of their albums; he wrote the band's second biggest pop hit "Free Ride" in 1972. He launched a solo career in 1976. A re-recorded version of "Free Ride" was used in the movie, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, in 1995.

In 1978 Hartman reached number-one on the Dance Charts with the single, "Instant Replay" (#29 on the Billboard Hot 100). Musicians Hartman worked with on the associated album included Vinnie Vincent (perhaps most famous for his controversial, short-lived membership - and subsequent sacking - from Kiss) and G.E. Smith. This was followed by his second chart topper "Relight My Fire", which featured his friend Loleatta Holloway, singing as well, in 1979. Another song "Vertigo" later became theme for the NBC talk show Tomorrow. These tracks are considered by many to be anthems of the disco era. There was also a cover version of "Instant Replay", which was a one-hit wonder for a boy duo called Yell! (Paul Varney and Daniel James) in January 1990.

He was back in the charts yet again with the Top 10 single, "I Can Dream About You", from the Streets of Fire soundtrack in 1984. Hartman was featured as a bartender in the video, which received heavy rotation on MTV; in the video, his vocals were convincingly lip-synched by Stoney Jackson, an African-American actor. Hartman then scored a third number-one single, "We Are The Young." During the next decade he worked as a songwriter and producer, and collaborated with such artists as Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, James Brown, Nona Hendryx and Steve Winwood.

Hartman died at the age of 43, in Westport, Connecticut from a brain tumor caused by AIDS. Only after Hartman's death did his homosexuality become public knowledge. At the time of his death, his music was enjoying a revival; a cover version of his song, "Relight My Fire", became a British number-one hit for Take That and Lulu. Sales of Hartman's solo recordings, group efforts, production, songwriting and compilation inclusions, exceed fifty million records worldwide.

Discography

Albums

  • Who Is Dan Hartman (1976)
  • Images (1976)
  • Instant Replay (1979) #80 U.S.
  • Relight My Fire (1980) #189 U.S.
  • April Music Recorded Music Library (1981)
  • It Hurts To Be In Love (1982)
  • I Can Dream About You (1984) #55 U.S.
  • Whiteboy (1986) Never Released
  • New Green Clear Blue (1989)
  • Keep The Fire Burnin (1994)
  • Superhits (2004)

Singles

Year Song U.S. Hot 100[1] U.S. R&B[2] U.S. A.C.[3] U.S. Dance[4] UK Singles Album
1978 "Instant Replay" 29 44 - 1 8 Instant Replay
1979 "This Is It" 91 - - - 17
1979 "Hands Down" - - - 26 - Relight My Fire
1980 "Vertigo"/"Relight My Fire" (With Loleatta Holloway)" - - - 1 -
1981 "Heaven in Your Arms" 86 - - - -
1981 "It Hurts to Be in Love" 72 - - 48 -
1981 "All I Need" - - 41 - -
1984 "I Can Dream About You" 6 60 7 8 121 I Can Dream About You
1984 "We Are the Young" 25 58 - 1 -
1985 "Second Nature" 39 - 19 40 66
1985 "Get Outta Town" - - - - 99
1994 "Keep the Fire Burnin'" (with Loleatta Holloway) - - - - 49 Keep the Fire Burnin'
  • 11985 re-release; originally peaked at #78

Tribute sites

See also

References

[5]Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. pp. p. 118. ISBN 0-89820-156-X. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel. Top Pop Singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research Books, 2003, p. 304
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel. Top R&B Singles 1942-1995. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research Books, 1996, p. 184.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel. Top Adult Contemporary 1961-2001. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research Books, 2002, p. 112.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel. Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research Books, 2004, p. 118.
  5. ^ Whitburn Disco
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