Dan Hartman started classical piano studies at the age of seven, but changed his focus under the influence of pop radio. At thirteen he had his own band, The Legends, and was writing songs and producing gospel at a local studio.

Impressed by Hartman's demo tape, Steve Paul introduced him to Edgar Winter, who had just disbanded White Trash. The result of Hartman and Winter's first collaboration, the double platinum They Only Come Out at Night, featured Hartman on bass, guitar and keyboards; he also co-wrote half the songs on the album and sang lead on the hit single "Free Ride." He was a member of the Edgar Winter Group for three years. In the 1970s he also worked as a session musician with artists as diverse as Ian Hunter, Stevie Wonder, Todd Rundgren, and Ronnie Montrose; co-produced Winter's solo album Jasmine Nightdreams; and produced Foghat's Nightshift.

After three years with Winter, Hartman left the band and turned his attention to writing his own music. He released his first solo recording, the pop/rock Images, in 1976.

In 1978 he shifted from rock to disco. His album Instant Replay was a hit, as was the title single, and led to a world-wide tour. The next album, Relight My Fire, featured a duet with Loleatta Holloway on the title track, and Hartman jamming with Edgar Winter and Stevie Wonder on the song "Hands Down," but was less successful than Instant Replay. Hartman then spent some years producing other artists, including .38 Special, the Average White Band, and James Brown; he was the producer for Brown's comeback hit, "Living in America," in 1986.

But Hartman too had a comeback hit in 1985, when his collaboration with Charlie Midnight resulted in the enormously successful pop/soul album I Can Dream About You. The single of that name was used in the soundtrack to the film Streets of Fire and is perhaps the best known of his singles.

His 1989 album New Green Clear Blue did not do as well, and Hartman turned once again to producing. His last production projects, after he was diagnosed as HIV-positive, included tracks for Holly Johnson and Tina Turner. He was preparing a new album at the time of his death in 1994.

By then his music was being sampled by many dance groups, including Black Box on "Ride On Time," and Take That, whose version of "Relight My Fire" went to number 1 in the U.K. Hartman's songs have been performed by Tavares, the Three-Degrees, Rick Derringer, Johnny Winter, Ronnie Montrose and Sergio Mendes.

Dan Hartman died of AIDS at the age of 43 on March 22, 1994.

— Nurit Tilles

WORKS:

SONGS (see ASCAP and BMI websites for names of co-writers):

9.95
9 Point 5
Adrift In A Red Sky
Age Of Simulation
Ain't You Been Taught No Better
All I Need
Alpha Waves
Alta Mira
Always A Fly In The Soup
Always The One
Anticipation
Atomic City
Autumn
Bad Bad Sign
Ballerina
Bandit
Beautiful Mist
Behind Your Eyes
Big Fun
Boogie All Summer
Bring Me Back To You
Bringin' To The Rescue
Bullet
Can't Stand In The Way of Love
Can't Stop The Street
Can't Tell One From The Other
Can't You Feel It
Carry On The Fantasy
Chocolate Box
Chocolate Sensation
Circle of Light
Cool Dance
Countdown/This Is It
Deep Sleep
Diamond Eyes
Direct Hit To The Heart
Don't Stop Now
Double-O-Love
Double Record Rip Off
Drivin' All Night
Driving
Each Blue Second Time
Easy Street
Electricity
Every Night
Fame Game
Feels So Good To Feel Your Love
Fever Games
First Impresssion
Flying Under Radar
For The Last Time
Forever In A Moment
Free Ride
Friction
Funkyland
Game Game
Get Down
Get Outta Town
Give It One More Try
Go Go
Goliath
Good Vibrations
Gravity
Hands Down
Hanging Around
Hard When You're Not At Home
Hear My Song
Heart Of The Beat
Heat Of The Night (In The Heat Of The Night)
Heaven In Your Arms
Hello Again
Here We Come
High Sign
High Towers
Holiday
Home
Hope of No End
How Do You Stop
Humpty Dumpty
I Can Dream About You
I Know
I Laughed
I Live In America
I'll Be Your Guarantee
I'll Try Not To Miss You
I Love Makin' Music
I Love My Lady
I'm In Love
I'm Not A Rolling Stone
I'm Only Fooling Myself
I Must Be In Love
I Still Remember
I Wanna Get Thru 2 U
If Only I Were Stronger
Inferno
Instant Replay
It's Never Too Late
Just for Fun
Just Like A Woman
Just One Night
Just This Side Of Heaven
Keep Me In Love With You
Keep Movin'
Keep The Fire Burnin'
Kick Up The Volume
Lament For A Sunday Afternoon
Leavin' Tomorrow
Let's Do It Again
Let's Do It Together Again
Let's Find A Way
Let's Get Personal
Let The Freak
Letter In A Song
Lighthouse
Living In America
Living On The Out
Lonely Is The Night
Loser Takes All
Love In Your Eyes
Love Is A Natural
Love Is Never Over
Love Is Such A Natural
Love It Too Much
Love Sensation
Love Strong
Love You Take The
Magic Feelin'
Maybe Someday
Maybe Someday You'll Call My Name
Miracle Of Love
Modern Age
Must Be In Love
My Desire
My Fire
My Love
Name Of The Game
Near You
New Green/Clear Blue
New Place To Call Home
Nice To Break The Ice
No Curve Sharp As Love
Not Enough Romance
Nothin' Else I'd Rather Do
On My Way To You
On The Telephone
One Day Tomorrow
One Pot Of Gold
One World Nation
Only For Your Love
Outcast
Paradise
Party's In The Back Room
People Music
Pick It Up
Positive Forces
Power Of A Good Love
Power Of Love
Professional Assistance
Pump The Boogie
Queen Of My Dreams
Rage To Live
Rain Go Away
Rejection
Relight My Fire
Repeat The Beat Faith
Resolution Plan
Retro Fire
Rhythm Flow Gotta Have House
Rich Man
Ride On Time
River's Risin'
Rock N Roll Woman
Rollin' Cross The County
Romance
Satisfied
Scaramanga
School's Over
Second Nature
Secret Powers
Seventh Heaven
Shadowboxing
Shake It Down
Shoot Shoot
Shy Hearts
Sides
Sigh Of Relief
Silver Diner
Simulated Cake
Sing The Island Song
Sing To Me
Six Gun
Slow Motion
So Easy
So Good
So Many Nights
Some Kinda Animal
Someone I Don't Know
Sometimes
Sometimes I Can't Help It
Song A Day
Soviet Nights
Starlight
Stay Wild
Steamrollin'
Stop Me
Stop This Madness
Sundown
Swan
Take My Love
Talking To The Wall
Tell Me In A Whisper
Tell Me Why
Thank You For The Good Times
That's Your Consciousness
Tiella Tuulen
Time And Space
Turn Me Loose I'm Dr. Feel Good
Two Of A Kind Miracles
U Got Da Feelin'
Unchain My Heart
Vertigo
Waiting Game
Waiting To See You
Walkin' With Angel
We All Had A Real Good Time
We Are the Young
We Believe In Miracles
We're The Guys Next Door
We Used To Party
What Are You Waitin' For
When A Heart Skips Too Many Beats
When It Comes
When Life Goes On Love Goes On
When The Lightning Strikes
When You Smile
Where Do We Go From Here
Where Does It Hurt You Baby
Whispering
Why Explain It
Why Should I Worry
Willing And Able
Woman Loves A Man
Year Of September
You Are
You Make The Clouds Go By
You're My Number One
You've Got Me Burnin' Up
Your Love Isn't Anywhere

UNCOMPLETED WORKS:
Unknown

WRITINGS:
Unknown

DISCOGRAPHY:

Who Is Dan Hartman? — Blue Sky XSM 160840 (1976). All songs by Hartman except where noted.
    Free Ride
    Easy Street
    Rollin' 'Cross Country (Winter/Hartman)
    River's Risin'
    Diamond Eyes (Winter/Hartman)
    Hangin' Around (Winter/Hartman)
    Tell Me In A Whisper (Winter/Hartman)
    People Music (Winter/Hartman)
    Can't You Feel It
    One Day Tomorrow (Winter/Hartman)
Dan Hartman, vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass

Images — Blue Sky BL 34322 (1976). All songs by Hartman except where noted.
    Hear My Song (Hartman/Winter)
    High Sign
    On The Telephone
    Thank You For The Good Times
    Lighthouse
    My Love
    Shake It Down
    Love It Too Much
    If Only I Were Stronger
    Can't Stand In The Way Of Love
    Party's In The Back Room
Dan Hartman, vocals, guitar, keyboards, background vocals, percussion, producer - Tony Pogano, Randy Brecker, Edgar Winter, George Young, horn - Tom Strohman, flute - Stevie Wonder, harmonica - Clarence Clemons, saxophone - Revelations, vocals - Rick Derringer, Ronnie Montrose, guitar - John Siegler, Joe Abbondanza, bass - Larry Sadler, drums

Instant Replay — Blue Sky A/BL 35641 (1978) (reissued by Sony Special Product, 2001)
    Instant Replay
    Countdown/This Is It
    Double-O-Love
    Chocolate Box
    Love Is A Natural
    Time And Space
Blanche Napolean, vocals - G..E. Smith, guitar - Larry Washington, conductor - Hilly Michaels, drums - Vinnie Cusano (Vinnie Vincent), vocals and guitar - Edgar Winter, horn - Dan Hartman, keyboards, vocals, bass, guitar, percussion

Relight My Fire — Blue Sky SKY 84023 (1979)
    Hands Down
    Love Strong
    Vertigo/Relight My Fire
    Just For Fun
    I Love Makin' Music
    Free Ride
Blanche Napolean, Schoolhouse Kids, Loleatta Holloway, The Oogah Bunch, vocals - G.E. Smith, guitar - Phil Houghton, guitar, congas - Craig Peyton, electric vibes - Larry Washington, congas - Jimmy Maelen, congas, timbales, trombone - Hilly Michaels, Brian Brake, drums - Edgar Winter, alto sax - Stevie Wonder, harmonica - Dan Hartman, keyboards, vocals, bass, drums, guitar - Norman Harris, conductor

It Hurts To Be In Love — Blue Sky (1981)
    It Hurts To Be In Love (Greenfield/Miller)
    Heaven In Your Arms
    My Desire (Hartman/Ames)
    Forever In A Moment
    All I Need
    Pick It Up
    I Still Remember
    Positive Forces
    Letter In A Song
    Hello Again
Blanche Napolean, vocals - John Pierce, bass — Art Wood, drums - Jeff Bova, synthesizer — Erik Cartwright, guitars - Dan Hartman, vocals and keyboards

I Can Dream About You — MCA Records MCF3239 (1984)
    We Are The Young (Hartman/Midnight)
    I Can Dream About You (Hartman)
    Shy Hearts (Hartman/Midnight)
    I'm Not A Rolling Stone (Hartman/Midnight)
    Rage To Live (Hartman/Midnight)
    Name of the Game (Hartman/Midnight)
    Power Of A Good Love (Hartman/Midnight)
    Second Nature (Hartman/Midnight)
    I Can't Get Enough (Hartman/Midnight)
    Electricity (Hendryx/Midnight)
Dan Hartman, keyboards, vocals, bass, guitar

New Green Clear Blue — Private Music 2032-2 (1989). Produced, composed and engineered by Dan Hartman.
    Sigh Of Relief
    Romance
    New Green/Clear Blue
    The Swan
    Beautiful Mist
    Alpha Waves
    Adrift In A Red Sky
    Scaramanga
    Soviet Nights
    Hope Of No End
    Home
Dan Hartman, keyboards, vocals, bass, guitar

Keep The Fire Burnin' — Sony Music/Columbia (1994) (posthumous compilation)
    Keep The Fire Burnin'
    Love In Your Eyes
    Living In America
    I Can Dream About You
    The Name Of The Game
    We Are The Young
    Free Ride
    Vertigo/Relight My Fire
    Instant Replay
    Countdown/This Is It
    Keep The Fire Burnin' (SFB mix)

SINGLES

Boogie All Summer — Blue Sky (1979)

Get Outta Town (from the soundtrack of the film Fletch) — MCA Records (1985)

Waiting To See You (from the soundtrack of the film Ruthless People) — Epic (1986)

We Are The Young — MCA (1987)

RECORDINGS WITH OTHER ARTISTS/COLLECTIONS

Johnny Winter: Johnny Winter Story (1969) (drums)
Edgar Winter: They Only Come Out at Night (1972) (electric and acoustic guitar, ukelele, bass, percussion, percussion, vocals)
Edgar Winter: Shock Treatment (1974) (bass, guitar, percussion, autoharp, vocals)
Johny Winter: Saints & Sinners (1974) (bass, guitar, drums, background vocals)
Rick Derringer: Spring Fever (1975) (vocals)
Todd Rundgren: Initiation (1975) (bass)
Edgar Winter: Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer (1975) (bass, guitar, percussion, vocals)
Edgar Winter: Jasmine Nightdreams (1975) (co-producer, bass, guitar, percussion, vocals)
Foghat: Night Shift (1976) (producer, mixing)
Edgar Winter: Recycled (1977) (bass, guitar, percussion, vocals)
Edgar Winter: Together — Live (1976) (keyboards)
Thirty-Eight Special: 38 Special (1977) (piano, vocals, producer)
Rick Derringer: If You Weren't So Romantic I'd Shoo (1978) (vocals)
David Johansen: In Style (1979)
Johnny Winter: Raisin' Cain (1980) (drums)
Hilly Michaels: Calling All Girls (1980) (bass, guitar, keyboards)
Loleatta Holloway: Love Sensation (1980) (bass, percussion, keyboard, background vocals, producer, engineer)
Hilly Michaels: Lumia (1981) (bass, guitar, keyboards)
Plasmatics: Metal Priestess (1981) (producer, engineer)
Average White Band: Cupids in Fashion (1982) (keyboards, vocals, producer)
Ian Hunter: All of the Good Ones Are Taken (1983) (bass)
John Jarret: John Jarret's Tribe (1984) (background vocals)
Tribe: Tribe (1984) (background vocals)
Streets of Fire: Streets of Fire [O.S.T.] (1984) (producer)
Rocky IV: Rocky IV (1985) (producer)
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) (producer)
James Brown: Gravity (1986) (synthesizer, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, vocals, programming, producer)
Steve Winwood: Back in the High Life (1986) (background vocals)
Great Gosh Almighty: Great Gosh Almighty! (1986) (producer)
Joe Crocker: Unchain My Heart (1987) (guitar, percussion, tambourine, background vocals, handclapping)
Nona Hendryx: Female Trouble (1987) (guitar, keyboards, vocals, producer, engineer, executive producer)
Paul King: Joy (1987) (background vocals, producer)
Holly Johnson: Blast (1989) (co-producer, co-wrote the single "Atomic City")
Joe Cocker: One Night of Sin (1989) (executive producer)
Tina Turner: Foreign Affair (1989) (organ, acoustic guitar, keyboards, electric piano, Moog synthesizer, background vocals)
Jerry Harrison: Walk on Water (1990) (keyboards)
Foghat: Best of Foghat (1990) (producer)
Club Epic, Vol. 1: A Collection of Classic Dance Mixes (1990) (producer, performer)
Rocky Story: Rocky Story (1990) (producer)
Salsoul Classics, Vol. 1 (1990) (producer)
Tina Turner: Simply the Best (1991, reissued 1999) (organ, acoustic guitar, piano, keyboards, background vocals, producer, percussion programming)
Paul Young: From Time to Time: The Singles Collection (1991) (acoustic guitar, background vocals, producer)
Foghat: Best of Foghat, Vol. 2 (1992) (producer)
Bonnie Tyler: Bitterblue: Till The End Of Time (1992) (vocals)
Rock the First, Vol. 5 (1992) (vocals, producer)
Club Epic, Vol. 2 (1992) (vocals)
Original Salsoul Classics: The 20th Anniversary (1992) (producer)
Johnny Winter: A Rock N'Roll Collection (1994) (piano, background vocals)
Tina Turner: Collected Recordings — Sixties to Now (1994) (producer)
Freestyle Greatest Beats: Complete Collection, Vol. 4 (1994) (producer)
Club Epic, Vol. 3 (1994) (producer)
David Johansen: From Pumps to Pompadour (1995) (bass, vocals)
Neil Sedaka: Tuneweaver (1995) (producer)
Rick Derringer: Rock & Roll Hoochie Coo (1996) (organ, bass, rhythm guitar, background vocals)
Loleatta Holloway: Greatest Hits (1996) (bass, percussion, keyboards, background vocals)
Greatest Rock Hits of the 80's (1996) (producer, performer)
Mellow Classics (1996) (producer, performer)
Urban Mix, Vol. 2: DJ Dan (1997) (sampling)
Tom Robinson: Blood Brother (1997) (background vocals)
Nona Hendryx: Transformation (1999) (keyboard, vocals, producer)
Disco Box (1999) (producer)
Dusty Springfield: Reputation/Reputation and Other Rarities (1999) (producer)
Neil Sedaka: Come See About Me (clarinet, guitar, piano, arranger, producer, engineer)
Paul Young: Don't Dream It's Over (single) (producer)
Fletch: Fletch (producer)
Ruthless People: Ruthless People (producer)
Perfect: Perfect (producer)
Ya Kid K: One World Nation (composer, programming, producer, engineer)
Soundtrack Smashes: The 80's (producer)
Best Rock Anthems in the World Ever (1996) (producer)
Best Party Megamix in the World Ever (producer)
Over the Rainbow: Gay Classics, Vol. 3 (producer, performer)
Salsoul Classics, Vol. 2 (producer)
Now 1986: 40 Hits of 86 (producer)
World Cup 94 (English) (producer)
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (producer)
Scrooged (producer)
Rocky IV (producer)
Greatest Hits of the 80's, Vol. 1 (performer)
Dancin' 'n' Disco (performer)
White Party: Continuous Club Mix (performer)
Non-Stop Disco, Vol. 2 (performer)
Shape Fitness Music: Walk, Vol. 2: 70s Hits (performer)
Disco 54: The Studio Collection (performer)
Give Your Body Up: Club Classics & House Foundations, Vol. 3 (performer)
Billboard Top Dance Hits: 1985 (performer)
Highway Rock: Missing You (performer)
Love Rocks, Vol. 6: Hot Nights Dim Lights (performer)
1995 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras (performer)
Love at the Movies (Polygram) (performer)
Body Moves:Non-Stop Disco Workout (performer)
Love Is In The Air (performer)
Supergroups of the 70s (guitar)
Rock: Train Kept a-Rollin' (bass)
Best Party Album in the World Ever (performer)
Disco Fever, Vol. 2 (SPG) (performer)
Rock On: 1984 (performer)
Collector's Edition: Disco (performer)
Music Video from Streets of Fire (performer)
Streets of Fire (Video) (performer)
Best of Love (performer)
Heart Beats: Love Scene — Romantic Movie Music (performer)
Disco: The Best Album in the World...Ever! (performer)
Stardust Soul, Vol. 3 (performer)
Power of Love (Madacy #2) (performer)
80's Mega Hits (performer)
Nights in Heaven (performer)
Only Rock'n Rock: 1980-1984 (performer)
Disco Years, Vol. 6: Everybody Dance (performer)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (original soundtrack) (performer)
80's Greatest Rock Hits, Vol. 6: Agony & Ecstasy (performer)
Billboard Top Dance Hits: 1980 (composer, vocals, performer)
Let's Dance (Columbia) (performer)
Mega Hits Dance Classics, Vol. 4 (performer)

COMPOSITIONS APPEAR ON

A Night at Studio 54 (Instant Replay)
Audio Adrenaline: Bloom (Free Ride)
Hanne Boel: Dark Passion (How Do You Stop)
James Brown: Hookedonbrown/Live at the Apollo 1995 (Living in America)
Dance Man: Relight My Fire (Relight My Fire)
ESP: ESP (Free Ride)
Loleatta Holloway: Greatest Hits
Sergio Mendes: Homecooking (Tell Me In A Whisper)
Joni Mitchell: Turbulent Indigo (How Do You Stop)
Prophet: Recycled (Sides)
Tom Robinson: Kiss and Roll Over/Tomboy (co-writer)
Diana Ross: Greatest Hits: The RCA Years
David Lee Roth: Crazy From The Heat (Easy Street)
Dusty Springfield: Reputation/Reputation and Other Rarities (Send It To Me, Time Waits For No One, Born This Way)
Tavares: In The City (Free Ride)
Take That: Everything Changes (Relight My Fire)
Three Degrees: Live (Free Ride)
Uptown Horns: Uptown Horns Revue
Edgar Winter: Collection
Edgar Winter: Saints & Sinners
Edgar Winter: Shock Treatment/They Only Come Out at Night
Edgar Winter/Rick Derringer: Live in Japan/Air America (Free Ride)
Yell: Instant Replay (Instant Replay)

SOUNDTRACKS

Breakin' (Heart Of The Beat)
Fletch (Get Outa Town)
Ruthless People (Waiting To See You)
Perfect (Perfect)
Rocky IV (Living In America)
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Krush Groove (Can't Stop The Street)
Bull Durham
Innocent Man
Air America
Oliver & Company (Why Should I Worry?)
Scrooged (The Love You Take)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II
Power Rangers Movie (Free Ride)
Streets of Fire (I Can Dream About You)
Stuart Little 2 (Free Ride)

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• "Hartman, Dan," Encyclopedia of Popular Music (3rd edition), compiled and edited by Colin Larkin, Muze UK (1998).

PERFORMING RIGHTS AFFILIATION:
ASCAP and BMI

RESOURCES:
"Dan Hartman Home"
www.danhartman.com

"Dan Hartman — Discomuseum"
www.discomuseum.com/DanHartman.html

MUSICAL EXECUTOR:
Unknown

OTHER CONTACTS:
Unknown