Albert Hammond

Albert Hammond

Genres: 70s, singer-songwriter, soft rock, oldies, pop

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About Albert Hammond

Albert Louis Hammond (born 18 May 1944) is a Gibraltarian singer, songwriter and record producer. As a songwriter, he has collaborated with Mike Hazlewood, John Bettis, Hal David, Diane Warren, Holly Knight, Carole Bayer Sager, and Roy Orbison. Hammond has written commercially successful songs for artists including Celine Dion, Joe Dolan, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Leo Sayer, Tina Turner, Glen Campbell, Julio Iglesias, Willie Nelson, Lynn Anderson, and Bonnie Tyler, as well as bands such as Ace of Base, Air Supply, Blue Mink, Chicago, Heart, Living in a Box, the Carpenters, the Hollies, the Pipkins, Starship, and Westlife. Songs co-written by Hammond include "Make Me an Island" and "You’re Such a Good Looking Woman" by Joe Dolan, "Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship, "One Moment in Time" performed by Whitney Houston, "The Air That I Breathe", a hit for the Hollies, "To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before", a duet by Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson, and "When I Need You" by Leo Sayer. In 2015, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection. Hammond is also a solo performer. His most successful single in the United States was "It Never Rains in Southern California", which reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Other recordings include "Down by the River", "The Free Electric Band", "I’m a Train", and "When I’m Gone". He was also a member of the vocal group the Family Dogg, with whom he had the hit "A Way of Life". In addition, he has worked as a producer for various artists. Hammond was born in London after his family had been evacuated from Gibraltar during the Second World War. After the war, the family returned to Gibraltar, where he was raised. In 1960, he began his musical career with the Gibraltarian group the Diamond Boys, who performed in early Spanish pop and rock venues alongside artists such as Miguel Ríos. In 1966, Hammond co-founded the British vocal group the Family Dogg, which reached number 6 on the UK Singles Chart in 1969 with "A Way of Life", taken from the album of the same name. In 1970, Hammond moved to the United States to continue his career, although he achieved significant commercial success in continental Europe. His singles released during the 1970s include "Down by the River", "It Never Rains in Southern California", "The Free Electric Band", "Half a Million Miles from Home", "If You Gotta Break Another Heart", "The Peacemaker", "I Don’t Wanna Die in an Air Disaster", "I’m a Train", and "99 Miles from L.A.". In 1970, he also collaborated with Steve Rowland as the duo Steve & Albert, releasing the single "Follow the Bouncing Ball", which was promoted in the United Kingdom but did not chart. Hammond frequently collaborated with Mike Hazlewood on songs recorded by other artists. These include "Little Arrows" for Leapy Lee, "Make Me an Island" and "You’re Such a Good Looking Woman" for Joe Dolan, "Gimme Dat Ding" for the Pipkins, originally recorded by Freddie and the Dreamers, "Good Morning Freedom" for Blue Mink, "Freedom Come, Freedom Go" for the Fortunes, and "The Air That I Breathe", which became a hit for the Hollies. He also contributed vocals to Michael Chapman’s album "Wrecked Again" and worked with the Magic Lanterns. Written with Carole Bayer Sager, "When I Need You" was first recorded by Hammond before becoming an international hit in 1977 for Leo Sayer. In 1991, Hammond co-wrote "When You Tell Me That You Love Me", recorded by Diana Ross, which reached number 2 in the United Kingdom. Ross later re-recorded the song as a duet with Westlife in 2005, again reaching number 2. In 2005, Hammond released the album "Revolution of the Heart", which included the single "This Side of Midnight". In 2008, he began working with the British singer Duffy, contributing to her 2010 album "Endlessly". In 2010, he also released "Legend", a collection of duets featuring artists including Elena Paparizou and Bonnie Tyler. In his personal life, Hammond married Argentinian model Claudia Fernández in 1979. Their son, Albert Hammond Jr., is a member of the band The Strokes. Hammond has received several awards and honours. His song "Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now", co-written with Diane Warren and recorded by Starship, was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award and Grammy Award. In 1988, he won an Emmy Award for "One Moment in Time", written with John Bettis for NBC’s coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics. In 2000, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2015, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection, and in 2023 he was awarded a lifetime achievement honour by the Ministry of Culture. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hammond Studio albums It Never Rains in Southern California (1972) The Free Electric Band (1973) Albert Hammond (1974) 99 Miles from L.A. (1975) My Spanish Album (1976) When I Need You (1976) Mi Album de Recuerdos (1977) Albert Louis Hammond (1978) Al Otro Lado del Sol (1979) Your World and My World (1981) Comprenderte (1981) Somewhere in America (1982) Hamond and West (1986) Best of Me (1989) Coplas and Songs (1996) Revolution of the Heart (2005) Legend (2010) Legend II (2012) In Symphony (2016) Body of Work (2024) Christmas (2024)

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