Michael Sembello-Bossa Nova Hotel (1983)

Although the name Michael Sembello may not ring a bell for many, this multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter is the author of "Maniac", one of the most famous songs of all time. Years earlier, Sembello had worked with Stevie Wonder, participating in the recording of several of his albums, such as "Fulfillingness' First Finale" and "Songs In The Key Of Life", both from the mid-70s. In the following years, he also actively participated in projects for artists like The Temptation, David Sanborn, Donna Summer, and George Benson, among many others. In 1983, Sembello released his first solo album, "Bossa Nova Hotel", which included "Maniac", a song featured on the soundtrack of the film "Flashdance", reaching number one on the Billboard charts and winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year. This song, written in collaboration with Dennis Matkosky, definitively launched Michael Sembello's already prolific career. For the recording of "Bossa Nova Hotel", Sembello assembled a stellar lineup of musicians, including bassist Nathan Watts, drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Carlos Vega, and keyboardists George Duke and Don Freeman. The album's repertoire is a fusion of synth-pop and smooth jazz with bluesy undertones, featuring not only the exhilarating and infectious "Maniac", but also other undeniably high-quality tracks like "Cadillac" and "Automatic Man". From this point on, Sembello dedicated himself almost exclusively to composing film scores for movies such as "Summer Lovers" (1982), "Gremlins" (1984), "Cocoon" (1985), "The Monster Squad" (1987), and "Independence Day" (1996), in addition to sporadically releasing a series of solo albums that remain largely unknown outside of North America.