Multi-platinum songwriter, composer, singer, producer Gordon Bahary is a native of Long Island, N.Y. Self-taught, as a kid he was creating innovative synthesizer sounds and technology, leading to inventions that are used in music production today. He is considered a pioneer of synthesizers and of Hip Hop / R&B. Records executives consider his music of 1983 to be “the boiler plate of Hip Hop.”
At the age of 15, Bahary began working with Stevie Wonder during the recording of his iconic album “Songs in the Key of Life” in 1975. He left the 10th grade in high school for Crystal Sound Studios in Los Angeles and stayed for months. Wonder asked Bahary to create the synthesizer sounds for his follow-up album “Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants” in 1977 (also a Paramount motion picture), enabling Wonder to perform most of the instruments electronically.
In 1978, Bahary became Wonder’s writer/producer for Wonder’s label distributed by Motown. Bahary was asked by director Francis Ford Coppola to work at American Zoetrope Studios in San Francisco to create synthesizer sounds for his film “Apocalypse Now.”
In 1978 Bahary and Herbie Hancock collaborated on Hancock’s classic album “Feets, Don’t Fail Me Now.” Bahary created his own synthesizer sounds of an orchestra, including brass, violins and violas and the harp, helping Hancock realize his sonic vision with his melding of jazz and funk.
The legendary storyteller singer-songwriter Harry Chapin asked Bahary to create the synthesizer sounds and additional production for his off-Broadway show “Zinger.” Later that year, iconic jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis invited Bahary to his Hyde Park, IL home to write and produce an album for Lewis (Columbia Records/ARC).
At the height of all the excitement, in 1983 Bahary landed a record contract with Vanguard under the pseudonym “Twilight 22” as artist/songwriter/producer with his song “Electric Kingdom” (with rapping by co-lyricist Joseph Saulter). The song reached #7 on the Billboard R&B Chart (in the top-10 with Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney), #5 on the Dance charts, and made the Pop Charts. The follow-up “Siberian Nights” reached the same charts in 1984. “Electric Kingdom” became Vanguard Records’ greatest selling record. The recording is often referred to as the “boiler plate of hip hop” and sold millions of copies. Rolling Stone Magazine recently voted it the #8 Greatest Hip Hop song of its time. Bahary’s music made the cover story of Newsweek Magazine in 1984. It was the most played R&B song nation-wide on radio in 1984, on heavy rotation for months. Bahary’s songs became a part of the Quiet Storm syndicated show, hosted by the legend of R&B radio, Frankie “Hollywood” Crocker of WBLS in New York. Crocker would recite Bahary’s lyrics on drive time radio.
Other hits include “Mysterious” and “In the Night.” “Mysterious” reached #4 on the UK Charts. Bahary later produced, arranged, and performed on the debut album for superstar actor/singer Raven-Symone’ for her debut album on Epic Records.
He pursued his solo career, including with a records deal through SONY/RED as well as engineered and mixed hundreds of recordings with some of the most distinguished musicians in the jazz and classical genres.
Bahary, the man of 50 voice characters, began his voice-over career thanks to the encouragement of William Hanna (Hanna-Barbera) and was featured in video games by Vivendi and in the hit TV Series, “Rugrats.”
In 2023, Bahary produced, engineered, and mixed recordings in the classical genre for multi Grammy award-winners: composer Richard Danielpour and acclaimed soprano Hila Plitman. He is now a composer/synthesist for film, TV and other media in Los Angeles, including currently scoring a film starring Oscar nominee Malcom McDowell.