TIM MOORE
Name: Tim Moore
Tim Moore is an American singer and songwriter who recorded five albums for
David Geffen's Asylum record label. A self taught musician, Moore grew up in
Philadelphia where he went to art school and began to play his self-penned songs
at local coffee houses. His rock career began as guitarist-singer with DC & the
Senators, a cover band opening Philadelphia arena rock shows. During this early
period, he also played drums with blues band Woody’s Truck Stop, the first
Philadelphia band to feature Todd Rundgren. Producing more and more songs during
this time, he and a friend, Jeff Scott, formed The Muffins, the first group to
perform and record Tim Moore originals, many of which Scott wrote lyrics for.
The Muffins had minor US success on RCA records with a Kinks influenced single,
‘Subway Traveler’. After the Muffins disbanded, Frank Zappa heard Moore's songs,
which he found harmonically advanced for the period, and brought him to New York
with the intention of signing him to Bizarre Records. Moore declined the signing
when tour scheduling kept Zappa from producing the album himself. Tim returned
to Philadelphia and worked as a staff writer and session guitarist on sessions
with Thom Bell, Gamble and Huff and other Philly Soul producers. During this
time, Moore lived next door to Daryl Hall in downtown Philadelphia where they
both pulled salaries as staff writers. Hall and Moore co-wrote material for a
band they founded , Gulliver which released one album on the Elektra label.
After the breakup of Gulliver, Moore moved to Woodstock, NY, then the hometown
of Bob Dylan, The Band, and Van Morrison, seeking a more personal approach to
his music. He struck a deal with ABC-Dunhill records that produced the first Tim
Moore single, "A Fool Like You" (1972) on which Donald Fagan sang backup. (Moore
also sang backup on the first Steely Dan single, "Dallas.") In 1973, he teamed
with producer Nick Jameson to record his first solo album,"Tim Moore." Jameson
provided him the Beatles-like studio freedom he had long sought. For the first
time, Moore assembled his own tracks as a multi-instrumentalist, layering guitar,
keyboard and bass parts over drum tracks by Bernard Purdie and Russ Kunkel.
Three singles, ‘A Fool Like You’, 'Second Avenue' and ‘When You Close Your Eyes’,
received much airplay in the US and UK. But as 'Second Avenue' was headed up the
US charts, the album's distributor (Paramount) abruptly ceased record operations.
Because his single was already climbing the charts, the sudden release from
contract spurred a Tim Moore bidding war between Clive Davis and David Geffen.
By the time the deal went to Geffen, Art Garfunkel had released a competing
version of 'Second Avenue.' This 'cover battle' effectively defeated both
records' chances for a hit. Tim's version of 'Second Avenue' made #58 on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The following year he released ‘Behind The Eyes’, featuring what remains his
best-known song, ‘Rock’n’Roll Love Letter’, a hit for the Bay City Rollers a
year later.
Subsequent albums were highly praised by critics and other acts continued to
mine his new releases for songs, but neither of these successes brought Moore
wider public attention in his homeland. Instead, he found success outside the US
while promoting his fifth album, 'Flash Forward' which was produced by Rob
Freeman. In the late eighties, Tim spent 75 days touring Brazil after his
romantic beat-ballad 'Yes' from 'Flash Forward' went to number one and held that
position for many months. 'Yes' enjoyed a similar run of success in Portugal.
Performers who have recorded Tim Moore songs include Art Garfunkel ('Second
Avenue'), Cher ('Love Enough'], Bay City Rollers (‘Rock’n’Roll Love Letter’),
Etta James ('Charmer'), The Records (another version of ‘Rock’n’Roll Love Letter'),
Maxine Nightingale ('I Think I Want to Possess You'), Ian Matthews ('A Fool Like
You'), Colin Blunstone ('I Can Almost See The Light', 'When You Close Your Eyes'),
Cliff Richard ('Love Enough'), Clifford T. Ward ('I Got Lost Tonight'), Jimmy
Witherspoon ('Aviation Man').
Name: Tim Moore
Tim Moore is an American singer and songwriter who recorded five albums for
David Geffen's Asylum record label. A self taught musician, Moore grew up in
Philadelphia where he went to art school and began to play his self-penned songs
at local coffee houses. His rock career began as guitarist-singer with DC & the
Senators, a cover band opening Philadelphia arena rock shows. During this early
period, he also played drums with blues band Woody’s Truck Stop, the first
Philadelphia band to feature Todd Rundgren. Producing more and more songs during
this time, he and a friend, Jeff Scott, formed The Muffins, the first group to
perform and record Tim Moore originals, many of which Scott wrote lyrics for.
The Muffins had minor US success on RCA records with a Kinks influenced single,
‘Subway Traveler’. After the Muffins disbanded, Frank Zappa heard Moore's songs,
which he found harmonically advanced for the period, and brought him to New York
with the intention of signing him to Bizarre Records. Moore declined the signing
when tour scheduling kept Zappa from producing the album himself. Tim returned
to Philadelphia and worked as a staff writer and session guitarist on sessions
with Thom Bell, Gamble and Huff and other Philly Soul producers. During this
time, Moore lived next door to Daryl Hall in downtown Philadelphia where they
both pulled salaries as staff writers. Hall and Moore co-wrote material for a
band they founded , Gulliver which released one album on the Elektra label.
After the breakup of Gulliver, Moore moved to Woodstock, NY, then the hometown
of Bob Dylan, The Band, and Van Morrison, seeking a more personal approach to
his music. He struck a deal with ABC-Dunhill records that produced the first Tim
Moore single, "A Fool Like You" (1972) on which Donald Fagan sang backup. (Moore
also sang backup on the first Steely Dan single, "Dallas.") In 1973, he teamed
with producer Nick Jameson to record his first solo album,"Tim Moore." Jameson
provided him the Beatles-like studio freedom he had long sought. For the first
time, Moore assembled his own tracks as a multi-instrumentalist, layering guitar,
keyboard and bass parts over drum tracks by Bernard Purdie and Russ Kunkel.
Three singles, ‘A Fool Like You’, 'Second Avenue' and ‘When You Close Your Eyes’,
received much airplay in the US and UK. But as 'Second Avenue' was headed up the
US charts, the album's distributor (Paramount) abruptly ceased record operations.
Because his single was already climbing the charts, the sudden release from
contract spurred a Tim Moore bidding war between Clive Davis and David Geffen.
By the time the deal went to Geffen, Art Garfunkel had released a competing
version of 'Second Avenue.' This 'cover battle' effectively defeated both
records' chances for a hit. Tim's version of 'Second Avenue' made #58 on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The following year he released ‘Behind The Eyes’, featuring what remains his
best-known song, ‘Rock’n’Roll Love Letter’, a hit for the Bay City Rollers a
year later.
Subsequent albums were highly praised by critics and other acts continued to
mine his new releases for songs, but neither of these successes brought Moore
wider public attention in his homeland. Instead, he found success outside the US
while promoting his fifth album, 'Flash Forward' which was produced by Rob
Freeman. In the late eighties, Tim spent 75 days touring Brazil after his
romantic beat-ballad 'Yes' from 'Flash Forward' went to number one and held that
position for many months. 'Yes' enjoyed a similar run of success in Portugal.
Performers who have recorded Tim Moore songs include Art Garfunkel ('Second
Avenue'), Cher ('Love Enough'], Bay City Rollers (‘Rock’n’Roll Love Letter’),
Etta James ('Charmer'), The Records (another version of ‘Rock’n’Roll Love Letter'),
Maxine Nightingale ('I Think I Want to Possess You'), Ian Matthews ('A Fool Like
You'), Colin Blunstone ('I Can Almost See The Light', 'When You Close Your Eyes'),
Cliff Richard ('Love Enough'), Clifford T. Ward ('I Got Lost Tonight'), Jimmy
Witherspoon ('Aviation Man').