Batdorf & McLean - Don't You Know

A Little History John Batdorf signed his first record deal with Mark Rodney in 1970 with Atlantic Records at the age of 18. They went on to record three albums together and had a huge FM radio following before disbanding in 1975. John started a new band Silver which recorded one album for Arista and released it in 1976 with a top 20 hit 'Wham Bam'. In 1979 John signed a deal with 20th Century Records as a solo artist but the record was never released as the label folded. He went on to be a staff songwriter for Charles Koppleman and had songs recorded by America, England Dan, The Currie Sisters, Kim Carnes and Kalapona. The eighties John spent most of his time as a top studio singer in LA singing on many TV shows, movies and records. Late in the 80s he started producing jingles and met Michael McLean. Michael had never heard of John nor had John heard of Michael. John started producing jingles Michael wrote and later the two started writing songs together the first one being 'Don't You Know' which happens to be the title of their CD. John then got hired to score 'Promised Land and Touched By An Angel' which lasted seven years which contained many songs written by John and Michael. Michael had a completely different background than John. He had always written songs but also had a day gig at as a creative director at an advertising agency to support his family. During that 15 year career Michael went on to produce and direct commercials, make movies write books and put out CDs. In 1992 Michael left his job to concentrate on song writing and to pursue all his other dreams as an artist including a Broadway play he hopes to get produced in the near future. Michael, his son Scott and John did the score for a movie, 'The Best Two Years' that was released this past February. The two continue to write together and hope to have a new CD out soon and are busy developing a concept for aTV show that, of course, would be music driven. John Batdorf Bio I have survived many careers in one lifetime. Starting with the 70's as a recording artist with Batdorf and Rodney and Silver. I made records and toured this country and Canada for most of the 70s. We headlined many shows, but as an opening act we got to play with a lot of great groups like America, Seals and Crofts, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, Bread, The Youngbloods, Hall and Oats, Cheech and Chong, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Pure Prairie League, Harry Chapin, John Prine, Dave Mason, Kris Kristofferson just to name a few! A great time was had by all. I spent the 80's as a staff songwriter writing songs for America, England Dan, The Curry sisters and Kim Carnes, and as studio singer singing on hundreds of jingles, movies, and TV shows. I sang on four main titles including, 'Doctor, Doctor', 'Tom and Jerry Kids', 'Garfield and Friends' and 'Promised Land'. I sang background vocals on some really great recordings by Rod Stewart, Motley Crue, Dave Mason, Eric Anderson,The Jefferson Starship, Berlin, Donna Summer, Dwight Yoakum, Boy Meets Girl, Mickey Thomas, Stan Ridgeway, James Lee Stanley, David Lee Roth, The London Choir Boys to name a few. Then came the 90's and I started producing records and commercials. During that time I met and went on to write some great songs with my friend, Michael McLean. We have recorded 4 CDs together. In 1996 I got my first chance to score a CBS TV prime time show, 'Promised Land'. I composed all the music underscore for three years until the show came to an end. I went on to compose music for another CBS drama, 'Touched By An Angel' which after nine very successful seasons is no longer in production. TBAA and Promised Land reruns still appear somewhere on the planet every day of the week. Soon after, I composed the entire musical score for a 2 hour made for PAX TV movie called 'Book of Days' which appeared January and March of 2003. 'The Best Two Years', which I also scored and wrote songs with Michael and Scott McLean, had a successful theatrical run in 2004 and is now available on DVD as well as the soundtrack on CD. I am currently devoting most of my time promoting the All Wood And Stones CD with James Lee Stanley. The CD was re-released on Aezra/EMI in September 2005 and we have been on and off the road doing our best to spread the word about this fantastic CD on into the new year. I also just completed my first solo EP, 'Side One' that I am very proud of................... Michael McLean Bio Michael McLean is a songwriter, composer,author,performer,playwright, film producer and director. As a songwriter Michael has written music and lyrics for more than 20 albums and has sold over a million tapes and CDs since his first release in 1983 (see the discography). They include You're Not Alone, Stay With Me,Celebrating the Light, A New Kind of Love Song, One Heart in the Right Place, You've Always Been There for Me, and the best- selling Collections Volumes 1 and 2 and The Forgotten Carols. As an author he's written three books, each with accompanying CDs. Distant Serenade, Hold On The Light Will Come: And Other Lessons My Songs Have Taught Me, and The Forgotten Carols Since it's release in 1991 Michael has performed a theatrical version of The Forgotten Carols to sold-out audiences throughout the United States. As a filmmaker Michael was the original story writer, producer and director of the film Nora's Christmas Gift starring Academy Award winner Celeste Holm . He was also Producer and original story co-writer of the holiday television classic Mr. Krueger's Christmas starring film legend Jimmy Stewart. Other films Michael's written and directed include Together Forever, What Is Real? and The Prodigal Son. Early in Michael's career he made commercials for radio and television, primarily for Bonneville International where he was active in the creation of the award-winning Home Front radio and television commercial series. During his 17 years with Bonneville, Michael received numerous national and international awards for advertising including the prestigious Clio Awards, National Addy awards,New York ad club's Andy Awards, two National Emmy Finalist awards as well as the Bronze Lion at the Cannes Film Festival. As a playwright, Michael's Celebrating the Light ran for five seasons at The Promised Valley Playhouse before going on a 25 city tour. In addition to making theatrical adaptations of Distant Serenade and The Forgotten Carols in September 2000 his stage musical The Ark, written with Kevin Kelly, was featured in the Festival of New Musicals on Broadway in New York City. Participation in the festival is by invitation only. (You can check out the history of this musical as well as the status of various productions of The Ark, including a production planned for New York City on this web site.) Some of his other best-selling works include The Garden, (an allegorical oratorio in collaboration with Merrill Jenson and Bryce Neubert; which premiered in Jerusalem,has been performed by orchestra and choirs from Los Angeles to New York and has been translated and performed in France, South America and Russia.) As a film composer: Soundtracks: Original Themes from Favorite Films, And most recently the soundtrack to the 2004 independent feature film The Best Two Years Michael and his wife Lynne have three children and an adopted dog named Grace.

1) She's the Girl
2) It's Not Love
3) Forgiveness
4) I Will Not Be Afraid
5) It's Only My Heart
6) Promised Land
7) Don't You Know
8) Never Had to Ask
9) Heartbeat Away
10) How Much Rain
11) Let It Go