Singer/songwriter with a pop and rock flavor.

12 MP3 Songs
POP: Pop/Rock, FOLK: Folk-Rock

Details:
In the music business since his teens, Mike Ragogna has been a singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, producer, arranger and even a songplugger. Heâs worked on projects ranging from those by Joni Mitchell to Ringo Starr, Burt Bacharach to Toby Keith, Aerosmith to Cher and Sublime to Al Green.

New York-born Mike Ragogna was signed at 15 as a songwriter by producers Terry Cashman & Tommy West (Jim Croce, Dion, Mary Travers) who developed him as a recording artist for their label, Lifesong Records (Crack The Sky, Henry Gross, Dean Friedman, Gail Davies). Mikeâs âPeter Stays and Spider-Man Goesâ was covered on the classic college-promoted album Spider-Man: Rock Reflections Of A Superhero. After writing and recording songs for Tippi Hedrenâs international hit movie, Roar, Mike teamed with producer Terrence P. Minogue to record his debut album in 1982, Safari In America that included Bon Jovi drummer, Tico Torres, and Crack The Sky guitarist, Rick Witkowski.

His first major label release was in 1985 on MTMâMary Tyler Moore's Nashville-based record company that was distributed through Capitol Records. Mikeâs album The Almost Brothers (recorded Everlys/Simon & Garfunkel-style with vocalist Steve Mosto) featured four country chartersââDonât Tell Me Love Is Kind,â âBirds Of A Feather,â âWhat's Your Nameâ and âI Don't Love Her Anymore.â Label-mates Girls Next Door recorded Mikeâs first big hit as a songwriter, âSlow Boat To Chinaâ that was a Billboard Country Top Ten and one of 1986âs top-selling country singles. It also was the first major hit for MTMâs publishing division, Uncle Artie Music, and received an ASCAP award honoring it as one of the most frequently-played country singles of that year.

Mike Ragogna and Steve Mosto then recorded and performed as the groups Body Politic and Bone People before moving on to solo careers. Mikeâs next solo album, Minefield Diaries, was independently released in 1999, and his 2003 studio effort, Invisible World, recast Mike Ragogna as a maturing recording artist and songwriter. Musicians included drummer Zoro (Lenny Kravitz, Bobby Brown, New Edition), keyboardist Dick Simms (Eric Clapton), Joe Sublett (Stevie Ray Vaughan), Novi Novog (Michael Jackson, Doobie Brothers, Carly Simon) and jazz/blues-rock guitarist, Fino Roverato. (2005 saw this batch of recordings finally released as the album Valentineâs Day.)

In 2004, Mike recorded Writerâs Block, which actually was inspired by the affliction. Including a handful of Mikeâs originals, Writerâs Block took a cue from the legendary Brill Building, adding songs by Carole King, Gerry Goffin and Barry Mann. Building on the Brill concept, Mike added material by solid writers such as John Mayer, John Ondrasik (Five For Fighting), and Bob Hillman, a singer-songwriter he discovered at NYCâs Sidewalk Café. Musicians for this project included Richie Gajate-Garcia on drums, and Lester Chambers, formerly of The Chambers Brother.
Mike has performed A&R duties for various record labels, including EMI-Capitol, Universal, BMG, and Razor & Tie, where he produced and oversaw catalog compilations and reissues since the â90s.

Other than the above-mentioned, he also has compiled and produced high-profile anthologies and reissues by such diverse artists as Joe Cocker, Crosby & Nash, Fats Domino, Joan Armatrading, Herb Alpert, Gin Blossoms, Sublime, Suzanne Vega, Joan Baez, John Hiatt, Flying Burrito Brothers, Joe Jackson, Rush, Sammy Hagar, Scorpions, Whitesnake, Waylon Jennings, Chris LeDoux, Merle Haggard, Pat Benatar, Three Dog Night, 38 Special, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Peter Frampton, Neil Diamond, Cher, Carpenters, Lisa Loeb, Amy Grant, Rita Coolidge, Olivia Newton-John, Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, D'Angelo, Al Green, K-Ci & JoJo and Jodeci.

People who are interested in Billy Joel Paul Simon John Mayer should consider this download.