Vince DiCola

Synthesizer player/composer Vince DiCola is best known for his composing and performing of the soundtrack of the 1986 animated film Transformers: The Movie. While most tunes, including "Instruments of Destruction," "Dare to Be Stupid," and "The Transformers Theme," were firmly set in the heavy metal/heavy rock tradition, the most successful song, "Dare and the Touch," reflects more of a rock and pop influence. DiCola's tune "The Touch" received a 1986 APEX Award for Best Original Song (Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror).

A native of Lancaster, PA, DiCola launched his career after moving to Southern California in 1981. His first success came when he was chosen to co-write eight tunes for Staying Alive, starring John Travolta and directed by Sylvester Stallone. DiCola played keyboards on one tune, "Far from Over," featuring Stallone's brother <a href="spotify:artist:3BucZwouCkpiGi2UxqfWn9">Frank</a> on vocals. He received a Golden Globe Award for his song "Far from Over." Recording his album Piano Solos in 1986, DiCola has since gone on to record in a variety of contexts. A performer and arranger of four tunes on the 1991 multi-artist tribute album Artfully Beatles, his recording of "Yesterday" was heard during the Winter Olympics in 1998. He arranged, produced, and performed on all ten tracks of a follow-up CD, Artistically Beatles, in 1993.

DiCola later balanced his solo work with membership in a five-piece rock band, Storming Heaven; their debut album, Life in Paradise, was released in Europe and Japan in 1996. He has also worked with the soul-rock trio Thread, also including <a href="spotify:artist:6w6z8m4WXX7Tub4Rb6Lu7R">Jethro Tull</a> drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4aD0xj9uZO6A3dGceWS7Mw">Doane Perry</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0JCxGVxsISZzJHJPUOtceB">Tower of Power</a> vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:0PKPaP7lJzEJCyIonB9ECk">Ellis Hall</a>. Their first album was also released in 1996. Forming a new band, In-VINCE-Ible, in November 2000, with ex-members of <a href="spotify:artist:3iDD7bnsjL9J4fO298r0L0">Chicago</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6GI52t8N5F02MxU0g5U69P">Santana</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6w6z8m4WXX7Tub4Rb6Lu7R">Jethro Tull</a>, DiCola released an album with the same name, combining past and previously unreleased tunes. He has also performed regularly with Christian performer <a href="spotify:artist:1FNmqPy2DuIQkZEWSzO3Cw">Bryan Duncan</a>. DiCola remains committed to the music that he composed for Transformers. He released three CDs of film-oriented material early in the new millennium -- the full original score, a collection of rare tracks and demos, and a solo piano album, Artistic Transformation. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi