Ben Margulies

Ben Margulies is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and a RIAA nine-time platinum certified record producer,^[1][2] as well as a drummer, guitarist, piano player and singer. He is best known for co-writing seven of the 11 songs on Mariah Carey's self-titled debut album, including the number one hits "Vision of Love", "Love Takes Time", and "Someday". The album was nominated for multiple Grammys and has sold over 20 million records worldwide. "Love Takes Time" also won Song of the Year at the 1992 BMI Pop Awards.

It was there that he was asked to play on sessions where he met major artists and producers such as Narada Michael Walden, Herbie Hancock, Santana, and Randy Jackson.

At the age of 17, Margulies moved to New York City and was immediately hired to play drums for the Comateen's European tour supporting their album Pictures On A String. Shortly after returning from that tour, he started his own band, King Holiday. After their first gig at CBGB's, they signed a development deal with Elektra Records. Although the deal never came to fruition, the band yielded a vital connection. One of Margulies's bandmates went to high school with a guy whose little sister was an aspiring singer named Mariah.

Collaboration with Mariah Carey

Margulie and Carey spent years writing and recording songs at a studio in the back of Margulies's father's cabinet factory in Chelsea, Manhattan. There they recorded and produced tapes that in 1988 landed them one of the biggest record deals of the decade with Columbia Records.

Subsequent career

Margulies remains a prolific songwriter/producer. He has written and/or worked with artists and writers across all genres, including Chaka Khan, Kenny Loggins, Mac Davis, Paul Overstreet, Steve Cropper, Dennis Morgan, Billy Burnette, Jeffrey Steele, Dallas Davidson, Lari White, Oliver Leiber, Dave Tolliver, Chad Warrix, Kristen Kelly, Shawn Camp, Dallas Austin, Bekka Bramlett, Marti Frederiksen, Danny Myrick, Delta Goodrem, The Smeezingtons (Bruno Mars), Jack Tempchin, Cristy Lee Cook, John Edwards, Troy Olsen, Nash Overstreet, Chris Gelbuda, Jacob Durrett, and others. He has also written and produced songs for major motion pictures and had his hit songs featured in television shows.

Margulies built and owns a state-of-the-art recording studio, Secret Garden Studios, in Santa Barbara, CA, where he currently works with writers and artists from all over the world. The Chris Pelonis-designed room was featured as one of Mix magazine's "Class of 2001 Studios". It has also been used by such artists as Jack Johnson, Jeff Bridges and Kenny Loggins. In 2014, Katy Perry, working with producers Dr. Luke and Max Martin, recorded much of her chart-topping album Prism at Secret Garden, including the smash hits "Dark Horse" and "Roar".

Margulies currently divides his time between Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and Nashville.

Mariah Carey/Ben Margulies co-written songs

• "Vision of Love" (co-written)
• "Love Takes Time" (co-written)
• "Someday" (co-written)
• "Vanishing" (co-written)
• "All In Your Mind" (co-written and co-produced)
• "Alone In Love" (co-written)
• "Prisoner" (co-written)

References