Ben Golomb and Allee Willis, 2019 – Photograph by Ernie Trinidad
Trendy Time Machines’ Ben Golomb on Collaborating with Legendary Songwriter Allee Willis
“Decorative” (out 9/2) was the ultimate observe co-written by Songwriting Corridor-of-Famer
Aug 31, 2025
Internet Unique
The Washington Put up as soon as described Allee Willis as “probably the most fascinating girl on this planet who nobody has ever heard of.” However even when her identify doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve little question heard her work, because it was in every single place — not simply on the radio, however in most of the largest motion pictures and tv exhibits of an period that encompassed a number of a long time and many various kinds.
Within the late ‘70s she landed her first smash hits because the co-writer of Earth, Wind & Hearth’s chart-topping “September” and “Boogie Wonderland.” As her skills grew in more and more excessive demand, she can be employed to write down single after single for artists similar to Herbie Hancock, Sister Sledge, the Pet Store Boys, Aretha Franklin, Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Preston and plenty of others. As she conquered the R&B and pop charts, Hollywood got here calling. A number of of her best-known songs have been written for a few the Nineteen Eighties’ largest motion pictures: her credit embody Joe Esposito’s “You’re the Finest” from The Karate Child in addition to Patti LaBelle’s Grammy-winning “Stir It Up” and the Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance,” each heard in Beverly Hils Cop. (She additionally contributed undeniably catchy tunes to 3 of the last decade’s extra fascinating flops: Howard the Duck, Mac & Me, and D.C. Cab.)
After which got here the Nineteen Nineties:
“So nobody informed you life was gonna be this wayyyyyy…”
You may hear it now: the guitar riff, the handclaps. Willis co-wrote the theme music for Buddies (The Rembrandts’ “I’ll Be There For You”), which received her an Emmy and ensured that when you’re prepared to flip backwards and forwards between cable channels, you’ll be capable to hear an Allee Willis unique each half-hour from now till the tip of eternity. (She would later obtain a Tony nomination for writing lyrics for the Broadway adaptation of The Coloration Purple, including one other feather to the cap of an illustrious profession.)
As a songwriter who primarily handed off their compositions to different artists, it’s not unparalleled for a wizard of Willis’ stature to vanish behind the curtains. Whereas she appeared to embrace being referred to as “probably the most fascinating girl on this planet who nobody has ever heard of,” those that knew her, or not less than of her, would possibly really feel that her outgoing, convivial persona tremendously contrasted with the relative anonymity afforded to her by her craft. She would host legendary events in her North Hollywood residence: a spot typically referred to as “Willis Wonderland,” colorfully embellished from ground to ceiling along with her artwork and big assortment of popular culture ephemera. Late in her life Willis curated a web based “Museum of Kitsch,” the place her means to search out magnificence and pleasure the place others might need seen tackiness was on vibrant show.
Allee Willis handed away unexpectedly on the tail finish of 2019. A documentary about her life and profession, The World In line with Allee Willis, was launched final 12 months, and helped to shine a brighter mild on her refreshing views and spectacular achievements. This September, the world will hear the ultimate music she had a hand in writing. Co-written with Ben Golomb of the LA shoegaze band Trendy Time Machines, “Decorative” is the tip product of an uncommon assembly that sparked an immediate friendship – and led to at least one unforgettable songwriting session.
“I grew up as a giant fan of the very bizarre, but oddly pleasurable 1986 movie Howard The Duck. I’m of the so-bad-it’s-good mindset. I didn’t see it within the theater, however should’ve watched it on cable a half dozen instances once I was a child. Allee co-wrote all of the rock songs within the movie together with Thomas Dolby and George Clinton,” says Ben Golomb, explaining the sudden path which introduced them collectively. “The truth is, I met Allee particularly on account of Howard The Duck: my pal, Ernie Trinidad, is directing a Howard The Duck documentary referred to as Howard The Doc: Or How I Realized to Begin Quacking and Love The Bomb, and Allee was gracious sufficient to movie an interview for that.”
Concerned within the documentary as its rating composer and infrequently a movie crew member, Golomb tagged alongside to the interview shoot in 2019. As a fellow fan of all issues retro (as evidenced in Trendy Time Machines’ video for “Freefall (Can’t Cease),” which he directed), Golomb was immediately wowed by what he noticed as he stepped foot into Willis Wonderland.
“Allee’s residence actually is kitsch heaven,” says Golomb. “In all places you look, you’ll see one thing that brings a smile to your face, particularly when you’re a retro popular culture geek similar to myself. LSD cologne, Bee Gees motion figures. You identify it.” He continues: “My chin hit the ground once I noticed CHiPs memorabilia in its unique field … being an LA native, CHiPs is certainly one of my favourite previous exhibits, primarily for glimpsing exterior photographs of late 70s/early 80s LA.”
A spontaneous connection shaped between the 2 musicians on the day of that shoot — one which encompassed excess of simply their mutual appreciation for the classic Erik Estrada cop present.
“Probably the most exceptional factor occurred when Allee and I first met. She slid open the entrance door of her residence, and as quickly as she noticed me, she immediately mentioned one thing akin to “Have we met earlier than? You look so acquainted” We in actual fact had by no means met earlier than, however possibly it was some previous life stuff happening, I don’t know.”
As Golomb and Trinidad have been handled to a private tour of Willis Wonderland, their discussions stretched past the work of Allee’s that they’d come to interview her about. That included the Pet Store Boys’ “What Have I Executed To Deserve This?” — which featured Dusty Springfield, and was certainly one of Golomb’s favourite songs as a youth — and her lone solo outing, the 1974 album Childstar.
“The Pet Store Boys have been certainly one of my first bands that I actually, actually bought into as a child, the place I’d re-listen to the albums over and over, and I’d hunt down and buy all their albums on cassette at locations like The Wherehouse, Music Plus, and Tower Data,” explains Golomb, who needed to buy a second cassette copy of their album Really, as he’d worn out his first. “‘What Have I Executed To Deserve This?’” is likely one of the greatest songs on Really, in my thoughts. It’s simply so catchy and dreamy. I had no concept who Allee Willis was method again then. It wasn’t till years later that I began trying extra intently at songwriting/producing credit. That observe simply has nice vibes; it lives partly in a hopeful and romantic zone, and it additionally goes right into a darker and moodier zone because the music progresses. Actually particular melodies that aren’t fairly predictable.”
“Allee and I [also] talked about her assortment of 8-track tapes of her lone solo LP, 1974’s Childstar, which is a superb hidden gem,” says Golomb. “She would buy copies of them once they’d come up on the market, which is a uncommon incidence.” He continues: “Childstar is crammed with each melancholy in addition to glad retro nostalgic popular culture vibes — and by retro nostalgic vibes, I imply it’s a love letter to popular culture gadgets that have been retro in 1974.”
Golomb stayed in contact with Willis after the Howard the Duck interview wrapped, with the 2 exchanging e-mails. After sharing along with her the video for Trendy Time Machines’ “Freefall (Can’t Cease), he obtained a stunning response: the suggestion that they struggle engaged on a music collectively.
“It was flattering,” says Golomb. “I had deliberate to make the same suggestion in some unspecified time in the future at a future hold (we had talked about me serving to her kind and catalog her classic assortment), however Allee simply put that collaboration suggestion proper on the market in a short time, so I in fact jumped on the probability.”
“It then felt like that retro TV-themed music video I’d made a few 12 months previous to figuring out Allee was a little bit of a cosmic reward to have accomplished (and in hand) for me to share along with her… it was like a ready-made calling card, which cemented that we have been lower from comparable geek material. It appeared pure {that a} collab would occur.”
Golomb and Willis quickly convened in his studio. Trendy Time Machines’ sound is sort of totally different from the R&B and pop stylings that Willis’ most well-known compositions are recognized for; straddling shoegaze and dreampop, their music has reminded us of the distorted melodies heard from of Slowdive, Trip, or The Jesus and Mary Chain. Willis unsurprisingly wasted no time exploring new sonic territory:
“Allee labored in a short time,” says Golomb. “She had vocal melodies come to her head immediately, and needed to get them down on tape and instantly transfer on to the following half. She bought right into a zone and simply created. She would ask me to invent a guitar riff on the spot, and he or she gave me additional path to loop a bit, et cetera. The primary day of our songwriting was actually about structuring the music right into a tough association, and Allee created stream-of-consciousness vocal melodies with some scratch lyrics. Day two was extra targeted on refining the lyrics.”
“We had a back-and-forth dialog about totally different lyrical concepts, the place we’d bounce concepts off one another and discuss why one thing would or wouldn’t work. I most likely have a historical past of writing lyrics which are a bit extra obscure by way of that means, whereas Allee introduced extra direct meanings and imagery to the lyrics, and he or she nudged me in that path. That was a significant lesson to study.” He continues: “We additionally linked over the truth that neither of us has formal musical coaching. I think about this isn’t widespread for songwriters who’re as enormously profitable as Allee was.”
After two productive classes, the 2 parted feeling enthusiastic concerning the path their collaboration was taking them. The vacations have been simply forward, and so they deliberate to take a brief break earlier than reconvening to maintain engaged on the music at first of the brand new 12 months. Nevertheless, the sudden occurred when Willis handed away just some days later, on Christmas Eve of 2019. Tributes have been made on social media by her many admirers and collaborators; lofty information shops revealed obituaries with highlights from her unbelievable checklist of accomplishments. Whereas the music world bemoaned the lack of an unsung legend, Golomb discovered himself additionally mourning a pal.
Golomb put away “Decorative” within the wake of Willis’ passing. It was a number of years earlier than he felt able to return to the music they’d left unfinished. Nevertheless, the piece couldn’t languish incomplete ceaselessly, and Golomb finally started piecing collectively the tough sketches and musical concepts that they hadn’t finalized throughout their last writing classes. (“It was a singular expertise crammed with totally different feelings,” he says.) The music steadily labored itself into the setlists of Trendy Time Machines’ reside exhibits. With the assistance of his bandmates and collaborators (Mike Morgan, Olya Volkova, Diana Christine Hereld, Arlene Ziordia, Jacquie Dillon, Nadia Franks, and Kaitlin Wolfberg, producer Josiah Mazzaschi) — Allee Willis’ last music can be heard after greater than half a decade.
“Had Allee not rapidly recommended we write collectively when she did, it might not have occurred,” says Golomb. “Left to my very own gadgets, I’d have most likely waited just a few extra e-mail exchanges to make the same suggestion, and with Allee’s premature passing, the collab nearly definitely by no means would have occurred. So, I assume it’s a life lesson to not postpone making a transfer to get your concepts via to the end line, significantly if for tasks you’re keen about.” He continues: “Allee, greater than something, I feel, needed to raise individuals up and encourage others, and he or she definitely impressed me.”
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Trendy Time Machines will have fun the discharge of “Decorative” with a particular present at The Goldfish in Los Angeles on September 2.
