Felton Pilate
Felton Record producer and songwriter for his own group albums and singles recording projects from when his group, Con Funk Shun, migrated from Vallejo, CA, to Memphis. Pilate gained greatest world-wide acclaim for production/writing with rap phenom" M.C. Hammer". The Hammer-Pilate joint effort staggers the imagination with sales from '89 to '92 alone of 30 million, including "Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em", the #2 all-time selling R&B LP. Other landmarks in Pilate's Capitol Records days include his film and TV soundtrack work such as his Oscar-nominated "Addams Groove" (Addams Family Movie theme) and Hammerman (Hammerman cartoon show). Pilate also has production/writing credits with the California State Lottery radio and TV campaign slogan "I Feel Like The Lucky One". His influence reverbs on countless samples like the D-Shot/Jive Records single, "Huckleberry", featured on the GOLD Columbia Pictures soundtrack, "Booty Call" and the DOUBLE PLATINUM "Gang Related" soundtrack cut "A Change Is Gonna Come", by J. Flexx. The eponymous PLATINUM debut LP, Dru Hill, contained Pilate's re-vibed Con Funk Shun classic, “Love's Train”, produced by Keith Sweat. Most recently, 2010, writer Pilate contributed “I Wanna Play For You” to The Stanley Clarke Band Grammy Winning “Best Contemporary Jazz Album.”
Pilate launched Felstar Studios in hometown Vallejo, CA, as Con Funk Shun (round one) was winding down. Grammy winning record producers who cut their teeth at his elbow include James Earley and the mega-hitmakes Foster-McElroy. Managing his own studio has given Pilate both the freedom and opportunity as well as the responsibility to run a first class hit-maker-machine facility. As he has migrated over the years from CA, to IL, to IN, to TX, and now recently to GA, he has always set up shop and kept it rolling. Having also worked in major recording studios, editing suites, and sound stages on many projects, Pilate is widely experienced in multi-format productions as well as running the show in facilities with staffing large and small. View full bio |