Stephen Bishop / A Final EP

February 1, 2025 by Bart Mendoza

Music SceneSD

Legendary hitmaker / tunesmith / actor, Stephen Bishop is releasing his farewell recording, THIMK, in spring 2025.

“I originally thought my 2019 album, We’ll Talk About It Later In The Car, would be my last album,” he said in a statement. “However, thanks to my wife’s encouragement, I decided to record and create this EP. THIMK will be my final musical release, a special project created for my fans as a thank you for all the support through the years. It features brand-new songs I’ve written, along with a collection of never-before-released demos, including one that was meant for my Red Cab to Manhattan album, but didn’t make the cut.”

A Storied Career in Music and Film

A former San Diego resident and Crawford High School graduate, Bishop has had an amazing career. He scored several hits in the late 1970s and 1980s including:

“On and On” (#11, 1977)
“Save It For A Rainy Day” (#22, 1977) – featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar and Chaka Khan on backing vocals
“Everybody Needs Love” (#32, 1978)
“It Might Be You” (Theme from Tootsie, #25, 1983)

The latter was just one of many films Bishop has contributed theme and soundtrack music to, including:

🎬 Animal House (1980)
🎬 The China Syndrome (1979)
🎬 Roadie (1980)
🎬 Summer Lovers (1984)
🎬 Mickey & Maude (1984)
🎬 White Nights (1985)

Bishop also made a name for himself as a songwriter, with dozens of artists recording his tunes, including Barbara Streisand, Aswad, The Four Tops, David Crosby, Luciano Pavarotti, and Frida of ABBA. One of his most famous compositions, “Separate Lives” (#1, 1985), was recorded by Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin for White Nights.

Acting Career & TV Appearances

In addition to music, Bishop has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, with roles in:

🎥 The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)
🎥 Animal House (1978)
🎥 The Blues Brothers (1980)
🎥 Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
🎥 Someone to Love (1987)

His cameo in Animal House, where John Belushi’s character destroys his guitar, remains one of the most iconic moments in movie history.

Bishop has also made television appearances on:

📺 American Bandstand (1977, 1983)
📺 The Midnight Special (1977)
📺 Solid Gold (1980, 1982, 1986)
📺 Saturday Night Live (1978) – featuring a performance of “On and On” and a sketch with Belushi, Garret Morris, and Art Garfunkel
📺 The Academy Awards (1986) & American Music Awards (1990)

Final Words & New Projects

Bishop most recently published his autobiography, On and Off, in 2022, detailing his rise in the music world. He also authored Songs in the Rough: Rock’s Greatest Songs in Rough-Draft Form (2000), a must-read for music fans.