Michael Z. Gordon's songwriting career was ignited in 1962 when he scored a Top 40 hit with the song "Surfer's Stomp" under the name "The Mar-Kets", later shortened to "The Marketts". This regional success on the West Coast, released by Union Records and later distributed nationally by Liberty Records, led to a full-length album deal with Liberty.
Just six months later, Gordon achieved Top 20 success with his new band, "The Routers", and their hand-clap driven hit "Let's Go!", which has remained a staple at sporting events worldwide. During his tour with The Routers, Gordon wrote his biggest hit for The Marketts, "Out of Limits", which reached #3 nationally and earned him his first BMI award for Instrumental of the Year. The Routers also appeared in the 1964 film "Surf Party", further solidifying Gordon's position in the surf-rock genre.
The Marketts scored another Top 20 hit in 1966 with their recording of Neal Hefti's "Batman Theme", which managed to chart before the TV show's official version. Gordon later collaborated with songwriter Jimmy Griffin and wrote over sixty songs, including "Apologize", which earned him his second BMI award.
His songs have been recorded by a diverse range of artists, including Cher, Annette Funicello, Los Straitjackets, The Electric Prunes, Agent Orange, Lesley Gore, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, The Ventures, and Brian Hyland.
Gordon went on to contribute music to films and television shows, including "Pulp Fiction", "The Outsiders", "Inherent Vice", "The Wonder Years", "21 Jump Street", and the Tom Hanks HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon".
Since 2001, Gordon's primary focus has been producing feature films through his company Americana Films, with projects including "Narc", "In Enemy Hands", and "Dirty Little Trick". His latest project is a documentary about his life and career, titled "Out of Limits: The Michael Z. Gordon Story", set for release in 2018.
