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From head chorister at all souls, Langham Place, London and
a musical education firmly rooted in the classics and church
music Tony left school in 1955 and took a job as tea boy in
a small London music publishing company. Thus began a career,
which has established him as one of today’s leading
composers of popular songs and music for television.
For the first two years, whilst not making tea,
running errands, doing the filing and playing piano for the
many singers that visited the office in search of a song,
he ran a dance band at the weekends, taught himself orchestration
and played piano in pubs and for a local dancing school.
The major break came when he joined Top Rank
records in 1957 and, whilst still only 18, wrote his first
international hit song "Look for a Star", featured
in the film .
UK national service briefly interrupted his progress
but he chose to serve 3 years with the band of the Cold Stream
Guards. During this time top-rank folded but Tony managed
to find a new job in the record business working part-time
(and quite legally) for Pye Records (where he co-produced
and wrote the musical arrangements for such artistes as
Lonnie Donegan and Kenny
Ball.
On leaving the army to work full-time at Pye
he produced hits with Emile Ford, The “Brook Brothers”
, Jimmy Justice, Mark Wynter and The
Searchers for whom he also wrote Sugar and Spice.
A new artist “The
OUTpsiDER” who is with Blue Pie
has remixed this track which was released through 2003 and 2004 and did very well. In recent times the delightful " Emma Bunton " one of the Spice Girls has recorded a super smash cover of Downtown that took the song to the top of the charts again. A remarkable achievment and a great version. You can download these songs in the shop.
It was the teaming of Tony and Petula Clark at
Pye, however, that really made the magic happen when, in 1964,
Tony wrote, arranged and produced the international classic
“Downtown” which sold over three million records
world wide! Australia’s “The
OUTpsiDER” has also completed a new version
of the song.
· Call me
· I know a place
· My love
· You’re the one (written with Petula)
· Where are you now (with co-writer Jackie Trent) This
went No #1 in the UK for Jackie in 1965)
· I couldn't’ live without your love
· Don’t sleep in the subway
· The two of us, (duet with Jackie and #1 in Australia
in the late 60’s)
· The other man’s grass is always greener
· Who am I
· A sign of the times
· Colour my world
· Joanna (for Scott Walker)
In the 70’s Tony earned himself the reputation
as the
on the long running UK version of Australia’s ‘new
faces’. (He told it like it is!).
· Crossroads
· Emmerdale
· Sportsnight
· Airline
· The Champions
· Travels with my Aunt
· The Sweeney 2
· Neighbours
– The Australian
TV soap that has never left the airwaves and broadcast in over
40 countries.
Tony’s songs have been featured
in over 100 films, countless television productions
and have been performed or recorded by such luminaries as
, , ,
, , ,
, and .
· Rock Nativity (1976)
· The Card , London 1973 and 1994
(whilst living in Sydney) Tony was producer and musical director
of Australia’s largest annual live televised festival
of Christmas music ‘Carols in the Domain’. Tony
has been guest conductor in popular music concerts with the
BBC Radio Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and
major Australian symphony orchestras.
Tony’s instrumental theme provided
the inspiration and original samples for the Pepe deluxe record which became the theme
music for the Levi’s jeans commercial and a top twenty
hit in 2002.
He is currently recording a new instrumental
album and also about to launch a one-man show, featuring his
many songs, some new ones and just ‘telling
it like it is’. Retired? No way!
Tony has been associated with the , the “Children’s Charity”, since
1982 and was chief barker (president) of the Variety Club
of Australia from 1987 - 1990 during which time he produced
the 1989 Variety Clubs International convention in Sydney.
He has also served as International President and as chief
barker of Tent 36, the Variety club of Great Britain.
Tony has lived and worked in the UK, Eire &
Australia he now lives in Menorca (Spain) with his
wife, Maggie, and commutes regularly to the UK.
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