John Keating (musician)

John Keating (born 10 September 1927, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish musician, songwriter and arranger. Keating, Scotland's greatest ever musical arranger, graduated from the back streets of Edinburgh to the neon-lit avenues of Los Angeles, California. Along the way he met and worked with some of the biggest names in show business, including Sammy Davis, Jr., Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Carmen McRae, Cleo Laine, Anthony Newley, Lita Roza, Mel Tormé and Caterina Valente. From Holyrood to Holywood.

He was also known and billed as Johnny Keating.cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 297
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]

Career

After studying piano and trombone, he taught himself how to arrange and compose music in his teens. [http://www.last.fm/music/John+Keating Last.fm - biography] ] He went to work with Bthe British big band leader Ted Heath in 1952 as a trombonist, but within two years Heath asked him to become his primary arranger. In the early 1960s, he and songwriter Johnny Worth (writing as 'Les Vandyke') masterminded the career of a minor British pop star, Eden Kane. The team wrote and produced a string of UK Top 10 hits for Kane between 1961 and 1963. In addition he wrote, produced or arranged hits by Adam Faith, Petula Clark, Anthony Newley, Sammy Davis, Jr., and many others.

Keating arranged and conducted a series of albums for London's "Phase 4" series, notable for its use of synthesizer technology such as the Moog synthesizer and the EMS VSC3. The records were often used as demonstration discs in the 1970s in hi-fi stores because of their quality. Much of his work was re-released following the lounge music revival of the mid 1990s and its use as breakbeats.

His song, "Bunny Hop", is featured in the 1994 Tim Burton film, "Ed Wood". Other film soundtrack work included "Hotel" and "Robbery". [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=&sql=11:f9fexq95ldte~T1 Allmusic.com biography] ]

His "Theme from Z-Cars", a No. 5 hit in the UK Singles Chart, was adopted by Everton F.C. as their theme song almost forty years ago, and remains so to this day.

As founder and principal of the Johnny Keating School of Music, in Edinburgh, Keating has been directly responsible for the musical education of many students who later became successful professionals. [http://www.jazzprofessional.com/profiles/John_Keating.htm Jazzprofessional.com - a portrait by Ron Simmonds] ]

In 1999 he completed a four–volume academic reference book, dedicated to the art of professional songwriting, entitled "Principles of Songwriting: A Study in Structure and Technique".

Album discography

*"English Jazz" - 1956 - Bally
*"Swinging Scots" - 1957 - Dot
*"Johnny Keating and 27 Men-The Keating Sound"-1966 Decca
*"Space Experience" - 1972 - EMI
*"John Keating Conducts the Electronic Philharmonic Orchestra" - 1974 - EMI [ [http://www.primecuts.fi/primecuts/primecut.nsf/6eceaadb01354d76c2256ca60043466e/d36d9e71d19d7520c22571020064a3fe!OpenDocument Primecuts.fi] ] :*"Fanfare for the Common Man":*"Sabre Dance":*"Tristan and Isolde: Prelude, Act III":*"Lohengrin: Prelude, Act III":*"Hebridean Impressions" (written by Keating)
*"John Keating Conducts the London Symphony Orchestra" - 197? [ [http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-ma-an9095275 Nla.gov.au] ]
*"Space Experience, Vol. 1 & 2" - 1998 - EMI (Vol. 1 contains the LP "Space Experience")
*"Temptation & Percussive Moods" - 2004 - Vocalion
*"Swing Revisited" - 2004 - Dutton Vocalion
*"British Jazz" - 2005 - Harkit
*"British Jazz and Swinging Scots" - 2008 - British Jazz

ongwriting credits

*"A Little Waltzin'"
*"Barber Shop Jump" - Ted Heath
*"Come Live With Me" - Carmen McRae
*"Headin' North"
*"It's Not Going That Way" - Carmen McRae, Vic Lewis
*"On With the Don" - Ted Heath
*"Same Old Moon" - Percy Faith
*"Send for Henry" - Heinz Schonberger, Henry Main
*"The Clown"
*"Theme from "Hotel" - Nancy Wilson
*"This Hotel" - Percy Faith, Shirley Horn, Stan Kenton [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink= [JOHN|KEATING [&sql=11:f9fexq95ldte~T3 Allmusic.com - Songs] ]

References

External links

* [http://roundpixel.co.uk/johnkeating/ Official Site]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=105401575 Keating's official Myspace page]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=11:f9fexq95ldte~T1 Allmusic.com biography by Eugene Chadbourne]