Anton

Professional

• Composer/Lyricist: Both
• Genre: Media

Biography

Did apprenticeship in early Liverpool bands of the 60s. Formed TRILOGY in late 60s/early 70s. One of the first 'heavy/progressive' bands. Very popular on college circuit - amazing lightshows, good stage productions!

First started writing for TV in 1974. Early work was for BBC Manchester. Lots of kids' things, including starting off ROD HULL & EMU, CHEGGERS PLAYS POP......working with Peter Ridsdale Scott. It was about then that I wrote A QUESTION OF SPORT.

Moved to Bristol in 1976 and started working for the legendary JOHN KING at the BBC Natural History Unit. Over the next 10 years, wrote most of John's music including: THE WORLD ABOUT US, KING'S COUNTRY, NIGHT HUNTERS, THE ARTISANS, WEST COUNTRY TALES, ATTENBOROUGH programmes, SIMON KING, BEYOND THE FOAMING HORSE, WILDLIFE ON ONE, DONANA, MAGGIE'S MOOR, SURVIVAL programmes....BENNY HILL, LITTLE & LARGE, DIANE SOLOMON. Also wrote for JACK BELLAMY, more wildlife stuff, and lots of programmes for LAURIE JONES for S4C with unpronouncable Welsh names like BLAS Y GORFENNOES, baroque music for AUSTRIAN TV - DAS LIEBEN UND MENLISCHE VON LEOPOLD KOHR!

Over the last 10 years have also specialised in kids' music. Started when my daughter Carrie was born and we bought lots of kids' tapes. Wanted to start writing music for children that didn't make the parents want to leave home.

I'd been working on some 'angles' for TV programme ideas (another small string to my bow! - clients include TELSTAR, MARKS & SPENCER, COCA COLA, EMI, TUTM - NEW YORK) and had this idea for a children's series simply called LET'S GO TO..... I thought it was quite strong so I kept it for myself. This gave me the idea for LET'S GO TO THE CIRCUS. Both signed to EMI and did very well. Our mutual friend Shep - Brian Shepherd - was acting as my agent/manager at the time and he did the EMI deal. Shep has now retired and gone to live near L.A. with lots of aeroplanes.
(Currently talking to TV people about doing TV series based on 'Dinosaurland' angle.)

More kids' stuff for Channel 4 - educational programmes like MATHS EVERYWHERE.
Over the last three years.....
More ATTENBOROUGH, this time with JACK BELLAMY, called THE LAST OF THE RHINOS.
Several more projects for WILDVISION (the commercial outlet for the BBC Natural History Unit) working with MICHAEL BRIGHT - like the BEASTLY BABIES thing and NATURE'S GREAT EVENTS, in conjunction with READER'S DIGEST.
I've done most of RICHARD EDWARDS' music for the last 10 years. He used to be at HTV, but left to form his own 'ELEMENT PRODUCTIONS'. We did lots of HTV programmes like WEST COUNTRY FARMING, CANNED FILLERS, WELSH CRAFTS, and also the HOMELAND programme for BBC Wales and one for DAVID BELLAMY called WELSH HERBS.

Station Idents for Rupert Murdoch's STAR TV network (96 pieces of music in all) - also THE CHINESE CHANNEL, and yet more for MICKEY MOUSE and the DISNEY CHANNEL.

For the last three years have been working more or less constantly on THE ANIMAL ALPHABET and now the ANIMAL NUMBERS series of pre-school songs for the TV/video/audio formats. Wrote 33 songs for Alphabet and have just finished 12 songs for Numbers.

Have also been working with John Telfer on music for children's computer animation series of programmes called OZZIE THE OWL. Theme & incidentals.

Co-wrote WORLD'S APART - a musical, with Will Grealish. Put it on, with Lottery funding at the Colston Hall here in Bristol. Went extremely well!... Currently working with PAUL MILLS (one of the directors of the 'BUDDY' Musical) on tightening up the script. We are also to do it as an animation series at first, then on the London stage.

Also currently working on THE SMILE PROJECT - a proposed project involving kids around the world in conjunction with UNICEF.
And don't forget the I.S.S. - the space musical! And therein lies a tail!

Rock and Roll...... Chuck Berry's stand-in bass player! Have played sessions with hundreds of top artists (and some not so top) over the last couple of decades, usually on backing vocals and guitar.

Learned my arranging techniques 'on the road' in the 70s with some wonderful musicians such as NORRIE PARAMOR, PAUL JURY, GRAHAM HALL, BOBBY PATRICK. 'Taught the World to Sing' with the NEW SEEKERS as their musical director. Sat at the feet of blues/boogie giants like SLIM GAILLARD, who became a good friend. Picked up a few hints on classical guitar from SEGOVIA and a hint of jazz from GORDON MONROE.

All in all, I'm a musical mercenary who loves the job. I listen to direction, don't miss deadlines and have all my own teeth. Playing eight hours a night at the Blue Angel in Liverpool in the early 60s you learn to 'suss out your audience' as John Lennon said. And that's what I try to do.