Geoff Love
Encyclopedia
Geoff Love was a British
easy-listening, and disco
orchestra
leader. He was born in the industrial town of Todmorden
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
. His father was a mixed race American
-born guitarist and dancer, and his mother an actress. As a child, Love began to learn to play the violin but then switched to the trombone. He played with Jan Ralfini's band and then embarked on a solo career before military service during World War II
in the King's Royal Rifles. After the war he played with Harry Gold
.
He recorded at least two album
s with Shirley Bassey
in 1959 and 1960.
Love also recorded under the name 'Manuel & The Music of The Mountains', in which guise he released several works on EMI
's Studio 2 Stereo record label
including a single
entitled "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez (Theme from 2nd Movement)", an interpretation of the "Concierto de Aranjuez
". This reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
in 1976. He recorded many album
s for MFP, often featuring film
or television
themes
such as: 'Big Movie Western Themes' (1969), 'Great T.V. Western Movie Themes' (1970) or other instrumental
or disco music. "Big Bond Movie Themes" (1975) featuring a selection of instrumental versions of music & songs from The James Bond film series from 'Dr.No' up to 'The Man With The Golden Gun' (including Burt Bacharach's 'Casino Royale' from the 1967 spoof Bond film) has since become one of Love's most sought after MFP albums. One of these MFP sets was called Glad with Love – featuring the pianist Mrs Mills
and Geoff Love on a singalong together – with studio audience participation.
Geoff Love also worked as accompaniment director & arranger on many UK chart hit singles by fifties & sixties British recording artists including Peter & Gordon (including their 1964 UK chart-topping 'A World Without Love'), Ken Dodd, Russ Conway, Des O'Connor, Frankie Vaughan, etc., plus American artists such as Johnny Mathis and Connie Francis.
Love also was a prolific composer, writing the Theme music for the ITV Comedy series 'Bless This House' which starred Sidney James, among other compostitions.
In the 1970s, Love appeared with the singer Max Bygraves
in the Thames Television
music show (for ITV
) SingalongaMax. Also, in the early 1970s, under the name 'Mandingo', Love worked with session musician
s to produce a lively approximation of African rhythms, according to a plan by record label
executives intended to capitalise on a surge of interest in African music.
Love, who died in London at the age of 73, was married to Joy and had two sons, Adrian and Nigel. His son Adrian Love
was a successful DJ
on BBC Radio
and commercial radio
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
easy-listening, and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
leader. He was born in the industrial town of Todmorden
Todmorden
Todmorden is a market town and civil parish, located 17 miles from Manchester, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and has a total population of 14,941....
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
. His father was a mixed race American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born guitarist and dancer, and his mother an actress. As a child, Love began to learn to play the violin but then switched to the trombone. He played with Jan Ralfini's band and then embarked on a solo career before military service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the King's Royal Rifles. After the war he played with Harry Gold
Harry Gold (musician)
Harry Gold Harry Gold Harry Gold (born Harry Goldberg; (26 February 1907 – 13 November 2005) was a British dixieland jazz saxophonist and bandleader.The eldest of six children, born to a Romanian mother, Hetty Schulman, and a German father, Sam Goldberg. Gold's career spanned almost the whole...
.
He recorded at least two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s with Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
in 1959 and 1960.
Love also recorded under the name 'Manuel & The Music of The Mountains', in which guise he released several works on EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's Studio 2 Stereo record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
including a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
entitled "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez (Theme from 2nd Movement)", an interpretation of the "Concierto de Aranjuez
Concierto de Aranjuez
The Concierto de Aranjuez is a composition for classical guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is probably Rodrigo's best-known work, and its success established his reputation as one of the most significant Spanish composers of the twentieth century. ...
". This reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 1976. He recorded many album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s for MFP, often featuring film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
or television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
themes
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
such as: 'Big Movie Western Themes' (1969), 'Great T.V. Western Movie Themes' (1970) or other instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
or disco music. "Big Bond Movie Themes" (1975) featuring a selection of instrumental versions of music & songs from The James Bond film series from 'Dr.No' up to 'The Man With The Golden Gun' (including Burt Bacharach's 'Casino Royale' from the 1967 spoof Bond film) has since become one of Love's most sought after MFP albums. One of these MFP sets was called Glad with Love – featuring the pianist Mrs Mills
Mrs Mills
Gladys Mills, née Gladys Jordan , better known as Mrs Mills, was a British popular pianist who was active in the 1960s and who released many records...
and Geoff Love on a singalong together – with studio audience participation.
Geoff Love also worked as accompaniment director & arranger on many UK chart hit singles by fifties & sixties British recording artists including Peter & Gordon (including their 1964 UK chart-topping 'A World Without Love'), Ken Dodd, Russ Conway, Des O'Connor, Frankie Vaughan, etc., plus American artists such as Johnny Mathis and Connie Francis.
Love also was a prolific composer, writing the Theme music for the ITV Comedy series 'Bless This House' which starred Sidney James, among other compostitions.
In the 1970s, Love appeared with the singer Max Bygraves
Max Bygraves
Max Bygraves OBE is an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs...
in the Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
music show (for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
) SingalongaMax. Also, in the early 1970s, under the name 'Mandingo', Love worked with session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s to produce a lively approximation of African rhythms, according to a plan by record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
executives intended to capitalise on a surge of interest in African music.
Love, who died in London at the age of 73, was married to Joy and had two sons, Adrian and Nigel. His son Adrian Love
Adrian Love
Adrian Love was a British radio presenter, famous for his Love In The Afternoon show on Radio Two. He was the son of musician Geoff Love....
was a successful DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
on BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
and commercial radio
Commercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship...
.
Geoff Love's original albums as "Manuel & The Music of The Mountains"
- The Music of the Mountains (1960)
- Mountain Carnival (1961)
- Ecstasy (1963)
- Mountain Fiesta (1964)
- Exotica (1965)
- Blue Waters (1966)
- Sunrise, Sunset (1967)
- Beyond the Mountains (1967)
- Mirage (1968)
- Magic Fountains (1968)
- Reflections (1969)
- Manuel and the Music of the Masters (1969)
- Manuel and the Music of the Movies (1970)
- Cascade (1971)
- Carnival (1971)
- Manuel Meets Pepe Jaramillo (1971)
- Mardi Gras (1972)
- The Sun, the Sea and the Sky (1972)
- Horizons (1973)
- Shangri-La (1973)
- Y Viva España (1974)
- El Bimbo (1975)
- Masquerade (1976)
- Mountain Fire (1977)
- The Music of Manuel (1978)
- The Magic of Manuel (1978)
- Super Natural (1979)
- Viva Manuel (1979)
- Fiesta (1980)
- Fantasy (1981)