John O'Neill (musician)
Encyclopedia
John O'Neill was a professional musician
born in County Durham
, England
to Irish
parents. He was famous for his whistling
abilities and was also an accomplished trumpeter.
O'Neill began his musical career as a member of Val Doonican
's band. In the 1960s he became a regular on the Black and White Minstrel Show. He also worked as a session
singer on many television
programs, such as Monty Python's Flying Circus
and the Morecambe and Wise Show
.
He is widely believed to have had a hit single with I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman
credited as Whistling Jack Smith (a play on "Whispering" Jack Smith). However the exact nature of who Jack Smith was is unsure; certainly in TV appearances an actor lip-synced
whistling to a backing track, and some sources attribute the single to British Decca/Deram producer Noel Walker, as producer and performing artist.
His best known achievement however, was the whistling on the main theme
to the original 1966 Ennio Morricone
composition from the Spaghetti Western
, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
; although this is also sometimes accredited to Alessandro Alessandroni
.
In his later life O'Neill settled in Dovercourt
, Essex
.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
born in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
parents. He was famous for his whistling
Whistling
Human whistling is the production of sound by means of carefully controlling a stream of air flowing through a small hole. Whistling can be achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips and then blowing or sucking air through the hole...
abilities and was also an accomplished trumpeter.
O'Neill began his musical career as a member of Val Doonican
Val Doonican
Val Doonican is an Irish singer. From 1965 to 1986 he was a regular fixture on the BBC Television's schedule with The Val Doonican Show, which featured his own singing performances and a variety of guest artists...
's band. In the 1960s he became a regular on the Black and White Minstrel Show. He also worked as a session
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...
singer on many television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programs, such as Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
and the Morecambe and Wise Show
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
.
He is widely believed to have had a hit single with I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman
I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman
"I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" was a hit single in 1967 composed by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. It was a novelty record, being performed mostly by whistling. This was credited to Whistling Jack Smith and Billy Moeller appeared under this name, though the whistling was really performed by John...
credited as Whistling Jack Smith (a play on "Whispering" Jack Smith). However the exact nature of who Jack Smith was is unsure; certainly in TV appearances an actor lip-synced
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
whistling to a backing track, and some sources attribute the single to British Decca/Deram producer Noel Walker, as producer and performing artist.
His best known achievement however, was the whistling on the main theme
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (theme)
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is the theme to the 1966 film of the same name, which was directed by Sergio Leone. Included on the film soundtrack as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ", the instrumental piece was composed by Ennio Morricone, with Bruno Nicolai conducting the orchestra. A cover...
to the original 1966 Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
composition from the Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles. The screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone...
; although this is also sometimes accredited to Alessandro Alessandroni
Alessandro Alessandroni
Alessandro Alessandroni is an Italian musician. He plays multipleinstruments, including the guitar, mandolin, mandolincello, sitar, accordion, and piano, and has composed over 40 film scores and countless library music....
.
In his later life O'Neill settled in Dovercourt
Dovercourt
For the neighbourhood in Toronto see Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-JunctionDovercourt is a small seaside town in Essex, England. It is older than its smaller but better-known neighbour, the port of Harwich, and appears in the Domesday Book of 1086...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.