John Altman (composer)
| John Altman | |
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Altman on set of the short film "Pass:on". London, 2009
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| Background information | |
| Born |
5 December 1949 London, England, United Kingdom |
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| Instruments | Saxophone |
John Altman (born 5 December 1949) is an English film composer, music arranger, orchestrator and conductor.
Altman was introduced to the music of the 1930s and 1940s at an early age by his uncles, bandleaders Woolf and Sid Phillips. Woolf Phillips arranged and conducted for Judy Garland, the Marx Brothers, Frank Sinatra, and Laurel and Hardy, among others, while Sid Phillips wrote for the Ambrose Orchestra and led Britain's best known Dixieland Band. John Altman's cousin, Simon Phillips, was for many years the drummer of the world-famous rock band Toto.
Altman's only formal musical training was piano lessons as a child. While enrolled at the University of Sussex he was involved in session work and gigs with Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac, Kevin Ayers, and Nico. His later studies at Birkbeck College were interrupted when he left to work with Hot Chocolate as musical director for their concert tour for two years. He also played saxophone in rock bands and with blues and jazz groups with such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Little Richard, and Van Morrison for whom he functioned as arranger and musical director as well as reed player. Among the many other artists Altman has played with over the years are Muddy Waters, Nick Drake, Jimmy Page, Rick Astley, The Comets, Spencer Davis. In the mid-1970s, Altman began arranging and conducting. Among his hit records have been Aled Jones' Walking in the Air (which he also produced); Alison Moyet's That Old Devil Called Love, Simple Minds Streetfighting Years, Rod Stewart's Downtown Train, George Michael's Kissing a Fool, Prefab Sprout's Hey Manhattan, Tina Turner and Barry White's Wildest Dream, Diana Ross' Christmas Album, Björk's It's Oh So Quiet, Goldie's Saturnz Returns. He was musical director for the All-Star Band assembled for the 1981 Amnesty International benefit show The Secret Policeman's Other Ball – an ensemble that included Sting, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Phil Collins, Bob Geldof, Donovan and Midge Ure.
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