Johnny Harris - Movements (1970) (Remastered, 2002)

b. Edinburgh, Scotland. Despite ambitions to write and record his own work, Harris principally made his name as a musical arranger. His 1970 album, Movements, comprised mellifluous brass and woodwind, combined with the then novel VCS3 synthesizer, on treatments of standards such as ‘Paint It, Black’ and ‘Light My Fire’. Harris began his musical career by arranging two legendary British soul singles - Lorraine Silver’s ‘Lost Summer Love’ and A Band Of Angels’ ‘Invitation’ - both staples of the Wigan Casino all-nighters. By the late 60s he was working for Deram Records, arranging for Tom Jones and Clyde McPhatter, before writing the theme for Lulu’s television show (his co-arranger on the attendant Lulu album release was John Paul Jones). He subsequently worked with Tony Hatch and Shirley Bassey, though his decision to help Radio 1 disc jockey Tony Blackburn record an album of Motown Records classics was widely interpreted to be a big mistake. Now resident in Los Angeles and working as a soundtrack composer, Harris enjoyed renewed press interest as a major influence on the mid-90s ‘easy listening’ revival scene. Movements was remastered and reissued in 2002.