Please note this and the pages containing the CD information and lyrics are still under construction! I'm still searching for more information about Mike Batt, his albums and lyrics, so if you think you can help, don't hesitate and send me an email. Of course, suggestions, critics and any other comments are appreciated as well.
The following text, written by Nigel Hunter, is taken from the inlay of the CD The Winds Of Change
Mike Batt is one of the highly successful and influential figures in the British and international music business.
Mike is a self-taught musician but has nevertheless developed an enviable reputation as a conductor with orchestras such as the London Symphony, the London Philharmonic, the Amsterdam Convertgebouw, the Berlin Opera and the Sydney Symphony. He is a noted record producer, having guided the likes of Cliff Richard, Steeleye Span, Elkie Brooks, Barbara Dickson, Art Garfunkel, Steve Harley, Dave Essex and Alvin Stardust among others to the best-selling charts.
He's a formidable composer and songwriter, but as an artist has a string of imaginative and original albums such as Schizophonia, Songs Of Love And War and Tarot Suite to his credit. He set a new record by winning the Best Film Music category of the Ivor Novello Awards two years in succession. This was for Caravans, the movie starring Anthony Quinn, in 1978 and Bright Eyes from Watership Down the following year, a UK million-seller for Art Garfunkel which also topped the charts in many other countries.
Mike's first job when he was 18 was organist in a strip club, an environment which ensured he never nodded off at the keyboard. The money he earned financed his trips to London to pitch the songs he had been writing. That was a sobering experience in terms of the difficulties in breaking into the music business, but the Batt persistence and talent would not be denied, and at 19 he became the youngest ever head of an Artist and Repertoire department at a record company.
He established his own music publishing company 18 months later, and embarked on a series of album recordings featuring the Mike Batt Orchestra in instrumental versions of popular songs, all arranged by Mike who had learned the technique of orchestration from text books. He began writing jingles for TV commercials, and then in 1974 hit the bigtime with the Wombles. Starting with a theme he wrote for a BBC TV children's programme, Mike developed the music side of the furry creatures who lived on Wimbledon Common into eight Top 30 hits. He appeared throughout Britain and abroad with his group, dressed as the Womble characters, in costumes made by his mother.
In 1975 he wrote and sang Summertime City, the signature theme of BBC TV's Seaside Special series, which rose to No. 4 in the charts. Two years later Mike's first solo album Schizophonia was released mingling the instrumental talents of the London Symphony Orchestra and a pop-rock rhythm section.
Then came the Batt music for Caravans, the film version of the James Michener novel. Mike recorded the score with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Barbara Dickson's version of the title song is still regularly played on the radio. 1979 saw the release of Watership Down and Mike's Tarot Suite album.
He took a break from the music industry later that year, and fitted out a 40-metre yacht for a world voyage with his wife and their two daughters. They went to Australia via the West Indies and South America. En route Mike wrote a musical at the invitation of the Australian Broadcasting Commission to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The project took nine months to produce because of fierce opposition by Australian Equity and other trade unions, but it provided the basis for Mike's next solo album Zero Zero and was a vehicle for his interest in visuals and animation which has developed further since.
Back in Britain, Mike continued his busy and varied activities with leading artists, working as songwriter and record producer, and making his concert debut as a conductor with the LSO at the Barbican in 1983.
Over the last few years much of his time has been devoted to composing and producing The Hunting Of The Snark, based on the epic nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll.
This compilation of Batt songs demonstrates and underlines his flair for original thought in words and music. He recalls the circumstances of each track in his own words.
(Please see the Track-list of The Winds Of Change for Batt's comments)
| Name | Release Year | CD Code |
|---|---|---|
| Schizophonia | 1977 | EPIC 4602082 |
| Caravans (OST) | 1979 | COLU 4670302 |
| Tarot Suite | 1979 | EPIC 4500922 |
| Lady Of The Dawn | ? | EPIC 4657062 |
| Waves | 1980 | ? |
| Zero Zero | 1982 | ? |
| The Very Best Of | ? | EPIC 4691482 |
| The Hunting Of The Snark | 1986 | COLU 4806132 |
| Songs Of Love And War | 1988 | EPIC 4806122 |
| The Winds Of Change | 1992 | VSOP 169 |
| Arabesque | 1995 | EPIC 4783502 |
| Don't Trust The Angels (CDS) | ? | EPIC 6613832 |
| The Flame Burns On (CDS) | ? | EPIC 6627542 |
Here are some other sites that provide information on Mike Batt
Well, these links are not directly related to Mike Batt, but they are a good starting point for music-related (including Mike Batt) searches.
There's a Mike Batt Fan Club in Germany. For more details you may contact Manfred Schneider.
Mike Batt Information Service
Manfred Schneider
Postfach 60 08 12
50688 Köln
Germany