Name	Catchers
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Portstewart, Northern Ireland
Genre	Indie pop
Years active	1993–1999
Label	Setanta Records
Website	www.thecatchers.co.uk
Associated acts	The Sleeping Years }}

Catchers was an Irish indie pop band formed in 1993 and led by singer-songwriter Dale Grundle. The band consisted of Dale Grundle (vocals/guitar), Alice Lemon (vocals/keyboards), Peter Kelly (drums), Ger FitzGerald (bass, until 1995), Craig Carpenter (bass, 1996 onwards) and Jonathan Lord (lead guitar, 1998). Grundle and Lemon had known each other since their teens in Portstewart, Northern Ireland. In 2006, seven years after the end of Catchers, Grundle formed The Sleeping Years.

Biography

Early demos were sent to various London based labels in 1994 and caught the attention of Setanta Records supremo, Keith Cullen. Their first release, a 7" called ''Cotton dress'', was recorded at Dave Stewart's London studio and became Melody Maker's Single Of The Week. "Catchers are sublime, enchanting and some strange kind of wonderful" (Melody Maker). A great deal of press attention followed, especially in France where, on the strengths of the "Cotton Dress" single alone, the band was offered a prestigious Black Session on C'est Lenoir, a legendary Radio France programme.

''Mute'', the band's first album, was produced by Mike Hedges at his studio in Normandy, France. ''Mute'' was released at the end of September 1994 to critical acclaim on both sides of the English Channel, especially in France. "Truly wonderful" (Melody Maker). "Deliriously great songs" (NME). ‘’A record of pastoral delights’’ (The Times). From then on, France would become a second home for the band. In 1994, ''Mute'' made both the journalists and the readers top ten albums of the year poll in the influential Les Inrockuptibles magazine. The rest of the year and the first part of 1995 were spent on the road in the UK and mainland Europe opening for the likes of Oasis, Pulp, and Edwyn Collins, as well as headlining their own shows and playing both La Route du Rock and Les Inrocks festivals in France.

In 1995, Catchers signed to Warner Music Discovery in the US, a label run by the legendary Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra Records. Holzman had previously signed The Doors and Love to his fledgling label in the sixties. The band temporarily relocated to New York City and started a three month tour that would take them from coast to coast, opening for The Innocence Mission as well as headlining their own dates.

In the Autumn of 1995, the band returned to London and Dale Grundle started working on new demos in his home studio. The original bass player, Ger FitzGerald, remained in the US, and was replaced by Craig Carpenter on the band's return. Catchers resurfaced in 1998 with a new single, ''Call Her Name''. By this time, the band had become a five piece with the addition of an extra guitarist, Jonathan Lord.

Later that year, the band released ''Stooping to Fit'', their second album. Recorded at the Cocteau Twins studios in London, ''Stooping to Fit'' displayed some intense and beautiful strings and brass arrangements by Nick Drake's collaborator, Robert Kirby and revealed a darker edge to Grundle's pop sensibility. Comparisons with The Cure were made in recognition of Dale's ability to write an album with great, straight-forward pop songs as well as more moody and searing numbers.

''Stooping To Fit'' was very well received in France and the band was invited to play La Route du Rock festival in Brittany a second time as well as Les Rockomotives festival in Vendôme. In September 1998, Catchers embarked on a 15 date tour around France for what would ultimately be their last headlining tour.

In spite of glowing reviews ("Wonderfully crafted songsmithery’’ (Time Out) ‘’A soft-spoken masterpiece’’ (The Times). "The most emotive pop music around" (Totally Wired), ''Stooping To Fit'' was poorly promoted by their UK label, Setanta Records, and sales were disappointing.

On February 19, 1999, Catchers played their last show at The Garage in Highbury, London.

In 2006, news of Dale Grundle surfaced in an interview for French online fanzine Attica in which he announced that he was working on a new project called The Sleeping Years.

Discography

Albums

''Mute'' 1994

''Stooping To Fit'' 1998

Singles, EP's

''Cotton Dress'' 1994

''Shifting'' 1994

''Shifting EP'' 1994

''Call Her Name'' 1998

''Come Around'' 1998

External links

Official Catchers website

Catchers on Last.fm

Catchers on MySpace

Dale Grundle's new band, The Sleeping Years on MySpace

Category:Dream pop Category:Musical groups established in 1993 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Category:Irish alternative rock groups

name	Johnny Pearson
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	John Valmore Pearson
birth date	June 18, 1925
origin	Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
death date	March 20, 2011
genre	Pop, jazz, easy listening
instrument	Piano
occupation	Arranger, songwriter, orchestra leader
years active	c.1945–1990s
label	ParlophoneOriolePyePenny Farthing Page One KPM
associated acts	Cilla BlackSounds Orchestral
notable instruments	}}

John Valmore Pearson (18 June 1925 – 20 March 2011) known as Johnny Pearson, was a British composer, orchestra leader and pianist. He led the ''Top of the Pops'' orchestra for sixteen years, wrote a catalogue of library music, and had many of his pieces used as the theme music to television series.

Early years

Born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire Johnny Pearson showed talent with the piano at an early age. By nine, he had won a scholarship with the London Academy of Music. Here he spent four years under English pianist, Solomon. In his teens, he would give classical recitals, but his true love at the time was jazz. His first band was the Rhythm Makers. After World War II, he signed up and became one of the founding members of the Malcolm Mitchell Trio, before leaving in 1954. During his time with the trio, he toured England and Europe, playing the West End and theatres.

After leaving the trio, Pearson turned his talents to British radio, as well as performing in the Peter York Concert Orchestra. By 1960, he was conducting the Romance in Rhythm Orchestra. He recorded two singles for Parlophone, "Waterfall" in mid 1959, and "Theme from an L shaped room" in 1962. He was then offered a solo album deal with Oriole Records, which first teamed him up with John Schroeder. The Oriole album, ''Piano Sweet - Piano Wild'', had a single taken from it, "Ooh La La", released in 1962. After the Oriole releases, Johnny Pearson continued to perform with various concert orchestras until 1964.

Working with Cilla Black

In early 1964, Johnny Pearson took part in helping launch the career of Cilla Black, a rising singer who had been spotted by The Beatles producer, George Martin. She had released her first 45 single, "Love of the Loved", in 1963, but it had charted only modestly despite having being written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. A scout for George Martin had spotted the track "Anyone Who Had a Heart" after hearing the US singer Dionne Warwick's version. Originally the song was to have been recorded in the UK by Shirley Bassey, but George Martin saw the piece as being more suitable for Black's voice. Early in 1964, "Anyone Who Had a Heart" was recorded by Cilla Black at London's Abbey Road Studios, in an arrangement by Pearson which featured the use of bassoons. In February 1964, it entered the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 1 in the UK, Ireland and other parts of Europe. The Dionne Warwick version was also in the charts at the time, but Cilla Black's treatment used slightly different lyrics and a different arrangement.

Following the success of "Anyone Who Had a Heart", Pearson was invited to work on the next Cilla Black single, "You're My World", which was released in May 1964. This was also recorded at Abbey Road Studios, and again went to number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. Pearson also worked on other Cilla Black tracks, some of which featured on her album, ''Cilla Sings a Rainbow''.

Sounds Orchestral

Sounds Orchestral was an idea by John Schroeder, who had moved from Oriole Records to become the label manager at Pye Records and was interested in producing and instrumental version of the US hit song "Cast Your Fate to the Wind". This had been suggested to him at the time by Pye staff member, Tony Reeves. As his project moved to fruition, Schroeder looked for a piano player. His efforts came about when he was reminded of Johnny Pearson from a few years earlier, after he heard him on Radio Luxembourg. Initially paid a session fee to record "Cast Your Fate to the Wind", Pearson was subsequently made a full partner in the Sounds Orchestral project. "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" was a number 5 hit in the UK Singles Chart in early 1965. Pearson is also known to have composed under the pseudonym 'Oscar Brandenburg', a name he shared with Neil Richardson and Alan Moorhouse. Sounds Orchestral would end up recording some seventeen albums between 1965 and 1977. Some have subsequently been reissued on CD.

''Top of the Pops''

Pearson first came into contact with the BBC's ''Top of the Pops'', in early 1965. Sounds Orchestral had just charted with "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", which featured on the first ''Top Of The Pops'' show. The following year, in 1966, Pearson took charge of the Top Of The Pops Orchestra. This would be a position he would fill for the next fifteen years, finally leaving the series in late 1981.

The Carpenters

In October 1971, Johnny Pearson helped produce the BBC Television special, ''Carpenters: Live at the BBC'', featuring the American musical duo of Karen and Richard Carpenter. It was broadcast the following month on British TV and elsewhere. In early 1973, Pearson was again contacted by Richard Carpenter to ask permission to use one of his songs, on the then forthcoming Carpenters LP, ''Now & Then''. This track, originally titled "Autumn Reverie", first appeared on the 1968 KPM album, ''Gentle Sounds'', and was retitled "Heather" by producer John Bettis in the Carpenters' version. Richard Carpenter apparently first heard the track as background music for a commercial for the US health food supplement maker, Geritol, and loved it straight away. "Autumn Reverie" would also feature again on the 1974 Johnny Pearson LP, ''Touch Me in the Morning'' and as background music on the British television series, ''All Creatures Great and Small'' (1978–90).

Johnny Pearson and his Orchestra

As leader of the Johnny Pearson Orchestra, he reached number 8 in the UK chart in early 1972 with "Sleepy Shores", the theme from the television series ''Owen, M.D.'' (1971–73). The Johnny Pearson Orchestra, which as a musical project was begun in 1972, ran side by side with his other projects. At the time, these projects included working on albums with John Schroeder for Sounds Orchestral and also providing library music to Britain's KPM Records.

Instead of the slightly jazzy sounding, Sounds Orchestral albums, Pearson was offered a project for easy listening and romance music, based on the success of his "Sleepy Shores" hit. This time he teamed up with music executive Larry Page, who wanted to move his label Penny Farthing into the easy listening genre. The albums were released outside the UK in Europe, Australia, Canada and the US. In 1978, Larry Page decided to rename his Penny Farthing label to Rampage Records, to reflect a more modern outlook. One of the first singles and albums from the Rampage label, would be another of Pearson's international hits, the theme from ''All Creatures Great and Small''.

Library and theme music

In the United Kingdom

Pearson was a successful composer of theme music for television series. Examples of his work included ''3-2-1'', ''The Rat Catchers'', ''All Creatures Great and Small'', ''Captain Pugwash'', ''Monday Night Football'', ''Mary Mungo & Midge'' and ITN's ''News at Ten'' (the last of which was titled "The Awakening", a piece otherwise known to American audiences as the main title theme to the 1964/1972 animated film ''Journey Back to Oz''). He also wrote the Grampian Television start-up music "Sounds On" and the ATV startup theme "Midlands Montage", as well as music used during intervals between schools programmes on ITV.

In the United States

In the United States, Pearson's best known composition is "Heavy Action", originally used as the theme to the BBC sports show ''Superstars'', and subsequently adopted by ABC's ''Monday Night Football'' (the NFL's weekly nationally televised showcase) and the ''SFM Holiday Network''. In 1989, Edd Kalehoff composed and recorded a new arrangement of this music for later seasons of ''Monday Night Football''. His piece "Graveyard" was used in Ren and Stimpy. ''NFL Films'' has used many of his other compositions for its Super Bowl and other highlight films.

In Australia

In Australia, his best known library music piece was "Power Drive," which was used as the theme for the 1969-75 police drama ''Division 4''. This tune was also famous in the U.S. for use in some episodes of the 1967-70 cartoon series ''Spider-Man'', as well as being the theme for Los Angeles station KNXT/KCBS-TV's afternoon movie series ''The Early Show'' for much of the 1970s and into the 1980s. The track "Sleepy Shores" was also used as incidental music in some of the courting scenes from the 1970s ABC TV drama series, ''Certain Women''. Some of Johnny Pearson's library music was also used as background scene music for the Ten Network series, ''Prisoner''.

In the Netherlands

In the 1970s, the Dutch TV series ''Sil de Strandjutter'' featured a title theme written and performed by Johnny Pearson and his orchestra. Pearson's composition "Heather", as performed by the Carpenters, has served as the background music to the "Plaat & zijn Verhaal"-section ("A record and its story") at Radio Veronica, in which a song's lyrics are translated into Dutch and read by the DJ.

The 1980s and later

In late 1981, Johnny Pearson's tenure at BBC's ''Top Of The Pops'' came to an end, as the show had itself undergone a major reorganisation. By that time he had been associated with the programme for sixteen years. He was credited on the milestone 900th Top Of The Pops episode, in July 1981; his last credit with the show, was in late August 1981. After this, Pearson continued to work on independent projects and in 1982, released the instrumental album ''On Golden Pond'' through Larry Page's Page One Records.

In 1984, Pearson assembled another orchestra, the Johnny Pearson Studio Orchestra, and contributed to John Paul Jones' motion picture soundtrack, ''Scream For Help''. Following this, during 1985, he worked on producing music for the BBC TV production drama ''Maelstrom''. Notable on the recordings for Maelstrom is the track "Camellia Waltz", which was treated to sound like an old 78rpm record. Other tracks by Pearson for the series came from his work with KPM. In 1987, together with business partner Adrian Kerridge, Pearson negotiated the purchase of CTS Studios, in Wembley. In 1988, he returned to the KPM record label and the recording of two new library CDs for the radio and television industry. Both were recorded at CTS Studios in Wembley, with Adrian Kerridge.

After the 1980s, Pearson made occasional live appearances as part of a quartet. In 1996, he recorded a CD of library music, for the radio and television industry, titled ''Simply Piano''. This was followed in 2005 by another CD, ''Simply Piano 2''.

Death

Johnny Pearson died at the age of 85, on 20 March 2011.

Discography

Johnny Pearson at one time had at least four different projects going at the same time: Sounds Orchestral, as pianist; Johnny Pearson and his Orchestra; work with KPM Records, with background music for radio and television; and as arranger with ''Top Of The Pops''. Apart from his work with John Schroeder and Sounds Orchestral, at Pye during 1964-1975, his solo work included:

1962 ''Piano Sweet - Piano Wild'' (Oriole PS40023)

1967 ''Portrait Of The 20th Century'' (KPM Records UK)

1970 ''Sounds Extravanganza'' (Aristocrat UK)

1970 ''The Johnny Pearson Sound'', Studio 70 Orchestra (A&M; Records)

1971 ''Heavy Action'' (''Superstars'')

1972 ''Sleepy Shores''

1974 ''Touch Me in the Morning''

1975 ''In Love''

1976 ''Rodrigos Guitar Concerto'' (Australian reissue of ''Sleepy Shores'')

1977 ''If You Leave Me Now''

1978 ''All Creatures Great and Small'' (UK release)

1980 ''Bright Eyes''

1981 ''I Remember that Summer''

1982 ''On Golden Pond'' (PAGE1 Records)

Compilations:

1980 ''Thinking of You'' (Endeavour Records - Castle Australia)

All the above were released on 12" vinyl, and from 1972 to the late 1970s, on the Penny Farthing Label, with Larry Page producing. In Australia, ''Sleepy Shores'' and ''Touch Me in the Morning'' are on Festival Records. In Australia from 1976 to 1980, Johnny Pearson and his Orchestra were on M7 Records. M7 Records was the offshoot of the ATN7 Television network of Australia. In Japan, Pearson was on JVC Victor. Around 1989, multiple releases occurred to coincide with the abandonment of vinyl records and cassettes by the global record industry. Titles to be found included ''Themes and Dreams''.

Compact disc releases

1989 ''Themes and Dreams'' (President Records PRCD171) UK

1989 ''Golden Instrumental Hits'' (Laserlight 15 171) German

1991 ''Sleepy Shores'' (BR Music BR132-2) Europe

1997 ''Best Of Johnny Pearson and Orchestra'' (Music Club MCCD304) UK

1998 ''Breaking Up and Making Up'' (Music Collection Int ETDCD057) UK

1999 ''Music and Romance'' (Disky Communications INS857162) Dutch

2010 ''King of Elegant Piano'' (JVC Victor Japan VICP47025) Double CD

References

External links

Obituary in ''The Guardian''

Category:1925 births Category:2011 deaths Category:Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Category:Easy listening music Category:English television composers Category:English composers Category:English pianists Category:English bandleaders Category:Jamie Records artists Category:People from Chesterfield Category:Top of the Pops

ja:ジョニー・ピアソン

name	Gerald Flood
birth name	Gerald Robert Flood
birth date	21 April 1927
death date	12 April 1989 (aged 61)
birth place	Portsmouth, England, UK
death place	Surrey, England
sagawards	}}

Gerald Flood (21 April 1927 - 12 April 1989) was a British actor of stage and television.

Born in Portsmouth, Hampshire but lived for most of his life in Farnham, Surrey, where he regularly appeared on stage at the Castle Theatre. He first came to national prominence whist starring alongside Patrick Allen and Sam Kydd in the Morocco-based police series, Crane, which ran from 1963 to 1965 on ITV. In this he played the character Colonel Sharif Mahmoud. Flood also appeared in a number of television and film roles over the years. These included the ITC series ''The Champions'' and ''Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)'', ''The Rat Catchers'', the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' as the voice of the robot companion Kamelion in two serials — ''The King's Demons'' and ''Planet of Fire'' as well as a brief scene in the regeneration between Peter Davison's to Colin Baker's Doctor. He portrayed Sir Richard Flashman in the BBC's popular 1971 television serial ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'' and was also in ''Bachelor Father''. His film credits included ''Smokescreen'' (1964), ''Patton'' (1970), and ''Frightmare'' (1974).

Gerald Flood died from a heart attack aged 61. Toby Flood, the English international rugby union player, is Flood's grandson.

External links

Category:1927 births Category:1989 deaths Category:People from Farnham Category:People from Portsmouth Category:English film actors Category:English voice actors Category:English television actors

Richard Hurst is a British writer and director of comedy, theatre and television.

Born in Surrey, he attended Boston Grammar School and Oakham School before studying at St Hugh's College, Oxford, and training as a director at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal National Theatre Studio. He was a founding member of the sketch group The Four Horsemen, whose series ''This Is Pop!'' was broadcast on BBC Choice. His Edinburgh work has included work with Pegabovine and Girl and Dean, ''Moon The Loon'' (a play about Keith Moon), the sell-out children's shows ''Potted Potter'', ''Potted Pirates'', which he co-wrote, and ''Silly Billy Bum Breath''. In 2004 he directed ''Bill Hicks: Slight Return'', which he co-wrote with Chas Early. The play suggests what would happen if Bill Hicks returned to Earth for one final show. The show toured extensively in the UK, including four West End runs, and also appeared in Éire, Belgium and Australia. In 2010 he co-wrote and directed ''Potted Panto'', which opened at the Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, and subsequently transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre, London, where it was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment.

He has also worked extensively with Miranda Hart as a writer, director and script editor. He co-wrote nine episodes of the multi-award-winning ''Miranda'' for BBC2, having script edited the first episode. Other television work includes writing three episodes of Secret Diary Of A Call Girl for Tiger Aspect for ITV2 / Showtime.

He has been involved in the National Student Drama Festival in various capacities, since winning the Sunday Times’ Harold Hobson Student Drama Critic Award in 1994 and the RSC Buzz Goodbody Award in 1995.

External links

Richard Hurst homepage

Category:English theatre directors Category:English comedy writers Category:Alumni of St Hugh's College, Oxford Category:Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Category:Living people Category:People from Surrey Category:People educated at Boston Grammar School