Richard Niles

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Richard Niles

---

Img_capt =
Img_size = 150
Landscape =
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born = bda|1951|5|28
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Died =
Origin = London, UK
Instrument = guitar
Voice_type =
Genre = Jazz, pop, classic
Occupation = Composer, arranger, producer, guitarist, broadcaster, journalist
Years_active = 1975–present
Label =
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.richardniles.com/ www.richardniles.com]
Notable_instruments =

Richard Niles is an American composer, arranger, producer, guitarist, broadcaster and journalist. He is living in London since 1975. He was called "one of the most versatile men in modern music" by Sound On Sound magazine because of his extensive work across many genres.

Biography

Yearly years

Niles was born May 28, 1951 in Hollywood. His father was Tony Romano, a composer, singer and guitarist who worked with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Ray Heindorf, Joe Venuti and Cole Porter. Richard’s stepfather Jesse Lasky Jr. was a poet and playwright who wrote more than 60 Hollywood films (inc. The Ten Commandments). Richard’s mother, Pat Silver-Lasky writes films, books, plays, and lectures in screenwriting. Richard came to London as a child in 1962 and absorbed British 60s culture. Having survived his teens, it took two years of touring Britain with his band Pure Wings in 1969-1971.

In 1975 Niles received a Degree in Composition from Boston’s Berklee College of Music where he studied with jazz greats Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Michael Gibbs and Herb Pomeroy.

Professional career

Returning to London in 1975, he signed to Essex Music as a writer. Expecting to become an overnight success as a songwriter and jazz composer, Richard accidentally became an overworked success as staff arranger/producer of songwriter demos for Essex and EMI Music. This indirectly led to becoming Musical Director and Arranger for Cat Stevens. On British television series for David Essex and Leo Sayer he arranged and conducted for many guest artists including Ronnie Spector, Twiggy, Kate Bush and Denny Laine. In 1978 as staff arranger for Hansa Records he discovered Sarah Brightman (then with dance troupe Hot Gossip) and arranged both his and her first hit "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper".

Since then he has composed, arranged and produced music for some of the world’s most creative and successful artists. Niles has arranged for great female stars Pet Clark, Cilla Black, Kim Wilde, Lulu, Randy Crawford, Anita Baker, Deniece Williams, Gloria Gaynor, Heather Small and Samantha Mumba. He arranged the legendary Grace Jones album "Slave to the Rhythm" and a swinging big band version of "Better The Devil You Know" for Kylie Minogue’s 2001 tour.

His arrangements helped define the sound of the 80s for groups like Pet Shop Boys, Swing Out Sister, Living In A Box, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, and Was Not Was. His pen has also gone to work with many male stars including Cliff Richard, James Brown, Barry Manilow, Ray Charles, Stephen Gately, Ronan Keating, and contributed to hits for many boy bands including Wet Wet Wet, ABC, Damage, O Town, OTT, Take That, Boyzone, and many number one hits by Westlife including their duet "Against All Odds" with Mariah Carey.

Richard has also immersed himself in advertising industry, composing music for many TV commercials including McDonalds, Max Factor, Toshiba, Wall's, Nescafé and Branston's.

Niles have released 2 CDs as guitarist/composer, "Santa Rita" (Sanctuary) and "Club Deranged" (Nucool). They feature many players including Nelson Rangell, Hamish Stuart, Danny Gottlieb, Kid Creole, Nigel Hitchcock and Chris Hunter.

As a journalist, Richard has been a regular contributor to Making Music since 1994. His radio career began presenting Jazz Notes and Adventures in Jazz on BBC Radio 3 in 1996. Since 1998 he wrote and presented his own highly acclaimed BBC Radio 2 programme New Jazz Standards, which The Guardian says has "changed the tenor of jazz broadcasting."

Personal life

Niles married Aylin Marquez in 1999 and they have one child, son Alexander, born in 2002.

Bibliography

Articles in Making Music Magazine:

*Alto Image - Nigel Hitchcock (May 1994)
*James Brown - Interview (July 1994)
*Let's Come To An Arrangement (July 1994)
*So You Want To Be A Star? (October 1994)
*So You Want To Be A Session Musician? (January 1995)
*The Production Line (April 1995)
*Drum Hum - Danny Gottlieb (May 1995)
*Tape Monitor - Engineering (July 1995)
*Bebop to Hip-Hop - Branford Marsalis (September 1995)
*What is a Musician Anyway? (June 1996)
*Air - Wayne Shorter Interview (October 1997)
*Don't Get Mad... (May 1999)
*Are You Getting Ripped Off? (August 1999)

Articles about Niles:
*Richard Niles - The Producer by Chas De Whalley, Musician & Recording World (October 1987)
*England's Jazz Crusader by Mark Small, Berklee Today (Spring 2000)
*Richard Niles - The Professional Touch by Mike Senior, Sound On Sound (June 2000)

External links

* [http://www.richardniles.com/ Official website]
*
* [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=1613 Richard Niles at AllAboutJazz.com]
* [http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/niles-richard-romano Richard Niles at Jazz.com]