- Roger Cook (songwriter)
Roger Frederick Cook (born
19 August 1940 , inFishponds, Bristol ,England ) is a well-knownsongwriter who has written many hits for otherrecording artist s. He has also had a successful recording career in his own right.Career
Early days
Most of the hits he has written have been in
collaboration withRoger Greenaway , whom he originally met while they were members of a closeharmony group,The Kestrels . They had a brief but successful recording career between 1965 and 1967 as David and Jonathan, scoring hits with acover version ofThe Beatles ' "Michelle", and their own "Lovers Of The World Unite". They also penned their first hit as songwriters for others in 1965, with "You've Got Your Troubles", a number 2 UK success, and U.S. #7 forThe Fortunes .As a performer Cook is best remembered as a member of
Blue Mink , sharing lead vocals withMadeline Bell . That group was formed in 1969, primarily as a recording outfit, featuring a wealth of topsession musician s includingHerbie Flowers (bassist ), Alan Parker (guitarist ), and Roger Coulam (keyboardist ), who were simultaneously members of thejazz / rock /big band fusion outfitCCS , another mainly recording act.Over the next four years Blue Mink had several Top 20 entries, mostly co-written by Cook, the most successful being "Melting Pot" and "Banner Man", before they disbanded in 1974.
Cook also sang backing vocals on some of the earliest recordings by
Elton John , and continued to recordalbum s as a solo artist, including "Study" (1970), credited to Roger James Cooke, "Meanwhile..." (1972), "Minstrel in Flight" (1973), and "Alright" (1976).The major hits
Amongst hits he has written with others, including Greenaway and writers such as
Albert Hammond , Mike Hazlewood, andTony Macaulay , are "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing " (The New Seekers ), "Good Times, Better Times" (Cliff Richard ), "Softly Whispering I Love You" (The Congregation ), "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart" (Gene Pitney ), "Home Lovin' Man" (Andy Williams ), "Blame It On The Pony Express" (Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon ), "Something Old, Something New" (The Fantastics ), "Something Tells Me Something's Gonna Happen Tonight" (Cilla Black ), "I've Got You On My Mind", "When You Are a King", and "My Baby Loves Lovin'" (White Plains), "Gasoline Alley Bred" and "Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress" (The Hollies ); "Freedom Come, Freedom Go" (The Fortunes ), "Doctor's Orders" (Sunny ), "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" (Whistling Jack Smith ), and "Like Sister Like Brother" (The Drifters ).Move to U.S.
In 1975 he moved to the
U.S. and settled inNashville, Tennessee , where he became a successfulcountry music songwriter, with more hits including "Talking In Your Sleep" (Crystal Gayle ), and "Love Is on a Roll" (Don Williams ). In 1977 he produced "The Nashville Album", a country record byChip Hawkes , who had recently leftThe Tremeloes (but would rejoin the group a few years thereafter). He also opened a publishing company with accomplished songwriterRalph murphy named Pic-A-Lic.In 1992 he joined former Stranglers member
Hugh Cornwell and guitarist Andy West to release an album, "CCW", under the name Cook, Cornwell and West. Later he turned to writing for the stage, and has worked on two musicals, "Beautiful and Damned ", based on the lives ofJazz Age author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, in collaboration withLes Reed ; and "Don't You Rock Me Daddio", set in 1957 at the height of theskiffle age, with Joe Brown.In 1997 Cook became the first (and so far only) British songwriter ever to enter the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame .Cook's daughter, Katie, is a host/presenter for cable network CMT.
External links
* [http://www.rogercook.com/default.asp Who is Roger Cook?] Official website
*
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