William Campbell ( b1947), (musician & composer)

William Campbell (born 31 May 1947, Glasgow, Scotland), professionally known as Junior Campbell he was the founder member, lead guitarist, piano player, and singer with the Scottish band, The Marmalade. They were formerly known as Dean Ford and The Gaylords from 1961 to 1966. Campbell is also known for co-composing the music and lyrics for the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and TUGS, from inception in 1984 until 2003.

He grew up in Springboig, in the East End of the city, and was educated at Thorntree Primary Greenfield, Glasgow and Eastbank Academy in Shettleston

Career

As a youngster in Glasgow, Campbell had a unique style of guitar playing, whereby he played left handed, with the strings upside down, right hand strung - tuned to "open E". He joined Pat Fairley to form Dean Ford and The Gaylords, on his fourteenth birthday in May 1961, (later to become The Marmalade in 1966), acting as lead guitarist, piano player, and singer.

With The Marmalade, he co-wrote and produced Reflections of My Life, "Rainbow" and "I See the Rain" amongst others, in a line of chart hits from 1967 to 1971 but tired of touring, Campbell left Marmalade in March 1971.

During the 1970s he had two solo records released, both of which, "Hallelujah Freedom" (#9 - 1972), and "Sweet Illusion" (#15 - 1973) made Top 20 chart appearances in the UK Singles Chart.

He studied orchestration and composition with Eric Guilder and Max Saunders at the Royal College of Music and became an arranger/producer for many artists including Barbara Dickson. Campbell arranged and produced her first hit single and album, Answer Me. Campbell also arranged and conducted Dickson's performances in her first season run on the BBC Television's The Two Ronnies in 1977.

Campbell has composed music for television drama and film, including the 1989 war film "That Summer of White Roses" (starring Tom Conti and Rod Steiger, Susan George and Alun Armstrong, and the 1994 BAFTA winner Taking Over the Asylum, which starred Ken Stott, David Tennant and Elizabeth Spriggs.

He also composed the music for the 1998 BBC adaptation of the Minette Walters murder mystery, The Scold's Bridle starring Miranda Richardson, Bob Peck, Sian Phillips, Douglas Hodge, Trudie Styler, and Beth Winslet.

He lives in Sussex with his wife Susie, and has three children and three grandchildren.

External links

*imdb|id=0132612|name=Junior Campbell
*amg|id=11:5wjqoaeabijp|label=Junior Campbell