Louis Clark
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Louis Clark (27 February 1947 – 13 February 2021) was an English music arranger and keyboard player. He trained at
Leeds College of Music Leeds Conservatoire (formerly known as The Leeds Music Centre, the City of Leeds College of Music, and Leeds College of Music) is a higher education music conservatoire based in the Quarry Hill district of Leeds, England. It was founded in 19 ...
. He is best known for his work with
Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangement ...
and '' Hooked on Classics''. Clark started out as a bass guitarist for
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
band The Buccaneers, who later became Monopoly and eventually The
Raymond Froggatt Raymond William Froggatt (13 November 1941 – 23 July 2023) was an English songwriter and singer.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Country Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 159-160 Biography Froggatt (otherwise known as "Froggy") was ...
Band.


Electric Light Orchestra

Clark was the conductor and arranger of the orchestra and choir hired to back
Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangement ...
's sound, introduced on their album '' Eldorado'' in 1974. He assisted
Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is the co-founder and, latterly, sole member of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) which was formed in 1970. He has written all of ...
and Richard Tandy in writing the string arrangements for the studio albums ''Eldorado'', '' Face the Music'', '' A New World Record'', '' Out of the Blue'', ''
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'' and '' Xanadu''. He later played synthesizers for ELO during their ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' tour. In 1983 he returned to arranging and conducting the strings on the '' Secret Messages'' album, and in 1986 he played keyboards again with the band on their small number of live dates. Clark was likewise an affiliate of the ELO spinoff band
ELO Part II The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) Part II was a British-American rock band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kami ...
for much of its lifespan, contributing string arrangements to both of the group's studio albums during the 1990s and participating in its live performances as a keyboardist and orchestral conductor. Upon Part II's rebranding as The Orchestra in 2000, Clark (now a full-time member) remained with the group, his involvement continuing until his death in 2021.


Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

In 1977, Clark arranged the music of
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
for their Albert Hall concert with the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, England. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable recording contracts and important engagemen ...
(RPO) and two songs on Annie Haslam's debut solo album '' Annie in Wonderland''. In the early 1980s, he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on a series of records under the title '' Hooked on Classics''. In 1985, he again worked with Renaissance singer Annie Haslam and the band's lyricist Betty Thatcher with the RPO to produce the album ''Still Life''. In 1982, he released the album ''The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays the Queen Collection'', recorded by the Solid Rock Foundation. In 1983, he released the album ''The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Beatles Collection'', recorded by the Solid Rock Foundation, at the 20th Concerto Anniversary of The Beatles, having as guest artists Joan Collins, Elena Duran, Honor Hefferman and Roy Wood.


English Pops Orchestra

In 2011 Louis Clark was made president of the English Pops Orchestra, and returned to performing Hooked on Classics 'LIVE' with the EPO using many of the players that recorded the original albums.


Library music for television, commercials and radio

From the late 70's and through the 80's Clark composed library music for the production company Bruton Music. Some of the music was, and sometimes still is, used for television, TV commercials (Cadbury's Flake, Nescafe) and radio (jingles for
LBC LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadc ...
). In 1980 he arranged the strings for the songs in the film '' The Apple'', a musical that was critically derided as one of the worst films ever made but has since gained cult status.


Death

Louis Clark died on 13 February 2021 in Elyria, Ohio, fourteen days short from his 74th birthday. His death at the age of 73 was announced by his wife, Gloria, on his
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page. No cause of death was revealed, but he had been ill for months and had suffered from kidney issues. In her post announcing his death, his wife Gloria wrote, "He passed very peacefully surrounded by love. This morning he watched
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
soccer and listened to
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
, two things he loved. This afternoon I told him I loved him, he said I love you too, and we kissed. He was gone five minutes later. We love this man forever and always. He was a good man, loved by many and will be greatly missed by all. We want to thank family, friends and fans who have always loved and supported him."


Other associated acts

Besides ELO, Louis Clark worked as an arranger for many other rock and pop artists: With
Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...
* ''
Mystery Girl ''Mystery Girl'' is the twenty-second album by American singer Roy Orbison. It was his last album recorded during his lifetime, completed in November 1988, a month before his death at age 52. Released posthumously by Virgin Records on January 3 ...
'' (Virgin Records, 1989) With
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
* '' Diary of a Madman'' (Jet Records, 1981) * '' Bark at the Moon'' (Epic Records & Columbia Records, 1983) With
Roy Wood Roy Wood (born 8 November 1946) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the Move, Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. Wood formed the Move in 1965, and ...
* '' Starting Up'' (Legacy Records, 1987) With Kelly Groucutt * '' Kelly'' (RCA Records, 1982) With
America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
* '' Your Move'' (Capitol Records, 1983) With
Kiki Dee Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English pop singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records. Dee is best known f ...
* ''How Much Fun'' (co-arranged with Richard Tandy) With Carl Wayne * ''Deeper than Love'' (Jet Records, 1982) * ''Midnight Blue'' (Jet Records, 1982) With Juan Martin * ''Serenade, Love Theme From The Thorn Birds'' (WEA Records, 1984) With
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* '' Astra'' (Geffen Records, 1985) With Mike Berry * ''I'm a Rocker'' (Scramble Records, 1977) With Simone * ''Flattery'' (Spiral Records, 1977) With Annie Haslam * '' Annie in Wonderland'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1977) With
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
* ''A Song for All Seasons'' (1978) * ''Live at the Royal Albert Hall'' (King Biscuit Flower Hour Records, 1997) With City Boy * ''Book Early'' (Vertigo Records, 1978) * ''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'' (Vertigo Records, 1979) Among others are
UB40 UB40 are an English reggae band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy ...
, Jon Spencer, Iris Williams and more recently
Air Supply Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975, consisting of Englishman Graham Russell (vocals, guitar) and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). With record sales of 100 million worldwide, they had a suc ...
.


Discography

Sourced from Louis Clark's official website – all albums performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra unless otherwise stated. *''(per-spek-tiv) n.'' (Jet 218, 1979) *'' Hooked on Classics'' (K-Tel One 1146, 1981) *'' The Queen Collection'' (EMI TV33, 1982 and MFP 41 5673 1, 1982) *'' Hooked on Classics 2: Can't Stop the Classics'' (K-Tel One 1173, 1983), later releases were subtitled "Can't Stop the Classics" *''Hooked on Classics 3: Journey Through the Classics'' (K-Tel One 1226, 1983), later releases were subtitled "Journey Through the Classics" *''The Beatles 20th Anniversary Concert'' (Spartan SRFC1001, 1983) *''Best of Hooked on Classics'' (K-Tel One 2266, 1984) *''Great Hits from Hooked on Classics'' (Pickwick SHM3158, 1985) *''
Still Life A still life (: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or artificiality, human-m ...
'' (Spartan LCTV1, 1985) featuring vocals by Annie Haslam and lyrics by Betty Thatcher *''Favourite Classics'' (Spartan SLCLP2, 1986) *''Hooked on Classics Collection'' (K-Tel 5107, 1986) *''The Very Best of Hooked on Classics'' (Pickwick PWKS 4017, 1986) **Later release: (K-Tel EMC2006, 1992) *''Abbaphonic'' (Disky AC202, 1987 and Disky DLP2007, 1987) **Later released as ''Classic Abba'' (Icon ICONCD002, 1992), ''The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Abba'' (Disky DCD 5246, 1992; Emporio EMPRCD585, 1995; Disky INS 855362, 1999), ''The Music of ABBA'' (Hallmark 301372, 1995) *''Beatlephonic'' (Disky DLP2015, 1987) **Later released as ''The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays The Beatles'' (Disky DCD5255, 1992; Disky INS 855372, 1999) *''Hooked on Rhythm & Classics'' (Telstar 2344, 1988) **Later re-released with an extra track as ''The Classics in Rhythm'' (Arista ARCD-8588, 1989), and as ''Hooked on Rhythm and Classics'' (Pickwick PWKS 4223, 1994) *''Hooked on Classics: The Ultimate Performance'' (K-Tel OCE2432, 1989) *''Legends'' (Union LP1, 1989) *''Seriously Orchestral Hits of Philadelphia Phil Collins'' (EDL 2555-1, 1990; Virgin RPOMC1, 1991; EDL 2555-2, 1993) *''Hooked on Hooked on Classics'' (Music Club MCTC003, 1991) *''Hooked on Classics X-tra Collection Vol 1'' (ELAP 4718, 1991) *''Hooked on Classics X-tra Collection Vol 2'' (ELAP 4719, 1991) *''The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Queen'' (Disky DCD 5256, 1992) *''The Two Sides of Louis Clark: Rock Legends and Favourite Classics'' (Westmore Music CDWM108, 1993) * ''Instrumental Classics'' (K-Tel ECD 3025, 1994) ** Also released as ''Hooked on Instrumental Classics'' (K-Tel 6133-2, 1994), albeit in a different track order and with an extra track. *''The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Pop Legends'' (Disky DCD 5381, 1994) *''More Hooked on Classics'' (Music Club MCCD 369, 1998) Compilations: *''Open Space: The Classic Chillout Album'' (Columbia 504690-2, 2001) *''The New Classic Chillout Album: From Dusk Til Dawn'' (Sony STVCD148, 2002)


References


External links


"Louis Clark"
Eaton Music (archived June 2008) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Louis 1947 births 2021 deaths 21st-century English conductors (music) Alumni of Leeds College of Music English male conductors (music) Electric Light Orchestra members ELO Part II members English composers English male composers People from Kempston The Orchestra (band) members Arista Records artists Bruton Music artists Jet Records artists