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Roger Stewart Nichols (September 17, 1940 – May 17, 2025) was an American composer and songwriter. He was a multi-instrumentalist who played violin, guitar, bass guitar and piano.


Background

Roger Stewart Nichols was born in
Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five ...
, on September 17, 1940, but grew up in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
, where his family had moved shortly after his birth. Both of his parents were musicians, and he inherited their interest in music from an early age, playing the violin as a child and later starting a band. After graduating from
Santa Monica High School Santa Monica High School, officially abbreviated to Samohi or SMHS, is a public high school in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1891, it changed location several times in its early years before settling into its present campus at 601 Pico Bo ...
, he enrolled at the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
, where he played basketball under head coach
John Wooden John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Westwood", he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, nati ...
. However, he dropped out of college after two years to pursue music.


Career

Nichols co-wrote many songs with lyricists
Paul Williams Paul Williams may refer to: Authors * Paul Williams (Crawdaddy) (1948–2013), American music and science fiction journalist; founder of ''Crawdaddy'' and the Philip K. Dick Society * Paul Williams (Irish journalist) (born 1964), Irish journalis ...
,
Tony Asher Anthony D. Asher (born May 2, 1939) is an American songwriter and advertising copywriter who is best known for his collaborations with Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys) and Roger Nichols (songwriter), Roger Nichols in the 1960s. Asher co-wrote eig ...
, and Bill Lane. Asher and Nichols co-wrote several songs on Nichols' debut album ''Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends'' (
A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
, 1968) which was produced by Tommy LiPuma, engineered by
Bruce Botnick Bruce Botnick (born 1945) is an American audio engineer and record producer. He is best known for co-producing '' L.A. Woman'', the sixth studio album by the Doors, after producer Paul A. Rothchild quit during production of the album. Botnick i ...
, and featured session contributions from
Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, arranger, record producer, singer, and former Warner Bros. Records executive whose work encompasses orchestral pop, elaborate recording experiments, Ame ...
,
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, composer, conductor and orchestrator. He is known for his non-rhotic Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early America ...
and
Lenny Waronker Lenny Waronker (born October 3, 1941) is an American record producer and music industry executive. As the president of Warner Bros. Records, and later, as the co-founder and co-chair of DreamWorks Records, Waronker was noted for his commitment ...
. Although the album was not a big seller, A&M co-owner
Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, conductor, painter, sculptor and theatre producer, who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (sometimes called "Herb Alpe ...
recommended that Nichols be hired by A&M publishing as a staff songwriter, and it was during this period that he was introduced to Paul Williams. Nichols' collaborations with Paul Williams include "
We've Only Just Begun "We've Only Just Begun" is a single by the Carpenters, written by Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics). It was ranked at No. 414 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." It also became Carpenter ...
" (performed by
The Carpenters The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining ...
), which was originally written for a Crocker Bank commercial. They were commissioned to write a jingle after a bank executive heard Nichols' album, and it was composed in a matter of hours on the last day before the deadline. The commercial (sung by Williams) was heard on TV by Richard Carpenter, who believed it had hit potential. According to the documentary '' Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters'', Williams reported that his label-mate Richard called him up and asked if there was a complete song. Williams replied, "We had an additional verse and a bridge, but if we didn't I'd have lied through my teeth. This was a chance to get a Carpenters record which was a big deal in those days. Richard and Karen gave our songs a life." Richard's group, The Carpenters, subsequently recorded a version which became a major hit in late 1970. It was nominated for a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Song of the Year, was included on BMI's million performances list and received an award for selling a million copies of
sheet music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. Like its analogs – printed Book, books or Pamphlet, pamphlets ...
. The song was also covered by
Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...
among many others. " Times of Your Life", written with Lane and performed by
Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter and actor. His songs include " Diana", “ You Are My Destiny", “Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wr ...
, reached number one on the
Adult Contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stati ...
in January 1976. Another Nichols-Williams song, " Out in the Country" by
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sn ...
(later covered by
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
), reached the Top Ten. Six months later, "
Rainy Days and Mondays "Rainy Days and Mondays" is a song by the The Carpenters, Carpenters from their Carpenters (album), self-titled third album, with instrumental backing by the The Wrecking Crew (music), Wrecking Crew. It was written by Paul Williams (songwriter), P ...
" was another
gold record Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
by The Carpenters and Nichols' third
gold record Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
in a single year. Other hits were The Carpenters' " I Won't Last a Day Without You",
Art Garfunkel Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, actor and poet who is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, Garfunkel became acquainte ...
's "Travelin' Boy" (covered by Rumer), and "I Never Had It So Good" (covered by
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
). He also scored the theme song from ''
Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset ...
'' with a lyric by Lane. Nichols released a Japan-only CD in 1995 called ''Roger Nichols and a Circle of Friends – Be Gentle With My Heart'', featuring vocalist Sheila O'Connell-Roussell, on which he recorded some of his best-known tunes, including "We've Only Just Begun", "I Won't Last a Day Without You", and "Rainy Days and Mondays" (which featured Williams on guest vocals). He also released an album in 2007 with the original Small Circle of Friends, ''Full Circle'', which brought together the group to cover many of Nichols hits for other bands, including "Out in the Country" and "Let Me Be the One" as well as other tunes penned by Nichols. 2008 saw an upgraded release of ''Full Circle'', issued by Steve Stanley's Now Sounds label. This version also contained five previously-unreleased, 1960s-era demo recordings.


Personal life and death

In addition to his extensive musical career, Nichols also was a successful jeweler. His brother,
Ted Nichols Theodore Nicholas Sflotsos (born October 2, 1928), known professionally as Ted Nichols, is an American composer, conductor, arranger, educator, and minister of music. He is best known for his work at Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1963 to 1972, ...
, was also a noted composer who served as musical director for the
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
cartoon studio. Nichols lived in
Bend, Oregon Bend is a city in central Oregon and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is located to the east of the Cascade Range, on the Deschutes River. The site became known by pioneers as a ford (cros ...
, with his wife, the former Therese Vorndran. He died from pneumonia at his home on May 17, 2025, at the age of 84.米作曲家ロジャー・ニコルスさん死去、84歳 90年代「渋谷系」アーティストにも影響
He was survived by his wife and three daughters.


Discography


Studio albums

* ''Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends'' (1968) * ''Roger Nichols and A Circle of Friends – Be Gentle With My Heart'' (1995) * ''Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends – Full Circle'' (2007) * ''Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends – My Heart is Home'' (2012)


Special Editions

* ''Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends – Full Circle'' (2008) – Now Sounds (UK) edition with five original demo extra tracks.


Compilations

* ''Treasury'' (2016) * ''Treasury Extra Tracks'' (2018) * ''Roger Nichols Works ~ Special 7inch Box'' (2018)


Singles


Songbook


References


External links

* *

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Roger 1940 births 2025 deaths 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American composers 21st-century American male musicians A&M Records artists American male composers American male songwriters American multi-instrumentalists Musicians from Santa Monica, California Musicians from Oakland, California Songwriters from California Santa Monica High School alumni UCLA Bruins men's basketball players Deaths from pneumonia in Oregon Songwriters from Montana People from Bend, Oregon