What Are You Listening To?

[Jerome]

MIKE BATT - Caravans (1979)



Jerome recommended this album and I can see why! Mike Batt is a magnificent artist! He was born in Southampton, England and it seems that he garnered huge popularity in South Africa as well as the UK. He is an accomplished composer, producer, arranger, songwriter, vocalist and musician in his own rite. Mike has been involved in 60 albums or so over the past 45 years!

This album which is the Musical Score for the movie Caravans is a joy to listen to. It features Batt's diversity with classical music, traditional folk stylings, Iranian music, avant garde jazz, progressive rock and pop rock. He is accompanied by the infamous London Philharmonic Orchestra. I love this album! An artist to be explored extensively.

Biography from All Music

MIKE BATT

British singer/songwriter, producer, and composer Mike
Batt is a journeyman artist with a long track record of
successful productions that cross from film and
television to musical theater and pop music. Born in 1949
in Southampton, Hampshire, England, Batt was signed to
Liberty/United Artists Records at age 18 and left after
two years to form his own publishing company. Beginning
in 1974, Batt began writing and recording music for the
children's television show and bubblegum pop group the
Wombles, and ultimately scored eight hit singles with the
group. He then went on to write successfully for a bevy
of artists including Steeleye Span, Linda Lewis, Elkie
Brooks, Barbara Dickinson, the Kursaal Flyers, and Art
Garfunkel, with whom he won his second Ivor Novello Award
for 1979's "Bright Eyes" from the animated film Watership
Down.
Batt continued as a solo artist in the '70s, releasing
several albums including 1977's Schizophonia and the 1979
concept album Tarot Suite. However, it was as a writer
that he found his niche, and in 1983 he scored several
Top Ten hits for Cliff Richard, David Essex, and Alvin
Stardust. A year later, Batt made his debut as a
conductor at the Barbican with the London Symphony
Orchestra. Also in 1984, Batt embarked on the first of
his musical theater-inspired endeavors with the album
Snark (also referred to as The Hunting of the Snark). An
all-star cast recording based on the nonsensical poetry
of Lewis Carroll, the album featured John Hurt, Sir John
Gielgud, Roger Daltrey, Julian Lennon, Stéphane Grappelli
and others. Snark would be a continuing project for Batt
as he would return to the material with a live stage
version in 1991.
During the '90s, Batt continued his work in both the
classical and pop worlds by collaborating with several
high-profile artists and ensembles including the London
Philharmonic Orchestra, Finbar Wright, Vanessa-Mae, XTC,
and others. In 1994, he released the solo album
Arabesque. The following year, he received a royal
commission to compose the music for the inauguration of
the Channel Tunnel. Also during this time, he composed
the music for Stephane Grappelli, George Harrison, and
others.
During the '90s, Batt continued his work in both the
classical and pop worlds by collaborating with several
high-profile artists and ensembles including the London
Philharmonic Orchestra, Finbar Wright, Vanessa-Mae, XTC,
and others. In 1994, he released the solo album
Arabesque. The following year, he received a royal
commission to compose the music for the inauguration of
the Channel Tunnel. Also during this time, he composed
the music for the film A Merry War and even re-launched
the Wombles. Batt continued to hone his niche as a man
behind the scenes, developing and guiding the careers of
several acts including the classical-crossover groups
Bond and the Planets, whose 2002 album Classical Graffiti
spent three months at number one on the classical charts.
Batt also helped guide and launch the career of vocalist
Katie Melua, whom he discovered in 2003 while she was
attending the BRIT School for the Performing Arts &
Technology. Beginning with 2003's Call Off the Search,
Batt wrote, co-wrote, and produced three of Melua's
albums, and although he was not the main producer, he did
contribute to Melua's 2010 effort, The House.

Caravans album - Soundtrack for motion picture Caravans

SOUND SAMPLES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpHzzrFWL28 - Theme of Caravans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCWZX6vhRWk - Caravans on the Move

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4qalhBmzkA - Caravan Song

Try 'Schizophonia' as well. Some outstanding pieces - 'The Ride to Agidir' for one!