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Geoff Stephens

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Geoff Stephens
Birth nameGeoffrey Stephens
Born(1934-10-01)1 October 1934[1]
New Southgate, North London, England
Died24 December 2020(2020-12-24) (aged 86)[2]
Bedfordshire, England[3]
GenresPop music
Occupation(s)Songwriter, record producer
Years active1960s-2020
Websitehttp://geoffstephens.co.uk/

Geoffrey Stephens (1 October 1934 – 24 December 2020) was an English songwriter and record producer, most prolific in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and 1970s. He wrote a long series of hit records, often in conjunction with other British songwriters including Tony Macaulay, John Carter, Roger Greenaway, Peter Callander, Barry Mason, Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley, Don Black, Mitch Murray, and Les Reed.[1]

He also formed The New Vaudeville Band, and their song "Winchester Cathedral" won Stephens the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording.[4]

Early life

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Stephens was born in New Southgate, North London in 1934. At the end of the Second World War, the family moved to Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex to open a guesthouse. There on its easterly location Stephens was able to listen to jazz and American pop on the American Forces Network broadcast from Germany and Radio Luxembourg, which together with listening to classical music at home, instilled a love of music in him. However, growing up he had no formal music training and therefore he could not read musical notations; later when starting on his songwriting career, he employed other people to transcribe the music that he sang to them. He was inspired to become a writer by a high school teacher. After serving in the Middle East for two years in the national service, he moved to London, setting himself a goal of becoming a songwriter within three years.[5]

Career

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Stephens began his career in amateur theatricals, when he wrote songs and sketches for musical revues presented by his own company, the Four Arts Society, while working as a school teacher, air traffic controller and silk screen printer.[1] This led to BBC Radio accepting some of his satirical sketches for their Monday Night at Home programme.

In 1961, after receiving numerous rejections for the songs he wrote, he had his first song accepted by the music publisher Mills Music. The song, "Problem Girl", was taken up by Mike Leander and recorded by The Chariots.[5] Stephens worked briefly for the music publisher, subsequently in 1964 he had his first hit "Tell Me When", co-written with Les Reed, a Top 10 hit for The Applejacks.[1][6] Stephens had another successful song in 1964, "The Crying Game", which was a Top 5 hit for Dave Berry.[7][8] The song later became the title song of the film of the same name and a hit for Boy George.[9]

In late 1964, he and Peter Eden came across Donovan in Southend, Essex, and offered to manage him. They produced Donovan's first hit single and debut album, What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid.[1] In 1966 he formed The New Vaudeville Band, writing and recording songs in a 1920s musical style.[1] Their debut single "Winchester Cathedral" was a No. 1 hit in the List of Billboard number-one singles and No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart,[10] and covered by others including Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, and The Firehouse Five Plus Two. It was followed by further hits for the band, "Peek A Boo", "Finchley Central" and "Green Street Green".[1][10]

With John Carter, Stephens wrote "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James" for Manfred Mann[11] and, with Les Reed, "There's a Kind of Hush" for The New Vaudeville Band. A year later, a cover version of "There's a Kind of Hush" was a hit for Herman's Hermits and also later a hit for The Carpenters, who also named an album a A Kind of Hush.[12] Over the next few years he wrote, or co-wrote, hits for The Hollies ("Sorry Suzanne"),[13] Ken Dodd ("Tears Won't Wash Away These Heartaches"),[14] Cliff Richard ("Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha"),[15] Tom Jones ("Daughter of Darkness"),[16] Mary Hopkin ("Knock, Knock Who's There?"[17] - the 1970 UK entry in the Eurovision Song Contest), Scott Walker ("Lights of Cincinnati"),[18] and Dana ("It's Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas").[19]

In 1972, his joint composition with Peter Callander of "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast", was recorded by Wayne Newton.[20] It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in July 1972.[21] It was also recorded by Tony Christie. Other hits that followed included "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" by The New Seekers, which won the Ivor Novello Award in 1974,[1][22] The Drifters' "Like Sister And Brother",[23] Hot Chocolate's "I'll Put You Together Again",[24] Sue and Sunny and Carol Douglas's "Doctor's Orders",[25][26] Crystal Gayle's "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye",[27] and, most successfully of all, the UK 1977 number one hit for David Soul, "Silver Lady".[28]

In 1983, Stephens and Don Black composed the songs for the West End musical Dear Anyone, followed a year later by The Magic Castle with Les Reed. He has also been awarded the Gold Badge of Merit by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 1995, and the Jimmy Kennedy Ivor Novello Award for Services to British Songwriting in 2000.[1] This was followed by the 'revuesical' album Off the Wall.[29]

More recently he wrote "To All My Loved Ones", featured as a centrepiece of the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.[1]

In 2005, Stephens worked with Peter Callander and David Cosgrove on the musical production of Bonnie & Clyde. Stephens also worked with Don Black on a planned stage revival of Dear Anyone.[30]

Personal life

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Stephens was married to Pam, and they had three children, son Paul, and daughters Jenny and Ruth.[31]

He died on 24 December 2020, at the age of 86, from pneumonia and COVID-19.[32][31][33]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Geoff Stephens". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Geoff Stephens Passed Away". ElvisNews.com.
  3. ^ Leo Barraclough (3 January 2021). "'Winchester Cathedral,' 'A Kind of Hush,' 'Crying Game' Songwriter Geoff Stephens Dies". Variety. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Winchester Cathedral by New Vaudeville Band Songfacts". Songfacts.com. 3 December 1966. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  5. ^ a b Thompson, Gordon (2008). Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out. Oxford University Press. pp. 173–175. ISBN 9780195333183.
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 271. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. ^ Thompson, Gordon Thompson, Gordon (2008). Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out. Oxford University Press. pp. 175–177. ISBN 9780195333183.
  8. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 55. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  9. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 74. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  10. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 392. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  11. ^ "World of Mann: The Very Best of Manfred Mann & Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Manfred Mann : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. 6 June 2006. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  12. ^ Viglione, Joe. "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World) - Herman's Hermits : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  13. ^ "Sorry Suzanne - The Hollies : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Ken Dodd - Tears Won't Wash Away These Heartaches (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. July 1969. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  15. ^ "Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha - Cliff Richard : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  16. ^ Promis, Jose F. (17 August 1993). "The Complete Tom Jones - Tom Jones : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  17. ^ "Mary Hopkin - Knock, Knock Who's There ? (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. 2 November 1970. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  18. ^ "Scott Walker - Lights of Cincinnati (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. June 1969. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  19. ^ "Dana - It's Gonna Be A Cold Cold Christmas (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. December 1975. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  20. ^ "Wayne Newton : Greatest Hits". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  21. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 317. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  22. ^ "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me - The New Seekers : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  23. ^ "Drifters, The - Like Sister And Brother (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. 2 November 1973. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  24. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Every 1's a Winner: The Very Best of Hot Chocolate - Hot Chocolate : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  25. ^ "Sunny - Doctor's Orders (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. 2 November 1974. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  26. ^ "Carol Douglas - Doctor's Orders (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. 2 November 1974. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  27. ^ "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye - Crystal Gayle : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  28. ^ "David Soul - Silver Lady (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. 2 November 1977. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  29. ^ "renewed his partnership with Geoff Stephens for a concept album of a 'revuesical' entitled Off The Wall"
  30. ^ "Biography - Geoff Stephens - Songwriter". Geoff Stephens. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  31. ^ a b "Geoff Stephens, chart-topping pop songwriter, dies aged 86". The Guardian. London. 4 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Grammy Award Winning Songwriter Geoff Stephens Dies from Covid-19". noise11.com. 5 January 2021.
  33. ^ Barraclough, Leo (4 January 2021). "'Winchester Cathedral,' 'A Kind of Hush,' 'Crying Game' Songwriter Geoff Stephens Dies". Variety.com. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
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