Bill Martin

Professional

Composer/Lyricist:	Both
Genre:	Songwriter
Email:	bill.puppetmartin@virgin.net

Biography

I was born WILLIAM WYLIE MACPHERSON in Govan Glasgow Scotland. In the heady days of the sixties I thought WYLIE MACPHERSON was too Scottish for a songwriter so I changed my name to BILL MARTIN. I regret it now but the name brought me luck. Lots of people changed their names in those days LIONEL BART, CLIFF RICHARD, ELTON JOHN, etc.

As BILL MARTIN - The Songwriter I have been awarded 3 IVOR NOVELLOS, including one as a SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR, 3 ASCAP awards, THE ANTIBES SONG FESTIVAL AWARD FOR THE BEST SONG in 1971, THE RIO DE JANEIRO AWARD OF EXCELLENCE in 1967 & 1969, THE JAPANESE YAMAHA BEST SONG AWARD in 1978, SCOTLANDS SONGWRITER OF THE DECADE IN 1980, THE VARIETY CLUB SILVER HEART in 1979 for Music Charity, the first British winner of THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST with PUPPET ON A STRING in 1967 and recipient of many SILVER, GOLD & PLATINUM DISCS.

I had my first song released on record, words and music by BILL MARTIN in 1963 by TOMMY QUICKLY called KISS ME KNOW. Tommy was managed by the BEATLES manager BRIAN EPSTEIN. I think QUICKLY was EPSTEINS only failure!

I moved on in 1964 to a writing partnership with TOMMY SCOTT. As SCOTT & MARTIN we had success with THE BACHELORS, TWINKLE, THE DUBLINERS, VAN MORRISON, SERGE GAINSBOURG etc.

In 1965 I met PHIL COULTER then the MARTIN-COULTER era was born. We had records with KEN DODD, GENO WASHINGTON, LOS BRAVOS, DAVE DEE, DOZY, etc, THE TROGGS, MIRIELLE MATHIEU, GEORGE HARRISON, DICK EMERY, TONY BLACKBURN, CLIFF RICHARD, SANDIE SHAW, ELVIS PRESLEY and many more.

From 1967-76 we had 4 No. 1 PUPPET ON A STRING, CONGRATULATIONS, BACK HOME and FOREVER & EVER. Lots of Top 10 hits like the BAY CITY ROLLERS SHANG-A-LANG, KENNY FANCY PANTS, SLIK REQUIEM, CILLA BLACK SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SORROW etc.

We went to No. 1 in 1976 in America with SATURDAY NIGHT by THE BAY CITY ROLLERS which gave us a hat-trick of American No 1s, albeit THANKS by BILL ANDERSON and MY BOY by ELVIS PRESLEY were country No. 1s.

MY BOY by ELVIS was his last Top 20 hit whilst he was still alive No 3 UK, No 15 USA. PHIL and I also l wrote for films THE WATER BABIES, CARRY ON and TV themes.

BILL MARTIN & PHIL COULTER truly had an international partnership. In 10 years they had No 1s in every country in the world with million selling records as Songwriters, Record Producers and Music Publishers.

Apart from being writers/producers of our own songs, we started our own publishing company in 1970 by winning the EUROVISION SONG CONTEST again with ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING by DANA, yet another No 1 in the UK and all over Europe.

This led to MARTIN-COULTER MUSIC signing songwriters such as VAN MORRISON,BILLY CONNOLLY, CHRISTIE MOORE, DONAL LUNY, ERIC BOGLE, SKY, MIDGE URE, B.A. ROBERTSON, THE EAST MEMPHIS CATALOGUE and of course BILL MARTIN & PHIL COULTER along with many future talents such as PHIL HARDING & IAN CURNOW.

I have successfully built up and sold a Major Music Publishing Company, a Marketing Company and a Property Company.

I bought Phil out of MARTIN-COULTER MUSIC in 1982 and then sold the Company to EMI MUSIC in Eighties ------ I also owned SKY and sold that Company to the group SKY and their Management. ----- I had the Ad/Min rights for VAN MORRISON and EAST MEMPHIS MUSIC and sold the former to CHAPPELLS MUSIC and the latter to RONDOR MUSIC.

I had also during this period built and sold a marketing Company WADE-VERNEY to FKB plc. During the 60s and 70s I had also built a Property Company and sold this to the actor Stanley Baker's Company Orchard Properties.

In 1983 I produced a musical JUKEBOX. The musical ran in the West End for six months. It also received the acclaim of being chosen for THE ROYAL VARIETY SHOW that year.

I served on the BRITISH ACADEMY OF SONGWRITERS in the 60s and in the 90s becoming a Vice-President and was also a Director of the PERFORMING RIGHTS SOCIETY from 1977-- 1989 and a founder member of the SOCIETY OF DISTINGUISHED SONGWRITERS (SODS) in 1972.

I still continue my career as a SONGWRITER -- MUSIC PUBLISHER and PRODUCER with ANGUS PUBLICATIONS and my current favourite song in my catalogue is the old FRANKIE MILLER hit DARLIN.

I am a Freeman of the City of London, a Freeman of the City of Glasgow, a member of the Worshipful Company of Distillers, a member of the MCC and a Past Golf Captain of the RAC Country Club.

At the start of the new Century year 2000 I became involved with the Major Publisher SONY/ATV Music. Not only do they sub-publish my catalogue of songs in ANGUS PUBLICATIONS for the world but I acquire Music Publishing Catalogues for them.

In 2004 I am involved as a Music Publishing partner and Record Adviser with Colin Frewin who built the TV Company SUNSET AND VINE Plc. We are currently involved with DAN DARE Pilot of The Future an animation series now being shown in 76 countries with a Hollywood film to follow.

Our latest project is a children animated TV show for MTV called SMARTALECS.

BILL MARTIN Tel: 0044 (0)20 7730 3799 Fax: 0044 (0)207 730 3368 Mobile: 0044 (0)7850 845280 E-mail: bill.puppetmartin@virgin.net

Important Works		Performances
Puppet On A String Congratulations My Boy Surround Yourself With Sorrow Back Home The Bump Shang-A-Lang Forever and Ever Saturday Night Fancy Pants Remeber (SHA-LA-LA)		None added