RECORD PRODUCER/Arranger
Mike Batt has produced a lot of hits both for himself as an artist and for others. Sometimes (nearly always) that involves arranging. Artists Mike has produced include The Groundhogs, Steeleye Span (All Around My Hat) Elkie Brooks (“Lilac Wine”) Hawkwind (latest album) , Art Garfunkel (Bright Eyes and several other tracks), David Essex (the hits, A Winters Tale and “Oh What A Circus” among many others – including two albums of covers with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestral) – Barbara Dickson (“Caravan Song”, “Surrender To The Sun” and the album “All For A Song”. Katie Melua (5 albums, selling 11 million copies on his own DRAMATICO label and including many of his own songs “The Closest Thing To Crazy, Nine Million Bicycles”). Violinist Vanessa-Mae (4million selling album “The violin Player” on EMI Classics) Justin Hayward, Huey Lewis, Status Quo, Lemmy, Kim Wilde, Cliff Richard, Roger Daltrey, Marc Almond and many others.
Arranging has always been an important part of his production work, and there are links below, (once again some of these links will appear on other pages of this site). He has made several albums with solo artists and symphony orchestra (notably “Stage Heroes with Colm Wilkinson and the LPO, “Classic blue” with Justin Hayward and the RPO, and “Gary Wilmot, the Album” with the RPO.) Another favourite project of Mike’s is Philharmania – an album of covers performed by famous rock singers with the RPO (examples of which are linked below). His album “The Hunting Of The Snark – a multi-artist project containing star performances in a mix of songs and instrumental work where the songs and compositions are all part of a dramatic construction. (See “Projects” page for a fuller account of the The Hunting Of The Snark, with some links here, below).
SELECTION OF PRODUCTION/ARRANGEMENT TRACKS
“All Around My Hat” Steeleye Span
“Oh What A Circus” David Essex
“A Winter’s Tale” David Essex No 2 (UK) single
“As Long AS The Moon Can Shine” – Art Garfunkel, from “The Hunting Of The Snark” album
“The Power Of Love” Huey Lewis – from “Philharmania” album
“Little Does She Know” – Hit single for The Kursaal Fliers
“Nights In White Satin” Justin Hayward, from “Philharmania” album
“Summertime City” Mike Batt (single) #4, UK singles chart 1976
“Love Makes You Crazy” Mike Batt (single 1982) – from Zero Zero album
“Lady Of The Dawn” Mike Batt (single hit from “Tarot Suite” album
“Imbecile” Mike Batt feat: Roger Chapman from “Tarot Suite”
“Railway Hotel” from “Schizophonia” album
“Voices In The Dark” Mike Batt – from “Schizophonia” album
“The Eve Of Destruction” Lemmy – from Philharmania” album
Man of La Mancha/The Impossible Dream” Colm Wilkinson from “Stage Heroes” album
“Pity The Child” Colm Wilkinson from “Stage Heroes” album
“The Closest Thing To Crazy” Katie Melua – hit single from from “Call Off The Search” album
“Nine Million Bicycles” hit single from “Piece By Piece” album
“Secret Symphony” Katie Melua- from “Secret Symphony”
“On The Road Again” Katie Melua from “Piece By Piece” album.
“We’re Off To See The Wizard”- Gary Wilmot from “Showstoppers” album
“Stand Up an’ Fight” Gary Wilmot from “Showstoppers” album
“Into The Sunset” Bonnie Tyler/Mike Batt duet from “Dreamstone” album
“I Put A Spell On You” Bonnie Tyler from, “Philharmania” album
I Feel Like Buddy Holly” Alvin Stardust. (#7 UK single hit, 1983)
“Please Don’t Fall In Love” Cliff Richard (top 5 single 1983)
“Your Mother Should Know Mike Batt 1969 single