John ALTMAN – composer, arranger, songwriter

johnaltman150As well as being one of the UK’s top film score composers and jazz musician/bigband leader/jazz arranger, John Altman has arranged many hit standards including Bjork’s It’s So Quiet, Rod Stewart’s Downtown Train, Kissing A Fool by George Michael, Van Morrison’s Moondance (John played sax in his band and was his md for 7 years!), That Ole Devil Called Love by Alison Moyet, and the Python’s cult single, Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.

He’s also worked with Diana Ross, Goldie, Simple Minds, Go West and Maria Muldaur. He produced I Shall Be Released by Sting and Eric Clapton and Aled Jones’ first hit Walking In The Air. His signature sound is big bands – think of his scores for Little Voice and the new Richard Gere/Jennifer Lopez musical Shall We Dance – so he’s the ideal choice for artists wanting to do standards. He also produces his own jazz albums and is developing a new jazz label with Bronze Records.

Download complete showreel as .zip file

JOHN ALTMAN arranger/orchestrator credits
As arranger

Bjork -It’s Oh So Quite – Nellee Hooper
Rod Stewart -Downtown Train -Trevor Horn
George Michael -Kissing A Fool – George Michael
Chrissie Hynde – songs for film GI Jane – Trevor Horn
Tina Turner/Barry White – Wildest Dreams – Trevor Horn
Goldie – Mother album – Goldie
Tom Jones – album tracks – Trevor Jones
Van Morrison – Moondance – Van Morrison
Monty Python – Always Look On The Bright Side of Life – George Harrison
Prefab Sprout – Hey Manhattan – Paddy McAlison & Andy Richards
Hot Chocolate – all live concert tracks – Mickie Most
Tindersticks – album tracks – Tindersticks
Dr John – Iko Iko – Mo Foster & Peter Van Hooke
Alison Moyet – That Ole Devil Called Love – Pete Wingfield
Diana Ross – Let It Snow- Nick Martinelli
Patricia Kaas – I Wish You Love -Robin Miller
Maria Muldaur -Talk To Me -Peter Van Hooke
Simple Minds -Street Fighting Year album – Trevor Horn & Steve Lipson
Ragga album tracks – Jakob Magnusson
Go West ‘Aint – Gonna Cry Again- Pete Vitessi
The Sandpipers – Hang On Sloopy – Henry Hadaway
The Rutles – everything recorded – Neil Innes

As arranger/producer

Sting & Eric Clapton -I Shall Be Released single -J ohn Altman
Aled Jones -Walking In The Air single – John Altman
Dammed Eloise -single -John Altman
Weather Girls -Respect single -John Altman
Jane Horrocks- Get Happy from ‘Little Voice’- John Altman
Mel Torme- Singing In The Rain – John Altman
The John Altman Orch. -Shaking The Blues Away album – John Altman
John Altman Quartet – You Started Something album – John Altman

plus all John’s many film scores including Shall We Dance, RKO 281 (EMMY Award Winner), Little Voice, The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone (EMMY Nomination), Hear My Song (BAFTA Winner), Funny Bones, Breaking Through, Hope Springs, Camilla etc

To view a programme about John’s career in music click here