History

Early years
I was always musical, I didn’t really start – it was always there. Both my Grandmothers loved music and my maternal Granny, Granny Wakefield gave me the family piano when I was 6. I remember it arriving on the back of Grandad’s truck. I began piano lesson’s with Miss Smith who adored me and terrified me and I learned more about Grantham gossip than Gounod. Some of those experiences are in The Musical Medium.

Granny Wakefield gave me the family piano when I was 6

Stu’s Puppet Show

Me on the right

A childhood obsession with marionettes was an early learning desire to stage musical theatre shows. From writing scripts, making the scenery and props to creating soundtracks for shows, I spent many hours on Stu’s Puppet Show. Every Christmas and party was pretty much sorted as far as entertainment was concerned in the Wood family home.

I owned about 30 Pelham Puppets at one stage and only really hung them up when my hormones kicked in and I wanted to be in a band.

Teens

I began to play keyboards in local bands in Grantham. My older brother was always a step ahead and I followed and since there was very little for young people to do we had to make our own amusement. I formed a band,  The Six,  in 1983 with sisters Bridget and Diana Chapple. Ruben Bellamy played drums and guitarist George Clinton joined even though he lived in Sleaford.

We played so many gigs, one of our posters advertised – “The Six Tour Grantham!”

We bought a van and a PA system. I was 17. We won Central Television Popwatch Band for the 80′s in June 1984. See clip.

In 1985 the The Six were down to three! I answered an advertisement in the back of Melody Maker for an ‘Accordionist for the Eurovision Song Contest’ and took the train and my old squeeze box to London to audition! We came 3rd in the U.K. heats.

I answered an advertisment in the back of Melody Maker for an Accordionist for the Eurovision Song Contest

The experience was invaluable, not only because I got to play live on TV twice at the BBC and meet Ronnie Hazelhurst and record a single written by Valerie Avon and produced by Bobby Gee, but because it was a one way ticket to starting a life in London.

E.M.I Records

Marion Sparks and I at EMI

Now living in London I scoured the press for music business jobs. Soon I was working in the basement of E.M.I. Records in Manchester Square, an invaluable experience in learning about the music industry and making life-long friendships. Here I met Marion Sparks, Peter Evans, Lisa Horan and Tris Penna all of whom would contribute to the British Music industry in their own unique way. We worked on the promotion of many hit records met many superstars and witnessed the birth of house music from a privileged viewpoint.

We witnessed the birth of house music

Thunderpussy

Still writing songs I began to work with Alexia Masardo a jazz singer and we became Thunderpussy. Armed with a demo tape we flounced round the A&R departments of several major record labels and in 1989 Tim Bulleyment signed us to M.C.A Records. The themes of international adventures seen through a rather easy listening retro vibe were either too late or too early despite working with producer Mark Maguire (S’Express).

Our first single “International Adventure” was a pulled after 3 days coz of a dispute with the name. We never really recovered. But the video remains!

This is where my working relationship with artist Catherine Phelps started, 20 years later we would be putting on Frank’s Closet – but more of that later!

Goldsmiths Degree in Music

I thought a C13 was a London bus route

A publishing deal with Polygram led nowhere and I was encouraged to study music at Goldsmiths college. Despite a hopeless audition where I thought a C13 was a London bus route I got a place. I studied piano with John Tilbury and composition with Edward Gregson only to be kicked out of composition in my third year and told to study music technology – computers were a new thing! This was great protection when I look back. I wrote my dissertations on Verdi, British Musical Theatre and the Swedishness of the music of Abba. I graduated in 1995 and formed a writing partnership with Marina Venturini a fellow graduate.

I wrote my dissertation on the Swedishness of the music of Abba

Jeff Wayne Music

We signed to commercial agents Jeff Wayne Music the leading agency for music for commercials founded in 1968 by War of The Worlds composer, Jeff Wayne. With the guidance of Mandy Hughes and Alison Wallace we produced the sound tracks for many television commercials including Virgin Atlantic and I lost count of Pedigree Chum ads we worked on! A suite of music for the Talk Zone at the O2 Millennium Dome crowned our achievments at the end of the century.

I lost count of Pedigree Chum ads we worked on!

My partnership with Marina came to a natural end at the close of the millennium. The Shell Wave commercial perhaps is a highlight from this period. Recorded at the CTS studio in Wembley with me conducting huge orchestra and choir was thrilling stuff – shame about the company.

Working from a project studio in Brixton I continued with Jeff Wayne Music as a solo composer (I am still in the roster of composers) and began to develop my work in composing musical theatre.

500 copies of a sampler CD were pressed but it remains unfinished and I still have boxes of them!

My starting point was to write and produce a CD Musical – Melody – about the nations favourite weather girl, based on my adoration of Sian Lloyd, who narrated the piece. 500 copies of a sampler CD were pressed but it remains unfinished and I still have boxes of them! Sian remains a friend and one day it will be done.

Masters degree in Musical Theatre

The ad work allowed me to experiment with many different styles and briefs and budgets and deadlines, plus having to keep up with the technology. However, by 2003 still, in search of my own musical identity, I returned to my alma mater Goldsmiths College who were beginning the first course in Musical Theatre at MA level in September 2003. The thrill of being back in the classroom in a Monday morning academic lecture on Oklahoma! felt like a real privilage.

The thrill of being back in the classroom in a Monday morning academic lecture on Oklahoma! felt like a real privilage.

My college show, The Musical Medium, was show-cased at The Kings Head theatre in London in November 2004. I invited the artistic director of The Landor Theatre in Clapham and he loved it and staged it at his theatre in June 2005.

My freelance work through Jeff Wayne Music continued and I was commissioned to compose the music for a 90 minute Shoalin Monk Kung Fu Show which toured the UK and played 3 London Seasons. It was even featured on Blue Peter, I didn’t get a badge though!

I worked on 7 shows for P&O cruise ships including an original ariel show Planet. The most valuable outcome from this work was meeting choreographer Kirsty Davide with whom I would work with on numerous projects.