I have been working as a writer signed to EMI Music Publishing from around the early nineties into the noughties before switching tack and touring predominately with Bjorn Again. I continue working with the band to the present, albeit with a brief hiatus in 2006.
During the course of my career with EMI I was fortunate enough to collaborate on a wide variety of recording and album projects with amongst others;
Desmond Child (producer / writer; Ricki Martin, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith,Cher,Meatloaf),Mark Owen (Take That), Cathy Dennis, Billy Myers, Peter Cox and Richard Drummie (Go West), Pete Smith (producer; The Police, Sting, Chris De Burgh), Dave Bascombe (producer; Tears For Fears,Danny Wilson), John Hudson (producer; Tina Turner, Aha), Henry Priestman (The Christians), Karen Ramirez, Paul Heard (M People), Catherine Zeta Jones, Lorraine Macintosh (Deacon Blue), Pete Wingfield (producer; The Proclaimers), Hugh Jones (producer; Echo And The Bunnymen), Jimmy Miller (producer ; Rolling Stones, Primal Scream).
I started off in the eighties playing guitar in a number of Indie bands signed to small labels in the Edinburgh area before joining Glasgow band Horse and recording their debut album ‘ The Same Sky’ for EMI in '87. We toured extensively including support to BB King and Tina Turner, achieving modest chart success both with the album and singles, as well as establishing a strong cult following.
I then joined Liverpool band The River City People for a number of years in the early nineties. In this period we had chart success with two albums including one top ten and several top forty singles. Subsequently I rejoined Horse to sign to Oxygen/ MCA and record a second album ‘God’s Home Movie’. This album was also released in America and we spent a lot of time in the States touring and promoting its release.
Again the album met with moderate critical and commercial success.
My involvement with Horse led directly to signing a publishing deal with EMI. The company where very proactive and helped me develop a wrirting career by regularly featuring me in their annual writers weeks (an concept borrowd from Miles Copeland). The format involved assembling successful writers from all over the world and having them work in small groups, writing and completing a song a day which then had to be performed to an audience comprising our fellow writers and the A&R staff in the evening. As an immediate consequence a song written by myself, Mark Tchanz and Richard Drummie of Go West became a major hit in Europe. I also formed a successful collaboration with writer and artist Billie Myers which resulted in me contributing two tracks to her first album as well as playing guitar for the recording sessions in Miami alongside drummer Kenny Aronoff and bass player Hugh McDonald of Bon Jovi. The album went on to sell several million copies worldwide as well as producing a top five single on both sides of the Atlantic. The tracks I contributed were featured in the American TV series ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘Melrose Place'.
I joined Bjorn Again in 2000 and since then have been undertaking frequent headline theatre and arena tours as well as supporting acts like Cher, Shania Twain and Green Day, in the UK, Europe and throughout the World. The band also make regular media and TV appearances.
I have been enjoying my career as a musician and writer and have also been undertaking a research based MA with Middlesex University.
Thanks for reading my myspace page and take care.
George x
