Arthur Greenslade

Arthur Greenslade (4 May 1923  – 27 November 2003) was a British conductor and arranger for films and television, as well as for a number of performers. He was most musically active in the 1960s and 1970s.[1]

Greenslade was born in Northfleet, Kent. In the 1950s, he was pianist and arranger with the Oscar Rabin Band.[1] He arranged for Jack Jones, Chris Farlowe, Serge Gainsbourg, Genesis, Cat Stevens, Diana Ross, Dusty Springfield, The Bachelors and Kinderjazz.[1] For Shirley Bassey, he arranged "Goldfinger" and "Send In the Clowns". He has conducted orchestras in the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall, and was Bassey's musical director.[1][2] He was Arranger and Conductor on the Shirley Bassey albums "And I Love You So"[3] "Never Never Never"[4] "Good, Bad but Beautiful"[4] "Love, Life and Feelings"[5] and "You Take My Heart Away"[6] . He is also said to have played the piano on The Kinks' first hit, "You Really Got Me".

With Andrew Oldham he wrote "Headlines", the B-side of "Ride on Baby" (IM 038), by Chris Farlowe, which was released in 1966.[7]

Greenslade also conducted some easy listening recordings. He conducted the orchestra for Rod McKuen's first television special, which aired on NBC in May 1969.[1][8] He also arranged Ireland's 1973 Eurovision Song Contest entry, "Do I Dream", sung by Maxi. He arranged the 1969 hit single "Je T'Aime ... Moi Non Plus" by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin.[9]

Greenslade died in 2003 at the age of 80, in Sydney, Australia.[1]