Although Tony Hatch had success in various segments of the entertainment industry from the ’60s onwards, he’ll be best remembered for his work as a producer and songwriter for several British pop and rock stars in the ’60s. As a staff producer at Pye Records, he worked with the Searchers, Petula Clark, his wife, Jackie Trent and on several mid-’60s singles by David Bowie long before that singer had become famous. Tony Hatch’s productions boasted a clean and well-arranged sound that, particularly on his collaborations with Petula Clark displayed some traces of mainstream pop and Broadway.

Tony started notching up successes as a songwriter in the early ’60s, including Garry Mills’ “Look for a Star.” His most significant role in straight British rock music was as producer during the Searchers’ 1963-66 commercial prime, a span which saw them ring up all of their big hits. The Searchers’ records boasted well-balanced vocal harmonies and melodic guitars, sometimes played on 12-string models, that at their most progressive anticipated the jangle that would become a prime feature of folk-rock. Tony wrote their second British hit single, “Sugar and Spice,” under the pseudonym Fred Nightingale.

Tony left his biggest imprint, however, on the big international hits by Petula Clark in the mid ’60s. These had enough mod swing to sell to a rock audience, but also enough showbizzy horns and theatrical-type piano to bring in older listeners. The arrangements had a grand sweep that recalled stage musicals. In addition to producing, Tony was vital to Petula as a songwriter, supplying, either as sole author or co-writer (sometimes with Clark herself), much of her best material: “Downtown,” “My Love,” “I Know a Place,” “Call Me,” and “A Sign of the Times,” to name just the most celebrated examples, are all his compositions.

Tony deserves a good deal of credit for putting Petula Clark in the international spotlight to begin with. In 1964, Petula was on the verge of giving up on maintaining her stardom in England, in favor of focusing her efforts on France (where she was very big, and often recorded in the French language). Petula came to France to play her some songs to consider recording for the English speaking market. Tony wasn’t able to come up with anything she liked until, out of desperation, he played a composition influenced by American soul, although he didn’t think Clarkwas a suitable artist for it. This was, of course, “Downtown; ” Clark loved it, recorded it, and her career revived in England, the single also becoming her first American hit reaching No 2 on the Billboard charts at the time.

Tony had a fair amount of success with a singer-songwriter who somewhat recalled Petula Clark, but who was even more in the mainstream pop realm. Jackie Trent and Tony began writing together, getting a #1 British hit with “Where Are You Now (My Love)” in 1965. The Hatch-Trent songwriting team couldn’t come up with other big British hits for Jackie but did pen some hits for Petula Clark such as “Colour My World” and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway.”

Moody balladeer Scott Walker had a British hit with Hatch-Trent’s “Joanna.”  Tony also recorded some duets with Jackie and made some instrumental recordings under his own name, which gathered some belated hipness when they were included on some CD compilations geared toward the lounge revival crowd.

Tony had a small part in David Bowie’s early career, producing three singles in 1966. This was a time at which the young Bowie still in his teens, was still groping for a style, and mixing Tony’s orchestral predilections with whatever Bowie was coming up with was a bit of a mismatch. Tony’s stamp is particularly audible from the best track from Bowie’s brief stay with Pye Records, “Can’t Help Thinking About Me,” which has a piano sound straight out of Petula Clark’s “Downtown.”

In the ’70s, Tony had massive success as a producer of British hits by singers, including David Parton and Sweet Sensation. Tony and Jackie wrote a couple of musicals that had London runs, and eventually moved to Australia. Here Tony movied into writing television music, including work for the British soap opera “Crossroads” and the theme song to “Neighbours” that would go on to be an iconic staple for the ever hungry UK audience for all things Australia, Kylie and Jason.

In 2003 Tony worked with the Blue Pie Records team and supported the work of The OUTpsiDER with his top 10 remix of Downtown. You can see the video clip below and download or stream the tracks from Spotify or iTunes. The song would go on to be the theme song and sound track for the 2003 to 2004 ” I love New York Campaign” that was put together by Damien Reilly and The Wolf Group in New York. The commercials feature Kathleen Turner and The OUTpsiDER’s incredible transformative and power pop remix of Downtown.

For all the latest news on Tony Hatch you can visit his website at www.tonyhatch.net.