Barbara Moore (composer)
Barbara Moore (7 March 1932 – 26 August 2021) was an English composer, arranger, and vocalist for film, television, and commercials. She was a member of the musical trios, The Ladybirds and The Breakaways, and a backing vocalist for Dusty Springfield. She coordinated the vocals on the New Seekers' single "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing", and was the voice behind the 1960s TV adventure series The Saint.
Barbara Moore | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 7, 1932 Bradford, West Yorkshire |
| Origin | London |
| Died | 26 August 2021 Hotham Park House, Bognor Regis |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1959–2001 |
She also rearranged "At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal", an instrumental composition that served as the theme tune for Alan Freeman's Pick of the Pops.[1]
Early life and education
Moore was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, on March 7, 1932. She was the only child of the musician parents, Arthur Birkby and Clare Birkby, who separated later. She was raised in London and attended the St Paul's Girls' School to study jazz piano.[2]
Career
1950s
The parental divorce impeded Moore's ambitions to attend Oxford University. Rather, she traveled to India, at the age of 19, and began performing as a pianist at the Taj Mahal Hotel. However, she couldn't acclimatize herself to the conditions there and returned to England, where she joined the Dudley Moore's trio in the late 1950s.[2][3]
1960s
Moore was hired to sing the vocal opening to a new ITV adventure series The Saint, in the early 1960s. In the mid-1960s, she joined the vocal trio The Ladybirds and provided vocal backup for artists, including Jimi Hendrix, on Top Of The Pops. She performed in the radio show Evergreen in 1964 and episodes of the TV series Not Only... But Also (1965), starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
Moore's solo album, A Little Moore Barbara, was released in 1966. In the meantime, she was also featured on Dusty Springfield's TV show. In 1967, she reunited with Moore and collaborated on his comic film Bedazzled. It was the first of many film assignments in her career. In 1968, she was asked by EMI to manage sessions for a vocalist Deena Webster and create an album in six days, which was her first significant excursion into arranging. She performed well and was applauded by the senior musicians at the recording session.[4][2][3]
1970s
In 1970, Moore went on to arrange the backing chorus for Elton John's Border Song. She also founded her own band Barbara Moore Singers, performing alongside Glen Campbell (1970), Bobbie Gentry (1970-71), and Mike Yarwood (1972) on BBC television programmes, as well as on the soundtrack of the film The Ruling Class (1971).
The BBC, in April 1970, asked her to update Brian Fahey's "At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal" for Alan Freema's Pick of the Pops show.[1] She also arranged the vocals for "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", a Coca-Cola commercial song from 1971 that became a hit for the New Seekers in a modified version. After she had composed the theme for Terry Wogan's BBC Radio show, she gained a job at de Wolfe, the library music company. She vocalized on recordings, including The Roger Webb Sound's Vocal Patterns and Moonshade albums, and scored music for commercials all around the Europe.
In 1972, Moore released her album, Vocal Shades and Tones. One of its tracks, Steam Heat, was later included in an episode of TV drama The Sweeney (1975) for a strip club scene.[2][4][3]
1980s
Her last album, Bright & Shining, was released in 1981 by the Sylvester Music Company.[5]
Personal life
Moore married the arranger Pete Moore in 1954. She had met him in Dubai while on a concert pianist job. The couple had a daughter, but they split up shortly after. Moore raised her daughter, Lindsey, as a single parent. Lindsey died in 2006, leaving Moore with a granddaughter, Clare.[4][6][2]
After her divorce, she was in a relationship with the jazz trombonist Chris Pyne.[2]
Death
Moore, after a prolonged illness, died on August 26, 2021, at the age of 89. She spent her last days in Hotham Park House, Bognor Regis.[2][6]
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| A Little Moore Barbara |
|
| Vocal Shades And Tones |
|
| Bright & Shining |
|
| Sing Sweet ♡ Barbara Collection 1966-1990 |
|
| The World Of Barbara Moore - Collection 1966-1981 |
|
References
- BBC Radio, Pick of the Pops
- "Barbara Moore, singer and composer behind the Pick of the Pops theme tune and a host of memorable moments on television – obituary". The Telegraph. 27 September 2021.
- "An appreciation of the late Barbara Moore". We Are Cult. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- Angliss, Sarah (September 16, 2021). "Jimi, Elton, Dusty … the overlooked musical magic of Barbara Moore". The Guardian.
- "Barbara Moore". Record Collector Magazine. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- Gormley, Connor (16 September 2021). "Tributes paid to influential composer who lived in Hotham Park house". Sussex Express.