Geoff Love

Geoff Love (4 September 1917 – 8 July 1991) was a British easy listening, and disco orchestra leader. He was born in Todmorden in the West Riding of Yorkshire.[1] His father was a mixed race American-born guitarist and dancer, and his mother an actress. As a child, Love began to learn to play the violin but then switched to the trombone. He played with Jan Ralfini's band and then embarked on a solo career before military service during World War II in the King's Royal Rifle Corps. After the war he played with Harry Gold. He recorded at least two albums with Shirley Bassey in 1959 and 1960. Love also recorded under the name 'Manuel & The Music of The Mountains', in which guise he released several works on EMI's Studio 2 Stereo record label including a single entitled "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez (Theme from 2nd Movement)", an interpretation of the "Concierto de Aranjuez". This reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1976.[2] He recorded many albums for MFP, often featuring film or television themes such as: Big War Movie Themes (1971), Big Movie Western Themes (1971), Great TV Western Movie Themes (1970) or other instrumental and disco music. Big Bond Movie Themes (1975) featuring a selection of instrumental versions of music and songs from the James Bond film series from Dr. No up to The Man with the Golden Gun (including Burt Bacharach's Casino Royale from the 1967 spoof Bond film) has since become one of Love's most sought after MFP albums. One of these MFP sets was called Glad with Love – which featured the pianist Mrs Mills and Geoff Love on a sing-along together – with studio audience participation. Love also worked as accompaniment director and arranger on many hit singles by 1950s and 1960s British recording artists including Peter and Gordon (including their 1964 UK chart-topper "A World Without Love"), Ken Dodd, Russ Conway, Des O'Connor and Frankie Vaughan, plus American artists such as Johnny Mathis and Connie Francis.[citation needed] Love also was a prolific composer, writing the theme music for the ITV sitcom, Bless This House. In the 1970s, Love appeared with the singer Max Bygraves in the Thames Television music show (for ITV) SingalongaMax.[1] Also, in the early 1970s, under the name 'Mandingo', Love worked with session musicians to produce a lively approximation of African rhythms, according to a plan by record label executives intended to capitalise on a surge of interest in African music. Love, who died in London at the age of 73, was married to Joy and had two sons, Adrian and Nigel. His son Adrian Love was a successful DJ on BBC Radio and commercial radio.