Art Phillips (composer)
Encyclopedia
Art Phillips is a composer of film, television, and popular music. Phillips has been working in film and television for over 30 years.
, where he was a session guitarist, composer, and orchestrator working and recording for popular artists Barry Manilow
, Minnie Riperton, Demis Roussos
, The Carpenters
, Smokey Robinson
, Dory Previn
, Burl Ives
, The Lettermen
. He did work on television series and feature films before moving to Sydney
, Australia
in 1987. He was musical director, conductor, and orchestrator on live concert tours for Demis Roussos, Dory Previn, and John Rowles
, and toured as guitarist for Barry Manilow for over three years. He produced recordings for Demis Roussos, Barry Manilow, Sally Kellerman
, and John Rowles, achieving a Gold Record Award for his production work on the album Another Chapter for John Rowles.
Phillips's earlier composition credits include background music for The Love Boat
. He wrote the R & B single "Here We Go" for Minnie Riperton and co-wrote the Motown Records
release "Now That I Have You" for artist Teena Marie
.
He holds a Master of Music Studies from Griffith University
—Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
(series 1–5), Catalyst, The Lost Treasure of Fiji (Pirate Islands
), Dead Tired (two-part series), Made In China
, The Secret Lives Of Sleepwalkers, Outback House
, the telemovie Reprisal, Neighbours
, The Flying Vet, Guiding Light
, Secrets, The Fatal Bond, Signal One—Bullet Down Under, and Sher Mountain Mystery.
Phillips has a long list of credits with writing and producing original music for production music companies out of the U.S and U.K. Over the past 12 years he has released 51 CD albums in various styles. His music is used in television shows, including America's Most Wanted
, NYPD Blue
, The Oprah Winfrey Show
, Survivor
, 60 Minutes
, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
, Access Hollywood
, Bonehead Detectives, American Idol
, The Ricki Lake Show, Good Morning America
, Amazing Medical Stories, Cold Case Files
, The Dog Whisperer, A True Hollywood Story, Harry's Practice
, The Great Outdoors, Extra—The Entertainment Magazine Show, and The USA Today Show.
In 2004 U.S. recording artists Kenny Lattimore
and Chanté Moore
recorded his song "Here We Go" on their platinum album Things That Lovers Do
.
s for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition in a Drama Series for the U.S. television drama Santa Barbara
. In 1995, Phillips was awarded the APRA Award
by the Australian Guild of Screen Composers for Best Soundtrack Album for his score to the ABC television series The Flying Vet. In 2005 he was nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack Album for Outback House and was nominated in the APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards for Best Music in a Television Series or Serial for Outback House the series. He received nominations for Best Original Music in a Children's Television Series for The Lost Treasure Of Fiji in 2007 and 2008 at the APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards. In 2006 Phillips's composition "Floating", from U.S. recording artist Megan Rochell
, achieved Billboard's Top 40 R & B chart position.
Phillips served as vice president of the Australian Guild of Screen Composers from 1992 until 2000 and as president from 2001–2008. He is now a special projects consultant for the Guild. He has written on numerous subjects and delivered lectures in Screen Music Composition for universities. He is a councillor for the Music Council of Australia
, representing the film and television sector.
Early career
Phillips's career began in the early 1970s in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he was a session guitarist, composer, and orchestrator working and recording for popular artists Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
, Minnie Riperton, Demis Roussos
Demis Roussos
Artemios Ventouris Roussos is a Greek singer and performer, best known for being the main musical partner of movie soundtrack composer Vangelis and a string of international hit records as a solo performer in the 1960s and 1970s...
, The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
, Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
, Dory Previn
Dory Previn
Dory Previn, née Dorothy Veronica Langan , is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter and poet.During the late 1950s and 1960s she was a lyricist for motion picture songs, and with her first husband André Previn received several Academy Award nominations...
, Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
, The Lettermen
The Lettermen
The Lettermen are an American male pop music vocal trio. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. The group started in 1959...
. He did work on television series and feature films before moving to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1987. He was musical director, conductor, and orchestrator on live concert tours for Demis Roussos, Dory Previn, and John Rowles
John Rowles
John Edward Rowles OBE is a New Zealand singer. He was most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, and most famous for his song Cheryl Moana Marie, which he had written about his kid sister back home in New Zealand.Rowles is part Māori. His father, Eddie Hohapata Rowles, played for the 1938 Māori...
, and toured as guitarist for Barry Manilow for over three years. He produced recordings for Demis Roussos, Barry Manilow, Sally Kellerman
Sally Kellerman
Sally Clare Kellerman is an American actress and singer known for her role as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the film MASH , for which she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.-Early life:...
, and John Rowles, achieving a Gold Record Award for his production work on the album Another Chapter for John Rowles.
Phillips's earlier composition credits include background music for The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
. He wrote the R & B single "Here We Go" for Minnie Riperton and co-wrote the Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
release "Now That I Have You" for artist Teena Marie
Teena Marie
Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...
.
He holds a Master of Music Studies from Griffith University
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
—Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
Recent work
A highlight of his most recent scoring credits include the television series Missing Persons UnitMissing Persons Unit
Missing Person's Unit is an Australian television documentary series on the Nine Network hosted by actor and personality Steve Bastoni. The show documents people who have gone missing in Australia and the police who investigate their cases...
(series 1–5), Catalyst, The Lost Treasure of Fiji (Pirate Islands
Pirate Islands
Pirate Islands is an Australian children's television program screened on Network Ten in 2003. The show was rebroadcast on 4kids TV in 2003, which was called the FoxBox at the time. It has also screened on Nickelodeon UK in early 2008. A sequel called Pirate Islands: The Lost Treasure of Fiji...
), Dead Tired (two-part series), Made In China
Made in China (film)
Made in China is a comedic feature film produced, co-written and directed by Judi Krant that was released in 2010. The title of the film is a reference to the Made in China label on many manufactured goods...
, The Secret Lives Of Sleepwalkers, Outback House
Outback House
Outback House was an Australian historical reality TV series that originally aired on ABC TV in 2005. The series was based on several series produced by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and PBS in the United States, in which the concept was to have a modern day family living in a facsimile of an...
, the telemovie Reprisal, Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, The Flying Vet, Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
, Secrets, The Fatal Bond, Signal One—Bullet Down Under, and Sher Mountain Mystery.
Phillips has a long list of credits with writing and producing original music for production music companies out of the U.S and U.K. Over the past 12 years he has released 51 CD albums in various styles. His music is used in television shows, including America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
, NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
, The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
, 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Queer Eye
Queer Eye is an American reality television series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content...
, Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
, Bonehead Detectives, American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, The Ricki Lake Show, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, Amazing Medical Stories, Cold Case Files
Cold Case Files
Cold Case Files is documentary television series on the cable channel A&E Network hosted by Bill Kurtis that documents the investigation of various long-unsolved murders through the use of modern forensic science , and criminal psychology, in addition to recent breakthroughs in the...
, The Dog Whisperer, A True Hollywood Story, Harry's Practice
Harry's Practice
Harry's Practice was an Australian lifestyle television program that broadcast on the Seven Network between 1997 and 2003. It is currently repeating on 7TWO at 7pm week nights. The show was hosted by vet Dr Harry Cooper, who provided advice for pet care. The show also featured Dr Katrina Warren and...
, The Great Outdoors, Extra—The Entertainment Magazine Show, and The USA Today Show.
In 2004 U.S. recording artists Kenny Lattimore
Kenny Lattimore
Kenny Lattimore is an American R&B singer. Among his most popular hits were "Never Too Busy" and "For You".- Early career :...
and Chanté Moore
Chanté Moore
Chanté Moore is an American R&B and jazz singer.-Biography:Born to a gospel minister, she grew up singing in the church and was heavily influenced by the music of George Duke and Lee Ritenour. While in high school, she decided to make a career of singing...
recorded his song "Here We Go" on their platinum album Things That Lovers Do
Things That Lovers Do
Things That Lovers Do is a cover album of classic 70's and 80's soul duets by husband-and-wife R&B singers Kenny Lattimore & Chante Moore, released February 11, 2003. According to executive producer Antonio Reid, the album release was timed to coincide with Valentine's Day...
.
Awards and honours
Phillips has won two Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition in a Drama Series for the U.S. television drama Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara (TV series)
Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
. In 1995, Phillips was awarded the APRA Award
APRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
by the Australian Guild of Screen Composers for Best Soundtrack Album for his score to the ABC television series The Flying Vet. In 2005 he was nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack Album for Outback House and was nominated in the APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards for Best Music in a Television Series or Serial for Outback House the series. He received nominations for Best Original Music in a Children's Television Series for The Lost Treasure Of Fiji in 2007 and 2008 at the APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards. In 2006 Phillips's composition "Floating", from U.S. recording artist Megan Rochell
Megan Rochell
Megan Rochell is an American contemporary R&B singer, who was formerly signed to Def Jam Records.-Biography:At the age of 11, Megan was a 5-time winner on Showtime at the Apollo. Several years later, she met Philadelphia International's Leon Huff and started working on her recording career...
, achieved Billboard's Top 40 R & B chart position.
Phillips served as vice president of the Australian Guild of Screen Composers from 1992 until 2000 and as president from 2001–2008. He is now a special projects consultant for the Guild. He has written on numerous subjects and delivered lectures in Screen Music Composition for universities. He is a councillor for the Music Council of Australia
Music Council of Australia
The Music Council of Australia is a national peak music organisation for Australia. It is the official Australian representative to the UNESCO world peak music organization, the International Music Council , Paris...
, representing the film and television sector.