Bob Heatlie
Encyclopedia
Bob Heatlie is a Scottish
songwriter
and produced and has worked Music industry creating songs for the chats and also television.
, Edinburgh
) is a instrumental
repertoire includes saxophone
, drum
s, and piano
.
" and "Merry Christmas Everyone
", both substantial 1980s pop
chart hits across Europe
and beyond. "Japanese Boy" (released by the German
label
Hansa
) was a novelty
hit
recorded by Aneka
, a fellow Scot
. It sold in excess of 4.5 million copies.
Heatlie wrote arguably his finest pop songs
in "Cry Just A Little Bit" in 1983 and "Breaking Up My Heart" for Shakin' Stevens
in 1985. The song was another hit
(helped in part by a music video
). Coincidentally, it was also the song that Stevens performed for his record-setting 50th appearance on the BBC
's Top of the Pops
weekly UK
music chart television program
me on 7 March that year.
"Merry Christmas Everyone" was first recorded by Shakin' Stevens, reaching the top of the charts in many Europe
an territories around Christmas
1985. "Merry Christmas Everyone" has since become an annual mainstay
of radio airplay
in and around the December holidays.
Heatlie also wrote an album track "Woman (What Have You Done To Me) for Shaky on the 1988 album "A Whole Lotta Shaky". A remixed version of the same song was featured within The Shakin' Stevens release "The Epic Masters Box Set" in 2009. Heatlie also co-produced and remixed no less than nine songs on Shaky's album "A Whole Lotta Shaky". The last single Heatlie worked on with Shaky was the single "Radio" which featured Roger Taylor from Queen (band)
.
, Percy the Park Keeper
, Kipper
, Fun House
, Anthony Ant
, Little Robots
and Sheeep
. He also composed the music for the documentary series Worlds Apart
and the television special The Curious Case of Santa Claus.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and produced and has worked Music industry creating songs for the chats and also television.
Background
Bborn Robert Heatlie, 1946, CraigmillarCraigmillar
Craigmillar , from the Gaelic Crag Maol Ard, meaning 'High Bare Rock', is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, about south east of the city centre, with Duddingston to the north and Newcraighall to the east.- History :...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
) is a instrumental
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
repertoire includes saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
.
Hit songs
His most successful and prominent songs are "Japanese BoyJapanese Boy
"Japanese Boy" is a UK No.1 hit single by Scottish singer Aneka, released in 1981. The song became her biggest hit and provided the singer with a memorable Japanese image, which she found difficult to discard.- Background :...
" and "Merry Christmas Everyone
Merry Christmas Everyone
"Merry Christmas Everyone" is a popular festive song by the Welsh singer-songwriter Shakin' Stevens.Written by Bob Heatlie and produced by Dave Edmunds, this was Shakin' Stevens fourth, and most recent, number one on the UK singles chart...
", both substantial 1980s pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
chart hits across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and beyond. "Japanese Boy" (released by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Hansa
Hansa Records
Hansa Records was a record label founded in the 1960s based in Berlin, Germany....
) was a novelty
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
recorded by Aneka
Aneka
Aneka is a Scottish singer.In 1981 she hit number one in the UK Singles Chart with her song, "Japanese Boy". She was well known for the Oriental image she adopted for the song...
, a fellow Scot
Scot
A Scot is a member of an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland, derived from the Latin name of Irish raiders, the Scoti.Scot may also refer to:People with the given name Scot:* Scot Brantley , American football linebacker...
. It sold in excess of 4.5 million copies.
Heatlie wrote arguably his finest pop songs
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
in "Cry Just A Little Bit" in 1983 and "Breaking Up My Heart" for Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
in 1985. The song was another hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
(helped in part by a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
). Coincidentally, it was also the song that Stevens performed for his record-setting 50th appearance on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
weekly UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
music chart television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
me on 7 March that year.
"Merry Christmas Everyone" was first recorded by Shakin' Stevens, reaching the top of the charts in many Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an territories around Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1985. "Merry Christmas Everyone" has since become an annual mainstay
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
of radio airplay
Airplay (song)
Airplay is a term used in the radio broadcasting industry to state how frequently a song is being played on over-the-air radio stations. For example, a song which is being played several times every day would be classed as receiving a large amount of airplay...
in and around the December holidays.
Heatlie also wrote an album track "Woman (What Have You Done To Me) for Shaky on the 1988 album "A Whole Lotta Shaky". A remixed version of the same song was featured within The Shakin' Stevens release "The Epic Masters Box Set" in 2009. Heatlie also co-produced and remixed no less than nine songs on Shaky's album "A Whole Lotta Shaky". The last single Heatlie worked on with Shaky was the single "Radio" which featured Roger Taylor from Queen (band)
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
.
Current status
In later years, Heatlie concentrated on doing musical compositions for children's television. One of the programmes include The Trap DoorThe Trap Door
The Trap Door was a claymation-style animated television series, originally shown in the United Kingdom in 1984. The plot revolves around both the daily lives and the misadventures of a group of monsters living in a castle...
, Percy the Park Keeper
Percy the Park Keeper
Percy the Park Keeper is an animated children's series by Nick Butterworth. It stars Percy, & many other park animals,such as the Badger, The Owl,the Fox,the Mice etc....
, Kipper
Kipper the Dog
Kipper the Dog is a character in a series of books for preschool age children by a British writer, Mick Inkpen. The books consist of 34 titles which have sold over 8 million copies and have been translated into over 20 languages. The books have also won many awards.Kipper is also the name of a...
, Fun House
Fun House (UK game show)
Fun House was a British children's game show produced by Scottish Television that aired on CITV from 24 February 1989 to 1999, which usually aired on Fridays . It was hosted by Pat Sharp, who was also aided by twin cheerleaders, Melanie Grant and Martina Grant...
, Anthony Ant
Anthony Ant
Anthony Ant is an animated TV series that takes place in "Antville," an underground city.-External links:* , New York Times...
, Little Robots
Little Robots
Little Robots is a stop-motion animated children's TV series, produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Create TV and Film Limited and broadcast on CBeebies . The fiction series was based on the eponymous book by Mike Brownlow, published by Ragged Bears Publishing...
and Sheeep
Sheeep
Sheeep was a short lived animated television series that aired on CBBC, within the United Kingdom, in 2000. The show followed the adventures of three sheep called Georgina, Gogal and Hubert who often end up in some kind of conflict involving the wolves wearing sunglasses, who were the antagonists...
. He also composed the music for the documentary series Worlds Apart
Worlds Apart
Worlds Apart is an album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. It was released on January 25, 2005 by Interscope Records and reached #92 on the UK Album Chart....
and the television special The Curious Case of Santa Claus.
Solo
- AnekaAnekaAneka is a Scottish singer.In 1981 she hit number one in the UK Singles Chart with her song, "Japanese Boy". She was well known for the Oriental image she adopted for the song...
- "Japanese BoyJapanese Boy"Japanese Boy" is a UK No.1 hit single by Scottish singer Aneka, released in 1981. The song became her biggest hit and provided the singer with a memorable Japanese image, which she found difficult to discard.- Background :...
" (SingleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, 8 August 1981, UK No. 1UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
) - Cliff RichardCliff RichardSir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
- "Locked Inside Your Prison" (AlbumAlbumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
track on SilverCliff Richard discographyThis article presents the discography of British singer Cliff Richard.- Studio albums :- Soundtrack albums :- Gospel albums :- Live albums :- Stage show albums :- Foreign albums :- Compilation albums :-EPs:...
, October 1983, UK No. 7) - Shakin' StevensShakin' StevensShakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
- "Cry Just A Little Bit" (SingleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, 5 November 1983, UK No. 3) - Shakin' Stevens - "Breaking Up My Heart" (SingleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, 2 March 1985, UK No. 14) - Shakin' Stevens - "Merry Christmas EveryoneMerry Christmas Everyone"Merry Christmas Everyone" is a popular festive song by the Welsh singer-songwriter Shakin' Stevens.Written by Bob Heatlie and produced by Dave Edmunds, this was Shakin' Stevens fourth, and most recent, number one on the UK singles chart...
" (SingleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, 7 December 1985, UK No. 1) - Ann Turner - "Too Hot To Handle" (Runner-up in the UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Song For Europe Eurovision Song ContestEurovision Song ContestThe Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
selection TV programme, 1987) - Shakin' Stevens - Woman (What Have You Done To Me) (Album track on "A Whole Lotta Shaky" 1988)
With Gordon Campbell
- Local Hero - "Why Don't You" (B-Side to the single "Daydream Believer")
- AnyaAnya-Origins and variant forms:*Anya is a Russian diminutive of Anna, derived from Hannah which means "gracious" or "bringing goodness" in the original Hebrew language....
- "Moscow NightsMoscow Nights"Moscow Nights" or "Midnight in Moscow" is a Russian song, and one of those best known outside its homeland.The song was originally created as "Leningradskie Vechera" by composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhail Matusovsky in 1955 , but at the request of the Soviet Ministry of Culture, the...
" (SingleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, 1985) - Shakin' Stevens - "Radio" (SingleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, 10 October 1992, UK No. 37)
For TV
- The Trap DoorThe Trap DoorThe Trap Door was a claymation-style animated television series, originally shown in the United Kingdom in 1984. The plot revolves around both the daily lives and the misadventures of a group of monsters living in a castle...
(Children's animated television series) theme tune. Vocals performed by Zygott. - Little RobotsLittle RobotsLittle Robots is a stop-motion animated children's TV series, produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Create TV and Film Limited and broadcast on CBeebies . The fiction series was based on the eponymous book by Mike Brownlow, published by Ragged Bears Publishing...
- KipperKipper the DogKipper the Dog is a character in a series of books for preschool age children by a British writer, Mick Inkpen. The books consist of 34 titles which have sold over 8 million copies and have been translated into over 20 languages. The books have also won many awards.Kipper is also the name of a...
- SheeepSheeepSheeep was a short lived animated television series that aired on CBBC, within the United Kingdom, in 2000. The show followed the adventures of three sheep called Georgina, Gogal and Hubert who often end up in some kind of conflict involving the wolves wearing sunglasses, who were the antagonists...
- Composed with David Pringle
- Fun House theme tune.
- Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune (UK game show)Wheel of Fortune is a British television game show created by Merv Griffin. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes...
theme tune