John Mealing is a keyboards player, composer and arranger.

After leaving the Don Rendell

Don Rendell

Donald Percy 'Don' Rendell is an English jazz musician and arranger, specialising on tenor saxophone, but also playing soprano saxophone, flute, and clarinet....

-Ian Carr

Ian Carr

Ian Carr was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator.-Early years:Carr was born in Dumfries, Scotland, the elder brother of Mike Carr...

 Quintet in the late-Sixties, he joined the pioneering British jazz-rock band If

If (band)

If was a progressive rock band formed in Britain in 1969.Referred to by Billboard as "unquestionably the best of the so-called jazz-rock bands", in the period spanning 1970-1975, they produced 8 studio-recorded albums and did some 17 tours of Europe, the US and Canada.-History:They toured...

 until they came off the road in 1972. Subsequently appearing on albums by Klaus Doldinger

Klaus Doldinger

Klaus Doldinger is a German saxophonist, especially well-known for jazz and as a composer of film music. He was the recipient of 1997's Bavarian Film Awards .-Life and work:...

's Passport

Passport (band)

Passport is a German jazz ensemble led by saxophonist Klaus Doldinger.Passport was initiated in 1971 as a jazz fusion experimental group, similar to American groups such as Weather Report. The ensemble's first recording was issued in 1971, and through the 1970s had a constantly revolving...

, Mick Ronson

Mick Ronson

Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...

, Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...

, John Entwistle

John Entwistle

John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...

, Status Quo, and ex-King Crimson

King Crimson

King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...

 drummer Michael Giles

Michael Giles

Michael Giles is an English drummer, best known as a co-founder of King Crimson in 1969...

, he went on to join Strawbs following the departure of John Hawken

John Hawken

John Hawken John Hawken John Hawken (born John Christopher Hawken, 9 May 1940, at Christchurch General Hospital, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset) is a British keyboard player. He studied classical piano between the ages of four and eighteen at which point he succumbed to the lure of rock and roll...

.

In the mid-Eighties, Mealing did arrangements for several hit British albums by bands such as The Style Council

The Style Council

The Style Council were an English band, formed in 1983 by the ex-The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller, with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee. Other artists such as Tracie Young and Tracey Thorn also...

 and The Pet Shop Boys.

Between 1986 and 1993, he composed the music to the hit BBC Television quiz shows Every Second Counts and Bob's Full House

Bob's Full House

Bob's Full House was a popular quiz programme hosted by Bob Monkhouse which was based on the popular game 'Bingo' and aired on BBC1 from 1 September 1984 until 27 January 1990.-Gameplay:...

. He is credited with the music for the 1991 The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball

The Secret Policeman's Balls

The Secret Policeman's Balls is the collective name informally used to describe the long-running series of benefit shows staged in England to raise funds for the human rights organisation Amnesty International...

.

He is also credited as co-composer of the theme tune to the British TV comedy-drama series Press Gang

Press Gang

Press Gang is a British children's television comedy-drama consisting of forty-three episodes across five series that were broadcast from 1989 to 1993...

which ran from 1989 to 1993.