Junior Campbell - Career

Career

With Marmalade, he co-wrote and produced the multi-million-selling "Reflections of My Life", "Rainbow" and "I See the Rain" amongst others, in a line of hits from 1967 to 1971. Campbell's reverse tape guitar solo on "Reflections of My Life" and "I See the Rain" are particularly noteworthy - the latter was Jimi Hendrix's favourite cut of 1967.

During his years with Marmalade, the band used Keith Mansfield as an orchestral arranger on their first record successes, including "Loving Things", "Wait For Me Mary Ann", "Obladi Oblada", "Baby Make It Soon" and Reflections of My Life, and Campbell studied Mansfield's scores at close range, was so impressed with the craft of arranging for orchestra, and the sound and expertise of orchestral musicians in the recording studio, that this led to a major turning point in his career, so much so, he then commenced arranging orchestral accompaniment on the band's sessions himself. Tired of touring, Campbell left Marmalade in March 1971.

During the 1970s he had two self-penned solo records released, both of which, "Hallelujah Freedom" (#9) (1972), (with Doris Troy on backing vocals), and "Sweet Illusion" (#15) (1973) made Top 20 chart appearances in the UK Singles Chart. He then went on to study orchestration and composition with Eric Guilder and Max Saunders at the Royal College of Music and became an arranger and record producer for many artists including Barbara Dickson, arranging and producing her first hit single and album, "Answer Me". He also arranged and conducted Dickson's performances in her first-season run on the BBC Television series The Two Ronnies in 1976.

Campbell has composed music for television drama and film, including the 1989 war film That Summer of White Roses (starring Tom Conti and Rod Steiger, Susan George and Alun Armstrong); and the 1994 BAFTA winner Taking Over the Asylum, which starred Ken Stott, David Tennant and Elizabeth Spriggs.

He also composed the music for the 1998 BBC Television adaptation of the Minette Walters murder mystery The Scold's Bridle, starring Miranda Richardson, Bob Peck, Siân Phillips, Douglas Hodge, Trudie Styler, and Beth Winslet.

Campbell also co-wrote the music and lyrics for the children's TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and TUGS with Mike O'Donnell, composing all music and songs during the classic period of Thomas films from 1984–2003.

Campbell lives near Horsham in Sussex with his wife Susie, and has three children and three grandchildren.

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