Tommy Scott (Scottish musician)

Last updated

Tommy Scott
Birth nameThomas Kilpatrick [1]
Born1940 (age 8283)
Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation(s)Musician
songwriter
record producer
Years active1960s–1990s
Labels Decca Records
Major Minor Records
Scotdisc

Thomas Kilpatrick (born 1940), known as Tommy Scott, is a Scottish songwriter, producer and singer. [2] As a songwriter and producer in the 1960s and 1970s he had numerous hits in pop, rock, and folk styles; including records with Them, The Dubliners, Sydney Devine, Twinkle, and Lena Zavaroni. From the 1980s onwards, he has sung and recorded traditional Scottish music.

Contents

Biography

Scott worked in Glasgow's shipyards, before a musical career which has included touring with The White Heather Club and Jimmy Shand, and recordings including total sales of over a million. [3]

An early success was Eden Kane's 1964 hit single "Boys Cry" (UK No. 8), written by Scott and Buddy Kaye. A French version, "Les Garçons Pleurent (Boys Cry)", was a No. 5 hit for Richard Anthony. [4]

In the mid-1960s in London, Scott began producing for Decca Records' Dick Rowe, and worked closely with manager Phil Solomon and writer/arranger Phil Coulter. At Decca, Scott produced two albums by Them, featuring Van Morrison, but not their hit singles, which were produced by Rowe, or Bert Berns. [5]

The 1966 song "I Can Only Give You Everything", written with Coulter and produced for Them, has become a garage rock staple; [6] with covers by The Troggs, MC5, Richard Hell, and many others. [7] [8] Beck played the signature guitar riff for his hit song "Devils Haircut" (1996), and gave co-credit to Scott and Coulter. [9] [10] [11]

He became a house producer for Solomon's Major Minor Records, and formed the 'Scott Solomon' production company with him.

In 1968, he and conductor Arthur Greenslade teamed up as the 'Artie Scott Orchestra', issuing one album, and the novelty single "March of the Skinheads" (1970). [12]

In 1976, Scott collaborated with Tom Parker of Apollo 100 as the 'Plaid Pops Orchestra', recording their own Scottish themed tunes.

Sydney Devine had a hit in 1978 with "Scotland Forever", written and produced by Tommy Scott. By the 1980s, Scott turned his efforts to performing and recording traditional Scottish music on the Scotdisc label, [3] and his own songs, including "Scotland Forever". [13] [14]

Selective discography

Singles

YearSong TitleArtistSingles ChartWriter(s)Producer(s)
1962"Angela"Jay and Tommy ScottJay & Tommy Scott Tony Meehan
1964"Who Will It Be"
c/w "If It's Me That You Want"
Tommy Scott Les Vandyke
B-side: Scott
Michael Barclay
1964"Boys Cry" Eden Kane UK #8 [15] Scott, Buddy Kaye Les Reed
1964"Les Garçons Pleurent (Boy's Cry)" Richard Anthony France #5 [4] Scott, Kaye,
Jacques Chaumelle
Ivor Raymonde [16]
1964"Beneath the Willow Tree"
B-side of "Wouldn't Trade You for the World"
The Bachelors [17] UK #4, US #69Scott, Bill Martin. Dick Rowe
1964"Oh, Samuel Don’t Die"
B-side of "No Arms Can Ever Hold You"
The BachelorsUK #7, US #27Scott, MartinNoel Walker
1964"Terry" Twinkle UK #4 [18] TwinkleScott
1965"Golden Lights”TwinkleUK #21TwinkleScott
1965"All For Myself"
B-side of "Here Comes the Night"
Them UK #2, US #24 Van Morrison Scott
1965"One More Time"
c/w "How Long Baby"
ThemVan Morrison
B-side: Scott
Scott
1965"I'm Gonna Dress In Black"
B-side of "(It Won't Hurt) Half As Much"
ThemScottScott
1965"Mystic Eyes"ThemUS #33Van MorrisonScott
1966"I Can Only Give You Everything"ThemScott, Phil Coulter Scott
1966"Call My Name"ThemScottScott
1966"Richard Cory"
c/w "Don't You Know"
Them Paul Simon
B-side: Scott
Scott
1966"Boys Cry"
c/w "I Can Only Give You Everything"
Tommy ScottScott, Kaye
B-side: Scott, Coulter
Michael Barclay
1966"Beautiful Dreams"
c/w "I Need Your Hand In Mine"
Twiggy Scott, Peter Law
B-side: Scott
Scott
1966"I Can Only Give You Everything" The Haunted CAN #62Scott, CoulterDon Wayne
1966"Tu Es Impossible"
(I Can Only Give You Everything)
Les Sultans CAN #21 (in French) [19] (uncredited: Scott, Coulter), Bruce HuardDenis Pantis
1967"Story Of Them Part 1"ThemVan MorrisonScott
1967"Oh How I Miss You"The BachelorsUK #30ScottScott
1967"Seven Drunken Nights" The Dubliners UK #7, IRE #1Arr. The DublinersScott
1967"The Black Velvet Band"The DublinersUK #15, IRE #4Arr. The DublinersScott
1967"All For Me Grog"The DublinersIRE #10Arr. The DublinersScott
1967"Maids When You're Young"The DublinersUK #43, IRE #11Arr. The DublinersScott
1967"I Can Only Give You Everything" MC5 Scott, CoulterArnold Mark Geller [20]
1968"Dirty Old Town"The DublinersUK #43, IRE #10 Ewan MacColl Scott
1968"May I Have The Next Dream With You" Malcolm Roberts UK #8 Charles & Harry Tobias Scott
1969"Love Is All"Malcolm RobertsUK #12, US #40 Les Reed,
Barry Mason
Scott
1969"Nobody's Child"
c/w "Oh How I Miss You"
Karen Young UK #6 Cy Coben, Mel Foree
B-side: Scott
Scott
1969"The Deal"
c/w "The Mission"
Pat CampbellUK #31D. Miles, K. Herston,
B. Prather
B-side: Campbell, Scott
Scott
1974"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"ThemGER #13 Bob Dylan Scott
1974"Ma! (He's Making Eyes At Me)" Lena Zavaroni UK #10, US #91 Sidney Clare,
Con Conrad
Scott
1974"(You've Got) Personality"
c/w "Schools Out"
Lena ZavaroniUK #33 Lloyd Price,
Harold Logan
B-side: Scott
Scott
1976"From Scotland With Love"
c/w "Home of Mine"
Plaid Pops OrchestraScott, Tom Parker Scott
1978"Scotland Forever"
c/w "The Flower of Scotland"
Sydney Devine UK #48Scott
B-side: Scott
Scott
1980"Tommy Scott's Hop.Scotch Ceilidh Party"Tommy ScottArr. ScottScott
1996"Devils Haircut" Beck UK #22, US #94, CAN #19 Hansen, King, Simpson,
Scott, Coulter, Wright
Beck, Dust Brothers

Albums/album tracks

YearTitleArtistAlbums ChartTommy Scott's role
1964Sing Along With Beatles' SongsTommy Scott and the Boys [21] Performer
1965 The Angry Young Them Them Produced 10 tracks, wrote 1
1966 Them Again ThemUK #21, US #138Produced all tracks, wrote 4
1966Scottish Nationalist SongsNigel DenverProducer
1967 A Drop of the Hard Stuff The Dubliners UK #5, IRE #1Producer
1967 More of the Hard Stuff The DublinersUK #8, IRE #1Producer
1967"I Can Only Give You Everything"
(on the album Trogglodynamite )
The Troggs UK #10Written by Scott/Coulter
1968Soul Buster! Joe E. Young & The ToniksProducer
1969Nobody's Child Karen Young Produced all tracks, wrote 2
1974 Ma! He's Making Eyes At Me Lena Zavaroni UK #8Produced all tracks, wrote 2
1975The Elephant Song Kamahl NED #1, SWE #3Scott produced 2 tracks
1975If I Give My Heart To You
(UK version)
KamahlProduced all tracks, wrote 1
1976Doubly Devine Sydney Devine UK #14Produced all tracks, wrote 2
1976Devine TimeSydney DevineUK #49Produced all tracks, wrote 2
1977From Scotland With LovePlaid Pops OrchestraProduced all tracks, wrote 6
Collaboration with Tom Parker
1977"I'm Gonna Dress In Black"
(on the album Livin In The Fast Lane, aka Off The Rails)
Little Bob Story Written by Scott
1979"I Can Only Give You Everything"
(on the album Live)
Little Bob StoryWritten by Scott/Coulter
1980Hop.Scotch Ceilidh PartyTommy ScottSinger, arranger, producer
1982"I Can Only Give You Everything"
(on the album Destiny Street )
Richard Hell and the Voidoids Written by Scott/Coulter
1983Tommy Scott’s
Pipes and Strings of Scotland
Tommy ScottSinger, arranger, producer
1996"Devils Haircut"
(on the album Odelay )
Beck UK #17, US #16Credited co-writer of "Devils Haircut”
2007"Chante"
(on the album Nouvelle Vague)
Sylvie Vartan FR #21 [22] Co-writer of "Chante"
(a version of "I Can Only Give You Everything")

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References

  1. "Repertory : Search". Ascap.com. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  2. Mike Read, Major to Minor: The Rise and Fall of the Songwriter 2000 - p. 181 "Bill knew most people on the thriving group scene in Scotland, including Glasgow outfit The Beatstalkers (who were usually billed as "the Scottish Beatles") and fellow Glaswegian Tommy Scott (born Tommy Kilpatrick in 1940), who was ..."
  3. 1 2 "Tommy Scott". Artiste Catalogue. Scotdisc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 Cash Box , November 21, 1964, "France's Best Sellers", p. 83
  5. Dewitt, H. A. (1983). Van Morrison: The Mystic's Music. Horizon. p. 66. ISBN   0-938840-02-9.
  6. "Little Boy Blues Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic .
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  8. "I Can Only Give You Everything - van Morrison, Them | Song Info". AllMusic .
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  10. "Odelay's Secret History. Beck tells the stories behind his newly reissued classic". Rolling Stone . 21 February 2008.
  11. "APRA AMCOS Song Catalogue search". Apraamcos.com.au. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  12. "Artie Scott Orchestra". Discogs .
  13. "Original versions of Scotland Forever by Tommy Scott". Secondhandsongs.com.
  14. "Tommy Scott Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic .
  15. "EDEN KANE | full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  16. "Richard Anthony - Ce Monde / A Toi de Choisir / OUI, Va Plus Loin / Les Garçons Pleurent". Discogs .
  17. "Artist Chart History: Bachelors". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  18. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 570. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  19. "Disc-O-Logue Top 50's | July 10, 1966". Nlc-bnc.ca.
  20. "MC5 1966". Makemyday.free.fr. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  21. "Tracks on Sing Along with Beatles' Songs - Tommy Scott and the Boys (1964)". Secondhandsongs.com.
  22. "Nouvelle Vague by Sylvie Vartan - Music Charts". Acharts.co.

Sources