David Martin: Singer - Songwriter

At the age of 17, David left school to join the family retail business. After four years of working in the retail trade, he simultaneously got married and entered the music business. During this period, David signed as a singer to Pye Records. After a couple of unmemorable recordings, he moved to EMI. Here he was approached to sing on a demo for a couple of songwriter friends, Chris Arnold and Geoff Morrow. This he did. He suggested a couple of alterations to the song, which ultimately became a successful recording by the legendary Billy Fury. The song “In Thoughts of You” reached the number 7 spot in the UK charts. The three men decided to team up together and became the celebrated song-writing trio, known throughout the music world as Arnold, Martin and Morrow.

This fruitful partnership lasted 15 years and achieved song covers by many major recording artists including “There’s A Whole Lot of Loving” (Guys and Dolls), “Let’s Be Friends”(Elvis Presley), “Don’t You Know” (Butterscotch), “The Right One Is Left” (Cilla Black), “So Long” (Cliff Richard), “Can’t You Hear The Song?” (Wayne Newton).

It was at this period that David wrote his first stand alone song “Can’t Smile Without You.” which has turned out to be a giant pop song standard of our time. This song was eventually recorded by Barry Manilow and in 1975 reached the number 1 spot in the USA. Since then it has been recorded by a host of familiar names including The Carpenters, Englebert Humperdinck and Boyzone, as well as being featured in the film “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.

In 1978 David formed a record company partnership, Hippodrome Records, with famous nightclub owner Peter Stringfellow. During this period, which lasted three years, he wrote for and produced the incomparable Motown singer Edwin Starr and the unforgettable Dusty Springfield.

After fifteen years, the Arnold-Martin-Morrow partnership ended amicably and from 1979 – 1982 David went on the road as a singer with the James Last Orchestra. He travelled the world with the band. He was the lead vocalist on two major hits, “Don’t You Know She Said Hello” in 1974 for Butterscotch and on the 1975 hit for Guys and Dolls “There’s A Whole Lot of Loving.”

In 2002, David wrote a new song, “Don’t Let Us Down Mr. Brown”, which was an appeal to the politician Gordon Brown to help the elderly citizens of Great Britain. The song was recorded and released on Twilight Records and distributed through Pinnacle Distribution. Around this time, David had lunch with a colleague who suggested that he try his hand at putting together a musical with melodies that people could not only enjoy but remember.

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