Peter Callander

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Peter Callander

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| background = non_performing_personnel

| birth_name = Peter Robin Callander

| alias = Robin Conrad

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1939|10|10}}

| birth_place = Lyndhurst, Hampshire, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2014|2|25|1939|10|10}}

| death_place = Harefield, Hillingdon, England

| instrument =

| genre = Pop music

| occupation = Songwriter, record producer

| years_active = 1960s–2014

| label =

| associated_acts =

| website = {{URL|http://www.petercallander.com/|Official website}}

|}}

Peter Robin Callander (10 October 1939 – 25 February 2014) was an English songwriter and record producer.{{citation

| title = Peter Robin Callander

| work = ICC Directors

| publisher = ICC Information Group/LexisNexis Academic

| date = 24 July 2007

| type = database}} Active from the 1960s onwards, Callander wrote or co-wrote songs that have been performed by recording artists such as Cilla Black, Tom Jones, Cliff Richard, Shirley Bassey, and The Tremeloes, amongst many others.{{cite web

| title = "Songs"

| work = Peter Callander: Multi Award Winning Songwriter Producer

| date = 2005

| url = http://www.petercallander.com/songs.htm

| accessdate = 5 September 2007 }} On some songs he was credited as Robin Conrad.[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/10/peter-callander Dave Laing, "Peter Callander obituary", The Guardian, 10 March 2014]. Retrieved 17 April 2019 Callander was also a founder member of the Society of Distinguished Songwriters (SODS), a director of PRS for Music, and formed a publishing company, Callander Family Music Ltd.

Early life

Born in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, he was educated at the City of London School on a scholarship, before following in his father's footsteps and training as a chef. He then moved into music publishing as a song plugger for Bron Music and he became a manager at Shapiro Bernstein Music.Obituary in The Times p56. 7 March 2014

Career

He often worked in conjunction with Mitch Murray whom he met in 1966, with Murray's writing the music and Callander the lyrics. The two also teamed together to produce recording artists such as Paper Lace, Tony Christie, and The Brothers.

Their joint compositions included "Even the Bad Times Are Good" (The Tremeloes),{{cite web|url=http://www.secondhandsongs.com/work/38307 |title=Even the Bad Times Are Good – Mitch Murray, Peter Callander |publisher=Second Hand Songs |date=5 April 2006 |accessdate=29 December 2012}} "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" (Georgie Fame),{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-ballad-of-bonnie-and-clyde-mt0014854803 |title=The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde – Georgie Fame : Listen, Appearances, Song Review |website=AllMusic |accessdate=29 December 2012}} "Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha" (Cliff Richard),{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/goodbye-sam-hello-samantha-mt0033259724 |title=Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha – Cliff Richard : Listen, Appearances, Song Review |website=AllMusic |accessdate=29 December 2012}} "Ragamuffin Man" (Manfred Mann),{{cite book|url=http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1849810 |title=Ragamuffin Man / Words and music by Mitch Murray & Peter Callander | National Library of Australia |year=1968 |publisher=Catalogue.nla.gov.au |accessdate=29 December 2012}} "Hitchin' a Ride" (Vanity Fare),{{cite book|url=http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/327423 |title=Hitchin' a Ride / Words by Peter Callander ; music by Mitch Murray | National Library of Australia |year=1969 |publisher=Catalogue.nla.gov.au |accessdate=29 December 2012}} "Turn on the Sun" (Nana Mouskouri){{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/20th-century-masters-the-millennium-collection-the-best-of-nana-mouskouri-mw0000345032 |title=20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Nana Mouskouri – Nana Mouskouri : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |date=21 March 2006 |accessdate=29 December 2012}} plus "Avenues and Alleyways", "Las Vegas", and "I Did What I Did for Maria" for Tony Christie.{{cite web|last=Ankeny |first=Jason |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-christie-mn0000744661 |title=Tony Christie – Music Biography, Credits and Discography |website=AllMusic |date=25 April 1943 |accessdate=29 December 2012}}

In 1972, his joint composition with Geoff Stephens of "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast", was recorded by Wayne Newton.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/greatest-hits-mw0000095307|title=Wayne Newton : Greatest Hits|website=Allmusic.com |accessdate=29 December 2012}} It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in July 1972.{{cite book

| first= Joseph

| last= Murrells

| year= 1978

| title= The Book of Golden Discs

| edition= 2nd

| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd

| location= London

| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/317 317]

| isbn= 0-214-20512-6

| url-access= registration

| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/317

}}

Whilst Callander was especially prolific during the 1960s and 1970s, his influence continued throughout his life. In 2005, Tony Christie spent seven weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart with the Murray and Callander produced tune, "Is This the Way to Amarillo".{{cite web

| title = "News"

| work = Peter Callander: Multi Award Winning Songwriter Producer

| date = 2005

| url = http://www.petercallander.com/news.htm

| accessdate = 5 September 2007 }} In an interview in The Times in which he described another Murray-Callander penned tune, "Las Vegas", Christie noted that the two "were the star songwriters of the day".{{cite news

| last = Greenwood

| first = Phoebe

| title = "The Story behind the Song"

| newspaper = The Times

| page = 34

| date = 30 July 2005

| url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article548199.ece

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110517051015/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article548199.ece

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = 17 May 2011

| accessdate = 5 September 2007 }}

Also in 2005, Swedish pop singer Agnetha Fältskog recorded the tune, "A Fool Am I", which had been a hit in the UK for Cilla Black in 1966,{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5

| page= 451}} for Fältskog's successful comeback album, My Colouring Book, a collection of covers of classic 1960s pop tunes. Callendar provided the English language lyrics to what had originally been an Italian language song.

He died at the age of 74 on 25 February 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.m-magazine.co.uk/news/peter-callander-obituary/ |title=Peter Callander | M Magazine : PRS for Music Online Magazine |publisher=M-magazine.co.uk |date=28 February 2014 |accessdate=5 March 2014}}

Discography (selected)

=As songwriter=

"A Fool Am I"; originally written by F. Carraresi (music) and A. Testa (lyrics); English lyrics by Peter Callander; recorded by Cilla Black{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/a-fool-am-i-dimmelo-parlami-mt0010311729 |title=A Fool Am I [Dimmelo Parlami] – Cilla Black : Listen, Appearances, Song Review |website=AllMusic |date=22 September 2009 |accessdate=29 December 2012}} and Agnetha Fältskog{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/a-fool-am-i-mt0031478416 |title=A Fool Am I – Agnetha Fältskog : Listen, Appearances, Song Review |website=AllMusic |date=4 May 2004 |accessdate=29 December 2012}}
"Give Me Time"; originally written by Alberto Morina, Amedeo Tommasi and Pietro Melfa; English lyrics by Peter Callander; recorded by Dusty Springfield{{cite web|last=Ruhlmann |first=William |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-very-best-of-dusty-springfield-mercury-mw0000598354 |title=The Very Best of Dusty Springfield [Mercury] – Dusty Springfield : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |date=21 April 1998 |accessdate=29 December 2012}} and P. J. Proby{{cite web|last=Leggett |first=Steve |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-pj-proby-the-emi-years-1961-1972-mw0000825504 |title=The Best of P.J. Proby: The EMI Years (1961–1972) – P.J. Proby : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |date=16 June 2008 |accessdate=29 December 2012}}
"The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" (1968); written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander;{{cite web|url=http://www.sheetmusicwarehouse.co.uk/details.php?ref=5046 |title=Details for Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde – featuring Georgie Fame |publisher=The Sheetmusic Warehouse |date= |accessdate=29 December 2012}} recorded by Georgie Fame
"The Night Chicago Died" (1974); written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander; recorded by Paper Lace{{cite web|last=Mason |first=Stewart |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-night-chicago-died-mt0017982126 |title=The Night Chicago Died – Paper Lace : Listen, Appearances, Song Review |website=AllMusic |accessdate=29 December 2012}}
"Billy, Don't Be a Hero" (1974); written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander; recorded by both Paper Lace and Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5

| page= 416}}

"Beautiful" (1977); written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander; recorded by The Brothers
"Monsieur Dupont" (1969); originally written by Christian Bruhn; English lyrics by Peter Callander; recorded by Sandie Shaw{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/monsieur-dupont-mt0008798599 |title=Monsieur Dupont – Sandie Shaw : Listen, Appearances, Song Review |website=AllMusic |accessdate=29 December 2012}}
"Suddenly You Love Me" (1967); originally written by Mario Panzeri, Daniele Pace and Laurenzo Pilat; English lyrics by Peter Callander; recorded by The Tremeloes
"Special" (1999); written by Robert Dallas and Peter Callander, recorded by Johnny Crawfish (James Rankin) {{cite web |title=Noddy In Toyland: Johnny Crawfish 'Special' | website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4ZYGCsgKrQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/w4ZYGCsgKrQ |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|accessdate=20 October 2019}}{{cbignore}}