Tony Hatch

Although Tony Hatch had success in various segments of the entertainment industry from the '60s onwards, he'll be best remembered for his work as a producer and songwriter for several British pop and rock stars in the '60s. As a staff producer at Pye Records, Hatch worked with the Searchers, Petula Clark, his wife, Jackie Trent and on several mid-'60s singles by David Bowie, long before that singer had become famous. Hatch's productions boasted a clean and well-arranged sound that, particularly on his collaborations with Petula Clark, displayed some traces of mainstream pop and Broadway. Hatch started notching up successes as a songwriter in the early '60s, including Garry Mills' "Look for a Star." His most significant role in straight British rock music was as producer during the Searchers' 1963-66 commercial prime, a span which saw them ring up all of their big hits. The Searchers' records boasted well-balanced vocal harmonies and melodic guitars, sometimes played on 12-string models, that at their most progressive anticipated the jangle that would become a prime feature of folk-rock. Hatch also wrote their second British hit single, "Sugar and Spice," under the pseudonym Fred Nightingale. Hatch left his biggest imprint, however, on the big international hits by Petula Clark in the mid '60s. These had enough mod swing to sell to a rock audience, but also enough showbizzy horns and theatrical-type piano to bring in older listeners. The arrangements had a grand sweep that recalled stage musicals. In addition to producing, Hatch was vital to Clark as a songwriter, supplying, either as sole author or co-writer (sometimes with Clark herself), much of her best material: "Downtown," "My Love," "I Know a Place," "Call Me," and "A Sign of the Times," to name just the most...