Alex Wharton

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Alex Wharton (born 1939), later also known as Alex Murray, was part of the singing duo Most Brothers with Mickie Most, and later, co-manager and producer of the band, Moody Blues.

[edit] Singing and Acting Career

The Most Brothers worked in the famous 2I's coffee bar in London's Soho. They touring the U.K. with early rock'n'rollers Marty Wilde, Colin Hicks (younger brother of Tommy Steele), The Tony Crombie Big Band, Cliff Richard, The Kalin Twins, and Wee Willie Harris. In 1957 they scored minor hits on the Decca Records label with "Whistle Bait" and "Takes a Whole Lotta Loving to Keep My Baby Happy" before disbanding the act in 1958.

In 1959 Wharton adopted the name Murray and moved into an acting career with the Theatre Workshop company in Stratford, East London, under the direction of legendary theatre director Joan Littlewood. He appeared in the first production of Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be before transferring to London's West End theatre, Wyndam's, as understudy to Alfred Lynch in the title role of The Hostage. He played a small role in the Arnold Wesker one-act play "Last Day In Dreamland" at the Lyric Hammersmith, and interspersed acting in minor film roles ("Never Let Go" - 1960), TV parts and commercials with solo record releases on Decca Records.

He wrote songs with Tony Crombie before working in 1961 as A&R man at Decca Records, the youngest in the country, at 20, in the post. His first production, "Love is Like A Violin" sung by Ken Dodd, went to No. 1 in the charts. It was followed by hits with Mark Wynter and Rhet Stoller - "Chariot", featuring the first double-tracked guitar, and reaching No.13 in the UK charts. Wharton gave much needed work to jazz musicians, at a time when they were out of fashion and struggling to find work, by producing a pioneering stereophonic album, Sweet Wide and Blue, with Stan Tracy (Piano), Victor Feldman (vibes), Lenny Bush (bass), Tony Crombie (drums) and others. He also recorded albums and singles with Mantovani, Winifred Atwell, and several other Decca Stars before leaving Decca, disillusioned, and finally outraged when he was not allowed to produce "Portrait Of My Love" with Matt Munro due to 'office politics'.[citation needed] The song was thereafter released by EMI and scored a No. 1 chart success. He returned to acting and travelled to South Africa to visit Mickie Most who he helped and encouraged to produce his own records, and taught to handle a mixing desk in the studios there.

[edit] Career as Manager/Producer

Wharton later went on to discover, manage and produce the Moody Blues with the single "Go Now", promoting it with the first-ever purpose-made Pop Video Promo,[citation needed] produced and directed by Wharton, and filmed on 35mm at the Marquee Club, scoring a Christmas No. 1 (UK) (No. 2, US) in 1964. He produced another chart hit in 1970 with "Friends" by the band Arrival. He left show business in 1971. In 1973 Wharton moved to Wales with his wife, Stevie, to raise a family. His son, Sonny Wharton, is a DJ of international repute.

[edit] Discography

  • Teen Angel/Paper Doll, Decca F11203 1960
  • All On My Own/String Along, Decca F11225 1960
  • When You Walked Out/Send For Me, Decca F11345 1961
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