Johnny Franz

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Johnny Franz (born John Charles Franz, 23 February 1922 — 29 January 1977) was a UK record producer and A&R man at the Philips label. He was one of Great Britain's most successful producers in the 1950s and 1960s.[1] While his recordings encompassed several forms of mainstream popular music, his most enduring contributions were to British Invasion pop of the mid-1960s on records by Dusty Springfield, The Walker Brothers, and the early solo recordings of the most popular Walker Brother, Scott Walker.[1]

Career

Franz had been an office boy in London's Denmark Street (the British equivalent of Tin Pan Alley), a club pianist who at one time performed with famed jazzman George Shearing, and a BBC orchestrator before becoming the head of A&R at Philips Records in 1954.[1]

Franz recorded many prolific British artists who were on the label at the time, particularly Shirley Bassey and Dusty Springfield, but also those artists who made little or no impact in the United States, such as Frankie Vaughan, Anne Shelton, Robert Earl, Susan Maughan, Marty Wilde, Harry Secombe, Winifred Atwell, and The Springfields.[1]

He was a piano accompanist to both Anne Shelton and Harry Secombe for many years and also worked with some American artists under license from Columbia Records, such as Johnnie Ray and Rosemary Clooney. Franz's production trademarks were a lush choir and big orchestra, provided in the 1950s by Wally Stott.

For Dusty Springfield and the Walker Brothers, Franz oversaw discs that matched first-class pop rock material and vocalists with the sort of orchestral production that was more typical of middle of the road pop. Franz's role with these artists seems not to have been so much that of an innovator as one of a capable delegator. For Dusty Springfield's first solo record in 1963 "I Only Want to Be with You" and the many that followed — which were the best British equivalents to Phil Spector's Wall of Sound - he relied heavily upon arranger Ivor Raymonde who also co-wrote "I Only Want To Be With You". Raymonde also did some work on Walker Brothers hits (like "Make It Easy On Yourself"), which were aided by engineer Peter Olliff. The more classical sounding Walker Brothers arrangements were frequently handled by Reg Guest.[1]

Franz and Olliff continued to work with Scott Walker on the singer's early solo albums, in which he developed a more serious and sombre approach to both repertoire and vocals. Walker and Franz were personal friends, and Franz arranged for Scott to study with British vocal instructor Freddie Winrose, who taught the singer much about breath control. However Franz could not continue working with Walker after the singer left Philips to sign with CBS records in 1973, except to give valuable advice.[1]

He married his secretary Moira Creamer in 1966. His younger brother Harold worked as a promotion man for EMI Music Publishers. Franz would consume copious cups of tea and cigarettes at any time of day, but especially during recording sessions. He was proud of his Rolls Royce car which he bought off of Harry Secombe, another successful artist of the 50s and 60s that Franz produced. Franz, who was known as the "last of the great pros", and sadly died of a heart attack in 1977 whilst in the Brompton Hospital, at the age of 54.[2] A moving memorial service was held for him at St.Martins In The Fields Church soon afterwards.

Production credits

Franz produced ten UK number ones enjoying, in total, twenty eight weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Biography by Richie Unterberger". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2008-11-16. 
  2. ↑ Colin Larkin, The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 1995, p.1545.
  3. ↑ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 262. ISBN 0-85112-250-7. 

External links

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