11-12-2024
We interview the fabulous David Mindel (Songwriter) and release the first part of our Crazy show Where Did All The Cow's Go.
Spanner and Spoon interview the amazing songwriter David Mindel and release episode one of Where Do All The Cow's Go. Spanner attacks a Dinasour with a Cattle prod and gets into hot water with the local police.David MindelIn 1972, David Mindel joined the Noel Gay Organisation as a record plugger and junior A&R person. The company also published Mindel's songs, and the first to be recorded was "Let Him Go Home" by Canadian artist Nanette Workman and then by Palk Salad in 1971. In 1972 David Ballantyne and Solitude recorded "Roof Above Our Head" on the Regal Zonophone label with another Mindel composition "Sad Song of a Sad Man" as the B-side. Later that year Ballantyne formed a studio band called Esprit de Corps with future BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read, which recorded the Mindel song "If (Would it Turn Out Wrong?)" for Dick James's Jam label.In 1974, Mindel teamed up with Noel Gay staff writer Gary Benson. Their first song, "Someday" of Long Live Love album, was sung by Olivia Newton-John in heats for the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. The song was a hit in Hong Kong for Frances Yip and in Canada for Isabelle Aubret under the French title "Je Crois".In 1975, Mindel and Benson had another entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, "Don't Throw It All Away" for Come on Over album performed by The Shadows, the single, released on the State Records label (State Records STAT10), reached No. 20 in the Record chart. The Nashville trio Dave and Sugar had a 1977 number 3 hit with it in the US, while the soul singer Stacy Lattisaw hit number nine on the US R&B charts with her version in 1992 and Barrington Levy scored a huge hit with a reggae version. It was also covered by artists as diverse as Gino Cunico, Ed Robinson, Fire and Rain, Carl Graves, The Delfonics, China Black, Lori Balmer, Helge Nielsens Orkester, Spectrum, Quench Aid, Barry Manilow and Jamie Sparks.To date, there are around 200 recordings of Mindel's songs.In 1975, Mindel left Noel Gay to set up the publishing company Cherry Music and continued to write with Gary Benson and others. As a producer he worked with David Seys and Dean Ford, Spoof, Little Big Man, Jackie Challenor, Reflections, Love Together and others. He wrote the "Shades" commercial for Crown Paints, recorded with the UK Symphony Orchestra, which had had a four-week run in the UK Singles Chart. It was later recorded by the South African National Symphony and String Fever. Mindel also wrote and recorded an album for Norwegian artist, Reidar.In 2015, Still in Love With You was written by Adrian Bax White and David Mindel and was selected by the BBC from nearly five hundred songs entered to be the UK entry into the 60th Eurovision song contest. The song was performed with 27 other songs in Vienna on 23 May and came 24th.Jingles and commercialsIn 1974, Mindel joined forces with David Seys to launch the advertising jingle company Mingles Music, writing and recording more than 4,000 television and radio commercials. Campaigns included the McDonald's generic theme for Ireland and Portugal, Action Man toys, Maxwell House coffee, McVities, Bisto, Bank of Scotland, Ballantine's whiskey, Chambourcy, Cadbury's, Budweiser, Brooke Bond, Betty Crocker, Dr. Pepper, Kellogg's, Lancome, KFC, Mars, Rothmans, Ryanair, Thomas Cook, Polyhilites, KP Nuts and many others.Television, film and theatreMindel has composed themes for many UK television programmes including "Jim'll Fix It", which Time out magazine ranked the 11th greatest theme song in the history of British television.He also wrote the current themes for "The National Lottery" and "EuroMillions".Other UK television credits include "Food and Drink", "Open House", "Harty", "Challenge Anneka", "Boom", "The Hot Shoe Show", "Passport", "Get Your Act Together",...
