Norman William Paramor (15 May 1914[1] – 9 September 1979),[2] known professionally as Norrie Paramor, was a British record producer, composer, arranger, pianist, bandleader, and orchestral conductor. He is best known for his work with Cliff Richard and the Shadows, both together and separately, steering their early careers and producing and arranging most of their material from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Paramor was an orchestra conductor and composer of music for studio albums, theatrical productions, and film scores.
Early career
Paramor left school at the age of 15 and began working in an office. But he found his first musical work as pianist accompanist to Gracie Fields, and from there became involved with London dance bands, among them Maurice Winnick's orchestra.[3] During the war he worked with Sidney Torch and Max Wall, and became musical director for the Ralph Reader Gang shows, touring the world entertaining troops. He worked with Harry Gold and his Pieces of Eight and toured with Bing Crosby. He also produced arrangements for Noel Coward, Mantovani and Jack Buchanan during this period. In 1950 he made his first recordings under his own name and with the The Big Ben Banjo Band.[4]
In the late 1960s he left EMI to form his own production company.[7] Kenneth Womack has written about the sometimes intense rivalry between Paramor and George Martin.[8]
Composer and conductor
In 1955, he formed Norman Paramor & His Orchestra and in 1956 they recorded one of the biggest-selling albums from the Capitol of the World import series, released by another subsidiary of EMI, Capitol Records: In London in Love, featuring the soprano Patricia Clarke, who was used in many subsequent selling albums. This became his trademark orchestral signature sound, and was featured on
a series of albums, including Autumn, Amor Amor, Emotions (1958) In London, In Love, In Love Again, Moods, My Fair Lady, Warm and Willing and The Zodiac Suite (1959) among others. Albums often featured his original compositions and those of Bobby Black.[3]
In 1962, Paramor was the subject of "A Tribute to Norrie Paramor" by David Frost on the satirical British television programme That Was the Week That Was for, the sketch claimed, taking undeserved songwriting credits and royalties, "writing ordinary tunes with ordinary words" and "[making] everything ordinary."[10]
In 1970, he became the resident conductor for BBC MidlandRadio Orchestra, a post he held until his death.[7] In 1977, Paramor and his orchestra recorded with the Shadows for a final time, on the track "Return to the Alamo".
Death
Paramor died on 9 September 1979 at the age of 65,[2] a fortnight after Cliff Richard had returned to the top of the UK Singles Chart with "We Don't Talk Anymore",[11] his first number one single in more than ten years. Paramor and Richard had worked together professionally from 1958 to 1972.
See also
Just We Two, recording by Norrie Paramor and his orchestra