John Macleod (songwriter)

John Macleod (sometimes spelled McLeod) is a Canadian-born English songwriter and musician.

John Macleod
GenresPop music
Occupation(s)Songwriter, musician
InstrumentsPiano

Career

He moved to Britain in the 1940s, and lived in the Halifax area with his wife before moving to Brighton. In the 1950s, he was a member of the vocal group the Maple Leaf Four, with his brother, baritone Norman, Alan Harvey as tenor and Joe Melia (stagename Joe Ross) as second tenor.[1][2] The group made regular appearances on British TV, and released at least two albums, Home on the Range and Old Familiar Favourites.[3][4][5]

By the early 1960s, Macleod worked on writing advertising jingles.[3] In the 1960s and early 1970s, Macleod co-wrote songs with Tony Macaulay. They had major success with The Foundations, when they recorded "Baby Now That I've Found You", and it topped the UK Singles Chart in November 1967.[6][7] This was followed by Long John Baldry's "Let the Heartaches Begin",[8] Paper Dolls' "Something Here in My Heart (Keeps A Tellin' Me No)"[9] and Pickettywitch's "That Same Old Feeling".[10]

The full list of songs that Macleod wrote with Macaulay are:

Song titlePerformerPeak UK chart position[11]Date of appearance on chart
"Baby Now That I've Found You"The Foundations123 September 1967
"Let The Heartaches Begin"Long John Baldry128 October 1967
"Back on My Feet Again"The Foundations1820 January 1968
"Something Here in My Heart (Keeps A Tellin' Me No)"Paper Dolls119 March 1968
"Any Old Time (You're Lonely and Sad)"The Foundations481 May 1968
"Mexico"Long John Baldry1512 October 1968
"In the Bad Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)"The Foundations812 March 1969
"Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now"Sandie Shaw––
"My Little Chickadee"The FoundationsNote: US release only–
"That Same Old Feeling"Pickettywitch521 February 1970
"Baby Take Me in Your Arms"Jefferson (US)23, 15 (US & Canada release only)20 December 1969
"(It's Like A) Sad Old Kinda Movie"Pickettywitch16June 1970

[12]

In the early 1970s, Macleod presented a series of easy listening instrumental albums comprising cover versions of chart hits, on the Pye label. In 1975 he worked again with his brother Norman, and brother-in-law actor Bill Pertwee, on the music for the Dad's Army stage show, producing an EMI single "Get Out And Get Under The Moon", and writing the B-side number "Hooligans!" – after Bill Pertwee's character Warden Hodge's catch phrase.

Discography
  • John Macleod Presents Hits Philharmonic – The London Pops Orchestra (Pye, 1970)[13]
  • John Macleod Presents Hits Philharmonic Vol.2 – The London Pops Orchestra (Pye, 1970)[14]
  • John Macleod Presents Hits Philharmonic Vol.3 – The London Pops Orchestra (Pye, 1971)[15]
  • John Macleod Presents A String Bag of Bones (Pye, 1971)[16]

References
  1. London Calling Volume 2, Issues 83–134 1959 – Page 54 "... The Maple Leaf Four – Johnny Macleod, Al Harvey, Johnny's brother Norman, and Joe Ross. This lively Canadian quartet will broadcast this week in the popular programme 'Spotlight' (Friday 11.30, Saturday 07.30, Thursday (March 5)"
  2. Roy Hudd, Philip Hindin (1997). Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts. Robson Books. ISBN 978-1861052063. The Maple Leaf Four Vocal group. As so many Variety acts did, they came together through wartime service. The founders were two brothers from a theatrical family, John and Norman Macleod. They teamed up with a fellow Royal Engineer, Joe Melia, and were part of the Stars in Battledress organisation. On demob, as Duffy, Ross and Macleod, they joined a touring revue, Canada Calling. The tenor in the show, Alan Harvey, used to join the three for offstage harmony singing and, after a one-night try-out on-stage they formed themselves into THE MAPLE LEAF MELODYMAKERS. In 1947 the lads were part of a Nat Mills and Bobbie revue that played all the major Moss and Stoll dates in the country. In 1948 their entry into summer season brought about their final change of name. In Blackpool they became the Maple Leaf Four.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. The Maple Leaf Four, Boot Sale Sounds, 30 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2014
  4. "In Memoriam: Marion Pertwee", Scottish Music Hall Society Archived 30 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 March 2014
  5. Old Familiar Favourites at Discogs.com. Retrieved 6 March 2014
  6. Eder, Bruce (21 April 1944). "Tony Macaulay – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  7. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 209. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  8. "Let the Heartaches Begin – Long John Baldry : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  9. "Something Here in My Heart (Keeps A-Tellin' Me No) – Paper Dolls : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  10. "That Same Old Feeling – Pickettywitch : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  11. Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
  12. "Songwriter: John McLeod". Chartwatch.co.uk. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  13. "JOHN MacLEOD Presents Hits Philharmonic – London Pops Orchestra LP". Picclick.com. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  14. "JOHN MacLEOD LONDON POPS ORCHESTRA Hits Philharmonic Vol 2 1970 near mint". eBay. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  15. "john macleod presents 'hits philharmonic vol.3 | 25850922". En.todocoleccion.net. 20 January 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  16. "John Macleod – A String Bag of Bones (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
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