37 Facts About Mike Batt

Mike Batt was formerly the Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry.

Mike Batt has conducted many of the world's great orchestras, including the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony and Stuttgart Philharmonic in both classical and pop recordings and performances.

Michael Philip Mike Batt was born on 6 February 1949, in Southampton, England.

Mike Batt's blog refers to his role as cadet Company Sergeant Major at the school.

Mike Batt began his career in pop music at the age of eighteen when he answered an advertisement placed by Ray Williams in the New Musical Express on behalf of Liberty Records.

Mike Batt signed and produced Tony McPhee's The Groundhogs and produced their first album, "Scratching the Surface".

Mike Batt produced, co-wrote and played piano on Hapshash and the Coloured Coat's second album, Western Flier.

Mike Batt arranged the strings and brass for the band Family's debut album Music in a Doll's House but his arranger credit was omitted from the album packaging.

Mike Batt produced Elkie Brooks' version of "Lilac Wine" in 1978.

Mike Batt wrote the song "Bright Eyes" for the animated film version of Watership Down.

Mike Batt wrote the score for the film Caravans released in 1978.

Mike Batt worked on these recordings with such fellow artists as Colin Blunstone and Roger Chapman as singers on Tarot Suite.

Mike Batt designed, co-directed and starred in the studio-based production of "Zero Zero" shot at Gore Hill studios in Sydney and aired by Channel 4 TV in the UK in the week of the Channel's broadcast launch in 1982.

Mike Batt co-wrote with Andrew Lloyd Webber the title song "Phantom of the Opera" producing and arranging the hit single by Steve Harley and Sarah Brightman that was the genesis of the show.

Mike Batt's lyrics were later partially replaced by those of Richard Stilgoe.

However, the album was not released at the time after a dispute with Sony Music, to whom Mike Batt had leased the self-financed masters.

Mike Batt nevertheless went ahead with a promotional concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1987, which he filmed at his own expense and which was shown on BBC 2 TV.

The concert features Mike Batt conducting The London Symphony Orchestra with soloists Billy Connolly as the Bellman, Roger Daltrey as the Barrister, Deniece Williams as the Beaver, Julian Lennon as the Baker, Captain Sensible as the Billiard Marker, Justin Hayward as the Butcher, John Hurt as the Narrator and Midge Ure in a cameo as the Banker, playing guitar solos.

Meanwhile, in the late 1980s, Mike Batt produced, arranged and conducted Justin Hayward's album with the London Philharmonic Orchestra entitled Classic Blue and the music for The Dreamstone, ITV's fifty-two part animated series, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mike Batt performed the theme song from the series "Better Than A Dream".

In January 1990, Mike Batt was appointed joint Musical Director of the Melbourne Summer Music festival, with the State Orchestra Of Victoria.

The production was designed and directed by Mike Batt and starred Philip Quast as the Bellman, David McCallum as Lewis Carroll, and Kenny Everett as the Billiard Marker.

Mike Batt was then commissioned to write the official anthem for the inauguration of the Channel Tunnel by the Queen, entitled "When Flags Fly Together".

In 1997, Mike Batt produced an album for the soprano Anna Maria Kaufmann, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; an original dramatic song cycle called Blame It on the Moon, from which his song, "Running with a Dream" was taken as the theme for Germany's national football team at the 1998 World Cup.

Also in 1998, Mike Batt produced, arranged and conducted the album, Philharmania with the Royal Philharmonic and guest singers included Joey Tempest, Roger Daltrey, Marc Almond, Bonnie Tyler, Status Quo, Huey Lewis, Kim Wilde, Justin Hayward and others.

Later the same year, Mike Batt relaunched The Wombles pop group, with two hits, "Remember You're A Womble" and "The Wombling Song".

Mike Batt simultaneously dedicated the piece to his own parents, whose Golden Wedding Anniversary happened to be in the same year.

Mike Batt formed his own record label Dramatico in 2000, working with a small group of artists including Katie Melua, Carla Bruni, Marianne Faithfull, Caro Emerald, Gurrumul, and Sarah Blasko.

Mike Batt discovered Katie Melua in 2002 while scouting for a new artist with whom to work.

In 2008, Mike Batt performed and released, A Songwriter's Tale, a compilation album of his hits, newly recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Henry Spinetti, Ray Cooper, Chris Spedding, Mitch Dalton and Tim Harries.

Mike Batt has served on the boards of many industry organisations including The Performing Right Society, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and the British Phonographic Industry being Deputy Chairman of the BPI from 2007 until November 2015.

Mike Batt has been a member of the Society of Distinguished Songwriters since 1976.

Mike Batt's awards include five Ivor Novello Awards issued by The British Academy Of Songwriters, Composers And Authors, according to their records.

Mike Batt was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to the Royal Household.

Mike Batt arranged and conducted a series of concerts of Hawkwind songs featuring the band and orchestra in October and November 2018.

In July 2019 Mike Batt was created a Companion of the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts by co-founder Paul McCartney.

In 2022, Mike Batt launched Croix-Noire, an art project with Jean-Charles Capelli, linking music, comics and video games.