Another amazing musician lost yesterday. The name may not be familiar to some of you, but I guarantee you all have heard Paul Buckmaster's work. Paul was a prominent string arranger best known for his work with Elton John. At a time when string arrangements for rock records were typically background chord washes, Paul's arrangements were audacious and aggressive. He would compose counter-melodies that were usually as memorable as the song's own melody. His work was groundbreaking and were a constant presence on hit records for artists of all different genres for the last five decades. Other than Elton, his arrangements could be heard on such classics as:
"Space Oddity" (David Bowie)
"You're So Vain" (Carly Simon)
"Moonlight Mile" (The Rolling Stones)
"Terrapin" (The Grateful Dead)
"Falling Into You" (Celine Dion)
"Drops of Jupiter" (Train)
and countless other records by the likes of Heart, Stevie Nicks, Ben Folds, Tears For Fears, Miles Davis, Blood Sweat & Tears, Dwight Yokam and too many others to mention.
Very tough to pick just one example from his exceptional body of work, but this hidden gem of Elton's from the mid-90's would certainly be one of my favorites. RIP Mr. Buckmaster.
"Space Oddity" (David Bowie)
"You're So Vain" (Carly Simon)
"Moonlight Mile" (The Rolling Stones)
"Terrapin" (The Grateful Dead)
"Falling Into You" (Celine Dion)
"Drops of Jupiter" (Train)
and countless other records by the likes of Heart, Stevie Nicks, Ben Folds, Tears For Fears, Miles Davis, Blood Sweat & Tears, Dwight Yokam and too many others to mention.
Very tough to pick just one example from his exceptional body of work, but this hidden gem of Elton's from the mid-90's would certainly be one of my favorites. RIP Mr. Buckmaster.
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