Paul Buckmaster
Paul John Buckmaster was a Grammy Award-winning British cellist, arranger, conductor and composer.
He is best known for his orchestral collaborations with David Bowie, Shawn Phillips, Elton John, Harry Nilsson, The Rolling Stones, Carly Simon, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis, and the Grateful Dead in the 1970s, followed by his contributions to the recordings of many other artists, including Stevie Nicks, Lionel Richie, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Rogers, Guns N’ Roses, Taylor Swift, Train, and Heart.
Early life
Paul Buckmaster was born in London on 13 June 1946. His father, John, was a British-born actor, and his mother, Ermenegilda Maltese, was a concert pianist and a graduate of the Naples Conservatory of Music.At age four, Buckmaster started attending a small private school in London called the London Violoncello School, and continued studying cello under several private teachers until he was ten. In 1957, his mother took him and his two siblings to Naples, where he auditioned with cello professor Willy La Volpe, to be assessed as eligible for a scholarship. From 1958 to 1962 he divided his time between studying music in Naples and working for his GCEs in London, then won a scholarship to study the cello at the Royal Academy of Music, from which he graduated with a performance diploma in 1967.
Career
Studio work
Buckmaster displayed professional mastery as a cellist. However, he soon started his career as an orchestral arranger on various hit songs, including David Bowie's "Space Oddity", and contributed orchestral collaborations on a number of early albums by Elton John, as well as on the songs "Sway" and "Moonlight Mile" on The Rolling Stones' album Sticky Fingers. Buckmaster contributed string and horn arrangements to Leonard Cohen's 1971 album, Songs of Love and Hate.Buckmaster also helped Miles Davis with the preparation of On the Corner. He wrote the arrangements for the studio sessions, in which he also participated, at Davis' request, by humming bass lines and rhythms to lead the musicians. The arrangements he wrote were often used as a starting point to be transformed until what was being played bore no resemblance to what he had written. This was in keeping with the Stockhausian approach that Buckmaster had been discussing with Davis in the weeks leading up to the session.
Film work
Buckmaster also played with Bowie and his band in the recordings for the original soundtrack to the science fiction film The Man Who Fell to Earth, in which Bowie starred as Thomas Jerome Newton. Buckmaster himself told in the book 60 Years of Bowie that he had played cello on the original soundtrack recordings, on which Carlos Alomar, J. Peter Robinson and others were also included.Buckmaster: "There were a couple of medium tempo rock instrumental pieces, with simple motifs and rifly kind of grooves, with a line-up of David's rhythm section plus J. Peter Robinson on Fender Rhodes and me on cello and some synth overdubs, using ARP Odyssey and Solina. There was also a piece I wrote and performed using some beautifully made mbiras I had purchased earlier that year, plus cello, all done by multiple overdubbing." Later film-director Nicolas Roeg decided not to use the recordings but existing songs as soundtrack for the movie.
Buckmaster also wrote some instrumental tracks for the 1974 Harry Nilsson film Son of Dracula.
In 1995 Buckmaster composed, orchestrated, conducted and produced the original score to Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys, a science fiction movie starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt.
Buckmaster wrote the score for the 1997 film Most Wanted, starring Keenen Ivory Wayans and Jon Voight. Its soundtrack was released by Milan Records on 14 October 1997.
Awards
Buckmaster won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist for Drops of Jupiter.Selected discography
| Year | Artist | Song | Album | Notes |
| 2018 | Brandi Carlile | "Whatever You Do" "Party of One" | By the Way, I Forgive You | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2017 | Chris Cornell | "The Promise" | Chris Cornell | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2016 | Kelly Clarkson | "I Don't Think About You" | Meaning of Life | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2016 | Max&Friends | "Dove c'è amore" "Arrivi Tu" "Acqua" "Sabato Sera" "Una parte del tutto" "Felice" "Terra mia" | Max&Friends | Co-composer Arranger/Conductor |
| 2016 | Idina Menzel | "Extraordinary" "Show Me" "Everybody Knows" "Small World" "I Do" "I See You" "Like Lightning" "Last Time" | idina. | Arranger |
| 2016 | Heart | "I Jump" "City's Burning" "Sweet Darlin" "Language of Love" | Beautiful Broken | Arranger |
| 2015 | The Tenors | "I Remember You" | Under One Sky | Arranger |
| 2014 | Hunter Hayes | "...interlude" | Storyline | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2014 | Ferras feat. Katy Perry | "Legends Never Die" | Ferras | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2013 | Goo Goo Dolls | "When The World Breaks Your Heart" | Magnetic | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2012 | Ben Folds Five | "On Being Frank" "Away When You Were Here" | The Sound of the Life of the Mind | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2010 | Taylor Swift | "Back to December" "Haunted" | Speak Now | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2009 | Mika | "I See You" | The Boy Who Knew Too Much | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2008 | Guns N' Roses | "Street of Dreams" "There Was A Time" "Madagascar" "Prostitute" | Chinese Democracy | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2007 | The Bravery | "The Ocean" | The Sun and the Moon | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2007 | Mika | "Happy Ending" | Life in Cartoon Motion | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2007 | Katharine McPhee | "Ordinary World" | Katharine McPhee | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2007 | Michael Bublé | "Lost" | Call Me Irresponsible | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2007 | Mig Ayesa | "Baby I Love Your Way" "Kiss From a Rose" "Who Wants to Live Forever" "Can't Find My Home" "Life on Mars" "Wrapped Around Your Finger" | Mig | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2006 | Ben Folds | "Still" | Over the Hedge | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2006 | New Found Glory | "When I Die" "Boulders" | Coming Home | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2006 | Kenny Rogers | "Water & Bridges" "One Life" | Water & Bridges | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2006 | Jesse McCartney | "Invincible" | Right Where You Want Me | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2006 | Skillet | "Rebirthing" "Yours to Hold" | Comatose | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2006 | Bianca Ryan | "Awake" | Bianca Ryan | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2005 | Bon Jovi | "Wildflower" | Have a Nice Day | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2005 | Carrie Underwood | "Lessons Learned" "Starts With Goodbye" | Some Hearts | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2005 | Faith Hill | "Paris" | Fireflies | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2005 | Ben Folds | "Landed" | Songs for Silverman | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2005 | The Wallflowers | "Beautiful Side of Somewhere" | Rebel, Sweetheart | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2005 | The Darkness | "Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" "Girlfriend" "Blind Man" | One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2005 | Nerina Pallot | "Geek Love" "Idaho" | Fires | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2004 | Keith Urban | "Tonight I Wanna Cry" "She's Gotta Be" | Be Here | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2004 | Tears for Fears | "Secret World" | Everybody Loves a Happy Ending | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2004 | Third Day | "Wire" "It's a Shame" | Wire | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2003 | Train | "Lincoln Avenue" "Your Every Color" | My Private Nation | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2003 | The Thorns | "No Blue Sky" | The Thorns | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2003 | Something Corporate | "The Runaway" "Me and the Moon" | North | Arranger/Conductor/Performer |
| 2003 | Beth Hart | "I'll Stay With You" | Leave the Light On | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2003 | Luis Miguel | "Nos Hizo Falta Tiempo" | 33 | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2003 | Live | "Run Away" | Birds of Pray | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2003 | Wilshire | "In Your Arms" "Tonight" | New Universe | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2002 | Faith Hill | "You're Still Here" "Safest Place to Hide" | Cry | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2002 | Tim McGraw | "She's My Kind of Rain" | Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2002 | Something Corporate | "Punk Rock Princess" "The Astronaut" "Cavanaugh Park" "Not What It Seems" "Globes And Maps" | Leaving Through the Window | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2001 | Train | "Drops of Jupiter" | Drops of Jupiter | Arranger/Conductor 2002 Grammy Winner Arrangement of the Year |
| 2001 | Elton John | "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" "Original Sin" "Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes" "Mansfield" "Emperor's New Clothes" | Songs from the West Coast | Arranger/Conductor |
| 2000 | No Doubt | "Too Late " | Return of Saturn | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1999 | Julio Iglesias Jr. | Under My Eyes | Arranger/Conductor | |
| 1999 | Tal Bachman | "Beside You" "You're My Everything" | Tal Bachman | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1999 | Lara Fabian | "Sola Otra Vez" | Lara Fabian | Arranger |
| 1998 | Des'ree | "Time" | Supernatural | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1997 | Collective Soul | "She Said" | Scream 2 Soundtrack | Arranger/Conductor/Co-composer |
| 1996 | Counting Crows | "Daylight Fading" "I'm Not Sleeping" "Another Horsedreamer's Blues" | Recovering the Satellites | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1996 | Celine Dion | "Falling into You" | Falling into You | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1995 | Elton John | "Believe" "Belfast" "House" "Cold" | Made in England | Composer/Arranger/Conductor |
| 1995 | The Jayhawks | "Blue" | Tomorrow the Green Grass | Arranger |
| 1993 | Dwight Yoakam | "Ain't That Lonely Yet" "Try Not to Look So Pretty" | This Time | Arranger/Conductor 1994 Grammy Winner Best Male Country Vocal Performance |
| 1992 | Lionel Richie | "My Destiny" "Love, Oh Love" | Back to Front | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1991 | Kenny Loggins | "Cody's Song" "Too Early for the Sun" | Leap of Faith | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1991 | Lloyd Cole | Don't Get Weird on Me Babe | Arranger/Conductor | |
| 1985 | Mick Jagger | "Hard Woman" | She's the Boss | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1983 | Nick Heyward | North of a Miracle | Arranger | |
| 1983 | Stevie Nicks | "Beauty and the Beast" | The Wild Heart | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1978 | Elton John | A Single Man | Arranger/Conductor | |
| 1977 | Grateful Dead | Terrapin Station | Arranger/Conductor entire Side Two of Album | |
| 1976 | Elton John | Blue Moves | Arranger/Conductor | |
| 1975 | Thijs van Leer | O My Love | Arranger/Conductor | |
| 1974 | Miles Davis | "Ife" | Big Fun | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1974 | Carly Simon | "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" | Hotcakes | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1974 | Angelo Branduardi | Angelo Branduardi | Arranger/Conductor/Producer/Co-Composer | |
| 1973 | Elton John | "Have Mercy on the Criminal" "Blues for My Baby and Me" | Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1973 | Shawn Phillips | "Lady of the Blue Rose" | Bright White | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1973 | Blood, Sweat & Tears | No Sweat | Arranger/Conductor | |
| 1972 | Miles Davis | On the Corner | Arranger/Conductor | |
| 1972 | Carly Simon | "You're So Vain" | No Secrets | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1972 | Harry Nilsson | "Spaceman" | Son of Schmilsson | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1971 | Elton John | "Tiny Dancer" "Levon" | Madman Across the Water | Arranger/Conductor/Musical Director |
| 1971 | Rolling Stones | "Moonlight Mile" "Sway" | Sticky Fingers | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1971 | Leonard Cohen | Songs of Love and Hate | Arranger/Conductor | |
| 1971 | Harry Nilsson | "Without You" | Nilsson Schmilsson | Arranger/Conductor |
| 1971 | Elton John | "Variations on "Friends" Theme" "Variations on Michelle's Song" "I Mean To Do My Work Today" "Four Moods" | Friends | Arranger/Conductor/Musical Director |
| 1971 | Rupert Hine | Pick Up a Bone | Arranger/Electric Cello | |
| 1970 | Elton John | Tumbleweed Connection | Arranger/Conductor/Musical Director | |
| 1970 | Elton John | "Your Song" "Border Song" "The Greatest Discover" "Sixty Years On" | Elton John | Arranger/Conductor/Musical Director |
| 1970 | Shawn Phillips | "F Sharp Splendor" | Second Contribution | Arranger/Musical Director/Keyboards |
| 1970 | Mick Farren | "Mona, The Whole Trip" | Mona – The Carnivorous Circus | Solo cello |
| 1969 | David Bowie | "Space Oddity" "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" | Space Oddity | Arranger/Cellist/Conductor |
| 1969 | The Bee Gees | "Odessa " | Odessa | Cello |