David Mackay (born 11 May 1944) is an Australian record producer, arranger and

musical director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the ...

. He began his music career at the age of 15 in a production of '' Bye Bye Birdie'' for J. C. Williamson Theatre Company. He also worked for a time recording musical sessions for local radio.

Career

He was classically trained at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he studied piano, clarinet, theory and composition. Mackay was later head-hunted by EMI

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, which initially employed him as a

Recording Engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...

but soon promoted him to "Head of Artists and Repertoire". During this time, Mackay was responsible for producing 30 hit singles and discovering some of Australia's most popular pop acts; he is probably best known in Australia as the

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

of most of the Australian recordings made by The Twilights, one of Australia's most popular bands of the mid-1960s; his credits include the band's ambitious swansong ''Once Upon A Twilight''. Mackay's Australian commercial success led to an internal transfer to the firm's United Kingdom offices, where Mackay went on to work at the legendary

Abbey Road studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

. Mackay eventually left EMI to set up his own independent company, June Productions Ltd. He also diversified into the medium of television, arranging and producing themes such as Coca-Cola's " I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" as well as scores for BBC TV shows '' Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'', Carla Lane's ''

Bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

'' and '' As Time Goes By''. The ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' project notably generated a hit single, "

That's Livin' Alright "Breakin' Away" / "That's Livin' Alright" is a double A-side single by English singer Joe Fagin. The songs were produced and arranged by David Mackay. Mackay co-wrote "Breakin' Away" with Ian La Frenais, and "That's Livin' Alright" with Ken Ashb ...

", by Joe Fagin, which won Mackay an Ivor Novello Award and a BAFTA nomination. In both 1972 and 1973, Mackay conducted the orchestra for the UK's entries in the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

. '' The World Starts Tonight'' (1977) is the debut studio album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, released in February 1977 by RCA Records. Most of the songs were written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, who worked as her managers while she was signed to RCA. They also produced the album alongside David Mackay. Musically, the album features country and pop songs. '' Natural Force'' (1978) is the second studio album by Tyler, released in May 1978 by RCA Records. In the United States, the album was titled ''It's a Heartache''. As with her debut, Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe wrote most of the tracks on the album. David Mackay returned again to produce, with Scott and Wolfe. In 1990, Mackay and Jon English co-wrote a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

, '' Paris'', which has since been staged as a rock musical in Australia and elsewhere several times beginning in 2003. In 2002, Mackay's career came full circle as he returned to the world of

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

as a supervisor to a West End theatre production of ''125th Street''. In 2018, Bonnie Tyler announced that she would be working with Mackay, who co-produced her first two albums. Tyler and Mackay also collaborated on Frankie Miller's album ''Double Take'' (2016). In March 2019, ''Between the Earth and the Stars'' was released as the seventeenth studio album by Bonnie Tyler, and was produced by Mackay.

Selected UK, US and Australian discography

Singles

* "Carousel of Love" by Peter Best (1967) * "

The Pushbike Song "The Pushbike Song" is a song originally recorded by Australian band The Mixtures and released in 1970. The single was a chart success, reaching numbers one and two in the Australian and UK charts respectively. It has subsequently been covered ...

" by The Mixtures (1970 UK #2 / AUS #1) * "

Never Ending Song of Love "Never Ending Song of Love" is a song written by Delaney Bramlett, and, according to some sources, by his wife Bonnie Bramlett. It was originally recorded with their band, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, in 1971 on the album ''Motel Shot''. Released ...

" by The New Seekers (1971 UK #2) * " I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" by The New Seekers (1971 UK #1 / US #7) * " Beg, Steal or Borrow" by The New Seekers (1972 UK #2 / US #81) * " Power to All Our Friends" by Cliff Richard (1973 UK #4 / AUS #31 / US #109) * "Baby We Can't Go Wrong" by

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...

(1974 UK #36) * "(You Keep Me) Hangin'' On" by Cliff Richard (1974 UK #13) * "Trans Canada Highway" by

Gene Pitney Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, inclu ...

(1975 AUS #14) * " More Than a Lover" by Bonnie Tyler (1977 UK #27) * " It's a Heartache " by Bonnie Tyler (1978 UK #4 / US #3 / AUS #1) * "Baby Blue" by Dusty Springfield (1979 UK #61) * " Lost in Love" by Demis Roussos (1980) * "Save Me" by Johnny Logan (1980) * "Love's Alive" by Vicky Leandros (1981) * "Your Love Still Brings Me To My Knees" by Dusty Springfield (1980) * " Your Love Still Brings Me to My Knees" by Marcia Hines (1981 AUS #10) * "What a Bitch is Love" by Marcia Hines (1981 AUS #51) * "Breakin' Away/ That's Living Alright" by Joe Fagin (1983 UK #3) * "It Should've Been Me" by David Ride ( 1987 Warner) * "Theme From Neighbours" by Dame Edna Everage (1988) * "Hold On" by Bonnie Tyler (2019) * "Life will unfold" by C.B. Green (2022) * "Suddenly" by C.B. Green (2022)

Albums

* ''The Happy Prince'' by The La De Das (EMI/Columbia Aust., 1968) * ''Laughing Cavalier'' by The Wallace Collection (1968) * ''We'd Like to Teach the World to Sing'' by The New Seekers (1971 UK #2) * ''Circles'' by The New Seekers (1972 UK #23) * ''Now'' by The New Seekers (1973 UK #47) * ''Only When I Laugh'' by Blue Mink (1973) * '' Take Me High: Soundtrack'' by Cliff Richard (1973 UK #41) * ''Only When I Laugh'' by Blue Mink (1973) * ''Fruity'' by Blue Mink (1974) * ''31st Of February Street'' by Cliff Richard (1974) * '' In My Life'' by Cilla Black (1974) * ''

It Makes Me Feel Good ''It Makes Me Feel Good'' is the title of Cilla Black's ninth solo studio album released in 1976 by EMI Records. The album was Black's second to be produced and arranged by David Mackay. Mackay revealed on an interview on Cilla Black's offic ...

'' by Cilla Black (1976) * ''Tarney & Spencer'' by Alan Tarney and Trevor Spencer (1976) * '' The World Starts Tonight'' by Bonnie Tyler (1977) * '' Natural Force'' by Bonnie Tyler (1978 US #16 1978) * ''

Take it From the Boys ''Take It from the Boys'' is the fifth studio album by American-Australian singer Marcia Hines and first on new record label Midnight Records. ''Take It from the Boys'' peaked at No. 16 in Australia and produced the top ten single, "Your Love St ...

'' by Marcia Hines (1981 AUS #16) * '' Paris'' by Jon English and David Mackay * '' Between the Earth and the Stars'' by Bonnie Tyler (2019 UK #34) * '' The Best Is Yet to Come'' by Bonnie Tyler (2021)

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...

. They commenced in 1987. , - , rowspan="2" , ARIA Music Awards of 1991ARIA Award previous winners. , rowspan="2" , '' Paris'' (with Jon English) , ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album , , - ,

ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Reco ...

, , -

References

External links

Discogs
- David Mackay discography {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackay, David 1944 births ARIA Award winners Living people Australian record producers Sydney Conservatorium of Music alumni Eurovision Song Contest conductors A&R people Australian music arrangers Australian people of Scottish descent Australian expatriates in the United Kingdom 21st-century conductors (music)