Roger Paul Ferris is a British

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...

composer, prevalent throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He is father of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

pianist, arranger, and producer and Steinway & Sons global ambassador Dominic Ferris.

Composition work

In 1975 Ferris wrote the

Top 30 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

UK chart hit single " My Last Night With You" for The Arrows. The song was produced by Mickie Most on his RAK

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed ...

, and as recorded by The Arrows was also a top 30 chart hit in Switzerland. Ferris wrote two more songs for The Arrows, both released in 1975 in the UK and Europe: "Hard Hearted" and " Broken Down Heart", both released in 1975. "Broken Down Heart" was the B-side of the first version of "

I Love Rock 'n' Roll "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album ...

" (made famous in the US by

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...

in 1981). In 1979, Ferris went on to co-write with Glo Macari a further two international hits for RAK. These were "Boy Oh Boy", recorded by

Racey Racey are a British pop group, formed in 1976 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, by Clive Wilson and Phil Fursdon. They achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with hits such as " Lay Your Love on Me" and "Some Girls". The ...

and also produced by Mickie Most, and " Babe It's Up To You", recorded by Smokie. Both songs charted in various European territories. Prior to his association with RAK, Ferris was the lyricist for the

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

of the 1970s

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

, ''

On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast on ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned three spin-off feature films and a stage version. Desp ...

''.

Sound engineering work

Ferris was a

sound 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, reproductio ...

on recordings by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

at Abbey Road Studios in the late 1960s. He assisted on the following tracks on '' Let It Be'' (1970): * " Two Of Us" * " Dig It" * "

Maggie Mae Maggie Mae, stage name of Andrea Cosima Carle (13 May 1960 – 30 August 2021) was a German singer. Biography Maggie Mae released her first single, ''Ich hab’ Spaß am Leben'', in 1974. She later released a German-language cover of "My Boy L ...

" * "

For You Blue "For You Blue" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album '' Let It Be''. The track was written by George Harrison as a love song to his wife, Pattie Boyd. It was also the B-side to the " Long and Winding Road" single, ...

" * "

The Long And Winding Road "The Long and Winding Road" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album '' Let It Be''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. When issued as a single in May 1970, a month after the Beatl ...

" * " Across The Universe"

1990s - 2010s

Since the 1990s, Ferris has been the bass player and co-writer for the British blues trio Smokestack. The band were invited to guest for a live session on the Paul Jones blues programme on BBC Radio 2 in 1999. He has a musical duo with songwriter and musician Glo Macari. Glo Macari is part of the Macari family, who run the musical instrument store Macari's on Denmark Street, London.

Family

Roger Ferris's son is the British pianist, music producer and arranger Dominic Ferris. Dominic graduated from the Royal College of Music. He is a global ambassador for Steinway & Sons pianos, and currently tours the world with various musical acts. Dominic arranged and recorded piano at Abbey Road Studios for the UK number one album by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

: ''

If I Can Dream "If I Can Dream" is a song made famous by Elvis Presley, written by Walter Earl Brown for the singer and notable for its similarities with Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. The song was published by Elvis Presley's music pu ...

''. Dominic joined the

Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

as Assistant Musical Director and pianist for the accompanying UK arena tour and the

Memphis Symphony Orchestra The Memphis Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Memphis, Tennessee. The orchestra's primary performing venue is the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Prior to the formation of the orchestra, classical orchestras had existed ...

for the US anniversary tour. The arena tour finished with a performance at

Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...

with

Priscilla Presley Priscilla Ann Presley ( Wagner, changed by adoption to Beaulieu; born May 24, 1945) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the former wife of American singer Elvis Presley, as well as co-founder and former chairwoman of Elvis Presley ...

for the Elvis 40th Anniversary Celebrations.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferris, Roger Year of birth missing (living people) Living people British male songwriters