Early life
He was born Ronald Frank Aldrich on 15 February 1916 in Erith, England, the only son of a store manager. He started playing the piano at three years old and was educated at the Harvey Grammar School in Folkestone and learned violin at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He travelled to India in the late 30s ahead of World War Two to play jazz and first gained fame in the 1940s as the leader of a Royal Air Force band called The Squadronaires who had a twenty-year-long career before they disbanded in 1964.Education and career
Aldrich was educated at The Harvey Grammar School,Discography
His work has been released in different formats: LP (vinyl), single (vinyl), cassette, 8-track, open reel (stereo & quadraphonic), CD and recently digital (mp3, m4a).Ronnie Aldrich and the Squadcats
* All Time Hits of Jazz, Ace of Clubs (ACL 1020) 1960 Remastered and re-released 13/10/09 as "All Time Jazz Hits", on double CD with "Top of the World".Decca Discography "Ronnie Aldrich And His Two Pianos"
* ''Melody and Percussion for Two Pianos'', Decca Phase 4 PFS34007 (SP-44007) 1961 * ''Ronnie Aldrich and His Two Pianos'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4019 (SP-44018) 1962 * ''The Magnificent Pianos of Ronnie Aldrich'', London Phase 4 SP-44029 1963 * ''The Romantic Pianos of Ronnie Aldrich'', London Phase 4 SP-44042 1964 * ''Christmas with Ronnie Aldrich'', London Phase 4 SP-44051 1964 * ''The Magic Mood of Ronnie Aldrich'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4064 (SP-44062) 1965 * ''That Aldrich Feeling'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4076 (SP-44070) 1965 * ''All-Time Piano Hits'', London Phase 4 SP-44081 1966 * ''Where The Sun Is'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4106 1966 * ''Two Pianos in Hollywood'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4108 (SP-44092) 1967 (*) * ''Two Pianos Today!'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4132 (SP-44100) 1967 * ''For Young Lovers'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4141 (SP 44108) 1968 * ''This Way "In"'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4152 (SP-44116) 1968 * ''It's Happening Now'', Decca Phase 4 PFS 4159 (SP-44127) 1969 * ''Destination Love'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4179 (SP 44135) 1969 * ''Togetherness'', Decca Phase 4 DDS 2, 1970 ** ''Here Come the Hits!'', London Phase 4 SP-44143 1970 (**) ** ''Close to You'', London H-17156 1970 (**) * ''Love Story'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4222 (SP-44162) 1971 * ''Great Themes To Remember'', Decca Phase 4 1971 * ''Invitation To Love'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4242 (SP-44176) 1972 * ''Come to Where the Love Is'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4264 (SP 44190) 1972 * ''The Phase 4 World of Burt Bacharach'', Decca Phase 4 SPA193, 1972 * ''Soft And Wicked'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4268 (SP-44195 H-17195) 1973 * ''Top of the World'', London Phase 4 SP-44203, 1973 * ''The Way We Were'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4300 (SP 44209) 1974 * ''In the Gentle Hours'', Decca Phase 4 PFS 4329 (SP-44221), 1975 * ''Love'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4361 (SP 44253) 1975 * ''Reflections'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4377 (SP-44264) 1976 * ''Webb Country'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4397 (SP-44278) 1977 * ''With Love & Understanding'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4406 (SP-44286) 1977 (Evergreen USA) * ''Melodies from the Classics'', Decca Phase 4 PFS 4424(SP-44300) 1978 * ''Emotions'', Decca Phase 4 PFS4436 (SP-44310) 1978 (PFS is the Decca (UK) original catalogue number; SP is the London label (USA) version) / (*) Also issued as "Romantic Screen Themes" in Japan (London SLC4484) / (**) ''Togetherness'' (UK double-disc set) was issued as two separate albums in the USADecca (Polygram) Discography (One Piano)
* ''Tomorrow's Yesterdays'', Decca PFS4436 1979 * ''For The One You Love'', Decca SKL5319 1980Amberjack Discography (One Piano)
* ''One Fine Day'', Amberjack 902, 1981 * ''Imagine'', Amberjack 1981 * ''Beautiful Music'', Amberjack 1982 * ''Silver Bells/Winter Wonderland'', AmberjackSeaward Music recordings licensed to EMI (One Piano)
* ''Night Birds'', EMI MFP 1982 * ''Sea Dreams'', EMI MFP 1984 * ''For All Seasons'', EMI MFP 6016 1987 * ''Ronnie Aldrich, his Piano and Orchestra'', EMI CC220 1988 (compilation album) Seaward also issued a vinyl LP, ''The Wonderful World of Man'', which contained recordings of the sounds of the Isle of Man, where Ronnie Aldrich lived from the 1960s onwards. This record was sold in the island to tourists.Decca Discography "The New Big Band"
* ''Today - In The Old Fashioned Way'', Decca Phase 4 1971Themes recorded by album
Melody and Percussion for Two Pianos
* Unforgettable - Gordon * Secret Love - Webster/Fain * To Each His Own - Livingstone/Evans * Ruby - Roemheld/Parish * April in Portugal - Ferrao/Kennedy * My One and Only Love - Mellin/Wood * Autumn Leaves - Kosma/Mercer * Misty - Garner/Burke * Golden Earrings - Young * Young at Heart - Richards/Leigh * April Love - Webster/Fain * The Gypsy - ReidRonnie Aldrich and His Two Pianos
* Liebestraum - Liszt * Reverie - Debussy * Story of a Starry Night - Hoffman/Curtis/Livingstone * Till the End of Time - Kaye/Mossman * Story of Three Loves - Paganini, arr. Rachmaninoff * Full Moon and Empty Arms - Kaye/Mossman * Stranger in Paradise - Wright/Forrest * Clair de Lune - Debussy, arr. Aldrich * Baubles, Bangles and Beads - Wright/Forrest * Theme from "Goodbye Again" - Auric/Langdom * Tonight We Love - Worth, Austin/Martin * I'm Always Chasing Rainbows - Carroll /McCarthyThe Magnificent Pianos of Ronnie Aldrich
* Ebb Tide - Maxwell * The Very Thought of You - Noble * I'll Be Seeing You - Fain * Love Letters - Young * Long Ago and Far Away - Jerome Kern * How Deep is the Ocean - Berlin * Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Jerome Kern * Stella by Starlight - Young * Among My Souvenirs - Nicholls * Darn That Dream - Van Heusen * Evening Star - R. Aldrich * Where or When - RodgersThe Romantic Pianos of Ronnie Aldrich
* Deep Purple - DeRose * More Than You Know - Youmans * I'll never smile again - Lowe * Embraceable you - Gershwin * Don't blame me - McHugh/ * I have dreamed - Rodgers/Hammerstein * September song - Weill/Anderson * I'm in the mood for love - McHugh/Fields * If I loved you - Rodgers/Hammerstein * Lonely lover - R. Aldrich * Moonlight in Vermont - Blackburn/Suessdorf * Spring will be a little late this year - LoesserChristmas with Ronnie Aldrich
* White Christmas - Berlin * Let it snow - Cahn/Styne * Winter wonderland - Bernard/Smith * Silver bells - Evans/Livingstone * Sleigh ride - Leroy Anderson * Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Martin/Blane * Toyland - Victor Herbert * I'll be home for Christmas - Gannon/Kent/Ram * By the fireside - Robert Schumann * Count tour blessings - Berlin * Christmas waltz - Cahn/Styne * The Christmas song - Torme/WellsThe Magic Mood of Ronnie Aldrich
* Charade - Henry Mancini * Felicidade -That Aldrich Feeling
* My favorite things -All-Time Piano Hits
* Miserlou - Roubanis * Bewitched - Rodgers * Nola - Arndt * Stardust - Hoagy Carmichael * Near you - Craig * Dancing in the dark - Schwartz * Autumn leaves - Kosma * Voodoo moon - Noro Morales * As time goes by - Hupfeld * Inka dinka doo - Ryan/Durante * Canadian sunset - Haywood/Gimbel * Exodus - GoldWhere The Sun Is
* La playa - van Wetter * Je te rechaufferai - Aznavour * Strangers when we meet - Duning/Quine * Nuages - Reinhardt/Larue * Merveilleuse Angelique - Magne * Till - Sigman/Danvers * La bohème - Plante/Aznavour * Cast your fate to the wind - Guaraldi/Werber * Anema e core - D'Esposito/Manlio/Goell * Sabor a mi - Carillo/Mitchell * Are you lonesome tonight - Turk/Handman * Michelle - Lennon/McCartneyTwo Pianos in Hollywood
* The shadow of your smile - Mandel/Webster * Lara's theme - Webster/Jarre * Strangers in the night - Kaempfert/Singleton * Chim chim cheree - Richard & Robert Sherman * Limelight - Charles Chaplin * The Bible - Mayuzumi * Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? - North/Webster * Moulin Rouge - Auric/Larue * More - Oliviero/Ortolani * The apartment - Williams * A patch of blue - Goldsmith/Wayne * Lawrence of Arabia - JarreTwo Pianos Today!
* You only live twice - Barry/Bricusse * A whiter shade of pale - Reed/Brooker * Georgy girl - Springfield/Dale * Somethin’ stupid - Parks * A man and a woman - Lai/Barouh * My cup runneth over - Jones/Schmidt * Don't sleep in the subway - Hatch/Trent * Release me - Miller/Stevenson * Barefoot in the park - Hefti/Mercer * Alfie - David/Bacharach * Music to watch girls by - Ramin * This is my song - Charles ChaplinFor Young Lovers
* Ode to Billie Joe - Gentry * What the world needs now - Bacharach/David * Love is blue - Popp/Cour * Sunny - Hebb * I think I'm going out of my head - Randazzo/Weinstein * The impossible dream - Darion/Leigh * Baby, now that I’ve found you - Macaulay/Macleod * Valley of the dolls - A. Previn/D. Previn * It must be him - Gilbert Becaud/David * Up, up and away - Webb * To sir with love - London/Black * Born free - Barry/BlackThis Way "In"
* This guy's in love with you - Bacharach/David * MacArthur Park - Webb * Blowin’ in the wind - Bob Dylan * Do it again - Wilson/Love * Honey - Russell * Time - Aldrich/Hendrix * Mrs. Robinson - Simon * By the time I get to Phoenix - Webb * Mas que nada - Jorge Ben * Theme from "The fox" - Lalo Schifrin * A man without love - Panzeri/Pace * Something here in my heart - Macleod MacaulayIt’s Happening Now
* Hey Jude - Lennon/McCartney * Ride my see-saw - Lodge * Concierto de Aranjuez - Joaquín Rodrigo * Light my fire - Morrison/Manzarek * Scarborough fair - Trad., arr. Aldrich * Both sides now - Mitchell * Theme from "Elvira Madigan" - Mozart, arr. Aldrich * Soulful strut - Record/Sanders * The nature of love - R. Aldrich * I’ve gotta be me - Marks * Little green apples - Russell * For once in my life - Miller/MurdenDestination Love
* My cherie amour - Cosby/Wonder * Aquarius - Rado/Ragni * Midnight cowboy - Barry * Classical gas - Williams * Quentin's theme - Cobert * Wichita lineman - Webb * Baby I love you - Barry * The windmills of your mind - Legrand/Bregman * Theme from In the dark - Aldrich * Love Me Tonight - Lorenzo Pilat/Togetherness
* "Airport" Love Theme - Newman + * Raindrops keep falling on my head - Bacharach/David + * Arizona - Young + * Bridge over troubled water - Simon + * Sugar, sugar - Barry/Kim + * Daydream - Vincent/Van Holmen + * Venus - Van Leeuwen + * Because - Lennon/McCartney + * United we stand - Hiller/Simons + * Girl on the Via Veneto - R. Aldrich + * Let it be - Lennon/McCartney + * My heart reminds me (Autumn concerto) - Bargoni/Siegel + * Something - Harrison ++ * Don't play that song - Ertegün ++ * The long and winding road - Lennon/McCartney ++ * Papier maché - Bacharach/David ++ * Make it with you - Gates ++ * Snowbird - MacLellan ++ * Cecilia - Simon ++ * Close to you - Bacharach/David ++ * Rider on the rain - Francis Lai ++ * My baby loves lovin’ - Cook ++ * The sound of silence - Paul Simon ++ * Sun-dance - R. Aldrich ++ Released as two separate albums in US: Here Come The Hits! (+) and Close to You (++)Love Story
* It's impossible - Armando Manzanero * I never promised you a rose garden - South * My sweet Lord - Harrison * Mr. Bojangles - Walker * Woodstock - Mitchell * I think I love you - Romeo * Amazing grace - Trad. arr Aldrich * What is life - Harrison * Theme from "Love story" - Lai/Sigman * Candida - Wine/Levine * El cóndor pasa - Robles * Togetherness - R. AldrichGreat Themes to Remember
* Symphony No. 40 - Mozart * Meditation - Massenet * Serenade - Schubert * None but the lonely heart - Tchaikovsky * Vocalise - Rachmaninoff * Bacarolle - Offenbach/Guiraud/Barbier/Carre * Nocturne - Borodin * Serenade - Mozart * Nocturne - Chopin * Air on the G string - Bach * Theme from piano concerto No. 21 - MozartInvitation to Love
* Cherish - Kirkman * Gypsys, tramps and thieves - Stone * Theme from "Summer of 42" - Legrand * I'd like to teach the world to sing - Backer/Davis * Baby, I'm-a want you - Gates * Theme from "The Onedin Line" - Kachaturian, arr Aldrich * Theme from "The go-between" - Legrand * I could be happy with you - Wilson * Imagine - John Lennon * Invitation to love - Taylor/Wolfson * Diamonds are forever - Barry/BlackCome to Where The Love Is
* Love theme from "The Godfather" - Nino Rota * Alone again (Naturally) - R. O’Sullivan * Song sung blue - Neil Diamond * The impossible dream - M. Leigh/J. Darion * Popcorn - Kingsley * Where is the love - Salter/MacDonald * Theme from "Lost horizon" - Bacharach/David * The candy man - Bricusse/Newley * Without you - Evans/Ham * Come to where the love is - Taylor/Marc * Breaking up is hard to do - Sedaka/Greenfield * Jenny's theme from "Young Winston" - A. RalstonThe Phase 4 World of Burt Bacharach
* Wives and lovers – Bacharach/David * Alfie* – Bacharach/David * Odds and ends – Bacharach/David * Where there's a heartache – Bacharach/David * This guy's in love with you* – Bacharach/David * (They long to be) Close to you* – Bacharach/David * What the world needs now is love* – Bacharach/David * Raindrops keep fallin' on my head* – Bacharach/David * The April fools – Bacharach/David * Papier-mâché* – Bacharach/David * The look of love – Bacharach/David * (* previously released)Soft and Wicked
* Last tango in Paris - Gato Barbieri * You're so vain - Simon * Aubrey - Gates * Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree - Levine/Brown * Clair - O’Sullivan * Call me (come back home) Gree/Mitchell/Jackson * Good time Charlie - O’Keefe * Oh babe, what would you say - Smith * Killing me softly with his song - Fox/Gimbel * Last song - Evoy * Love theme from "The Valachi Papers" - Ortolani * It Never Rains in Southern California - Albert Hammond/Top of The World
* Top of the world - R. Carpenter/J. Bettis * Summer (The first time) - B. Goldsboro * Vado via - E. Riccardi/L. Albertelli * If I asked my heart - B. Taylor/R. Marc * Ashes to ashes - D. Lambert/B. Potter * I got a name - C. Fox/M. Gimbel * Jesse - J. Ian * Say, has anybody seen my sweet gypsy rose - I. Levine/L. Brown * Children of Rome - S. Myers * Touch me in the morning - M. Masser/R. MillerThe Way We Were
* Love's theme - B. White * The way we were - M. Hamlisch/A. Bergman * Leave me alone (Ruby red dress) - D. & M. Laurie * I'll have to say I love you in a song - J. Croce * Have you heard - M. Pinder * Last time I saw him - M. Masser/P. Sawyer * What are you doing the rest of your life? - M. Legrand/A. Bergman * Wave - Antonio Carlos Jobim * Happiness is me and you - O’Sullivan * Dark lady - J. DurrillIn The Gentle Hours
* In the gentle hours - Aldrich * You make me feel brand new - Bell/Creed * She - Charles Aznavour/Kretzmer * The entertainer - Joplin * And I love you so - McLean * Everybody's talkin' - Neil * The first time ever I saw your face - MacColl * Meditation - Antonio Carlos Jobim * The old-fashioned way - Garvarentz/Aznavour * Yesterday - Lennon/McCartney * You are the sunshine of my life - Stevie Wonder * Didn't we - WebbLove
* Love - R. Aldrich * Quiet nights of quiet stars - Antonio Carlos Jobim * The nearness of you - H. Carmichael * I didn't know what time it was - R. Rodgers/L. Hart * Once upon a summertime - M. Legrand * All the things you are - J. Kern/O. Hammerstein * Days of wine and roses - H. Mancini/J. Mercer * I will wait for you - M. Legrand/N. Gimbel * Tenderly - W. Gross/J. Lawrence * The sound of love - B. Taylor/R. Marc * Watch what happens - M. Legrand/N. Gimbel * The party's over - J. Styne/B. ComdenReflections
* Summer's end - R. Aldrich * Never gonna fall in love again - E. Carmen * Times of your life - R. Nichols/B. Lane * Spanish eyes - E. Snyder/B. Kaempfert * Save your kisses for me - T. Hiller/L. Sheriden * How insensitive - A. Jobim/V. DeMoraes * Adagio - Trad, arr Aldrich * On days like these - D. Black/Q. Jones * Scarlet ribbons - E. Danzig/J. Segal * Love is a many splendored thing - F. Webster/S. Fain * All by myself - E. CarmenWebb Country
* MacArthur Park - Jim Webb * Lovers such as I - Jim Webb * By the time I get to Phoenix - Jim Webb * Paper chase - Jim Webb * Wichita lineman - Jim Webb * Galveston - Jim Webb * Didn't we - Jim Webb * Walk in the sunshine - Jim Webb * The moon is a harsh mistress - Jim Webb * Up, up and away - Jim WebbWith Love and Understanding (1977)
* A little love and understanding - Becaud/Amade * Evergreen - Williams/Streisand * Forever and ever - Vlavianos/Costandinos * Feelings - Albert * Dancing queen - S. Anderson/Ulvaeus * When a child is born - Zacar/Jay * * When forever has gone - Vlavianos/Mason * Nadia's theme - DeVorzan/Botkin * Theme from "King Kong" - Barry * Summer of my life - May * Aria - Bembo/Bardotti * Gabriella - R. Aldrich Released as "Evergreen" in US. (*)not included in American release.Melodies from The Classics
* Pavane - Faure * Rondò alla turca - Mozart * Cavatina - Raff * Moment musical - Schubert * Gymnopedie - Satie * Andaluzia (Spanish dance Nº 5) - Granados * Badinerie (from suite Nº 2) - Bach * Adagio (from sonata Pathetique) - Beethoven * La mattinata de Leoncavallo * Romance (from violin concerto Nº 2) - Wieniawski * Anitra's dance (from Peer Gynt) - Grieg * Reverie - DebussyEmotions
* Emotions - B. Gibb/R. Gibb * Exotica - R. Aldrich * The name of the game - B. Anderson/B. Ulvaeus * How deep is your love - B. Gibb/M. Gibb * Star wars suite: a) Main theme b) Cantina band c) Princess theme - J. Williams * Take a chance on me - Anderson/Ulvaeus * Cavatina - S. Myers/H Shaper * Just for you - A. Price * Don't cry for me Argentina from "Evita" - A. Lloyd-Webber/T. Rice * You Light up my life - J. Brooks * Suite from Close encounters of the third kind - J. WilliamsTomorrow's Yesterdays
* A Certain Smile - Webster/Fain * I'm stone in love with you - Bell/Creed/Bell * Tomorrow's Yesterdays - R. Aldrich * When I need you - Hammond/Sayer * Desafinado - Jobim/Cavanaugh/Hendricks/Mendonca * Nights in white satin - Hayward * The fool on the hill - Lennon/McCartney * I say a little prayer - Bacharach/David * I'm not in love - Goddman/Stewart * Love me tender - Presley/Matson * If you leave me now - Cetera * Lucy in the sky with diamonds - Lennon/McCartneyFor The One You Love
* You needed me - Goodrum * The main event/Fight - Jabara/Roberts * She believes in me - Gibb * Just when I needed you most - Vanwarmer * Can't smile without you - Arnold/Martin/Morrow * I know I'll never love this way again - Kerr/Jennings * Gypsomania - R. Aldrich * Reunited - Feskaris/Perren * Just the way you are - Joel * You take my breath away - Lawrence/Hart * You're the only one - Sager/Roberts * After the love has gone - Foster/Graydon/ChamplinOne Fine Day
* Woman in love * One fine day * Shadow waltz * Fame * On Broadway * Stand by me * Reminiscing * Autumn tears * Magic * Romeo's tuneSilver Bells / Winter Wonderland
* Winter wonderland * Silent night * The holly and the ivy * O come all ye faithful * Sleigh ride * Let it snow * White Christmas * Silver bells * The Christmas song * Jingle bellsImagine
* It's my turn * So far away * Crying * Blue skies * Imagine * Should I´ve ever let her go * Blessed are the believers * Super trouper * Intermezzo * Put your hand on my shoulder * I made it through the rain * I'm happy just to dance with you * California girls * She's out of my life * Morning train * What kind of fool * I remember * Sexy eyes * Daytime friends * CupidNight Birds
* Beguin the begine - Porter * Arthur's theme - Bacharach * Memory from ¨Cats¨ - Lloyd Webber * Santa Catalina - R. Aldrich * Hill street blues - Post * Chariots of fire - Vangelis * Night birds - Sharpe * Have you ever been in love? - Danter/Hill/Sinfield * A little peace - Siegel/Meinunger/Greedus * Albareda - R. Aldrich * Stay - Manilow * For Lisa - Beethoven arr. AldrichSea Dreams
* La mer - Trenet * Hello - Richie * Sailing by - Binge * Bermuda triangle - Manilow * The sound of the sea - R. Aldrich * The last farewell - Whitaker * Calypso - Denver * Stranger on the shore - Bilk * Sailing - Sutherland * Trade winds - R. Aldrich * All the girls I´ve loved before - Hammond/David * How deep is the ocean? - BerlinFor All Seasons
* April in Paris - Duke/Harburg * Spring song - Mendelssohn arr. Aldrich * It might as well be spring - Rodgers/Hammerstein II * Summertime - Gershwin/Heyward * The solway in summer - R. Aldrich * Summer wind - Mayer * Early autumn - Herman/Burns/Mercer * September song - Weill/Anderson * Forever autumn - Osbourne/Vigrass/Wayne * When winter comes - R. Aldrich * Winter world of love - Reed/Mason * June in January - Rainger/RobinToday in the Old Fashioned Way
* I'd like to teach the world to s(w)ing * The way we were * Sing * The old fashioned way * Wonderful baby * Oh Babe, what would you say * You are the sunshine of my life * (They long to be) close to you * There's a kind of hush * Song sung blue * Clair * Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak treeReferences
Other sources
* ''Ronnie Aldrich'' (Obituary), ''External links