John Philip Shenale (often mentioned as Phil Shenale) is a Canadian composer, arranger, musician and producer based in Los Angeles.

Background

Shenale was born in Canada in 1951. His family relocated to the United States in the late-1950s. His earliest memories of music consist of hearing his father, an avid lover of classical music, play the violin, cello and mandolin in their home during his childhood. After attending a Latin High Mass at the age of five, he recalls being drawn to the piano in an attempt to recreate the music he had heard during the ceremony. The experience awakened his passion for the art and he soon found himself improvising his own music. It wasn't until the age of twelve, however, that he began formal piano lessons. Shenale began serious

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

while in high school, drawing inspiration from classical composers such as

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

, Granados,

Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

and Stravinsky. He soon discovered modern-day musicians such as

The Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...

, Jimi Hendrix and

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 ...

which ignited his passion for

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

, leading him to form his first band. During his undergraduate studies, he first

majored An academic major is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits. A student who successfully completes all courses required for the major qualifies for an undergraduate degree. The word ''major'' (also called ''conce ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

and then music before dropping out in favor of playing and travelling with a hard rock club band.

Career

John Philip Shenale has a very deliberate production style, carefully creafing a very natural-sounding theatrical background using both cutting-edge and very old tools. He has contributed his talents as a composer, arranger, musician and/or producer to over forty Gold and Platinum albums, both domestic and international and over thirty Top-40 singles. His work has been associated with 21 Grammy nominations.

Early work

Shenale's early work began in film, a medium he would subsequently revisit throughout his career, with 1971's ''The Young Graduates''. Continuing throughout the 1970s he recorded and performed live with artists such as

Gregory Hines Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. As an actor, he is best known for '' Wolfen'' (1981), '' The Cotton C ...

, Redbone,

Jon Lucien Lucien Leopold Harrigan (January 8, 1942 – August 18, 2007), known professionally as Jon Lucien, was a singer from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. His parents were Eric "Rico" Lucien Harrigan and Eloise Turnbull Harrigan of Tortolan famil ...

Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne Womack (; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing gui ...

and ''Severance''. However, he considers his collaborations, specifically during the latter part of the decade, with artists such as

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Dow ...

and

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

to be of particular value and significance, affording him a considerable amount of time in-studio where he was given the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment and to learn the language and various philosophies behind recording professionally. Shenale's instruments of choice during this time included the

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

, Hammond, Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, Orchestron, Mellotron along with various other synthesizers.

In popular music

Shenale's work has been featured on albums by artists such as

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

Willy DeVille Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr.; August 25, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five-year career, first with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986) and later on his own, DeVille created ori ...

Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands fr ...

Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and "Give Me One Reason". Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...

Billy Idol William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer o ...

, Janet Jackson, Diana Ross,

The Bangles The Bangles are an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including " Manic Monday" (1986), " Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), "Hazy Shad ...

, Dionne Warwick,

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...

Robert Cray Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards. Early life Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was statione ...

and

John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded ...

1980-1989

In 1980 he worked with

Franco Battiato Francesco "Franco" Battiato (; 23 March 1945 – 18 May 2021) was an Italian musician, singer, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esotericism, esoteric, philosophy, philosophica ...

for the opening song Up Patriots To Arms of his album Patriots (Keyboards). The song was also included at the album Echoes of Sufi Dancers (1985, keyboards). John Philip Shenale worked with

on his

Living in Oz ''Living in Oz'' is the seventh studio album released by rock musician Rick Springfield by RCA Records in 1983. The album was quickly certified Platinum in America. In 1984, Springfield was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal ...

album (1983, keyboards, string arrangements), on

Hard to Hold ''Hard to Hold'' is the eighth studio album by Rick Springfield released on 23 July 1984, by RCA Records as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The album includes the U.S. Top 5 hit "Love Somebody", Top 40 hits "Don't Walk Away" and "B ...

(1984, keyboards), on

Tao ''Tao'' or ''Dao'' is the natural order of the universe, whose character one's intuition must discern to realize the potential for individual wisdom, as conceived in the context of East Asian philosophy, East Asian religions, or any other phil ...

(1985, Keyboards, Synthesizer, DX-7) and on Karma (1999, violin, organ/Hammond, Synthesizer voices). In 1984 he teamed up with Janet Jackson for her

Dream Street Dream Street were an American pop music, pop boy band that was formed in 1999 by Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow. The band disbanded in 2002 following a legal dispute between parents of the band members and the band's managers. History The ...

album (1984, Composer, arranger, keyboards). John Philip Shenale worked with

Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist. Raised in ...

on her albums

Belinda Belinda is a feminine given name of unknown origin, apparently coined from Italian ''bella'', meaning "beautiful". Alternatively it may be derived from the Old High German name ''Betlinde'', which possibly meant "bright serpent" or "bright linde ...

(1986, Keyboards, synthesizer) and Her Greatest Hits (1992, Keyboards, synthesizer). He collaborated with

Bonnie Tyler Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' a ...

for her Secret Dreams & Forbidden Fire album (1986, producer, synthesizer). He wrote the song I Want To Be Needed for Shari Belafonte and Chris Norman which featured on the albums Eyes of Night (1987), Hits from the Heart (1988) and Heartbreaking Hits (2004). His colaboration with

started with the

Everything Everything, every-thing, or every thing is all that exists; the opposite of nothing, or its complement. It is the totality of things relevant to some subject matter. Without expressed or implied limits, it may refer to anything. The univers ...

album /

Eternal flame An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which can ...

, song (1988, Keyboards, Producer, Programming) and went on with The Essential Bangles album (2004, keyboards, programming) and the We Are the '80s album (2006, keyboards, programming). He worked with

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

The Rumour The Rumour was an English rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker, whose early records (from 1976 to 1980) were credited to Graham Parker & The Rumour. However, The Rumour also ...

album (1988, Keyboards, programming) and

Dreams So Real Dreams So Real were an American alternative rock band from Athens, Georgia, who gained national exposure in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They recorded three albums, including two releases on Arista Records. History The trio was led by song ...

on the Rough Night in Jericho album (1988, Keyboards). In 1989 he worked with

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

on her album

Good to be Back ''Good to Be Back'' is a 1989 album by American singer Natalie Cole. Released on April 19, 1989, by EMI USA, It includes the singles "Miss You Like Crazy" which peaked at number 7 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contempo ...

(1989, synthesizer, programming), with Jimmy Hamen on Can't Fight the Midnight album (1989, keyboards) and with Jeff Silverman and

Kevin Raleigh Kevin Raleigh is an American singer and keyboardist best known for his tenure with the Michael Stanley Band. History Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 27, 1952, Raleigh came to local prominence in 1969 with the band Paper Sun, later known as ...

on Delusions of Grandeur album (1989, Keyboards).

1990-1999

John Philip Shenale colaborated with

(a Los Angeles quartet which were one of the most influential and iconic alternative rock bands of the late 80's and the early '90s) for their album

Ritual de lo Habitual ''Ritual de lo Habitual'' is the second studio album by Jane's Addiction, released on August 21, 1990, by Warner Brothers. Co-produced by Dave Jerden, it was the band's final studio album before their initial break-up in 1991. Singles from ''Ritua ...

(1990, strings). He has been a member of the Royal Macadamians band along with Davitt Sigerson, John Beverly Jones and Bob Thiele Jr. releasing the "Experiments in Terror" album (1990) creating an arty and idiosyncratic mixture of jazz-and-funk-infected tunes given a surrealistic spin. He worked as an engineer for

's Midnight Stroll album (1990, engineer) and he played the bass for

's Charmed Life album (1990, bass). He has worked with

Jimmy Barnes James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best- ...

on his albums Soul Deep (1991, keyboards, horn arrangements, string arrangements), Heat (1993, keyboards), Flesh and Wood (1994, Piano, string arrangements), Hits (1996, Horn, Keyboards, string arrangements) and JB50 (2006, piano, keyboards, horn arrangements, string arrangements). John Philip Shenale collaborated with

Toni Childs Toni Childs (born October 29, 1957) is an American-Australian singer-songwriter. She is best known for her songs "Don't Walk Away" (a ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hit in the United States in 1988), "I've Got to Go Now", a Top 5 hit in Australia in 19 ...

for his albums House of Hope (1991, keyboards, programming) and Ultimate Collection (2000, keyboards, programming). He has been one of

's close musical mentors, musician who detuned an old upright piano (

prepared piano A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for ''Works for p ...

) for " Bells for her" and a long-time arranger engineer of the sessions and colaborator for her

studio albums An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

. Their collaboration started with

Little Earthquakes ''Little Earthquakes'' is the debut solo album by the American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, featuring the singles "Silent All These Years", "China", "Winter" and "Crucify". After Atlantic Records rejected the first version of the album, Amos bega ...

(1992, programming). His experimental approach to arrangements painted a dinstictive sonic landscape which was notable since Under The Pink (1994). Their colaboration which transcends the unexpected use of music instruments creating a unique sound signature, has flourished with the use of string quartets and full orchestras. throughout numerous albums such as

(1992, programming, keyboard programming, musician),

Winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...

(1992, mellotron),

Cornflake Girl "Cornflake Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos. It was released as the first single from her second studio album, ''Under the Pink'', on January 10, 1994, by EastWest Records in the United Kingdom, and on May 5, 1994, by Atlan ...

(1994, strong arrangements, woodwing arrangement) Under The Pink (1994, strings, organ/hammond, string arrangements), Boys for Pele (1996, arranger),

From The Choirgirl Hotel ''From the Choirgirl Hotel'' is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Tori Amos, released on May 5, 1998. A departure from her previous albums, it was more a heavily produced project featuring elements of electronic music and ...

(1998, string arrangements). He worked with

as his producer on 4 studio albums ''

Backstreets of Desire ''Backstreets of Desire'' is an album by Willy DeVille. It was recorded in various Los Angeles recording studios in 1992. To make the album, DeVille was joined by many prominent musicians, including Dr. John, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Zachary ...

'' (1992), ''

Loup Garou In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely o ...

'' (1995), '' Crow Jane Alley'' (2004), and '' Pistola'' (2008)., Introducing Willy DeVille (2009, wurlitzer). Shenale did great work with Willy out of his North Hollywood compound, with albums that maintained Willy’s career in Europe in a major way, as he had, in all practicality, given up on his American career. John Philip Shenale worked with Santana for his albums

Milagro Milagro means "miracle" in Spanish. Milagro may refer to: Places: *Milagro, Ecuador, a city * Milagro Canton, Ecuador, of which the city is the canton seat * Milagro River, Ecuador *Milagro, Navarre, Spain, a town and municipality * El Milagro, Q ...

(1992, string programming) and Milagro/Sacred Fire (2002, string programming). In 1993 he collaborated with

for the

Feels Like Rain ''Feels Like Rain'' is an album by Buddy Guy, released in 1993 through Silvertone Records. The title track was written by John Hiatt and also appears on his album ''Slow Turning'', released in 1988. Most of the album was produced by John Porter ...

album (1993, organ, synthesizer). He worked with

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

for the albums: Hepfidelity (1993, keyboards, pecussion, string arrangements, assistant engineer, assistant, keyboard arrangements, percussion arrangement, overdub assistant) and Johnny Diesel & Injectors/Hepfidelity (2005, keyboards, percussion, string arrangements, assistant). He has collaborated with

Katey Sagal Catherine Louise "Katey" Sagal (; born January 19, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing Peggy Bundy on '' Married... with Children'' (1987–1997), Leela on ''Futurama'' (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2023), Cate Hennes ...

for her albums Well... (1994, keyboards, orchestrations), He contributed to the album Tribute to

Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English words ēad, meaning 'riches or blessed', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form is Édith. Contractions and var ...

mherst(1994, drums). John Philip Shenale worked with Tracey Chapman on her albums New Beginning (1995, keyboards),

Give Me One Reason "Give Me One Reason" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. It was included on her fourth studio album, '' New Beginning'' (1995), and was released as a single in various territories between November 1995 and ...

(1996, keyboards) and Collection (2001, keyboards) and with

Air Supply Air Supply is a soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975. It consists of Englishman Graham Russell (vocals, guitar) and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight top-five ...

for their records

News from Nowhere ''News from Nowhere'' (1890) is a classic work combining utopian socialism and soft science fiction written by the artist, designer and socialist pioneer William Morris. It was first published in serial form in the ''Commonweal'' journal begin ...

(1995, arranger, strings), The Book of Love (1997, strings, keyboards) and Across the Concrete Sky (2003, string arrangements). He has collaborated with

Gus Gus is a masculine name, often a diminutive for Angus, August, Augustine, or Augustus, and other names (e.g. Aengus, Argus, Fergus, Ghassan, Gustav, Gustave, Gustafson, Gustavo, Gussie). It can also be used as the adaptation into English of ...

for his albums Gus (1996, mellotron, string arrangements) and Word of Mouth Parade (1999, mixing, keyboards), Celestial Winds for the album Bliss (1996, Keyboards, bass) and with Rust for the album Bar Chord Ritual 1996, sounds). He worked with Uma on her album Fare Well (1997, percussion, programming) and

Five for Fighting Vladimir John Ondrasik III (born January 7, 1965), also known by his stage name Five for Fighting, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. He is best known for his piano-based soft rock ballads, such as the top 40 hits " Superman (It's No ...

on his album Message for Albert (1997, arranger, string arrangements). He worked with Bette Midler on her Bathhouse Betty album (1998, arranger, piano, keyboards), Eric Martin on his Somewhere in the Middle album (1998, chamberlin, organ/hammond),

MC Solaar Claude M'Barali, professionally known as MC Solaar (; born 5 March 1969), is a French rapper of Senegalese and Chadian origin. He is one of France's most famous and influential hip hop artists. Some consider him the best French rapper of all ...

on his album Le Tour de la Question (1998, assistant), Adam Cohen on his Adam Cohen album (1998, ARP synthesizer, organ/hammond, string arrangements) and

on his album The Best of John Hiatt apitol(1998, loop). John Philip Shenale worked with

Curtis Stigers Curtis Stigers (born October 18, 1965) is an American jazz singer. He achieved a number of hits in the early 1990s, most notably the international hit " I Wonder Why" (1991), which reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 9 in the US. Career S ...

on his album To Be Loved (1999, string arrangements) and with Smokie on the album The Best of 20 Years (1999, composer).

2000-2009

He collaborated with

for their albums Keepin' the Summer Alive/The Beach Boys '85 (2000, oberheim synthesizer) and M.I.U. Album/L.A. (Light Album) (2000, oberheim synthesizer) and

on her album Room (2004, organ, keyboards, sampling, string arrangements). John Philip Shenale collaborated with

on the albums Strange Little Girls (2001, arranger, strings, synthesizer), Scarlet's walk (2002, flute, string arrangements), Tales of a Librarian: A Tori Amos Collection (2003, audio production, main personnel, strings, piano, piano (electric), wurlitzer piano, chord organ, wurlitzer, chamberlin, synthesizer, ARP synthesizer, percussion, loops, sampling, organ/hammond, assistant, marxophone, string ensemble), A piano: The Collection (2006, flute, programming, string arrangements), American Doll Posse (2007, string arrangements, brass arrangement, string conductor, brass conductor), Abnormally attracted to sin (2009, arranger, conductor, synthesizer, organ/hammond, orchestration, string arrangements, hammond B3),

Midwinter Graces ''Midwinter Graces'' is the eleventh solo studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released on November 10, 2009 (November 16, 2009, in the UK), through Universal Republic Records. It is the first seasonal album by Amos and is also notable for ...

(2009, conductor, synthesizer, sampling, string arrangements, brass arrangement). He worked with

Jann Arden Jann Arden (born Jann Arden Anne Richards; March 27, 1962) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is famous for her signature ballads, "Could I Be Your Girl" and " Insensitive", which is her biggest hit to date. Early life and educat ...

on the albums

Blood Red Cherry ''Blood Red Cherry'' is an album by Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden, released in 2000 (see 2000 in music). Track listing All songs written by Jann Arden and Russell Broom, except where noted #"Waiting in Canada" – 3:43 #"Cherry Popsic ...

(2000, keyboards, drum loop) and Greatest Hurts: The Best of Jann Arden (2001, keyboards, drum loop) and with

Chris Spedding Christopher John Spedding (born Peter Robinson, 17 June 1944) is an English musician, singer, guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his st ...

on his album One Step Ahead of The Blues (2002, drums). He collaborated with Wendy Maharry on her album Released (2003, producer, arranger, engineer, strings). John Philip Shenale worked with David Young on his albums Beyond... Celestial Winds (2004, engineer, piano organ, keyboards, bass) and Woodstock: The Mystery of Destiny (2007, engineer, keyboards). He collaborated with Eileen Carey for her album Hearts of Time (2006, composer) and with Evelio for the album Evelio (2006, producer, composer, mixing, fender rhodes, wurlitzer, champerlin, keyboards, horn arrangements, string arrangemets, loop). He worked with

Sylvie Vartan Sylvie Vartan (; born Sylvie Georges Vartanian; hy, Սիլվի Ժորժ Վարդանյան. on 15 August 1944) is an Armenian-Bulgarian-French singer and actress. She is known as one of the most productive and tough-sounding yé-yé artists. ...

on her album Nouvelle Vague (2007, producer, engineer, arranger, guitar, flute, piano, fender rhodes, farfisa organ, wurlitzer, chamberlin organ/hammond, clavier, clavecin, realization) and William MacGregor on his album Welcome to Carnival and

Marc Lavoine Marc Lucien Lavoine (; born 6 August 1962 in Longjumeau) is a French singer and actor. In 1985, his hit single " Elle a les yeux revolver..." reached number four on the French Singles chart and marked the beginning of his successful singing care ...

for his album Best of Solo (2007, synthesizer).

2010-2019

John Philip Shenale was

' orchestral collaborator for the '' Night of Hunters'' album released by the classical label

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...

. The album marked their twentieth anniversary of their long-time collaboration which began with her solo debut,

(1992). John Philip Shenale's string arrangements are the most noticeable sonic advancement since he brought the use of real strings in

' music. John Philip Shenale teamed up with

for the albums Night of Hunters (2011, string arrangements, woodwind arrangement), Gold Dust (2012, orchestral arrangements, reworking), Flavor (2012, arranger, orchestration), The light princess, Original cast recording (2015, orchestration), Native Invander (2017, keyboards, synthesizer, programming). He worked with

on her album Covered (2013, organ, piano, string arrangements, synthesizer horn). As a member of The Forrest Rangers band they have worked together releasing songs from the soundtracks of Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. as studio albums, EPs and singles. He teamed up with A Bad Think / Michael Marquart for his albums The Tragic End of a Dreamer (2016, keyboards), Savior (2019, keyboards)., X (2022, keyboards). He was the arranger in

Michel Polnareff Michel Polnareff (born 3 July 1944, Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne, France) is a French singer-songwriter, who was popular in France from the mid-1960s until the early 1990s with his penultimate original album, ''Kāma-Sūtra''. He is still criticall ...

's Olympia 2016 album (2016, arranger) and he worked with Elouise on her album Deep Water (2016, composer, instrumentation, string arangements). He collaborated with Marta Woodhull for her album Face (2017, producer, composer, brass, chamberlin, clavinet, drum loop, drum mix, engineer, guitar, guitar (synthesizer), guitar loops, hammond B3, Harpsichord, keyboards, mellotron, mixing, organ/hammond, soloist, synthesizer, vocals/backgroung, wurlitzer piano). John Philip Shenale worked with Kris Kelly on his album Runaways (2019, string arrangements, brass arrangement, woodwind arrangements, keyboards). and with

Ralph Molina Ralph Molina (born June 22, 1943) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for Neil Young's backing band Crazy Horse. Born in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth o ...

on his album Love and Inspiration (2019, arranger, keyboards, mixer).

2020-present

John Philip Shenale worked with

on her album Ocean to Ocean (2021, keyboards, organ/hammond, recording).

Career in film, TV, theater, and other works

Shenale's work has also been featured on films and musicals by directors such as

Curtis Hanson Curtis Lee Hanson (March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His directing work included the psychological thriller '' The Hand That Rocks the Cradle'' (1992), the neo-noir crime film ''L. ...

, John Hughes,

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

Herbert Ross Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. He is known for directing ...

Walter Hill Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...

Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for directing the Beatles' films '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) and '' Help!'' (1965), and the superhero films ' ...

Brian Yuzna Brian Yuzna is an American producer, director, and writer. He is best known for his work in the science fiction and horror film genres. Yuzna began his career as a producer for several films by director Stuart Gordon, such as ''Re-Animator'' (1 ...

, Steve Miner,

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the Netherlands, France and the United States. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his dram ...

Frank Oz Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, and filmmaker. He began his career as a puppeteer, performing the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in ''The Muppet Show ...

, Marianne Elliott. His work includes: Janet Jackson:

(music video 1984, composer),

Footloose Footloose may refer to: * ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film ** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack) ** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins * ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film ** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...

rigial Motion Picture Soundtrack/

Holding out for a Hero "Holding Out for a Hero" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for the soundtrack to the 1984 film '' Footloose''. It later featured on her sixth studio album, '' Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire'' (1986). The track was produced by Jim ...

, song (1984, producer, synthesizer, programming),

The Dirt Bike Kid ''The Dirt Bike Kid'' is a 1985 film directed by Hoite Caston, written by David Brandes and Lewis Colick, and starring Peter Billingsley, Stuart Pankin, Anne Bloom, Patrick Collins and Danny Breen (actor), Danny Breen. The film tells about a boy w ...

(1985, composer), Little Shop of Horrors (1986, musician),

Steele Justice ''Steele Justice'' is a 1987 film written and directed by Robert Boris and starring Martin Kove, Sela Ward, and Bernie Casey. Taglines "When the police needed someone to stop the Vietnamese Mafia, there was only one choice..." "You don't recru ...

(1987, score),

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers (named after It ...

, Coming out of Their Shells (1989, keyboards, programming)

Return of the Living Dead III ''Return of the Living Dead 3'' is a 1993 horror comedy film and the second sequel in the ''Return of the Living Dead'' film series, though it went in a different direction than the previous films. Plot Five years after the events of the pre ...

(1993, composer, orchestrator), Out of Line (2001, composer), The Diamond of Jeru (2001, composer), Star Academy 5, Star Academy 5: Les Meilleurs Moments (2005, sampling, clavier, rhythm, string arrangements), Son of a wanted man by Louis L' Amour, dramatized (2005, composer) The Big Crying (2021, arranger). He is a band member of The Forest Rangers mostly known as the "house band" of FX action crime drama television series Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014) along with the musicians Bob Thiele Jr.,

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage band cultu ...

(pedal steel guitar),

Matt Chamberlain Matthew Chamberlain (born April 17, 1967) is an American session musician, drummer, producer and songwriter. Biography Life and career Chamberlain was born in San Pedro, California on April 17, 1967. He began learning how to play the drums ...

(drums), Gia Ciambotti (background vocals). Their work was released as soundtrack albums ( Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons1-4 (2011), Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol.2(2012), Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol.3 (2013), Sons of anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol.4) (2015), 3 EPs (Sons Of Anarchy:North County, Sons of Anarchy: Shelter, Sons of Anarchy: The King is Gone), numerous singles and a debut album called ''Land Ho!''.. (They launched a

PledgeMusic PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist p ...

campaign to record and release it and Bob Thiele Jr. called it "a passion project".) In 2018 The Forest Rangers contributed to the '' Mayans M.C.'' soundtrack with the song "Black is Black". The Forest Rangers ocassionaly used the name The Reluctant Apostles for their live performances with

as their lead singer. John Philip Shenale appeared in Samantha Hale's documentary series Map The Music (2011) and talked about creating emotion through sound. In 2013 he was the orchestrator of The Light Princess, a musical with music and lyrics by

which premiered at the Royal National Theatre in London.

References

External links

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shenale, John Philip Canadian composers Canadian male composers Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people)