Paul Buckmaster

Paul John Buckmaster (13 June 1946 – 7 November 2017) was a British cellist, arranger, conductor and composer, with a career spanning five decades.

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, Mott the Hoople, 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, Lloyd Cole, Taylor Swift, Something Corporate, Train, Ben Folds, and Heart.

Early life Paul Buckmaster was born in London on 13 June 1946. His father, John Caravoglia Buckmaster, was an English actor and his mother, Ermenegilda ("Gilda") Maltese, was an Italian concert pianist and 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. he started his career as an orchestral arranger on various hit songs, including David Bowie's "Space Oddity" (1969), and contributed orchestral collaborations on a number of early albums by Elton John (1969–72), as well as on the songs "Sway" and "Moonlight Mile" on The Rolling Stones' album Sticky Fingers (1971). Buckmaster contributed string and horn arrangements to Leonard Cohen's 1971 album, Songs of Love and Hate.

He assisted Miles Davis with the preparation of On the Corner (1972) and 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. These arrangements 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 and Davis had discussed in the weeks leading up to the session. He also played with Bowie and his band in unused recordings for the science fiction film The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), in which Bowie starred as Thomas Jerome Newton. Buckmaster stated in Mojo magazine's feature "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:

Later, the film's director Nicolas Roeg decided not to use the recordings but rather existing songs as the soundtrack for the movie.

In 1995 Buckmaster composed, orchestrated, conducted and produced the original score to Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys. He also composed the score for the 1997 film Most Wanted.

Personal life Buckmaster had two siblings, a sister and a brother. He married Diana Lewis in 1970; they divorced three years later. From a relationship with Rosalie Van Leer, he had a son. Buckmaster died in Los Angeles on 7 November 2017, aged 71, from undisclosed causes.

Selected discography Year Artist Song Album Notes 2018 Brandi Carlile "Whatever You Do""Party of One" Arranger, conductor 2017 Chris Cornell "The Promise" Chris Cornell (2018) Arranger, conductor 2016 Kelly Clarkson "I Don't Think About You" Meaning of Life Arranger, conductor 2016 Max&Friends Max&Friends Co-composer, arranger, conductor 2016 Idina Menzel idina. Arranger 2016 Heart 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 Magnetic Arranger, conductor 2012 Ben Folds Five The Sound of the Life of the Mind Arranger, conductor 2010 Taylor Swift Speak Now Arranger, conductor 2009 Mika "I See You" Arranger, conductor 2008 Guns N' Roses 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 Mig Arranger, conductor 2006 Ben Folds "Still" Over the Hedge (Soundtrack) Arranger, conductor 2006 New Found Glory Coming Home Arranger, conductor 2006 Kenny Rogers Water & Bridges Arranger, conductor 2006 Jesse McCartney "Invincible" Arranger, conductor 2006 Skillet Comatose Arranger, conductor 2006 Bianca Ryan "Awake" Bianca Ryan Arranger, conductor 2005 Bon Jovi "Wildflower" Have a Nice Day Arranger, conductor 2005 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 One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back Arranger, conductor 2005 Nerina Pallot Fires Arranger, conductor 2004 Keith Urban Be Here Arranger, conductor 2004 Tears for Fears "Secret World" Everybody Loves a Happy Ending Arranger, conductor 2004 Third Day Wire Arranger, conductor 2003 Train My Private Nation Arranger, conductor 2003 The Thorns "No Blue Sky" The Thorns Arranger, conductor 2003 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 New Universe Arranger, conductor 2002 Faith Hill Cry Arranger, conductor 2002 Tim McGraw "She's My Kind of Rain" Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors Arranger, conductor 2002 Something Corporate Leaving Through the Window Arranger, conductor 2001 Train "Drops of Jupiter" Drops of Jupiter Arranger, conductor2002 Grammy WinnerArrangement of the Year 2001 Elton John Arranger, conductor 2000 No Doubt "Too Late (Reprise)" (Hidden instrumental track) Return of Saturn Arranger, conductor 1999 Julio Iglesias Jr. Under My Eyes Arranger, conductor 1999 Tal Bachman 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 Recovering the Satellites Arranger, conductor 1996 Celine Dion "Falling into You" Falling into You Arranger, conductor 1995 Elton John Made in England Composer, arranger, conductor 1995 The Jayhawks "Blue" Tomorrow the Green Grass Arranger 1993 Dwight Yoakam This Time Arranger, conductor 1992 Lionel Richie Back to Front Arranger, conductor 1991 Kenny Loggins 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 1981 UFO "Profession of Violence" The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent Arranger, conductor 1978 Elton John A Single Man Arranger, conductor 1977 Grateful Dead Terrapin Station Arranger, conductor(side two) 1976 Elton John Blue Moves Arranger, conductor 1976 Leo Sayer "I Hear the Laughter""Endless Flight" Endless Flight Arranger, conductor; cello 1975 Thijs van Leer O My Love Arranger, conductor 1974 Miles Davis "Ife" Big Fun Arranger, conductor 1974 Carly Simon Hotcakes Arranger, conductor 1974 Angelo Branduardi Angelo Branduardi Arranger, conductor, producer,co-composer 1973 Chi Coltrane Let It Ride Arranger of strings and woodwinds 1973 Elton John 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 Chi Coltrane Chi Coltrane Arranger of strings and woodwinds 1972 Miles Davis On the Corner Arranger, conductor,electric cello 1972 Carly Simon "You're So Vain" No Secrets Arranger, conductor 1972 Harry Nilsson "Spaceman" Son of Schmilsson Arranger, conductor 1971 Elton John Madman Across the Water Arranger, conductor, musical director 1971 Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers Arranger, conductor 1971 Chitinous Ensemble Chitinous Ensemble Musical director, electric piano, cello 1971 Leonard Cohen Songs of Love and Hate Arranger, conductor 1971 Harry Nilsson "Without You" Nilsson Schmilsson Arranger, conductor 1971 Elton John Friends Arranger, conductor,musical director 1971 Rupert Hine Pick Up a Bone Arranger,electric cello 1971 Sounds Nice Love at First Sight Arranger 1970 Elton John Tumbleweed Connection Arranger, conductor, musical director 1970 Elton John Elton John Arranger, conductor, musical director 1970 Shawn Phillips "F Sharp Splendor" (instrumental)Second Contribution Arranger,musical director, keyboards 1970 Mick Farren "Mona, The Whole Trip" Mona – The Carnivorous Circus Solo cello 1970 Arrival Arranger, cello 1970 Michael Chapman "Aviator" Fully Qualified Survivor Solo cello 1969 Kevin Ayers Joy of a Toy Solo cello 1969 David Bowie Space Oddity Arranger, conductor, cello 1969 The Bee Gees "Odessa (City on the Black Sea)" Odessa Cello

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