Born on 4 September 1917 in Todmorden, Yorkshire, England, and passing away on 8 July 1991 in London, England, Geoff Love established himself as a leading musical director, arranger and composer while becoming one of Britain’s best-loved figures in easy-listening music. His father, Kid Love, arrived in the UK from the United States as World Champion sand dancer. Love mastered the trombone within his local brass band and made his broadcasting debut in 1937 on Radio Normandy. He later relocated to southern England, performing with violinist Jan Ralfini’s Dance Orchestra in London and the Alan Green Band in Hastings. Following six years of military service during World War II, he joined Harry Gold’s Pieces Of Eight in 1946 and remained until 1949, supplying the vocal for their hit recording ‘Blue Ribbon Gal’.
In 1955 Love assembled his own ensemble for the television programme On The Town and soon began sessions for Columbia Records under the names his Orchestra and Concert Orchestra. His initial chart success arrived in 1958 with a cover of Perez Prado’s cha-cha-cha ‘Patricia’, after which he issued albums such as Enchanted Evenings, Our Very Own and Thanks For The Memory (Academy Award Winning Songs). From 1959 onward he also issued material under the alias Manuel And His Music Of The Mountains, achieving considerable commercial impact.
Beyond his own orchestral releases, Love supplied accompaniment and arrangements for recordings and live appearances by numerous artists including Connie Francis, Russ Conway, Paul Robeson, Judy Garland, Frankie Vaughan, Johnny Mathis, Des O’Connor, Ken Dodd, Marlene Dietrich and Gracie Fields. During the 1970s he launched another ensemble, Billy’s Banjo Band, subsequently known as Geoff Love’s Banjo Band, even as he continued to score successes under his own name with Big War Themes, Big Western Movie Themes and Big Love Movie Themes. He further tapped the era’s disco craze through several volumes of Geoff Love’s Big Disco Sound, while preserving a more traditional profile via Waltzes With Love and Tangos With Love. Radio and television kept him in steady demand; in addition to leading the orchestra he frequently served as a humorous counterpart to Max Bygraves on Singalongamax and related programmes. His original works spanned the Latin-styled ‘La Rosa Negra’ and the theme for the popular sitcom Bless This House, while the bulk of his extensive discography consisted of film and television themes. His son Adrian, born 3 August 1944 in York, England, and deceased 10 March 1999 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, became a familiar and well-regarded radio broadcaster.
