Biography
Roger Cook ranks among Britain's most productive songwriting talents, achieving early recognition amid the British Invasion through his regular partnership with Roger Greenaway. Following the duo's success with the Fortunes' enduring radio favorite "You've Got Your Troubles," they kept delivering chart successes over subsequent years while also composing multiple commercial jingles, one of which, "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," itself became a major pop success. Toward the end of the 1970s, Cook relocated to Nashville and established himself as a country-pop composer.
Born in Bristol, England, on August 19, 1940, Roger Cook joined a church choir at age 11 and participated in vocal harmony ensembles throughout much of his adolescence. He composed his debut song in 1958 and that same year cut several tracks with the vocal group the Sapphires. After the Sapphires dissolved the next year, Cook performed with the Londons, then parted ways with bandmate Jill Stevens to form Jon & Julie in 1962. The pair issued material on Columbia before splitting when Stevens became pregnant. Cook spent roughly a year outside music working as a mime in theatrical productions, yet resumed singing in early 1965 after Roger Greenaway asked him to join the harmony group the Kestrels, which regularly toured Britain's variety circuit. The lineup also included future session vocalist Tony Burrows, who departed for a solo path soon after Cook's arrival. Cook and Greenaway remained together, establishing a songwriting alliance and taking on session vocal work in the interim.
Their breakthrough arrived when the Fortunes cut the Cook-Greenaway composition "You've Got Your Troubles," which reached the Top Ten in both the U.S. and U.K., missing the summit by a single position in the latter territory. In its aftermath, Cook and Greenaway recorded as the soft pop duo David & Jonathan, securing a transatlantic hit with their version of the Beatles' "Michelle" in early 1966. At the same time the Fortunes issued their next success, "This Golden Ring," while Gary Lewis & the Playboys achieved an American Top Ten entry with "Green Grass," both written by Greenaway and Cook. David & Jonathan earned their largest U.K. success that summer via the Top Ten "Lovers of the World Unite," after which the pair began crafting advertising jingles, notably for Coca-Cola. Gene Pitney reached the U.K. Top Five in late 1967 with "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart."
Cook and Greenaway ended their David & Jonathan project in early 1968 yet continued writing together, producing Cilla Black's U.K. Top Ten "Conversations" in 1969. During this period Cook issued occasional solo sides under the name Roger James Cooke, culminating in the 1970 album Study, and joined the pop band Blue Mink in 1969 as a featured singer. Blue Mink achieved several U.K. hits through 1973, among them "Melting Pot," "Good Morning Freedom," "Banner Man," "Stay With Me," and "Randy." Cook and Greenaway also briefly reunited in the studio group Currant Kraze and supplied White Plains with the 1970 Top Ten hit on both sides of the Atlantic, "My Baby Loves Lovin'"; their "Home Lovin' Man" likewise charted in the U.K. for Andy Williams. In late 1971 their most widely known Coke jingle was reworked into the pop song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)," becoming a success for both the Hillside Singers and the New Seekers, the latter's rendition marking the pair's first U.K. number one. Requests for their advertising jingles consequently surged in the following years.
Cook and Greenaway maintained occasional pop collaborations as well. The Congregation scored a U.K. hit in 1971 with a cover of David & Jonathan's "Softly Whispering I Love You." "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)," co-written with Hollies frontman Allan Clarke, became that group's biggest American success in 1972; two years later "Doctor's Orders" charted for R&B vocalist Carol Douglas. Cook also released two solo albums on Regal Zonophone under his own name, 1972's Meanwhile Back at the World and 1973's Minstrel in Flight. By late 1975 he had parted amicably from Greenaway and relocated to the United States. After time in New York and Los Angeles he settled in Nashville, completing the solo album Alright in 1976. Shifting toward country material, Cook achieved a breakthrough with Crystal Gayle's 1978 chart-topper "Talking in Your Sleep," written with Bobby Wood. In 1980 he partnered with Sam Hogan on another country number one, Don Williams' "I Believe in You." The year 1981 yielded two further country Top Fives: Gayle's "Livin' in These Troubled Times" and Williams' "Miracles." Williams reached number one again in 1983 with "Love Is on a Roll," co-written by Cook and John Prine; the two maintained periodic collaborations thereafter.
Cook's output diminished through the later 1980s, although 1989 returned him to the top of the British charts when Marc Almond revived "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart," featuring duet vocals from original performer Gene Pitney. In 1991 he joined ex-Strangler Hugh Cornwall and guitarist Andy West to form Cornwall, Cook & West, releasing the album CCW the following year. Cook became the first Englishman inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997; later that year he resumed writing, teaming with Eddie Kilgallon on George Strait's number-one hit "One Night at a Time." In 1998 Strait scored another chart-topper with his version of the Cook-Prine song "I Just Want to Dance With You."
Born in Bristol, England, on August 19, 1940, Roger Cook joined a church choir at age 11 and participated in vocal harmony ensembles throughout much of his adolescence. He composed his debut song in 1958 and that same year cut several tracks with the vocal group the Sapphires. After the Sapphires dissolved the next year, Cook performed with the Londons, then parted ways with bandmate Jill Stevens to form Jon & Julie in 1962. The pair issued material on Columbia before splitting when Stevens became pregnant. Cook spent roughly a year outside music working as a mime in theatrical productions, yet resumed singing in early 1965 after Roger Greenaway asked him to join the harmony group the Kestrels, which regularly toured Britain's variety circuit. The lineup also included future session vocalist Tony Burrows, who departed for a solo path soon after Cook's arrival. Cook and Greenaway remained together, establishing a songwriting alliance and taking on session vocal work in the interim.
Their breakthrough arrived when the Fortunes cut the Cook-Greenaway composition "You've Got Your Troubles," which reached the Top Ten in both the U.S. and U.K., missing the summit by a single position in the latter territory. In its aftermath, Cook and Greenaway recorded as the soft pop duo David & Jonathan, securing a transatlantic hit with their version of the Beatles' "Michelle" in early 1966. At the same time the Fortunes issued their next success, "This Golden Ring," while Gary Lewis & the Playboys achieved an American Top Ten entry with "Green Grass," both written by Greenaway and Cook. David & Jonathan earned their largest U.K. success that summer via the Top Ten "Lovers of the World Unite," after which the pair began crafting advertising jingles, notably for Coca-Cola. Gene Pitney reached the U.K. Top Five in late 1967 with "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart."
Cook and Greenaway ended their David & Jonathan project in early 1968 yet continued writing together, producing Cilla Black's U.K. Top Ten "Conversations" in 1969. During this period Cook issued occasional solo sides under the name Roger James Cooke, culminating in the 1970 album Study, and joined the pop band Blue Mink in 1969 as a featured singer. Blue Mink achieved several U.K. hits through 1973, among them "Melting Pot," "Good Morning Freedom," "Banner Man," "Stay With Me," and "Randy." Cook and Greenaway also briefly reunited in the studio group Currant Kraze and supplied White Plains with the 1970 Top Ten hit on both sides of the Atlantic, "My Baby Loves Lovin'"; their "Home Lovin' Man" likewise charted in the U.K. for Andy Williams. In late 1971 their most widely known Coke jingle was reworked into the pop song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)," becoming a success for both the Hillside Singers and the New Seekers, the latter's rendition marking the pair's first U.K. number one. Requests for their advertising jingles consequently surged in the following years.
Cook and Greenaway maintained occasional pop collaborations as well. The Congregation scored a U.K. hit in 1971 with a cover of David & Jonathan's "Softly Whispering I Love You." "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)," co-written with Hollies frontman Allan Clarke, became that group's biggest American success in 1972; two years later "Doctor's Orders" charted for R&B vocalist Carol Douglas. Cook also released two solo albums on Regal Zonophone under his own name, 1972's Meanwhile Back at the World and 1973's Minstrel in Flight. By late 1975 he had parted amicably from Greenaway and relocated to the United States. After time in New York and Los Angeles he settled in Nashville, completing the solo album Alright in 1976. Shifting toward country material, Cook achieved a breakthrough with Crystal Gayle's 1978 chart-topper "Talking in Your Sleep," written with Bobby Wood. In 1980 he partnered with Sam Hogan on another country number one, Don Williams' "I Believe in You." The year 1981 yielded two further country Top Fives: Gayle's "Livin' in These Troubled Times" and Williams' "Miracles." Williams reached number one again in 1983 with "Love Is on a Roll," co-written by Cook and John Prine; the two maintained periodic collaborations thereafter.
Cook's output diminished through the later 1980s, although 1989 returned him to the top of the British charts when Marc Almond revived "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart," featuring duet vocals from original performer Gene Pitney. In 1991 he joined ex-Strangler Hugh Cornwall and guitarist Andy West to form Cornwall, Cook & West, releasing the album CCW the following year. Cook became the first Englishman inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997; later that year he resumed writing, teaming with Eddie Kilgallon on George Strait's number-one hit "One Night at a Time." In 1998 Strait scored another chart-topper with his version of the Cook-Prine song "I Just Want to Dance With You."
Albums
Counterclockwise Day
2023
Back When the Earth Was Flat
2020
Young at Heart
2016
Spirit On the Wind
2013
Minstrel In Flight
1973
Meanwhile Back At the World
1972
Singles
