History
DAVE L. COOKE
This page is appropriately called history. Actually it should be ancient history. It is a somewhat disturbing fact that my professional life was pretty much half complete before a lot of the people I now work with were even born. The zimmer frame is being assembled…….
I will try and complete this page before I fall asleep and start drooling and snoring………
Born Nottingham five years after the end of the war (World war 2 not 1….. believe it or not)
Educated at Forest Fields Grammar school and Royal Northern College of music.
First real session at Chipping Norton recording studio - in 1972 a.d. (!) - where, apart from spilling a curry that resembled axle grease all over a newly laid expensive carpet, knocking down a freshly planted sapling whilst playing football and puncturing a mains water pipe whilst playing darts I found time to play the piano on a few songs for nobody really special. Great start to a promising career, I think the album sold at least two. My Mum bought one. It was years before I worked there again. I wore a disguise. It was actually a very high profile hi-tech studio. Two inch 16 track recording and a wind up gramophone. It cost as much to hire then as top studios of today cost now. How times have changed. Now it’s just me that’s wind up.
Went on to work with some amazing names. They were rubbish artists they just had weird names.
Spent a couple of years as resident keyboard player at one of the south east’s premier night clubs. Bar fights, murders, you know the sort of place. I fell off stage once. It just happened to be in the middle of a well known comedian’s cabaret spot in front of 1200 people. Fame at last… The place is now a ‘Gentleman’s club’. It’s come up in the world.
Mid to late seventies toured with then well known pop groups including one chart topping female trio. Their wardrobe was transported from venue to venue in a high security truck. It wasn’t the dresses that filled it, it was the wigs, false teeth, padded bras and steel corsets.
I have a collection of videos (remember them?) that catalogue my appearances on various television programmes from that period. The last time I watched them I couldn’t remember any of them which either means I’m blanking out the horrible reality or I really am going senile.
Became very familiar with many West End theatres, concert venues, recording studios, radio and television studios and the like during the late 70’s and early 80’s. Met and worked with many brilliant musicians, although I get the distinct impression that they would not recall any of those meetings. In fact if I were to provide evidence they would probably claim it was forged……..
Mid to late 80’s, worked for a while as writer and producer of tv ads, themes, incidental music etc. The saying ‘they don’t write them like they used to’ springs to mind. What a relief…..
Spent a large proportion of the same period recording in Ireland mainly for one well established producer on a wide variety of projects including his own solo albums. Very Irish. Including the odd fact that I am a very English musician finding myself commissioned to work on very Irish projects. Oh well, there’s no accounting for taste. One of the albums did result in a Grammy nomination though. It is now very prominently displayed on the wall in my cabin. (The nomination not the album, I’ve no idea what the album was). I have made 20 copies, framed them all and put them all up on the walls. Looks really impressive until you examine them closely.
Became MD for very well established female vocalist touring theatres etc right across the UK, mainly Christian material. MD stands for Musical Director by the way, not as you may imagine Maddeningly Demented.
Had my own Piano Cabin built which is where I’m now based. This is my own creative environment and it has been great to build projects from here. They include many artists of whom there is a small selection of music on this site. Some have been completed here. Others are taken to larger studios to record the composite parts.
Have been working for 4 years or so, and continue to work with Charley Bird as she embarks on a very promising career that will surely be high profile and long lasting.
I am currently on stage MD and vocal arranger and facilitator on the Irish based Celtic Thunder. A couple of extensive USA tours under the belt taking in the likes of Radio City, (New York), Nokia (Los Angeles) Wang (Boston) etc etc. Very probably extending to Asia in the very near future.
