Ronnie Aldrich


Ronald Frank "Ronnie" Aldrich was a British easy listening and jazz pianist, arranger, conductor and composer.

Early life

The only son of a store manager, he was three years old when he started playing the piano.

Education and Career

He was educated at the Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone, and taught violin at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Before the Second World War, he went to India to play jazz and first gained fame in the 1940s with the Squadronaires, which he led from 1951 when the band was then billed as Ronnie Aldrich and The Squadronaires up until their disbanding in 1964.
He was noteworthy for the recording development of playing two pianos in his recordings. He recorded for the Decca Record Company Ltd in the 1960s and 1970s, moving to Seaward Ltd licensed to EMI in the 1980s. He also regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 2 with his own orchestra as well as with the BBC Radio Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra, based at BBC Glasgow. He also recorded special tracks that were released by Reader's Digest. All the Decca recordings have been released on CD format by Vocalion. Many of his sessions for radio stations have been released by Apple iTunes in m4a format.
He was appointed musical director at Thames Television and thus was widely known as the musical director for the television programme The Benny Hill Show.
He was married twice and had a daughter from his first marriage. At the time of his death, he was married to E. Mary Aldrich, his wife for more than 30 years. He died of prostate cancer at age 77 in the Isle of Man.

Discography

His work has been released in different formats: LP, single, cassette, 8-track, open reel, CD and recently digital.

Ronnie Aldrich and the Squadcats

original catalogue number; SP is the London label /
Also issued as "Romantic Screen Themes" in Japan /
Togetherness was issued as two separate albums in the USA

Decca (Polygram) Discography (One Piano)

Seaward also issued a vinyl LP, The Wonderful World of Man, which contained recordings of the sounds of the Isle of Man, where Ronnie Aldrich lived from the 1960s onwards. This record was sold in the island to tourists.

Decca Discography "The New Big Band"

Melody and Percussion for Two Pianos

Released as two separate albums in US: Here Come The Hits! and Close to You

Love Story

Released as "Evergreen" in US. not included in American release.

Melodies from The Classics