User:Andywhitmore

Andy Whitmore
Andy Whitmore is a British Keyboard Player and Record Producer from London, UK. He works from his own studio Greystoke Studios in Ealing, West London. Whitmore has produced 14 UK top-ten Hits including Lemar, Peter Andre, & Atomic Kitten.

He is currently working with X-Factor's Bad Lashes.

''A story from Andy's past:

I am a successful record producer but started with nothing! When I was 20, I had finished a 2 month tour as a keyboard player with Bucks Fizz. I was essentially unemployed in January with little money & the mortgage to pay! I decided I needed to take action to keep hold of my small 2 bed flat.

I bought a copy of Music Week Directory, the UKs list of all managers etc & decided to call every manager in the book. That’s 500 calls! I essentially said “Hi, my name is Andy Whitmore & I have just finished a tour with Bucks Fizz, & am available for sessions & tours as a keyboard player.” 450 managers said they weren’t interested, they have their own guys etc, 49 said they would keep my details “on file” - & never called me again, & 1 manager – Parc Management, said they were looking for a keyboard player for a project they had signed to CBS records.

I sent my CV to all 500 managers, even the ones that weren’t interested; addressing it to the person I spoke to. I had 1 call back! – From Parc Management who asked me to do an audition.

I turned up to the audition, & was asked to set up with the rest of the band. The singer turned round to me & said, “I know who you are what you’ve done & I’m not impressed!” (I gather he had read my short CV). The band started playing a song, & I played along with a piano sound. The singer asked the band to stop playing & shouted at me “Organ!” I guessed he wanted me to use an organ sound, so switched the preset & played along with an organ sound.

The audition carried on in similar fashion, with the singer barking orders at me, but even so – I grooved nicely with the band & enjoyed the audition. After 3 songs, the singer asked me to do another song, but by this stage, I had had enough of verbal abuse & started packing up. He asked me what I was doing & I said, “You’ve seen what I can do, if you want me, you know my number!”

Anyway, 1 week later, Parc called me & gave me the job touring with the artist for 12 months & playing keyboards on 4 tracks on his first album that went triple platinum, on which I’m credited for 3 of the 4 songs I played on.

The album was called “The Hardline According To Terence Trent D’arby” – a worldwide classic & the artist was Terence Trent D’arby. I have since gone on to play keyboards on 50 hit singles & produce 14 top ten tracks plus many albums. & have many more stories like this! Thank you for your time. Andy Whitmore''