Bob Heatlie

Bob Heatlie is a Scottish songwriter and producer and has collaborated with many leading music industry figures. He has also been successful in producing musical scores for the television entertainment industry.

Background

Born Robert Heatlie, 1946, (Craigmillar, Edinburgh) is an instrumental repertoire includes saxophone, drums, and piano.

Hit songs

His most successful and prominent songs are "Japanese Boy" and "Merry Christmas Everyone", both substantial 1980s pop chart hits across Europe and beyond. "Japanese Boy" (released by the German label Hansa) was a novelty hit recorded by Aneka, a fellow Scot. It sold in excess of 4.5 million copies.

Heatlie wrote arguably his finest pop songs in "Cry Just A Little Bit" in 1983 and "Breaking Up My Heart" for Shakin' Stevens in 1985. The song was another hit (helped in part by a music video). Coincidentally, it was also the song that Stevens performed for his record-setting 50th appearance on the BBC's Top of the Pops weekly UK music chart television programme on 7 March that year.

"Merry Christmas Everyone" was first recorded by Shakin' Stevens, reaching the top of the charts in many European territories around Christmas 1985. "Merry Christmas Everyone" has since become an annual mainstay of radio airplay in and around the December holidays.

Heatlie also wrote an album track "Woman (What Have You Done To Me) for Shaky on the 1988 album "A Whole Lotta Shaky". A remixed version of the same song was featured within The Shakin' Stevens release "The Epic Masters Box Set" in 2009. Heatlie also co-produced and remixed no less than nine songs on Shaky's album "A Whole Lotta Shaky". The last single Heatlie worked on with Shaky was the single "Radio" which featured Roger Taylor from Queen.

Current status

In later years, Heatlie concentrated on doing musical compositions for children's television. One of the programmes include The Fresh Beat Band, Franklin, Fireman Sam: The Great Fire of Pontypandy, Brambly Hedge, Justin Time, Hey Arnold! and Animaniacs. He also composed the music for the documentary series Worlds Apart and the television special The Curious Case of Santa Claus.

Songwriting credits

Solo

• Aneka - "Japanese Boy" (Single, 8 August 1981, UK No. 1)
• Cliff Richard - "Locked Inside Your Prison" (Album track on Silver, October 1983, UK No. 7)
• Shakin' Stevens - "Cry Just A Little Bit" (Single, 5 November 1983, UK No. 3)
• Shakin' Stevens - "Breaking Up My Heart" (Single, 2 March 1985, UK No. 14)
• Shakin' Stevens - "Merry Christmas Everyone" (Single, 7 December 1985, UK No. 1)
• Ann Turner - "Too Hot To Handle" (Runner-up in the UK's Song For Europe Eurovision Song Contest selection TV programme, 1987)
• Shakin' Stevens - Woman (What Have You Done To Me) (Album track on "A Whole Lotta Shaky" 1988)

With Gordon Campbell

• Local Hero - "Why Don't You" (B-Side to the single "Daydream Believer")
• Anya - "Moscow Nights" (Single, 1985)
• Shakin' Stevens - "Radio" (Single, 10 October 1992, UK No. 37)

For TV

• The Trap Door (Children's animated television series) theme tune. Vocals performed by Zygott.
• Little Robots
• Kipper
• Sheeep
• Anthony Ant
• Percy the Park Keeper

• Composed with David Pringle
  • Fun House theme tune.
  • Wheel of Fortune theme tune

External links

• Bob Heatlie at the Internet Movie Database
• Bob Heatlie discography at Discogs
• The Official Shakin' Stevens Website