Mike Batt

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Southampton, England (1969 – present)

Michael Philip “Mike” Batt (born 6 February 1949, Southampton, England) is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry. He is best known for creating The Wombles pop act, writing the chart-topping “Bright Eyes,” and discovering Katie Melua.

Batt began his career in pop music at the age of eighteen as a signed artist with Liberty Records, having answered the same advertisement as Elton John and Bernie Taupin placed by Ray Williams in the New Musical Express. The talented youth quickly became part of Liberty’s production team, and in 1969 he took over production duties from Noel Walker, on blues great McKenna Mendelson Mainline’s seminal first release, Stink. Walker and Batt were credited on the album only as “Liberty Staff”. Also in 1969, Batt released as producer/artist a Liberty single, his bouncy cover of The Beatles’ “Your Mother Should Know”. Batt subsequently became Head of A&R for Liberty Records.

His first hits as a singer/songwriter/producer were by The Wombles, in 1974. After eight hit singles and four gold albums with The Wombles, he moved on to work with various artists as a songwriter/producer, most successfully with Steeleye Span and their most successful single and album All Around My Hat in 1975.

Arguably his most famous success is Watership Down (including music and lyrics to Art Garfunkel’s international number one single, “Bright Eyes”, which won “Best Film Song or Music” one of his five Ivor Novello Awards. Criticized for being trite and overly sentimental, the song remains a radio favourite.

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Top Albums

  • The Very Best Of
    Mike Batt
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  • The Very Best Of Mike Batt
    Mike Batt
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  • A Songwriter's Tale
    Mike Batt
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  • Tarot Suite
    Mike Batt
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  • beelove212

    michelle.adams121@yahoo.com i am Michelle i saw your profile in www.lastfm.de i will like to know you i will like you to contact me direct to my email at michelle.adams121@yahoo.com then i will send you my photos and tell you all about me. waiting for you dear Michelle

    January 2012
  • deescottmusic

    Sowas traut sich heute keiner mehr zu. Ein perfekter Mix aus Pop und Klassik.

    October 2011
  • mweave5707

    Prolific and he look's nothing like a Womble!

    July 2011
  • ultimate60s

    Finally he's released 'The Hunting of the Snark' - and it was worth the wait!

    November 2010
  • spazzpp2

    when will there be a next philharmania?

    November 2010
  • Anubizz

    Love everyhthing on "The Very Best Of Mike Batt"..one of many musicians/bands i got to to know because of my father..:)

    August 2010
  • GeordiLaForce

    Tarot Suite = Amazing!

    March 2010
  • fmera

    "Can someone please add the album "Waves" to this profile?" - Waves?

    June 2009
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Royalty, Reality and Royalties

22 May 2011 | from blog.myspace.com/mikebattofficial

Evenin' all.This is my second run at doing a blog lately. I tried to write one just after we did our Buckingham Palace show, and then realised it was so full of the very recent Buckingham …

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