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ROBIN SONG MUSIC  -- THE PAST-THE PRESENT-THE FUTURE

 

The Paris-based music publishing company was founded by  the American journalist, lyricist and record producer Jack Robinson and French music publisher Max Amphoux in October 1973.

 

Seattle-born Robinson,  was an Associated Press newsman in San Francisco  until called to active duty in the Marines .  Upon return to civilian life Robinson took a crash course in French, moved to Paris and became a United Press International news correspondent there.

While still a journalist Robinson worked on French language Radio Luxembourg with a weekly show where he played American and British music and interviewed the stars that came through Paris. Soon the lure of the music business was too strong. He was hired away from journalism to work for   American  and English music publishers who had just signed the Rolling Stones:Howard Richmond of TRO and David Platz of Essex Music. Robinson later worked for Michael Goldsen of Hollywood-based Criterion Music. During that period Robinson co-produced seven hit singles for French artist Gilles Marchal with Georges Chatelain and Bernard Estardy of CBE Studios. Georges Chatelain, the studio's founder and financing partner taught Robinson the art of recording and  mixing.

Robinson then went on to produce a massive hit in America with the group King Harvest: "Dancing In The Moonlight."

That made Robinson to  decide to create his own publishing and production company,  RobinSongMusic.  Dynamic young French music publisher, Max Amphoux found the necessary financing to start the company with him.   Robinson decided to create a niche for the company by publishing and producing  mostly English language songs. The problem was he needed an English language lyricist. Not finding anyone else to fill the bill he began writing lyrics.

Amphoux and Robinson remained partners for 13 years. Robinson eventually bought out Amphoux, but trying to write and produce music and administer a company with a large sub-publishing catalog, he felt the need for a firmly established partner to handle copyright, accounting and general administration.  Peermusic France/ La Semi became RobinSongMusic's new partner headed by veteran publisher Rene Boyer. Today the co-general managers of the company along with Robinson are Bruno Lion and Joelle Galante of Peermusic.

THE BOLDEN/ROBINSON ERA 1974-1997

Robinson began writing with French composer/ singer  David Christie, whose pen name was James Bolden.  As a team they sold more than 50 million units with their songs. 

The first was (IF YOU WANT IT, DO IT YOURSELF) for Gloria Gaynor produced by Disco maven, Tom Moulton. That hit opened the floodgates. Their songs were in demand. A hot Anglo/Indian producer Biddu, recorded I LOVE TO LOVE(But My Baby Just Loves to Dance) with 19 year old Tina Charles. The record was number one in 19 countries around the world, including the U.K. and nine years later became a massive hit again with a remix.

 

Robinson and Bolden wrote nine songs for Grace Jones including the number one Billboard dance hit "Do or Die." The team wrote and  produced American femme trio "Frantique's" 

STRUT YOUR FUNKY STUFF which was top ten in the U.K. and on the Continent.  They wrote for the Gibson Brothers, Demis Roussos, Carol Douglas, Sylvie Vartan, and many other artists but David Christie called a halt to writing songs for other singers. He insisted on holding on to tunes they wrote looking for one he could record and make the charts as a singer. That song was "SADDLE UP" and it was a multi-million seller sweep from the U.K. across the European Continent. From that point on they kept songs for Christie and recorded several albums.

Although Christie had a tragic ending to his life in 1997 his songs continue to be played, streamed and performed.  Seven of the Bolden-Robinson songs are a part of a forthcoming  English musical comedy (working title) WALKING THE DOGS.

 

For a brief time Robinson teamed up with Italian hit composer  Romano Musumarra. They scored a Continental-wide hit with Princess Stephanie of Monaco's IRRESISTIBLE.

A recent collaboration has developed  with writer/producer JOHANN PERRIER for his productions Bad Boys Blue, Systems in Blue and Linda Jo Rizzo and his own recordings under the name MS PROJECT.

CURRENT

RobinSongMusic publishes several songs on Britain's Got Talent winner RONAN PARKE's first album including its first single: No Love (Like the First Love) .

 

THE FUTURE

Robinson co-wrote several songs with Nashville/L.A. composer Michael McGregor  for original   the forthcoming "Walking the Dogs" musical which is  being developed in London by musical producer JULIE CLARE.

 

A new artist on the horizon is England's  singer/actress SIOBHAN ATHWAL who has recorded three songs in Paris with the production team of Patrick Francfort (Gibson Brothers), Belgium's  arranger/producer JAIMY JAY and  Paris-based, American producer Akil Wingate. The songs are co-published by RobinSongMusic and Kings Cross Music. 

 

Siobhan Athwal co-stars in a London musical, WASTED, based on the life of the Bronte sisters.

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