John Lewis (electronic musician)

For other musicians of this name, see John Lewis (disambiguation).

Reginald 'John' Lewis was a Canadian-born British electronic music and experimental composer and musician who worked on multiple projects during the 1970s and 1980s.

John Lewis
Lewis in 1974
Background information
Birth name	Reginald John Lewis
Born	26 July 1944 Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died	3 February 1985 Ham Green Hospital, Bristol, England
Genres	Electronic experimental
Occupations	Composer Pianist
Instrument(s)	Piano, Organ, Synthesiser
Years active	1969 - 1984
Labels	Polydor

Early life

John was born in the town of Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada, on the 26th July 1944. He was the youngest of two boys, with his brother David five years his senior - born to parents David Reginald Lewis and Minnie Anne Bigg. John studied a bachelor in Fine Art - Music at St. Stephens College at the University of Alberta in the mid-1960s. During this time John was the prize student of Miss Archer, his associate professor in the serious study of the art of music composition.

In 1964 John was awarded the university 'Eva Shaw Memorial Prize in Music' for being a student of "outstanding merit". During his time at university, John was playing the organ on the CKUA radio station in regular slots before becoming a music commentator for the station.

In November 1966 John put forward an application that was endorsed by the university and put before the committee for one of the world's most prestigious scholarships - Rhodes. The scholarship was so prestigious that to be endorsed by the university an applicant was not only required to possess a bachelor's degree but also demonstrate “outstanding academic achievement”. John found himself competing with two of his peers, Mr Clogg a bachelor of Commerce, and Mr McKenzie, a bachelor of Geography. A committee panel of seven headed by Justice Kane, a former Rhodes scholar himself, and judge at the Alberta Supreme Court awarded the scholarship to Mr McKenzie on 21 November 1966.

John gained his Bachelor of Music, announced in the Edmonton Journal on 23 May 1967. He continued to broadcast on CKUA Radio as a Music Commentator in his regular slots and remained the music director at the Highlands United Church, a position he had held since 1966.

British Commonwealth Scholarship (London)

John's Parents Reg & Minnie placed an announcement in their local newspaper, the Brooks Bulletin on 25 April 1968. In it, they congratulate John on winning a British Commonwealth Scholarship to “continue his music studies in London, England”.  Before heading to London John played in various concerts in association with Alberta University  & an organ concert at St. Joseph Cathedral, on 1 August 1968. John is listed in the British Commonwealth Scholarship directory, and most likely arrived in London mid-late August 1968 to begin his scholarship in September of the same year.

It is not clear where in London John took up his scholarship [possibly South Kensington Institute]. But he is credited with composing music for the performance of “Alternations” by Gregg Mayher, a New York dancer in the Daily Telegraph on 10 November 1969. Mayher was an ‘American Modern Dance’ teacher at South Kensington Institute [Imperial College] and the Dance Centre which was located at 12 Floral Street, Covent Garden. John would return to this genre of composing for modern dance when commissioned by Ballet Rambert in a few years.

Rome 1970 - 1972

After taking up his scholarship in London in 1968 John then went to Rome, Italy to study 'advanced music composition' under German Composer Hans Werner Henze.

Ballet Rambert

By April 1973 John was back in London having composed music for a ballet performance titled 'Red-shift' directed by dancer Carolyn Carlson. John was first commissioned in1973 to write the score of Isolde, choreographed by Norman Morrice for Ballet Rambert. The score had its premiere at Sadler's Wells Theatre on 27 September 1973. John was also credited as the Assistant Music Director as the company toured the United Kingdom. Isolde was reported widely in the press before its last performance on 13 October 1973 at the Sunderland Empire. John's original score, in his own hand is stored in the Rambert Archive.

John remained with Ballet Rambert and was commissioned the following year to compose the score for ballet ‘Spindrift’, again choreographed by Norman Morrice which premiered at the Camden Roundhouse on 17 April 1974. John was credited as writing the score, touring with the company as Assistant Musical Director, and pianist in performances up and down the UK. In the absence of John the accomplished Carlos Miranda occasionally assumed the role. Spindrift was last performed at the Theatre Y Werin on 3 May 1975. Sadly the Score is not held in the Rambert Archives.

Electrophon Studio

In 1972 a 32-year-old Brian Hodgson of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop founded ‘Electrophon Music Ltd’ after withdrawing his pension and leaving the BBC. In a corner of a warehouse full of industry creatives at 8-10 Neal's Yard, Covent Garden Hodgson was joined by Radiophonic colleague Delia Derbyshire, who soon after setting up the studio left London for the North of England.

Brian Hodgson, also commissioned by Ballet Rambert to compose music had on occasion bumped into John Lewis at the Rambert rehearsal rooms and studio along with social events for industry creatives. Sometime in early 1974, John, interested in buying a synthesiser stopped by the Electrophon studio in the hope Brian would guide him with his purchase. The pair took the short walk to Tottenham Court Road, stopping at music shops down the likes of Denmark Street - Britain's ‘Tin Pan Alley’ which by the 80s was littered with music shops, some still trading today.

However, it was the lack of knowledge on synthesisers by the music shop owners that led Brian to suggest John partner with him at Electrophon.

Brian Hodgson and John Lewis under the name "Wavemaker", released albums of melodic synthesiser music titled Where Are We Captain?... (1975) and New Atlantis (1977). In December 1977, Hodgson, upon invitation returned to the Radiophonic Workshop and left the Electrophon studio in Lewis' hands.

Notable Works

• Lewis worked with British new wave band M on their 1979 hit song "Pop Muzik". Frontman Robin Scott stated "John Lewis's contribution from my point of view was unique. Unwittingly he was a musical catalyst to a classic recording in 1979". Although John was heavily influential in the composition of Pop Muzik when the track was finished Robin Scott felt it was lacking that certain something that would set his record aside from all the others. Scott felt it needed an intro, and after various variations were composed he settled on Lewis's organ introduction at the top of the record. Lewis also appeared in television promotion of Pop Muzik including two appearances on Top of the Pops in 1979 playing the organ and an appearance on German television show Plattenkuchen on 7 August 1979
• Lewis is credited on Pete Townshend's 1982 album ‘All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese eyes’. as “Fairlight CMI Programming"
• Lewis is credited for composing 'Trouble with the Tune' lyrics also written by Ben Cross for the Swingle Singers 1977 album titled 'Pieces of Eight. Lewis is also credited as playing the Keyboard on the CBS London recording of the track.
• On 1 January 1980 John is credited as producer, alongside Peter Kent on a version of T-Rex's ‘Children of the Revolution’ written by the late Marc Bolan, and recorded at Electrophon by the band ‘The Fast Set’. In the same year John worked with DJ Gareth Marshallsea. Calling themselves ‘C.V.O’ they made a record called Sargaso Sea which was released on a compilation of demos by the same label as The Fast Set,  4AD.
• In 1984 John Lewis, Gareth Marshallsea & C. Platt wrote 'Thunder and Lightning' under the name Heat-X-Change. This was re-released multiple times over the years as remixes or on compilation albums. In recent years it made it onto an album titled 'Heaven' a nod London's gay nightclub Heaven and a Stonewall Greatest Hits album given the track had become am upbeat gay anthem on the gay scene.

Dr Who (TV)

As Hodgson, and the entire Workshop, was heavily involved in creating Doctor Who sound effects and music, Hodgson was asked if he knew anybody outside composers. Hodgson suggested outsourcing some of the work to Lewis, who began recording the original incidental music for the serial The Mark of the Rani, broadcast in 1985. However, Lewis was already suffering from AIDS in an advanced stage, and managed to complete only the first episode of the score, when he fell too ill to complete the score. He died soon afterwards, and the score was finished by Jonathan Gibbs. Lewis' score for the first episode was included on the DVD release.

Sexuality

John made no secret of his sexuality, but he was not known to make it obvious he was a gay man. He always lived in and around the Kensington and Chelsea borough of London and rented a flat on Elsham Road, near Earls Court before purchasing the flat above the one he rented. He was a keen swimmer and regularly worked out at the fitness centres. He was handsome, well-groomed and in good shape.

John was noted for wearing a bunch of keys on his belt loop, often used as a code along with the handkerchief for homosexual preference and John is seen wearing his keys on his left hand side in an appearance on Top of the Pops for Pop Muzik.

Death

One day in the Electrophon studio Lewis shared concern with Hodgson of a rash that had appeared on his arms from his wrists to his elbows. Retrospectively known as a sign of seroconversion of HIV. Close friends of Lewis started to see, as he himself noticed that he was increasingly unable to fight off or taking longer to fight off common infections such as cold and flu.

Around mid-1984 Lewis was admitted to London's Middlesex Hospital with what was diagnosed as a form of pneumonia. Additional tests after admission revealed an HIV/AIDS diagnosis. Hodgson and friends visited John in hospital and upon his discharge all agreed to relocate the studio from Covent Garden to a small cottage in Bristol. While John and his friends hoped for a treatment or cure, they felt the fresh country air would do him good. Hodgson recalled that naturally, electronic equipment gathers dust by static so they cleaned the studio equipment before sending it off to the cottage in Midford, Bristol.

Within a matter of weeks, John fell unwell and was admitted to the isolation hospital, Ham Green near Bristol. John's father having passed in 1976 his mother Minnie made the journey from Edmonton, Canada to be by her son's side. John spent Christmas 1984 in a room on the isolation ward, known as T-Ward with two other men who were also unwell with AIDS and AIDS-related complications. The rooms were separated by a wall with a window.

John Lewis passed away on 3 February 1985 at Ham Green Hospital, near Bristol. His cause of death was a 1a, Pulmonary Embolism. 1b, Cryptococcal meningitis (an AIDS-related meningitis) and 2, HTLV-3 virus infection (now known as HIV/AIDS).

He was cremated at Haycombe Crematorium, Bath on 12 February 1985 in an intimate service and his ashes were interred in the garden of remembrance.

External links

• John Lewis discography on Discogs
• Records produced at Electrophon Studios
• Hodgson and Lewis at Electrophon Studios in 1977.
• Hodgson and Lewis from the New Atlantis album cover.
• AIDS: The Lost Voices - John Lewis Biography