David Martin Interview on The Paul Leslie Hour

Are you here? Okay! Everyone’s here. It’s The Paul Leslie Hour and you’re welcome here.

This is an interview from the archives with songwriter David Martin, known for being a part of the songwriting group of Arnold, Martin & Morrow.

Now… David Martin lives and breathes the songs. Chances are, you’ve heard something David Martin wrote. His songs have sold over 26 million records around the world, but all stories have a beginning. For the British singer-songwriter, he began his career as a member of the group Butterscotch on RCA Records.

Soon after, he formed a songwriting partnership with Chris Arnold and Geoff Morrow. The partnership resulted in many the composition of many songs recorded by the true legends of recorded music, including Cliff Richard, Wayne Newton, Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, and Mama Cass. The legendary Elvis Presley recorded four of their songs: “Let’s Be Friends,” “A Little Bit of Green,” “Sweet Angeline” and “This is the Story.”

Quick side note, how many of you are planning on seeing the new movie simply entitled “ELVIS” releasing on June 24th? We can’t wait…

Now, one of the songs David Martin wrote has brought many smiles to the world. David Martin’s song “Can’t Smile Without You” would become a pop standard and worldwide hit after being recorded by Barry Manilow. Manilow was not the first, nor the last artist to record the song. The Carpenters, Engelbert Humperdinck, Vic Damone, Andy Williams, Gino Cunico and others would perform and record their own versions. The song has been performed countless times in concert, been featured in motion pictures. The song earned Martin three BMI awards for over 3 million airplays.

Although HE continues to write songs, he is still very much a singer. He has a great admiration for the great songwriters of the American Songbook, those lyricists and composers who wrote the standards: Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer and Sammy Cahn. It is his love for these American classics that resulted in his album “Silky Smooth Moments.” Accompanied by the Terry Coffey Trio, David Martin sings standards like “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” and one written by David Martin himself.

It’s a beautiful gesture from David Martin. Although he has accomplished so much with his own songs, he pays tribute to the great songwriters who came before him. We invite you into the world and passion of David Martin, where songs with great messages never die. They endure.