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Leslie Bricusse

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Leslie Bricusse was a British composer, lyricist and playwright, born in Southfields, London, in 1931. He studied at Cambridge, where he performed with the Footlights and wrote for student theatre. In the 1960s and 1970s he worked a great deal with Anthony Newley. Together they wrote the musical Stop the World – I Want to Get Off, which yielded the Grammy-winning What Kind of Fool Am I?, and The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd. As a lyricist he also worked with Cyril Ornadel, Henry Mancini and John Williams.

Music and breakthrough

Bricusse wrote the music and lyrics for the films Doctor Dolittle from 1967, Goodbye, Mr. Chips from 1969, Scrooge from 1970 and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He won an Oscar for Talk to the Animals. Sammy Davis Jr. had hits with What Kind of Fool Am I? and The Candy Man. Nina Simone sang his Feeling Good, Shirley Bassey made Goldfinger a worldwide success and Nancy Sinatra sang You Only Live Twice. In 1989 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Influence

His songs have survived many styles, from musical theatre to soul and jazz, because the melodies are strong and the lyrics direct. In 2015 his memoirs, Pure Imagination, appeared, with a foreword by Elton John. Bricusse died in 2021.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Feeling Good in the version by Nina Simone and notice how the a cappella opening turns into an orchestra with brass. Can you hear how a stage song becomes a soul classic?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists