Nick Glennie-Smith‚ musician of the rock stars‚ the friend of Hans Zimmer‚ and mediaventurian composer‚ collaborates regularly in France at the “Puy du Fou” (French visual show).

This summer 2005‚ Nick Glennie-Smith was in France‚ incognito‚ where he composes regularly for the “Puy du Fou” in Vendee‚ and where he worked for the original music of the new big show for 2006 of the Big Historic Park‚ entitled “Musketeer of Richelieu” (Mousquetaire de Richelieu). In 2003‚ Nick Glennie-Smith wrote the new music of the “Puy du Fou” Cinéscénie (French visual show). In 2004‚ he composed the original soundtracks of the cartoon movies “Ella Enchanted”‚ “Lauras Stern” and “Der Kleine Eisbär 2” (Polar bear 2)‚ written jointly with Hans Zimmer‚ and the music of “A sound of Thunder” (2005). From 1986‚ Nick Glennie-Smith left London to follow his friend Hans Zimmer in California‚ in the team of Mediaventures. At first‚ he will be a musician for the original soundtrack of the cartoon movie “When the Wind Blows”‚ before beginning as composer for “K2” (1991‚ additional music). But Nick also remains a talented accompanist in keyboards for the greatest rock stars !

We met Nick Glennie-Smith in France‚ this morning of August‚ 2005‚ in the town of Vendee called “La Gaubretière”‚ which shelters a “Memorial” of the counter-revolutionary war of Vendee (1793-1796). In the lounge of a pretty private house‚ Nick Glennie-Smith receives his guest by improvising in the piano an extract of the music of the film “The Man in the Iron Mask” (1998)‚ one of his first original soundtrack. His vendean den is just a step from the “Puy du Fou”‚ where the show 2005 of the Big Park‚ “Vikings”‚ also takes place at the rate of his music : “Since I composed the new music of the “Puy du Fou” Cinéscénie ‚ I often come in France and Vendee is my second house ! I came for the first time in the “Puy du Fou”‚ in 2000‚ the summer‚ to discover this big night-show. I was happy to have been chosen by the voluntary puyfolais actors whom I admire‚ but terrorized at the idea of succeeding the big French composer Georges Delerue‚ very talented‚ who had written the previous music. I dived into the story of Vendee‚ and I took a video of Cinéscénie in my house in Virginia‚ to compose a real theme music. I always listen to it with emotion‚ and a critical eye. But I am very satisfied with the result !” tells Nick Glennie-Smith‚ between two scales‚ like a rigorous professional ...

On his new collaboration in the “Puy du Fou” for the music 2006 of “Musketeer of Richelieu” (Mousquetaire de Richelieu)‚ an other “French visual show “ unique to the world‚ Nick Glennie-Smith remains discreet. The composers really speak about their projects only near the recording studio : “Every soundtrack is an adventure ! For the film “Pirates of the Carribbean 1”‚ for example‚ the producer Jerry Bruckheimer was not seduced by the soundtrack of the first musician”‚ explains Nick Glennie-Smith. “One day‚ Hans Zimmer calls me. The persons in charge of the film confided him the project from the start. Klaus Badelt in the lead and with eight mediaventurian composers‚ we had to create a new music‚ in few weeks !”.

But before being a pillar of the team of Mediaventures‚ virtuoso of synthesizers and computer in the musical creation‚ Nick Glennie-Smith trained himself during an atypical route. Everything begins‚ child‚ in his native England : “I began as small singer in the famous Choir of New College of Oxford‚ from the age of 8 years. Then I carried on with the study of the organ and the violin viola in Trinity College of Music of London‚ adolescent‚ but I found the training too much classical for me‚ and especially I had the rock and roll in the head”‚ tells the composer‚ who decides then to open himself also to the technique of the sound‚ the mixing and the recording. It was a very difficult period‚ with many little jobs and strokes of luck‚ in the middle of musical change of the 1970s : “It’s very difficult to become a professionnal musician. One day‚ a friend asks me to replace a pianist‚ in London‚ during a concert for Amnesty International‚ with notably the guitarist John William”‚ says Nick. “At the same time‚ I composed small orchestral subjects for pubs‚ notably‚ combined in volumes by KPM Library‚ a subsidiary of EMI which furnished the directors in the demand. We begin all like that !”.

And even there‚ the chance smiles to him. Tina Turner needs a good musician in keyboards. Nick Glennie-Smith was already noticed in the microcosm of London‚ and he meets himself beside the singer. Everything is linked! Always in keyboards‚ he plays in several Tina Turner’s albums‚ from 1984 (“Private Dancer”)‚ but also for Cliff Richard‚ Paul McCartney‚ or Roger Waters‚ the leader of Pink Floyd. With Roger Waters and a multitude of rock stars‚ Nick is in the keyboards of the album live “The Wall” in Berlin‚ on July 21st‚ 1990‚ to mark the fall of the wall‚ in front of 150.000 persons and hundred million televiewers ! They continue those accompanist’s collaborations for the rock stars occasionally ...

At the same time‚ Hans Zimmer has already took him in the team of Mediaventures. Then‚ Nick Glennie-Smith signed jointly or signed theme musics as “The Rock” (1996)‚ “The Lion King 2” (1998)‚ “Attila” (TV series 2001)‚ “We were Soldiers” (2002)‚ whose final hymn was resumed for the funeral of Ronald Reagan. And many others original soundtracks‚ alone or with the talented composers of Mediaventures‚ and even he conducts the recordings : The most hard in the writing of a theme music is to find the main leitmotif‚ which can even arise when I wake up in the morning !”‚ says Nick Glennie-Smith. Or in a garden in France‚ for a fine morning in summer.

Interview by Dominique MICHONNEAU
Translation by Myriam SCHAFFHAUSER

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