Nick Ingman’s music is the sound of a 1970s city in perpetual motion. It is characterized by incredibly tight, punchy brass sections that cut through the mix with surgical precision, underpinned by drum breaks that hip-hop producers would later spend decades hunting for. There is a specific 'library music' sheen here: a professional, high-fidelity gloss that makes every track feel like the opening credits to a high-stakes television drama you’ve never seen but suddenly desperately want to watch.
What makes Ingman distinctive is his ability to marry the formal discipline of a classical conductor with the raw, syncopated grit of funk and jazz fusion. Unlike standard big band music, his arrangements often feature aggressive electric guitar textures and prominent, driving basslines that give the music a muscular, modern edge. It is music designed to serve a purpose, yet it possesses a creative vitality that transcends its original intent as background scoring.
Start with 'Big Beat' from 1973. It is the definitive document of his style, featuring the legendary track 'Thrust' which perfectly encapsulates his blend of orchestral weight and rhythmic urgency. It is the ideal entry point for anyone who loves the intersection of crate-digger funk and professional studio craftsmanship.
Nicholas Ingman (born 29 April 1948) is an English arranger, composer and conductor in the commercial music field. He has collaborated with artists including Paul McCartney, and Björk and contributed scores to the British X-factor. Born and educated in London, Ingman moved to the US at the age of seventeen to study at the Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory, both in Boston. After returning to London, he took a postgraduate course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His first job was as assistant arranger with record producer Norrie Paramor. While there, here worked with Cliff Richard, the Shadows, Sacha Distel, and many more. During this time, he composed many library music tracks and the theme tune to BBC TV series Keeping Up Appearances. Ingman was the originator and arranger of the 1973 album Moody, a set of instrumental covers of then popular songs such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" released under the name The Gentle Rain, which became a cult classic. In 1974, Ingman produced and arranged the six shortlisted songs for the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entry, performed by Olivia Newton-John. He conducted the orchestra for the song chosen by viewers "Long Live Love" at the contest staged in Brighton, UK, where it placed 4th. After going freelance in the mid-1970s, Ingman worked with such artists as Diana Ross, Enrique Iglesias, Queen, and Tina Turner. He was also employed by a large number of American radio stations to provide easy listening tracks for their networks, scoring over 300 tracks every year. Ingman went on to work with major acts such as Pet Shop Boys, Radiohead, Oasis, Annie Lennox, Björk, David Bowie, Elton John, Eric Clapton, and Atticus Ross with whom he toured around the USA. Ingman worked regularly with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1987, Ingman was invited by the Royal Academy of Music to create the Commercial Music Course, the first one in the country, which he ran for over ten years. Ingman was awarded Hon RAM in 2001 and Hon LCM from the London College of Music where he was a visiting professor. His film work as an orchestrator and conductor includes the films as Shakespeare in Love, Billy Elliot, Nowhere Boy, and The Passion of the Christ. He conducted the original recording of Jan A.P. Kaczmarek's Oscar-Winning score for Finding Neverland. Ingman's work as an arranger has accounted for 14 No. 1 singles and five double platinum albums in the UK. He has been nominated for a Grammy three times for his work with Eric Clapton, Sade Adu, and a recording of West Side Story with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
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