Singer • Songwriter • Pianist • Keyboard Player • Entertainer
Welcome to the World of Philip James
Philip James
Liverpool Roots
I was born and although not quite raised in Liverpool, my childhood was spent there in L8 with my family and close to my dad´s gigs, a part of the city where music seemed to be woven into everyday life. My father was a jazz clarinettist, so some of my earliest memories are of live bands, jazz clubs and legendary musicians. I also remember him practising the clarinet—at full volume—playing the same passages over and over again until they were perfect. That relentless pursuit of excellence and dedication is something I believe I inherited, although these days the headphones are firmly on.
One childhood memory has stayed with me throughout my life. During a performance, the celebrated clarinettist Acker Bilk placed his famous bowler hat on my father’s head. As a little boy, that was astonishing. Looking back, I think it was my first glimpse of what recognition from your peers really means. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always hoped that one day I’ll experience a similar moment—a crowning moment in my own musical journey.
Musical Foundations
I don’t think you can ever replace the influence of growing up in a cultural melting pot like Liverpool. Years later, when I visited Manhattan, I was struck by how similar it felt. I was there in my role as an accredited management consultant, researching the market for Hambi Haralambous, Martin O’Shea and the Pink Museum on a commission for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). The Pink Museum was home to OMD, including Wirral-born Andy McCluskey, and to The Real People, who worked closely with the Gallagher brothers of Oasis. I could immediately understand why John Lennon had felt so at home in New York—it reminded me of a larger version of Liverpool and Birkenhead. Today, my own studio is close to Birkenhead Park, the park that inspired the design of New York’s Central Park.
I began studying the piano at an early age under Rob Gibney, who later became a tutor at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) founded by Paul McCartney. My passion for music eventually led to performances, including as a keyboard player with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
One concert remains particularly memorable. I was living in Spain at the time, so my keyboard parts were emailed to me in advance, with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and many notables with Gerry Marsden closing the show. I flew back to Liverpool for the performance, borrowed a Roland keyboard from my lifelong drummer friend, Colin Owen—whose daughter happened to own one—and arrived for the rehearsal at 10 o’clock on the morning of the concert. After a single run-through, we performed the concert that evening.
It reinforced something I had always believed: learning to read music and understand chord structures is well worth the effort. Those skills gave me the confidence to step into demanding situations and have continued to underpin my work as a pianist, arranger, performer and songwriter.
Singer • Songwriter • Performer
Today, I´m a singer, songwriter, musician, producer and live entertainer. Alongside original recordings, cinematic music videos and digital productions, I perform live shows throughout the UK and Spain, including acclaimed Barry Manilow and Julio Iglesias tribute performances for theatres, hotels, clubs, restaurants and special events.
Composer • Producer • Recording Studio
Today I work from my own professional Logic Pro recording studio, where I write, arrange, record and produce my own music and will work for people I admire or like. I combine contemporary recording technology with orchestral libraries from Spitfire Audio, instruments from Native Instruments, and Yamaha workstations and Korg synthesis to create productions that blend traditional musicianship with modern sound design.
Whether programming and editing intricate MIDI arrangements, recording live vocal performances or producing final WAV masters, I bring the same attention to detail and pursuit of excellence that I learned from my father all those years ago but adding in the tools of sound engineering and Logic programming. For me, technology has always been something I´ve had a geekish enjoyment and interest in technology, from fixing a Tandberg tape deck to dismantling my dad´s Shure mics in the attic when I was a kid to find out how they worked to trying to understand the first synthesisers and fantastic electronic organs. My fascination with technology is combined with my interest in English, French and German poetry and expression together with my burnt in obsession to try to produce music that is meaningful and like Satchmo said has “plenty rhythm and plenty melody” —these are some of the elements that have combined with my introspective and shy childhood to lead me to strive to create and build memorable music.
Business, Marketing & Innovation
Away from music, I´ve enjoyed a successful career in advertising, international marketing, exporting and business development. I am BS5750 ISO 9002 qualified management consultant with a degree in International Marketing.
I´ve worked extensively with innovative businesses and was honoured at 10 Downing Street as a Business Hero in recognition of the development and patenting of advanced computer systems and EPOS payment terminals. Computer systems which I actually hand built and took to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to work in Exhibitions, following on from the work that they did for my late dear friend John White and the very much alive and kicking brilliant Pauline Smith at the Cherry Tree Centre in Wallasey.
I was an advertising account executive working on Ferranti Computer Systems campaigns and have ran my own advertising agency. I think this experience and particularly being able to interpret product concepts and turn them into effective communications media, print, video and advertising campaigns has combined to enable me to produce engaging video content. Or at least that is what I hope it is!
Languages & International Perspective
Fluent in German and conversational in French and Spanish, I´ve always been fascinated by communication, culture and the varying psychology of audiences. My international outlook continues to influence both my song writing and performances and I plan to produce my songs in German, Spanish and French.
Music That Moves You
Music has remained the constant thread throughout my life. From childhood through decades of performing, writing, producing and studying, every experience has contributed to a body of work shaped by melody, emotion and visual imagination. Drawing on influences ranging from Liverpool’s rich musical heritage to jazz, orchestral music and contemporary production, Philip creates songs designed not simply to be heard, but to be felt.
“Fullfillingness First Finale & Gimme Dat Ding” to Deodata, Miley Cyrus, Gary Barlow, Joe Sample, Paul Simon, John Barry, Mark Ronson, and The Weeknd, The Duke…
Quite a banal contrast, there, but anyone that has ever listened to the brass in “You Haven´t Done Nothing” or the beauty of “Too Shy To Say” or the catchy fun of “The Pipkins” should have been moved by that music in different ways. That Stevie Wonder album was the first that I bought, I then went on to get that astonishingly thick compendium of songs of The Beatles and loved to play “Here, there and Everywhere”, “Yesterday” and “This Boy”. I can remember my dad would put a piece of music in front of me like “Stardust” or “Stairway To The Stars” songs, that I´d never heard and he´d say “play that you’ll have to play music that you don´t know in the future”. I´ve studied the song writing and production techniques of Mark Ronson and local Helsby/Frodsham local lad Gary Barlow and tried to learn as much as I can and I´ve learnt from genuinely great, talented people. I remember the first time I ever heard “Just The Way You Are” and buying my Rhodes and lugging it around. The simple piano beauty of “Your Song”, I remember going with my dad to Frank Hessys music shop and getting so much from the Hammonds that we couldn´t afford, then Dawsons in Chester where Gary Barlow got his first Yamaha, Rushworths where John and Paul got their good guitars when they eventually could afford them. The music shops have gone, where are kids going to get there free goes and continuing ambition now?
My continuing ambition is simple:
Music That Moves You
The Journey Behind the Music
A Childhood Shaped by Music
As a child I suffered from severe allergy-related asthma and hay fever. While many of my friends were outside playing, I often spent long periods indoors. Summer, the season many children love most, frequently made me ill. I was also painfully shy.
Rather than seeing those years as a disadvantage, I gradually disappeared into another world — a world of music.
From the age of seven, the piano became both my refuge and my fascination. Hours disappeared practising scales, chords, harmony and sight-reading. Music became a language that connected me to people and places I had never known, and before long I was writing poetry, lyrics and anything that allowed ideas and emotions to find their way onto paper.
Music at School
At secondary school, music became part of everyday life. I was regularly invited to play the piano and organ during morning assemblies and was often trusted to read the assembly to the entire school because of my speaking voice.
At the same time I began writing plays and became fascinated by the relationship between music, words and drama, discovering how they could work together to tell stories and move an audience.
Performing, Producing and Learning
Over the following decades I performed in bands, worked as a solo entertainer throughout the UK and Spain, studied music production and qualified in Logic Pro through SAE before building my own recording studio.
Along the way I had the privilege of learning from exceptional musicians and producers, including one whose career included work at Abbey Road Studios alongside Sir George Martin and many distinguished recording artists.
Every performance, recording session and collaboration added another chapter to an education that has continued throughout my life.
Language, Psychology and Storytelling
Alongside music grew another lifelong fascination: communication.
Studying International Marketing introduced me to psychology, consumer behaviour and visual storytelling, while my love of German, French and Spanish broadened my understanding of the musical sounds of different cultures, audiences and lyrical expression.
These influences continue to shape not only the words I write, but also the melodies, harmonies and emotional direction of my songs.
Technology in the Service of Creativity
I’ve always been fascinated by technology, not for its own sake, but for the creative possibilities it offers.
Today’s recording software, virtual instruments and production tools allow an independent artist to achieve things that once required an entire studio team. Working from my own Logic Pro studio, I can combine songwriting, arranging, recording, orchestration, cinematic video production and visual storytelling into a single creative process.
Technology has never replaced creativity. It has simply given creativity a larger canvas.
Still Learning. Still Creating.
Looking back, I can see that every stage of my life has contributed to the music I create today.
The childhood challenges.
The endless hours of practice.
The performances.
The friendships.
The languages.
The business career.
The technology.
Together they have shaped not just a collection of songs, but a lifelong pursuit of craftsmanship, melody and emotional connection.
That childhood fascination never disappeared.
If anything, it has grown stronger with every passing year.
My hope is that when people listen to my music or watch my videos, they discover more than melodies. I hope they discover stories, emotions and experiences that stay with them long after the music has ended.
Because that has always been my ambition…
Music That Moves You.
A Lifetime of Live Performance
Music soon became much more than a hobby. From playing piano and organ at school assemblies and writing music for drama, I gradually found myself performing for audiences of every size and in almost every kind of venue.
Over the years I have performed throughout the UK and Spain as a keyboard player, vocalist and entertainer in social clubs, working men’s clubs, restaurants, hotels, cafés, private parties and holiday venues, including performances in Benidorm, Villajoyosa and El Campello.
My work has also included composing and performing music for theatre productions, including collaborations with Theatr Clwyd and the National Theatre of Wales, experiences that deepened my appreciation of the relationship between music, storytelling and live performance.
Whether performing intimate piano ballads, energetic dance classics or original songs, I have always believed that live entertainment should be about creating an atmosphere where audiences feel involved, relaxed and thoroughly entertained.
Entertaining an Audience
As a performer I enjoy far more than simply singing songs. My aim is to create an evening that people remember.
Using keyboards, piano and a completely wireless keytar and microphone system, I can move freely around the venue, interact with guests and become part of the celebration rather than remaining behind a keyboard.
There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing people singing along, dancing the night away and leaving with smiles on their faces. Whether the occasion is an elegant dinner, a hotel cabaret, a lively party or a concert performance, every audience deserves an evening that is engaging, personal and enjoyable.
Celebrating Weddings
One of the greatest privileges for any performer is sharing a couple’s wedding day.
My repertoire includes romantic classics together with original compositions, including We’ll Build A Better Life, a song written to celebrate love, commitment and the journey of marriage. For wedding couples, the lyrics can be personalised to include their names, creating a unique musical keepsake for one of the most important days of their lives.
Every wedding is different, and I work closely with couples to create music that reflects their own story and helps make their celebration truly unforgettable.