Signed edition
Hidden Man: My Many Musical Lives Published by Equinox, 2022. ISBN 9781800501553.
Every copy signed by John, with a personal dedication on request — a keepsake of a life spent behind the great records.
The latest album
Pearls of Wisdom John's own jazz record — the saxophone voice behind fifty years of other people's hits, finally front and centre.
On the records
The hits he shaped Nineteen platinum discs carry his name — strings, horns and arrangements behind some of the most loved records of their age.
Matching Tie and Handkerchief Monty Python · 1973 Musician Sweet Deceiver Kevin Ayers · 1975 Clarinet The Rutles The Rutles · 1978 String & brass arrangements, conductor Always Look on the Bright Side of Life Monty Python · 1979 Arranger & conductor Walking in the Air Aled Jones · 1982 Arranger & producer That Ole Devil Called Love Alison Moyet · 1985 Arranger Faith George Michael · 1987 Arranger — Grammy Album of the Year Kissing a Fool George Michael · 1988 Arranger From Langley Park to Memphis (Hey Manhattan!) Prefab Sprout · 1988 Arranger Street Fighting Years Simple Minds · 1989 Arranger Downtown Train (Storyteller) Rod Stewart · 1989 Arranger A Very Special Season Diana Ross · 1994 Arranger It's Oh So Quiet Björk · 1995 Arranger Wildest Dreams Tina Turner & Barry White · 1996 Arranger Archaeology The Rutles · 1996 Orchestrator & conductor Saturnz Return Goldie · 1998 Arranger & saxophone Also arranged album tracks for The Pretenders, Tom Jones, Michael Jackson, Ian Dury, Graham Parker, Murray Head.
The library years
De Wolfe Music For the world's oldest music library, John wrote and recorded period jazz across the decades — music later heard in Peaky Blinders and ITV's The Singapore Grip.
His track "Manhattan Mood" opens De Wolfe's 2025 showreel.
Listen here
Cartoon Capers — Audio Network ▶ Wonderboy 2:41 ▶ Ricky Dangerous 2:18 ▶ Sergeant Loon 2:03 ▶ Pee Wee Hero 2:29 ▶ Mousecapades 2:12 Previews courtesy of Audio Network. License the full catalogue →
The complete discography
Every record, every sleeve 138 releases across six decades — from blues sessions in 1970 to the Bond score of 2021.
All Arranger / musician Producer Artist With sleeves
Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu Jellybread · 1970 Arranger / musician Dave Kelly Dave Kelly · 1971 Arranger / musician Sweet Deceiver Kevin Ayers · 1975 Arranger / musician Say It Ain't So Murray Head · 1975 Arranger / musician Tony Hazzard And Richard Barnes Tony Hazzard & Richard Barnes · 1976 Arranger / musician Hang On Sloopy The Sandpipers · 1976 Arranger / musician Stick To Me Graham Parker And The Rumour · 1977 Arranger / musician Overdue The Sandpipers · 1977 Arranger / musician It Should Have Lasted Forever The Sandpipers · 1978 Arranger / musician Whoops A Daisy / Davey Crockett Humphrey Ocean & The Hardy Annuals / Humphrey Ocean's Iron Hoof · 1978 Arranger / musician The Rutles The Rutles · 1978 Arranger / musician Dragon Power (A Tribute To Bruce Lee) J.K.D Band Featuring The Voice Of Bruce Lee · 1978 Arranger / musician Stardust Stardust · 1978 Arranger / musician Voodoo Woman / Lily Vince Cadillac · 1978 Arranger / musician Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder Penny Lane · 1978 Arranger / musician A Talking Picture The Pasadena Roof Orchestra · 1978 Arranger / musician Schöner Gigolo - Armer Gigolo Various · 1979 Arranger / musician Life Of Brian Monty Python · 1979 Arranger / musician Monty Python's Life Of Brian (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Monty Python · 1979 Arranger / musician The Innes Book Of Records Neil Innes · 1979 Arranger / musician Night Out The Pasadena Roof Orchestra · 1979 Arranger / musician You Must Remember This Robin Sarstedt · 1980 Arranger / musician A Series Of Long Jumps Jimmy Grierson · 1980 Arranger / musician Van Morrison In Ireland Van Morrison · 1980 Arranger / musician Sign Language Inger Lise · 1980 Arranger / musician Tiswas Presents The Four Bucketeers The Four Bucketeers · 1980 Arranger / musician The Secret Policeman's Ball - The Music Various · 1980 Arranger / musician Chasanova Chas Jankel · 1981 Arranger / musician The Biggest Hit Of All Michael Bond · 1982 Arranger / musician Crazy Words, Crazy Tunes The Pasadena Roof Orchestra · 1982 Arranger / musician Jingle Jangle Norman Wisdom With Bogdan Kominowski · 1982 Arranger / musician Being Number One Bogdan Kominowski · 1982 Arranger / musician Off The Record Neil Innes · 1982 Arranger / musician The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (The Music) Various · 1982 Arranger / musician Patti Patti Boulaye · 1983 Arranger / musician By The Sword Divided (Theme From The BBC TV Series) Consort · 1983 Arranger / musician I Wish You Would Brunning Sunflower Blues Band · 1983 Arranger / musician Miss Marple - Theme From The BBC TV Series Consort · 1984 Arranger / musician Such A Night! Live In London Dr. John · 1984 Arranger / musician Think Twice Before You Speak Lowell Fulson · 1984 Arranger / musician Ready For Roses Now Marti Webb · 1985 Producer Encore Marti Webb · 1985 Producer Walking In The Air Aled Jones · 1985 Producer Can't Sit Down! Jimmy Dawkins ● Eddie C. Campbell ● Lowell Fulson ● Professor Eddie Lusk & Anthony Palmer · 1985 Arranger / musician TV Giants The London Screen Orchestra · 1985 Arranger / musician That Ole Devil Called Love Alison Moyet · 1985 Arranger / musician Live In London Maria Muldaur · 1985 Arranger / musician I Could Be So Good For You Marti Webb With Paul Jones · 1986 Producer Sings Small Screen Themes Marti Webb · 1986 Producer Silk & Steel 5 Star · 1986 Arranger / musician Let It Be Ferry Aid · 1987 Arranger / musician Faith George Michael · 1987 Arranger / musician Beyond The Blue Horizon Willy Finlayson · 1988 Producer From Langley Park To Memphis Prefab Sprout · 1988 Arranger / musician Hey Manhattan! Prefab Sprout · 1988 Arranger / musician Kissing A Fool George Michael · 1988 Arranger / musician Just For Me Nappy Brown, Special Guest Big Jay McNeely · 1988 Arranger / musician Erik The Viking Neil Innes & John Altman · 1989 Artist Street Fighting Years Simple Minds · 1989 Arranger / musician Monty Python Sings Monty Python · 1989 Arranger / musician The Sheltering Sky (Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Ryuichi Sakamoto · 1990 Arranger / musician Everybody Wins (Original Soundtrack) Mark Isham · 1990 Arranger / musician Atlantis Eric Serra · 1991 Arranger / musician Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life... Monty Python · 1991 Arranger / musician Hear My Song John Altman · 1992 Artist Strip Tease Acid Drinkers · 1992 Arranger / musician Swing Swing Sisters & The Pasadena Roof Orchestra · 1993 Arranger / musician Passion Is No Ordinary Word: The Graham Parker Anthology 1976-1991 Graham Parker · 1993 Arranger / musician Harmony T-Square & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra · 1993 Arranger / musician Agatha Christie's Miss Marple (Original Music From The BBC Television Series) Video Symphonic · 1993 Arranger / musician Pasadena The Pasadena Roof Orchestra · 1993 Arranger / musician Peak Practice John Altman · 1994 Artist Bhaji On The Beach (The Soundtrack To The Motion Picture) Various · 1994 Arranger / musician Twilight In Upper West (幕末高校生 メインテーマ曲) T-Square & Munich Symphonic Orchestra · 1994 Arranger / musician A Very Special Season Diana Ross · 1994 Arranger / musician Léon (Musique Du Film De Luc Besson) Eric Serra · 1994 Arranger / musician Funny Bones - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Various · 1995 Producer Three Björk · 1995 Arranger / musician It's Oh So Quiet Björk · 1995 Arranger / musician Goldeneye (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Eric Serra · 1995 Arranger / musician Post Björk · 1995 Arranger / musician No Bananas (Soundtrack From The BBC TV Series) The John Altman Big Band Featuring Joan Viskant And Ray Gelato · 1996 Producer Shangri-La The Rutles · 1996 Arranger / musician La Musique Des Films Eric Serra · 1996 Arranger / musician Archaeology The Rutles · 1996 Arranger / musician Wildest Dreams Tina · 1996 Arranger / musician Beautiful Thing Various · 1996 Arranger / musician Ragga And The Jack Magic Orchestra Ragga And The Jack Magic Orchestra · 1997 Arranger / musician An Interactive Journey Through The World Of... Ragga And The Jack Magic Orchestra · 1997 Arranger / musician Salvation Alphaville · 1997 Arranger / musician Rented Rooms Tindersticks · 1997 Arranger / musician G.I. Jane (Soundtrack) Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders) · 1997 Arranger Back To Titanic (Music From The Motion Picture) James Horner · 1998 Producer Little Voice Jane Horrocks · 1998 Arranger / musician Titanic James Horner · 1998 Arranger / musician Ring Of Saturn Goldie · 1998 Arranger / musician Saturnz Return Goldie · 1998 Arranger / musician Little Voice (Music From The Miramax Motion Picture) Various · 1998 Arranger / musician Varran Strikes Back Alive!!! Acid Drinkers · 1998 Arranger / musician The Bop Apocalypse Somatic · 1999 Arranger / musician The Durham Connection (A Selection From Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts) Stan Tracey Orchestra · 1999 Arranger / musician Out At The Movies Various · 1999 Arranger / musician I Wish You Would & Brunning / Hall Sunflower Blues Band Brunning Sunflower Blues Band · 1999 Arranger / musician Bond Back In Action 2 The City Of Prague Philharmonic · 2000 Arranger / musician Sure Thing John Altman Orchestra & Joan Viskant · 2001 Producer Freedom To Move Freedom To Move · 2002 Arranger / musician Freedom To Move Denim Project · 2002 Arranger / musician Galleon Galleon · 2002 Arranger / musician Piano Bar (I Wish You Love) Patricia Kaas · 2002 Arranger / musician You're Never Gone Mark Butcher · 2003 Arranger / musician The Piano Player Maksim · 2003 Arranger / musician Sam Cooke At The Copa Sam Cooke · 2003 Arranger / musician Shall We Dance? (Music From The Motion Picture) Various · 2004 Producer Didn't Feel Lonely Till I Thought Of You (The Island Records Years) Kevin Ayers · 2004 Arranger / musician You Started Something John Altman Quartet · 2004 Arranger / musician Taking Off & The Innes Book Of Records Neil Innes · 2004 Arranger / musician Alive In California Kevin Ayers · 2004 Arranger / musician Portrait Rick Astley · 2005 Arranger / musician Essential Musicals Elaine Paige · 2006 Arranger / musician Surrounded Björk · 2006 Arranger / musician Classics Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays T-Square · 2006 Arranger / musician Twenty Five George Michael · 2006 Arranger / musician Ain't No Love In The ♥ Of The City Paul Carrack · 2008 Producer The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Jellybread · 2008 Arranger / musician Jazz For Fun John Altman · 2009 Artist Promenade Seacon · 2009 Arranger / musician Titanic - Anniversary Edition James Horner / I Salonisti · 2012 Producer Titanic Anniversary Edition (Music From The Motion Picture) James Horner / I Salonisti · 2012 Producer Titanic (Music From The Motion Picture) (Anniversary Edition) James Horner · 2012 Producer Ladies And Gentlemen The Pasadena Roof Orchestra · 2013 Arranger / musician The Lost Empire (Original Score From The Television Mini-Series) John Altman · 2014 Artist Think Pink II Twink & The Technicolour Dream · 2015 Arranger / musician Searching For You: The Lost Singles Of McVouty 1958-1974 Slim Gaillard · 2016 Producer Wonderful Christmas Time Diana Ross · 2018 Arranger / musician No Time To Die (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Hans Zimmer · 2021 Arranger / musician 2000 a.d Funk blasPhemy The Brand New Funk Arranger / musician Beggar's Holiday (a Musical by Duke Ellington) David Serero Arranger / musician The Shape Of A Broken Heart Imany Arranger / musician 
