Johnny Gregory, born Primo Giovanni Giuseppe Gregori on October 12, 1924, in London, was a versatile British bandleader, composer and arranger.
Son of Frank Gregori, a dance band leader at Quaglino’s restaurant, Gregory began as a violinist in his father’s ensemble. Encouraged by his musical family, he studied violin with Alfredo Campoli and theory at the London College of Music. By the late 1940s, he worked solo, becoming a staff arranger at Philips Records.
His first BBC broadcast aired in 1944, marking the start of a prolific career. Known for his innovative orchestral work, Gregory recorded under aliases like Chaquito and Nino Rico, blending Latin, pop, and easy-listening styles. He conducted the BBC Radio Orchestra from 1974 to 1991 and scored films like Strongroom (1962).
His 1976 composition “Introduction and Air to a Stained Glass Window” earned an Ivor Novello Award. Collaborating with vocalists like Cleo Laine and Nana Mouskouri, he produced acclaimed albums such as A Man for All Seasons.
Gregory died on April 23, 2020, at 95, leaving a legacy as a pioneer of British light music.
115 recordings by Johnny Gregory you can hear on Instrumentals Forever:
A Man Called Ironside • Amazing Grace • Andante Cantabile • Another Time Another Place • April In Portugal • Around The World • Autumn Leaves • Ave Maria • Banacek • Barcarole from ”The Tales of Hoffmann” • Barcarolle • Bewitched • Blue Tango • Cannon • Charmaine • Close Your Eyes • Columbo • Contrasts • Dancers In Love • Devil’s Highway • Diamonds Are Forever • Ebb Tide • Fascinating Rhythm • Fascination • Four Of Hearts • Gavotte • Golden Memories • Greensleeves • Griff • Harry-O • Hawaii 5-O • Hora Staccato • I Don’t Know How To Love Him • I Spy • Introduction & Air to ”A Stained Glass Window” • It Takes A Thief • It’s A Most Unusual Day • It’s Impossible • Jaguar • Jet Stream • Johnny Staccato • Kojak • Liebestraum • Light My Fire • Lisbon Antigua • Londonderry Air • Look Around And You’ll Find Me There • Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing • Love Is Blue • M Squad • Manha de Carnaval • Mannix • McCloud • McMillan & Wife • Meditation • Melody in F • Mission Impossible • Moon River • Moonlight And Roses • Moonlight Becomes You • Morning Has Broken • Moto Perpetuo • My Chérie Amour • Never On Sunday • Nola • None But The Lonely Heart • Perry Mason • Plaisir d’amour • Police Woman • Prelude to ”La Traviata” • Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head • Route 66 • San Antonio Rose • Serenade • Sleepy Shores • Softly Softly • Some Enchanted Evening • Somewhere My Love • Spinning Wheel • Streets Of San Francisco • Tango in D • Temptation Rag • The Avengers • The Carioca • The Fool On The Hill • The Good, The Bad And The Ugly • The Green Leaves Of Summer • The Harry Lime Theme ”The Third Man” • The Haunted Ballroom • The Minute Waltz • The Name Of The Game • The Poor People Of Paris • The Rockford Files • The Six Million Dollar Man • The Song from ”Moulin Rouge” • The Sound Of Music • The Sweeney • The Theme from ”The Onedin Line” • The Theme from ”The Persuaders” • The Untouchables • The Wedding Of The Painted Doll • The World Is A Circle • Theme from ”Limelight” • Theme From SWAT • Theme from ”The Onedin Line” • Those Were The Days • To A Wild Rose • Too Beautiful To Last • Träumerei • Waltz in A Flat • Wandrin’ Star • What A Difference A Day Made • When I Grow Too Old To Dream • Where Did They Go •
66 recordings by Chaquito you can hear on Instrumentals Forever:
A Man Called Ironside • Ace High • Adios • Afrikaan Beat • Aquarius • Baia • Brazil • Bullitt • Callan • Carioca • Carol Of The Bells • Desafinado • Do You Know The Way To San Jose • El Canguro • El Mensu • FBI • Frenesi • Goin’ Out Of My Head • Guantanamera • Hawaii 5-0 • I Spy • It Takes a Thief • La Golondrina • La Paloma • La Peregrinación • Light My Fire • Little Boat (O Barquinho) • Mannix • Maria Elena • Meditation (Meditaçao) • Meditation • Mission Impossible • Money Is (Theme from ”The Heist”) • O Barquinho (Little Boat) • O Cangaceiro • Old Devil Moon • One Note Samba • One Summer’s Day (Un jour d’Été) • Otra Vez (One More Time) • Our Man Flint • Quando Vuelva A Tu Lado (What A Difference A Day Makes) • Revolution • Shaft • Softly Softly • Spies and Dolls • Te Quiero Dijiste (Echo Of A Serenade) • The Anderson Tapes • The Big Country • The Carioca • The French Connection • The Good, The Bad And The Ugly • The Looking Glass War • The Mexican Hat Dance • The Name of the Game • The Spy With A Cold Nose • The Spy’s Wife • The Troubleshooters • The Untouchables • They Call Me Mister Tibbs • This Guy’s In Love With You • Tierra Madre (Mother Earth) • Trains And Boats And Planes • Upa Neguinho • Upa, Neguinho (Allegria) • Walk On By • When Eight Bells Toll •
