Elton John, the Beach Boys and the fine art of pop alchemy

George Cole talks to arranger Paul Buckmaster about what it takes to turn a great song into a sold-gold classicThey are music's unsung heroes, yet their work can turn a great song into a classic, intensify the emotional impact of a heartrending lyric or make a stirring vocal performance even more memorable. Arrangers are often said to have "sweetened" the music by adding strings, horns and other musical elements, but such a description doesn't do justice to how much an arranger's work can transf...

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