The most American of English composer

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For nearly sixty years, John Scott has established himself as one of the finest composers working in films today, having collaborated with foremost producers and directors worldwide, including Richard Donner, Mark Damon, Hugh Hudson, Norman Jewison, Irvin Kershner, Daniel Petrie, Roger Spottiswoode and Charlton Heston, among others. He has been an essential voice in international scoring that thoroughly belies his occasional over-looked stature in the midst of 'brand name' composers. 

Frequently associated with Hollywood's finest composers, including Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein and John Williams, John Scott has created a body of work that stands up as some of the finest music ever written for film. 
Patrick John Michael O'Hara Scott was born in Bishopston, Bristol, England. John's musical abilities are not without precedence—his father was a musician in the Bristol Police Band. And, like many children, John was given music lessons first on the violin and later on the clarinet. 

When John was 14, he enrolled in the British Army as a Boy Musician with the Woolwich Royal Artillery in order to carry on his musical studies. He continued his study of the clarinet and harp. John went on to study the saxophone, and became proficient enough that when he eventually left the military, he was able to find steady work touring with some of the top British bands of the era. Additional instruments included the vibraphone and flute, which subsequently afforded him international recognition as a Jazz flautist. 

Upon his discharge from the army in 1952, John played vibes with the Norman Bums Quintet. In the late-50s, he worked with Vic Ash's Sextet, Kenny Baker, and co-led a group with Art Ellefson, as wells as freelancing in many other groups. He led his own group for a while, and was featured with Woody Herman's Anglo-American Herd in 1959. Composing and arranging for Ted Heath, John became involved in studio, film and Television work. 
As time went on, people began to notice that John Scott had a unique ability as an arranger of music. Hired by EMI, he began to arrange and conduct with some of EMIs top artists.

John worked with The Beatles and their producer George Martin, and went on to record with noted artists and groups, including Tom Jones, Cilia Black, Matt Monro, Gerry and The Pacemakers, Freddy and The Dreamers, Eric Burdon and The Animals, Nirvana and The Hollies (John contributed as arranger and conductor to their mega-hits "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "Long Cool Woman [In a Black Dress]," among many others). However, John was also a working, playing musician. He played with The Julian Bream Consort, Yehudi Menuhin, Ravi Shankar, Nelson Riddle, John Dankworth, John Barry, Cleo Laine, Dave Brubech, Quincy Jones and many others. 
In Barry Miles' "The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years," it is noted that John holds the distinction of being the first musician to have been invited to be featured on their recordings, playing both alto and tenor flute on "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away." 
"For a six pound fee (roughly $17 at the time) and no credit, Johnny Scott recorded tenor and alto flute parts for the song. The Beatles gave Scott some general direction and let him sketch out the arrangement on his own. Scott did recall that the boys were in a fine mood at the time. 'Ringo was full of marital joys,' he said. 'He'd just got back from his honey-moon.m Rolling Stone Magazine, September 19, 2011.

In addition to working with others, in the 60s, John was the leader of a popular jazz quintet and the noted Johnny Scott Trio (playing flute at right with David Snell and Duncan Lamont). Melody Maker, the premier British Pop music paper of the 20. Century (1926-2000), issued an annual Jazz poll. In the 60s, John was ranked as the best flute player for six consecutive years, and among the top three for a ten-year period. 

It was at this time that John started to play saxophone on film scores. He played principal sax for Henry Mancini—who was a teacher and mentor in John's development as a film composer on Pink Panther, Charade and Arabesque, and was principal sax on John Barry's Goldfinger soundtrack, and played flute on The Lion in Winter. This exposure to film music whetted John's appetite for composing music for films. 
His first score was for the film A Study in Terror (James Hill, dir.). Since that 'big break,' John has gone on to score over eighty motion pictures over the years. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, for he is the recipient of four Emmy Awards and numerous industry recognitions of his work. 

There is an industry recognition that John did not receive, for which he was originally nominated the Academy Award for Best Song in a Motion Picture. In 1974, John wrote the music and Arthur Hamilton the lyrics for the song "Remembering" for England Made Me. Lana Cantrell performed the song. However, the song became disqualified due to Ms. Cantrell's vocal being recorded over the motion picture title strip at the end of the feature. The Academy subsequently notified East Coast Records, and requested the instrumental version be nominated in its place. The label declined in support of Ms. Cantrell. As Chairman of the Music Branch's Executive Committee, it was Mr. Hamilton's responsibility to disqualify his own song. The rule was changed the following year, and the use of a song over the end titles became eligible-and common practice. 
John has not limited his compositions to the silver screen; he has also composed many concert works including three symphonies, three ballets, an opera, chamber ensembles and string quartets, among numerous others. He has also conducted other film composers' work for release on CD, as well as having conducted most of the London orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. Other European orchestras include the Prague Philharmonic, Munich Symphony Orchestra and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra.