Carroll Coates (23 September 1929 – 21 October 2023) was a British-American songwriter, composer and lyricist whose works were produced commercially from the 1950s to the 1990s. His songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Carmen McRae, Tony Bennett, Shirley Horn, Mel Tormé, Nancy Wilson and others. His jazz ballad "You'll See" has been recorded by more than a dozen artists. Coates wrote at least nine songs for film, including Sunday in New York.

Biography

Carroll Coates was born in Uxbridge, England on 23 September 1929. In 1996, he reportedly lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Following Sarah Vaughan's death in April 1990, Coates composed a song in tribute to her, called "Sarah". In a tribute concert for Sarah Vaughan on 25 June 1991, the Shirley Horn Trio performed "Sarah". Reviewing the concert, The New York Times reported:

Carroll Coates's affectionate tribute...praises Vaughan as one who "could do more with a melody than a hip whippoorwill." The final verse imagines Vaughan in heaven, in a quartet with Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Bessie Smith, where instead of squabbling over roles she says to Smith, "I'm new here, you lead."

On 28 April 1996, Coates was honoured in a concert called "Songfest: A Songwriters Celebration", held in Larkspur, California. Before the event, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that "Coates will introduce the vocalists who will sing his songs, among them Rebecca Parris, Faith Winthrop, Shanna Carlson, Buddy Conner and Amy Dondy."

Coates died at his home in Carmel, California, on 21 October 2023, at the age of 94.

Works

Work for film

YearFilmSongNotes
1956Teenage Rebel"Cool It, Baby"Sung on soundtrack by Dick Lory, (Dick Glasser)
A Kiss Before Dying"A Kiss Before Dying"Lyricist
The Last Wagon"Theme From The Last Wagon"Lyricist
The Girl Can't Help It"Cool It, Baby"LyricistPerformed by Eddie Fontaine
1957The Way to the Gold"The Drive-In Rock"Lyricist
"Strange Weather"Lyricist
No Down Payment"The Drive-In Rock"Lyricist
Kiss Them for Me"Kiss Them For Me"Lyricist
1959Blue Denim"The Drive-In Rock"Lyricist
1960Let's Make Love"Cool It, Baby"Lyricist
1963Sunday in New York"Sunday in New York"Lyricist
1965The Cavern"The Cavern"Composer/Lyricist
1990Havana"London By Night"Composer/Lyricist

Audio recordings

SongRecording ArtistAlbum
AfterglowChanticleerLost in the Stars
Cleo LaineBlue & Sentimental
Kendra ShankAfterglow
"Better To Have Loved"Ida ZeccoBetter To Have Loved
"Between An Old Love and a New Love" (Lyrics; Music by Hub Atwood)Johnny HolidayHoliday For Lovers
"City Lights"Contemporary Jazz OrchestraTrench Heroes
"Cool It, Baby" (Lyrics; Music by Lionel Newman)<The TreniersCool It, Baby
"Daughter, Dear!"Jim PorcellaLife Is So Pecualiar
"The Holiday Song"Ida ZeccoA Song for Christmas
"I Am A Man (He Is A Man)" (Lyrics; Music by Ronnie Selbey)Lizabeth Scott With Henri René And His OrchestraLizabeth
"I Have A Feeling"Lynda JamisonYou and the Night and the Music
Ida ZeccoBetter To Have Loved
"I Still Believe in You"Sarah VaughanThe Divine Sarah Vaughan
"Kiss Them For Me" (Lyrics; Music by Lionel Newman)Joan CrawfordThe Best of Everything
Lionel Newman and His OrchestraKiss Them For Me (Soundtrack)
"Later for Love"Rebecca Parris & The Kenny Hadley Big BandA Beautiful Friendship
"London By Night"Singer PurHerztöne – Lovesongs
Charly AntoliniRight On
Tony BennettThe Good Things in Life
Rebecca ParrisLove Comes and Goes
Ronnie RossIt's a Wonderful World
Frank SinatraCome Fly With Me
Various ArtistsThe Golden Age of Light Music: Going Places
John WilliamsEchoes of London
Cleo LaineBlue & Sentimental
"Love Comes and Goes" Raquel Bitton I wish you love Album, 1996Cleo LaineBlue & Sentimental
Rebecca ParrisLove Comes and Goes
"Love Is Letting Go"Jim PorcellaLife Is So Peculiar
"A Miracle"Frank Mantooth Jazz OrchestraA Miracle
"More in Love" (Lyrics; Music by Peter Nero)Rosie CarlinoWhat Matters Most
"Music Is My Life"Jim PorcellaLife Is So Peculiar
Diane SchuurMusic Is My Life
"No One Ever Tells You" (with Hub Atwood)Shirley BasseyThe Fabulous Shirley Bassey
John "Buddy" ConnerCan't Hide Love!
Rebecca ParrisLove Comes and Goes
Jim PorcellaLife Is So Peculiar
Ian Shaw and Cedar WaltonIn a New York Minute
Frank SinatraA Swingin' Affair! The Nearness of You
"Now I Live With You"Jim PorcellaLife Is So Peculiar
"One for Monterey"Black Market Jazz OrchestraArt Attack
Richie ColeProfile
Dave CostaImpassioned
De Paul University Jazz EnsembleShade Street
Rebecca ParrisLove Comes and Goes
Frank Mantooth Jazz OrchestraA Miracle
"Park & Ride"Richie ColeProfile
"Sarah"Richie ColeProfile
Carmen McRaeSarah—Dedicated To You
"So I Love You"Shirley HornClose Enough For Love
Rebecca ParrisLove Comes and Goes
"Soft Sands" (Lyrics; Music by Lou Stein)The ChordettesThe Best of the Chordettes
Oscar PetersonSoft Sands
"A Song For Christmas"Charles BrownCharles Brown's Cool Christmas Blues
Laura FygiThe Very Best Time of Year
Nancy LaMottJust in Time For Christmas
Ida ZeccoA Song For Christmas
Cantabile – The London QuartetA Song For Christmas
"Sunday in New York" (Lyrics; Music by Peter Nero)Doc AnelloDoin' It Our Way
Ernestine AndersonBe Mine Tonight
Bobby DarrinUltra Lounge: Wild, Cool & Swingin'
Keely SmithI'm in Love Again
Mel TorméMel Tormé Sings Sunday in New York & Other Songs About New York
Stanley TurrentineIn Memory Of
Libby YorkSunday in New York
"The Swing Song"Shanna CarlsonSwing High, Swing Low
Lucy ReedBasic Reeding
"Too Much in Love To Care" (Lyrics; Music by James J. Kriegsmann)Carmen McRaeThe First of Carmen McRae – The Bethlehem Years
"We Can Only Try" (Lyrics; Music by Peter Daniels)Lainie KazanBody & Soul
Diane SchuurPure Schuur
"Where Did the Summer Go?"Rebecca ParrisLove Comes and Goes
"You'll See"Misty BadeTouching You Touching Me
Rosie CarlinoWhat Matters Most
Kelly Houston"Songs of Love"
Beth LoganTime After Time
Greta MatassaI Wanna Be Loved
Rebecca ParrisLove Comes and Goes
Jackie RyanDoozy
Diane SchuurLove Songs
Carol SloaneHeart's Desire
Paula WestTemptation
Weslia WhitfieldBeautiful Love
John B. WilliamsGratitude
Nancy WilsonR.S.V.P.
Susan WinterLove Rolls On
"You're So Far Above Me"The Four FreshmenThe Complete Capitol Four Freshmen Fifties Sessions

Awards

Along with co-writers Peter Nero and Roland Everett, Coates was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1964 for composing the song "Sunday in New York" for the film of the same name.

External links