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| Paul Korda | |
|---|---|
| Name | Paul Korda |
| Birth name | Paul Naftel |
| Birth date | 1948 |
| Death date | 2020 |
| Birth place | Islington |
| Origin | London |
| Genres | Pop music, Rock music, Folk music, Rhythm and blues |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, actor |
| Instruments | Piano, guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1960s–2010s |
| Label | Decca Records, Pye Records, Ardent Records, United Artists Records |
Paul Korda was an English singer-songwriter, composer and session musician active from the 1960s through the 2010s, known for his work in pop music, rock music and film score arrangements. He recorded solo albums, wrote songs performed by international artists, and contributed to television and advertising campaigns. His career intersected with prominent figures and institutions in the British and American music industries.
Born Paul Naftel in Islington in 1948, he grew up amid the postwar cultural milieu of London and was exposed to the British skiffle revival and American rhythm and blues via radio and record imports. He studied piano and composition while attending schools in Camden and pursued informal training through sessions at studios associated with labels like Decca Records and Pye Records. Early influences cited included performers and songwriters linked to Capitol Records, Motown Records, Atlantic Records and the BBC broadcast repertoire.
Korda's career began in the 1960s club circuit in Soho, sharing bills with contemporaries from the British Invasion era and session musicians who recorded at Abbey Road Studios and Olympic Studios. He released singles and LPs on independent and major labels and worked as a session pianist and arranger alongside artists affiliated with United Artists Records, Ardent Records, Island Records and other imprint houses. His repertoire spanned folk rock, power pop and singer-songwriter traditions, reflecting connections to artists and producers who collaborated with EMI, CBS Records and Arista Records.
As a composer he penned songs recorded by artists on transatlantic rosters, placing material with performers linked to Stax Records, Motown Records, RCA Records and European labels. He collaborated with session players and arrangers who also worked with names associated with The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, David Bowie, Elton John and Cat Stevens, and contributed material to projects involving producers tied to Phil Spector-style orchestration. Korda's songwriting credits intersected with musicians active in the Nashville and Los Angeles songwriting communities, as well as with British session orchestras that recorded for television and film.
Korda recorded at studios known for hosting landmark sessions, including Abbey Road Studios, Olympic Studios, Decca Studios and facilities used by Ardent Records and United Artists Records. He toured in the United Kingdom and performed in venues associated with the Camden Town scene, Royal Albert Hall-adjacent circuits, and club stages in Soho and Kensington. His session work placed him in proximity to musicians credited on releases from Island Records, Chrysalis Records, Virgin Records, Polydor Records and Harvest Records catalogs, and he appeared on records alongside instrumentalists linked to ensembles like the London Symphony Orchestra on crossover projects.
Korda composed and arranged music for television spots, film cues and advertising campaigns for clients whose media buys ran on BBC Television, ITV, and international broadcasters. He contributed themes and jingles recorded in studios used by production companies that worked with networks such as Channel 4 and independent film producers with distribution ties to British Lion Films and Rank Organisation. His library and bespoke compositions were utilized in commercials that invoked production teams with credits alongside campaigns created by agencies servicing brands promoted across European and North American markets.
In later decades Korda continued songwriting, performing selectively and supervising archival reissues linked to his recordings and publisher catalogs represented by agencies operating in London and Los Angeles. He maintained connections with musicians, producers and label executives from the 1960s–1980s era, and participated in interviews and retrospectives for magazines and programs covering the British popular music heritage, often referenced alongside artists featured in archives at institutions such as the British Library and university collections. He died in 2020, leaving a body of recorded work and songwriting credits that continue to appear in compilation releases and synchronization placements.
Category:English singer-songwriters Category:1948 births Category:2020 deaths