{{Short description|American composer, producer, arranger, and musician (1933–2021)}} {{more citations needed|date=January 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox person | name = | image = Cropped_Photo_of_Perry_Botkin_Jr.jpg | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1933|4|16}} | birth_place = [[New York City, New York]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|1|18|1933|4|16}} | death_place = [[Burbank, California]] | occupation = Composer }}
'''Perry Botkin Jr.''' (April 16, 1933 – January 18, 2021)<ref name="variety">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/people-news/perry-botkin-jr-dead-grammy-composer-1234890906-1234890906/ |title=Perry Botkin Jr., Grammy-Winning TV and Film Composer, Dies at 87|last=Oganesyan|first=Natalie|date=January 23, 2021|accessdate=March 21, 2021|website=Variety}}</ref> was an American [[composer]], [[Record producer|producer]], [[arranger]], and [[musician]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NSsEAAAAMBAJ&q=Perry+Botkin%2C+jr&pg=PA44|title=Incredible Bongo Band (review)|date=October 2006|work=CMJ New Music Monthly|access-date=June 26, 2011}}</ref>
== Life and career == He was born in 1933 in [[New York City]], the son of [[Perry Botkin Sr.]], who also was a successful musician and composer.
Botkin had a successful career in music for more than forty years. As an arranger, he worked with [[Bobby Darin]], [[Harry Nilsson]], [[Gary Crosby (actor)|Gary Crosby]], [[The Lettermen]], [[Ed Ames]], [[Shelby Flint]] and [[Harpers Bizarre]], among others. The film scores that he composed are similar to the music of his partner and counterpart, [[Barry De Vorzon]].
The tune "[[Nadia's Theme]]", composed by Botkin and [[Barry De Vorzon]], peaked at No. 6 in [[RPM (magazine)|Canada]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5124a.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - December 11, 1976}}</ref> and No. 8 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in 1976 and became the theme song for the long-running television soap opera ''[[The Young and the Restless]]''. He was also a major contributor to [[Incredible Bongo Band]], one of the most influential groups of all-time for its ''[[Bongo Rock (album)|Bongo Rock]]'' album which is one of the most sampled from records, making it a major influence in the origins of [[Hip hop]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2407418/|title=Sample This (film)|date=2012|access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref>
In 1990, Botkin retired from the commercial music industry, and began self-producing CDs of electronic music. James Harbert, in the liner notes for the first of these recordings, says, "With these new musical works, Perry Botkin has achieved his musical goal. He has succeeded in being himself."
== Death == Botkin died on January 18, 2021, at age 87, at [[Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center]] in [[Burbank, California]].<ref name="hollywoodreporter">{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/perry-botkin-jr-grammy-winning-arranger-of-nadias-theme-dies-at-87 |title=Perry Botkin Jr., Grammy-Winning Arranger of "Nadia's Theme," Dies at 87 |last=Beresford|first=Trilby |date=January 23, 2021|access-date=January 22, 2021|website=Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>
== Awards == * 1971 - [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nomination - Best Song, "Bless the Beasts and Children", with [[Barry DeVorzon]] * 1977 - [[Grammy Award]] winner - Best Instrumental Arrangement - "[[Nadia's Theme]] (The Young and the Restless)", with Barry DeVorzon and Harry Betts
== Works (partial) == === Recordings === * 1957 - "Passion Flower" with Gil Garfield, as The Fraternity Brothers. ([[Verve Records|Verve]], V-10081) * 1964 - "Sabato Sera" / "La Prima Che Incontro" with Gil Garfield, as Gil Fields e I Fraternity Brothers. (Derby/[[Compagnia Generale del Disco|CGD]], DB 5074) Nominated on The [[Sanremo Music Festival 1964]] * 1969 - "Love Is Blue" with Johnny Gibbs, [[Frank De Vol]], Norman Percival, Hank Levine, [[Les Reed (songwriter)|Les Reed]], [[Billy May]], [[Bill Walker (music director)|Bill Walker]], [[Nelson Riddle]], [[Pete King (composer)|Pete King]], [[Frank Comstock]]. ([[Reader's Digest]], RDA 77-A) * 1976 - "[[Nadia's Theme]]" with [[Barry DeVorzon]]. ([[A&M Records]], AM 1856)
=== Recordings (arranger) === * [[Hollyridge Strings]] - ''The Beatles Songbook Vol.4'' album (co-arranger/conductor (with [[Mort Garson]]) * [[Incredible Bongo Band]] - ''Bongo Rock'' album * Incredible Bongo Band - ''The Return of the Incredible Bongo Band'' album * [[Bobby Darin]] - ''In a Broadway Bag'' album * [[The Cascades (band)|The Cascades]] - "[[Rhythm of the Rain]]" * Robin Ward - "Wonderful Summer" * [[Shelby Flint]] - "[[Angel on My Shoulder (Shelby Flint song)|Angel on My Shoulder]]" * The T-Bones - "[[No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)]]" * [[Jose Feliciano|José Feliciano]] - "[[Feliz Navidad (song)|Feliz Navidad]]" * [[Harry Nilsson]] - ''[[Pandemonium Shadow Show]]'' album * [[Carly Simon]] - ''[[Playing Possum]]'' album * [[Barbra Streisand]] - ''[[Stoney End (Barbra Streisand album)|Stoney End]]'' album * [[Maureen McGovern]] - ''Academy Award Performance'' album * [[Checkmates Ltd.]] - ''[[Love Is All We Have to Give]]'' album, including "[[Black Pearl (Checkmates, Ltd. song)|Black Pearl]]"
=== Films === * ''[[R. P. M.]]'' (1970) (with Barry DeVorzon) * ''[[Bless the Beasts and Children (film)|Bless the Beasts and Children]]'' (1971) (with Barry DeVorzon) * ''[[Skyjacked (film)|Skyjacked]]'' (1972) * ''[[They Only Kill Their Masters]]'' (1972) * ''[[Lady Ice]]'' (1973) * ''[[Your Three Minutes Are Up]]'' (1973) * ''[[Goin' South]]'' (1978) (with Van Dyke Parks) * ''[[Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981 film)|Tarzan, the Ape Man]]'' (1981) * ''[[Dance of the Dwarfs]]'' (1983) * ''[[Silent Night, Deadly Night]]'' (1984) * ''[[Weekend Warriors (1986 film)|Weekend Warriors]]'' (1986)
=== Television === * ''ABC Movie of the Week'' (theme) * ''[[The Young And The Restless]]'' (theme) * ''[[Mork & Mindy]]'' (series) * ''[[Happy Days]]'' (series) * ''[[Laverne & Shirley]]'' (series) * ''[[The Smothers Brothers Show]]'' (sitcom) * ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'' (sitcom) * ''[[Quark (TV series)|Quark]]'' (series) * ''[[3rd Degree (game show)|3rd Degree]] (game show)''
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|0098559}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Botkin, Perry Jr.}} [[Category:1933 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American composers]] [[Category:20th-century American male composers]] [[Category:21st-century American composers]] [[Category:American film score composers]] [[Category:American music arrangers]] [[Category:American television composers]] [[Category:Grammy Award winners]] [[Category:American male film score composers]] [[Category:American male television composers]] [[Category:Composers from New York City]] [[Category:The T-Bones members]] [[Category:21st-century American male composers]]