Charles Segal (pianist)


Charles Segal in 1929 is a classically trained jazz and commercial pianist, and composer. When Charles was 2, his mother, mandolinist, Riva Segal, brought her two sons, Louis and Charles, to escape the Holocaust from Lithuania to Cape Town, South Africa. They travelled from Germany on the ship, the SS Adolph Woermann. Riva also brought with her, her half sister, and her family: Ella and Ber Skikne and their three sons, the youngest being Hirske, who became renowned actor, Laurence Harvey. Segal studied classical music, becoming an Associate and a Licentiate of the Trinity College of London in performance and teaching. Segal had a well-known musical career as a pianist, composer, publisher, arranger and teacher. He was a founding member of the Southern African Music Rights Organization and the Drama and Literary Rights Organization in 1961 along with Dr. Gideon Roos Senior. He founded the Charles Segal Music School in Pretoria and Cape Town. In 1971 Charles met his third wife, Colleen Hay, an actress, musician and singer in the popular band called The In-Set.The Cape Argus January 1978. Colleen later founded the Hay-Schneider School of Speech and Drama in Cape Town The Cape Times 1976 and the Centre stage Theatre school in Newton, MA, USA.Boston Sunday Globe 1986. Charles and Colleen have two children together, Reeve Segal, attorney, and Melanie Segal, PR expert.' ' Charles also has two older children from his second marriage.

Career

Charles Segal, an English-speaking, Jewish pianist first gained public recognition in 1952 when his first song, the Afrikaans "Miskien" won the Rooi Roos magazine song-writing competition. From 1953 through 1986 Segal performed regularly on live and recorded SABC radio shows in South Africa, such as "Piano Playtime" "Sundown Serenade" and "SA Showtime" and, in the US has been featured on Supreme Master Television. "The Music of Charles Segal" on the SABC television network was a 1985 TV special featuring a wide range of South African musicians performing Charles Segal original compositions.
Segal composed, performed and arranged 50 transcription long-playing recordings for the SABC and was frequently commissioned to compose music for SABC productions, such as "The Forsyte Saga", "Story of an African Farm", and "The Saga of Prunella" and "The Summons". His song, "Carousel" was the theme for the "Radio RSA" overseas broadcasts from 1969 through 1996. Numerous Charles Segal compositions have become part of traditional South African music: songs such as "Africa," "Kwela, Kwela," "Sy Kom Van Kommetjie," "Kalkoenkie" and "Hy-Ba-Ba-Rie-Bab," many of which were sung in Afrikaans. In 1973, Segal's song, "My Children, My Wife", was voted by the South African audiences as the Song of the Year. Segal was presented the SARI Award by Dr. Christiaan Barnard, renowned surgeon who performed the world's first heart transplant. "My Children, My Wife" was subsequently recorded in the Netherlands, Germany and Israel and reached European hit parades.
Segal founded the Spin Record Company in 1954 to record and promote his music. Once established as a popular performer, Segal was recruited by other record labels, such as Trutone, Gallo Africa, Trek Music, CBS, MFP Music for Pleasure and Reader's Digest to record on their labels. Segal's Publications was established in 1953 to maintain the copyright of Charles Segal compositions, to publish popular Segal songs on sheet music and to also promote fellow musicians and songwriters. Segal's Publications is also known as Charles Segal Publications and is affiliated with BMI. Some popular Charles Segal Sheet Music Albums include: "Charles Segal's Favourite Melodies", "Charles Segal's Favourite Melodies Volume 2", "The Charles Segal Dorothy Arenson Song Book" and "Sing With Charles Segal". Children's sheet music albums include "Magical Mystery Man", "Everyday Things", "Animal Concert", "Sprankelende Liedjies".
Segal's Publications also published music tutor books in English and Afrikaans such as: "Home Piano Course for Beginners", Volumes 1 and 2, "Instant Organ" and "Kits Orrel", "Instant Chord Book for the Piano", "Instant Keyboard" and "Instant Songwriting".
Segal's musical career spread to other parts of the world, including London, Boston, and in New York where his song "Another Time, Another Place" written with US lyricist Gladys Shelly was recorded by jazz singer, Arthur Prysock. Other hits written in the USA include "Girl Power" with Sheila Davis and "Tomboy", sung by Ronnie Dove, which received a "bullet" rating in Billboard Magazine in 1968. Segal's song, "You're Not Alone", written with lyricist, Barbara Brilliant, was featured at an AIDS Foundation fundraiser at the Boston Garden in 1992, where Joan Rivers was the M.C. and his song, "Just Talk to Me" was the theme song of a 1990s TV Talk Show of the same name on Boston's WBZTV with presenter Barbara Brilliant.
Segal has composed 8 full-length Musicals with his wife, Colleen Segal, which have been performed in South Africa, the US, Britain and Australia. These musicals include: "Magical Mystery Man", "Living! The Inside Story", "Rocky Road", "Mystery Mansion", "Once upon a Storyland", "Melanie!" and "Summer Camp". In 1987, shortly after arriving in the USA, the pair wrote a musical called "Freedom! A Refusenik Story". They have also written and published several music tutor books, such as "Instant Keyboard", "Instant Guitar" and "Instant Songwriting." Segal is a member of BMI as a songwriter and publisher.
Segal moved from Boston to Los Angeles in 2018. He performs piano regularly at celebrity events for award shows such as the Oscars and Emmys, the MTV Movie Awards and the Kids Choice and Teen Choice Awards. In June 2017, Segal was awarded the Guinness Book of World Records title of Most Recorded Pianist in the world, citing 11,721 tracks of his over 25,000 recorded titles.

Discography

Segal has composed and recorded approximately 3,000 albums and counting. Some of his most well-known singles are:
  1. "Africa"
  2. "Another Time, Another Place"
  3. "Hy-Ba-Ba-Rie-Bab se Ding is Vim"
  4. "My Children, My Wife"
  5. "Girl Power"
  6. "Kootanda"
  7. "Kwela, Kwela"
  8. "Listen, Listen" recorded by Four Jacks and a Jill
  9. "Tomboy" recorded by Ronnie Dove
  10. "Jungle Rock 'n Roll"
Charles Segal's earliest recorded and released singles are:
  1. "Sweet Lorraine"
  2. "In the Mood for Love"
  3. "Ballet Music"
  4. "Summer Romance" Segal, Peters, Shaper
  5. "Castles in the Air" Segal, Peters, Shaper
  6. "I Never Loved Before" Segal, Shaper
  7. "Rondloper"
  8. "Kyk Hoe Lyk Hy Nou"
  9. "Op die Bus Na Seepunt" )
  10. "Die Kwela Lied" )
Segal's Commercially released albums include:
African Albums:
• African Fantasy
o African Fantasy Instrumental
o African Fantasy Orchestra and Chorus
• Opus Africa
• Africa Sings in Town and Country
• Kwela – in Tune with South Africa, volume 5
• Songs of Africa
o African Flavors
o African Combination
o African Songs
o African Sunset
o The best of Nico Carstens
Jazz Albums:
• Huis Partyjie-Reeks #1
• Walk The World
• Bouquet of Evergreen Songs
• Live Jazz at Concord
• Dancing with Memories
• Honky Tonk Playtime
• It was A Great Year
• Jazz World
• Miles of Music
• Mirror I See
• Sentimental Journey
• Take the Floor
• You’ve Got a Friend
• South African Jazz Scene
• "Seagull" Visits USA
• Let’s Go Gay
Easy Listening:
• Pastel Moods
• Piano and Strings
• Relax to the Music of Charles Segal
• Spa Music
• Thanks for the Memory
• Relax to Romantic Moments
• In the Mood For Love
• Classical Melodies for Easy Listening
Classical:
• Classical Melodies
• Eleonore Loosen Plays Charles Segal Melodies in Classical Style
Compilations:
• All By Myself
• As Time Goes By
• African Styles
• African Styles 2
• The Entertainer
• Original Songs
• Smiling Faces of Jack Stodel
• Think Just of Me
• Yesterday Once More
• More with Charles Segal
• America The Beautiful
• An Evening with Charles
• Cuddle Up a Little Closer
• Fabulous Moments with Charles Segal and his Rhythm
• Dink Jy Darem Nog Aan My?
• Charles Segal Song Collection
• Charles Segal Song Collection
• Charles Segal and Friends
• Charles Segal’s Compositions
• Sleepy Shores
• Gerry Collins Plays Charles Segal
• Charles Segal Piano Hits
• Jos Cleber Plays Charles Segal
• The Men on the Border
• Sentimental Journey
• Romantic Feelings
• Festival of Popular Songs
• Charles Segal & His Orchestra Pay Tribute to Frank Sinatra"
• Sybils Chirping Birds
• Come Fly With Me and Other Frank Sinatra Classics
• Sprankelende Liedjies
Pop Albums:
• From Me to You
• Charles Segal: "Yesterday Once More"
• Men on the Border
• Only In Dreams
• Charles Segal Piano Hits
• Seasons in the Sun
• Charles Segal and Orchestra: Sleepy Shores
• Too Beautiful to Last
• The Years Go By – Songs by Segal / Pam
• Segal’s Scene
• Piano Man
• Charles Segal "The Entertainer"
• The Beatles – Honky Tonk
Children's Albums written, produced and performed by Colleen and Charles Segal:
• Animal Concert
• Everyday Things
• Magical Mystery Man
• Dierekonsert
• Children’s Tales in English: Volume 1: Snow White, Black Beauty, Cinderella, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves
• Children’s Tales in English: Volume 2: Treasure Island, Jack & the Beanstalk, Pinocchio
• Children’s Tales in English: Volume 3: Puss in Boots, Peter Pan, Aladdin and his Magical Lamp
• Fairy Tales in Afrikaans: Volume 1: The 3 Little Pigs, Hansel & Gretel, King Midas, Sleeping Beauty, Golden Goose, Wild Swans, Ugly Duckling, Pied Piper
• Fairy Tales in Afrikaans: Volume 2: Puss in Boots, Peter Pan, Aladdin and his Magical Lamp
• Children’s Bible stories in English: Volume 1: Moses, Daniel, King Saul, Three Wise Men
• Children’s Bible stories in English: Volume 2: Noah, Exodus, King Solomon
• Children’s Bible stories in Afrikaans: Moses, Daniel, King Saul, Three Wise Men
SABC Transcription Recordings - 25 long-playing albums
Scores:
• Soundtrack from "Glenda", the movie
• Theme for the "Forsyte Saga" - SABC radio serial broadcast
• Theme for "The Summons"
Original Musicals: recorded series - 6 released
• Story of an African Farm
• Saga of Prunella
• Magical Mystery Man
• Everyday Things
Recently released 2,250 albums recorded Albums including:
• Charles’s Modern Jazz Piano – Volumes 1 – 20
• Lullaby Hits of Michael Jackson
• Lullaby Hits of Britney Spears
• Lullaby Hits of Madonna
• Lullaby Hits of 1990s
• Lullaby Hits of the new Millennium – Volumes 1 – 10
• Baby Music – Volumes 1 – 15
• Beatles for Kids – Volumes 1 – 10
• Life is a moment in Time
• A Taste of Wine
• Artistry of Pianist
• A Brief Lesson in Jazz
• Orchestration at Christmas
• Jewish Holiday Music
• Christmas Music
• St. Patrick’s Day Music
• Blues Solo Piano
• Midnight Melodies
• Degrees of Inspiration
• Signs of Segal
• Spring Back
• Stages of My Life
• My Own Good
• That’s a Wrap
• It Should Have Been
• The Gig Pak
• Resting Ground
• Taking Control
• As Sweet as You
• All at Once
• Let it Snow
• White Christmas
• Poetic Pianist
• Music of Gershwin
• Total Relaxation – Volumes 1 – 10
• Relaxing to Broadway Melodies – Volumes 1 – 5
• Relaxing to the Classics – Volumes 1 – 10
• The Artistry of Charles – Volumes 1 – 10
• Patriotic Songs
• Give the World a Chance
• Speech of Angels
• Fiddler On The Roof
• Favorite Broadway Melodies – Volumes 1 – 15
• Interpretations of Classical Themes – Volumes 1 – 10
• Jewish Holiday Songs
• Be My Valentine – Valentine’s Day music
• Dinner Party Music – Volumes 1 – 10
• Boston Fantasy
• Serene Marine Music
• Favorite Classical Melodies Volumes 1 – 20
• 700 untitled albums
• Seasons with Charles Segal: 80 albums
Spring – Volumes 1 – 20
Summer – Volumes 1 – 20
Autumn – Volumes 1 – 20
Winter – Volumes 1 – 20
Vocal Albums:
• Charles Segal Original Songs Volumes 1 – 4
Recorded Interviews: 3
• Bill Prince
• Interview WBZ Boston
• John Silver London
• Charles Segal interviews Bill Evans
Segal Publications Musicals: 11 Scripts, Sheet Music, demo recordings & videos
o Over My Dead Body, Beautiful
o Freedom
o Magical Mystery Man
o Once Upon a Storyland
o Living! The Inside Story of your Insides
o Summer Camp
o Mystery Mansion
o Rocky Road
o Melanie!
o The Shoemakers and the Elves
o Rumplestiltskin

Awards