William Orbit: Madonna and Blur producer dies aged 69

With Blur, Orbit produced the 1999 album 13, which saw the Britpop band take a darker and rawer lyrical turn, providing hit singles such as Tender, Coffee & TV and No Distance Left To Run.

He later worked on their track Sweet Song from 2003’s Think Tank album.

Orbit’s collaboration with pop star Pink, Feel Good Time, from the soundtrack of 2003 film Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, brought more success, reaching number three in the UK and bagging another Grammy nomination.

His signature soundscape gave many of his recordings a dreamy, blissful aura – whether on upbeat hits by Madonna or Pink, or slower songs like Pure Shores and Black Coffee by girl group All Saints.

Group member Shaznay Lewis and Orbit wrote Pure Shores for the 2000 film The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and the track went to number one in the UK.

Lewis posted a broken heart emoji in response to the news of his death.

His other collaborators included Beth Orton, including co-writing her 1996 single She Cries Your Name; and U2, producing the Irish band’s 2002 single Electrical Storm.

Orbit released 12 studio albums as a solo artist, the best-received being 1999’s Pieces in a Modern Style, which featured his interpretations of various classical pieces.

The album reached number four, and a dance remix of his version of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings was a club smash and went to number two in the singles chart.