James Clarke was educated at Leighton Park School in Reading and from 1959 travelled to Paris, where he studied music with René Leibowitz.
Clarke produced film segments for reporters Esther Rantzen, John Pitman, Joan Bakewell and James Astor.
[3] He directed and co-produced the feature film Got It Made (1974) starring Lalla Ward, before setting up Norfolk International Pictures Limited in London.
[6][7] Clarke first began to compose library music for De Wolfe in the 1950s, while also providing scores for Anglia Television plays, through Associated Rediffusion.
Produced by Robin Phillips and recorded by Adrian Kerridge, the style has been compared to the richly scored orchestral miniatures of Henry Mancini.