The Radio Sounds Familiar Blog

Well, he was the master craftsman of the action-adventure television soundtrack.

Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s if you switched on the Box the likelihood is that you would hear a composition from this man. He was the musician of choice for the producers of the most popular action-adventure series of that era. He just had the knack; he could take the programme concept and come up with a theme to match.

Take the familiar nine-note trumpet fanfare that introduced ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ (ITV, 1955-59) and the graceful seven-note melodic phrase over the introduction  to ’The Saint’ (ITV, 1962-69).

A forgotten hero, with a track record that surpasses most of his piers

Probably he will be best remembered for penning the score for ‘The Saint’(ITV, 1962-69). This series was based the popular adventure novels written by Leslie Charteris.

It  was one of the most successful ITV/ITC action-adventure series of the 1960s,  embraced  by audiences in both Britain and the USA. He wrote two arrangements, a slow version used in the black and white episodes (ITV, 1962-65) and a more up-tempo arrangement of the same theme for the colour episodes (ITV 1966-69).

His seven-note phrase, rumoured to have been originally performed by Library Music Legend Barbara Moore, would be played over the introduction to 'The Saint 'character, visually accompanied by an animated halo, more often than not, clumsily positioned above Roger Moore's head, this would herald the opening title sequence.

For more about this forgotten hero please visit his Mini Biography page.

TTFN  Gary