 Syd Dale (1924-1994) |
My Earliest memories of Syd's work was in the early 1970's, it was the music used on the Transmitter Service Information on BBC 2 at 11.30am Daily (after ‘Playschool’) It was an evocative and haunting compositions called ‘Walk and Talk’. I spent many years looking for a copy. The other was a quick military style tune called ‘Marching there and Back’, the theme music used on the children's TV programme 'Screen Test'. Equally as unforgettable and even harder to obtain. I’m pleased to say these and much more of Syd’s work is played on Radio Sounds Familiar.  Service Information Follows At 11.30 |
Syd Dale was a British composer and arranger, his musical style was mirrored in the work of other leading British composers and arrangers, prominent artists such as Alan Hawkshaw, Keith Mansfield, Ronnie Hazlehurst, Les Reed and Tony Hatch. These artists all make regular appearances on Radio Sounds Familiar.
Syd penned most of his most memorable works in the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1960s some of his compositions were for the British Band leader Eric Winstone ( Of Doctor Who Fame) Syd co-arranged and co-produced his 1973 'Eric Winstone Plays 007' LP, an album of funky Big Band interpretations and a selection of these scores were used as themes from the James Bond series of films. Eric and Syd jointly composed The Man With The Golden Gun, on the same album. This being used as an alternative to John Barry’s theme. A year later, Syd released a newly recorded version under the simplified title of 'The Golden Gun'.
After working for several years at the KPM library, he decided to set up his own company to supply music to the fast growing areas of TV, film and radio. Doing this gave him the benefit of being able to set his own brief, and would allow him to direct the company according to his musical inclinations. And in 1971 the Amphonic Music label arrived.
Amphonic Music soon gain a reputation as one of Britain’s major providers of ‘library’ music.
Several of the composers that appeared on early Amphonic LPs were old friends from Syd’s days at KPM, they included Alan Hawkshaw, Johnny Pearson, James Clarke and Eric Winstone.
Syd Dale Conducting
Musicography Commercial Releases The Sounds Of Syd Dale (1966) The Vast Majority of Syd's work is on Library releases which is not commercially avaiable. |
For more Information about Syd Dale click on the image below.
