Trackimage | Playbut | Trackname | Playbut | Trackname |
---|---|---|---|---|
18737936 | Play | The Saint | 01:46 Tools | |
18737937 | Play | Whatever Happened To George Foster | 02:31 Tools | |
18737943 | Play | Secret Agent Man | 02:43 Tools | |
18737940 | Play | Drake's Progress | 00:00 Tools | |
18737939 | Play | Vulgar Olga | 00:00 Tools | |
18737942 | Play | Cliff Hanger | 03:30 Tools | |
18737941 | Play | Mio Amore St A Lontano | 00:00 Tools | |
18737938 | Play | I Wonder Where The Microdot Went | 02:47 Tools | |
18737950 | Play | Recumbent Love | 00:00 Tools | |
18737947 | Play | Theme from Department S (Original Version) | 02:10 Tools | |
18737948 | Play | Theme From Department S | 02:07 Tools | |
18737945 | Play | Randall And Hopkirk Deceased | 01:40 Tools | |
18737959 | Play | Danger Man | 02:22 Tools | |
18737990 | Play | Main Theme From The Saint | 00:00 Tools | |
18737952 | Play | Theme from The Baron | 01:45 Tools | |
18737946 | Play | Department S | 00:00 Tools | |
18737954 | Play | Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) | 01:40 Tools | |
18737968 | Play | High Wire | 02:24 Tools | |
18737961 | Play | Dangerman | 02:18 Tools | |
18737949 | Play | The Phantom of the Opera | 00:00 Tools | |
18737984 | Play | Danger Man Theme (Early Seasons) | 02:22 Tools | |
18737964 | Play | Halo | 00:00 Tools | |
18737982 | Play | The Saint (Original Single Version) | 01:46 Tools | |
18737951 | Play | Randall & Hopkirk Deceased | 03:04 Tools | |
18737958 | Play | Mio Amore Sta Lontano | 02:31 Tools | |
18737972 | Play | International Detective Theme | 02:40 Tools | |
18737955 | Play | International Detective | 02:40 Tools | |
18737980 | Play | Halo (From The Saint) | 01:47 Tools | |
18738057 | Play | I Wonder Where the Microdot Went? | 00:00 Tools | |
18738052 | Play | Drake And Ducks | 02:28 Tools | |
18737960 | Play | Slinky (From The Saint) | 02:24 Tools | |
18737962 | Play | Randall & Hopkirk [Deceased] | 03:06 Tools | |
18737979 | Play | Chaise-Lounge (From The Saint) | 02:55 Tools | |
57032358 | Play | Light Affair | 01:01 Tools | |
18737977 | Play | Drama On The Move | 03:07 Tools | |
57032357 | Play | Mal Au Coeur | 02:40 Tools | |
18738021 | Play | Mio Amore Sta Lontano (From Danger Man) | 02:31 Tools | |
18738079 | Play | Drake In The New World | 02:40 Tools | |
18737991 | Play | Blue Shadows | 01:40 Tools | |
18737953 | Play | Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) | 03:03 Tools | |
18738074 | Play | Staten Island Ferry | 01:48 Tools | |
18737956 | Play | Ivanhoe Theme | 01:01 Tools | |
18738015 | Play | Big Sound | 02:22 Tools | |
18737998 | Play | Mainly on the Plain | 02:24 Tools | |
18738081 | Play | Swinging Simon | 00:00 Tools | |
18738004 | Play | Cantina | 02:54 Tools | |
18737957 | Play | Swiety | 00:30 Tools | |
18738019 | Play | Chaise-lounge | 00:00 Tools | |
18738025 | Play | Olaf's Dance | 02:20 Tools | |
57032359 | Play | The Saint Takes A Ride | 00:58 Tools | |
18738006 | Play | Theme From "The Saint" | 02:01 Tools | |
18737995 | Play | The Baron | 04:04 Tools | |
18737996 | Play | Danger Man (1960) | 02:06 Tools | |
18738072 | Play | Ying-Tong-Piddle-Ay-Kilt | 01:48 Tools | |
57032360 | Play | Slinky | 01:47 Tools | |
18737967 | Play | The Saint theme | 00:58 Tools | |
18737987 | Play | Mulligatawney | 02:39 Tools | |
18738046 | Play | Main Theme From 'The Saint' | 01:47 Tools | |
18738032 | Play | Main Theme | 01:47 Tools | |
57032361 | Play | Cliffhanger | 01:48 Tools | |
18737965 | Play | Randall & Hopkirk | 03:05 Tools | |
18737970 | Play | Danger man (half hour series) | 00:30 Tools | |
18737963 | Play | Danger Man (hour series) | 00:30 Tools | |
18737985 | Play | The Adventures of Robin Hood - Original Soundtrack Theme from "Robin Hood TV Serie" | 01:20 Tools | |
18737966 | Play | Danger Man (High Wire) | 02:18 Tools | |
18737978 | Play | Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - Main Titles | 00:48 Tools | |
18737983 | Play | The Adventures of Sir Lancelot Theme | 01:04 Tools | |
18737944 | Play | The Adventures of Robin Hood (Original Soundtrack Theme from "Robin Hood TV Serie") | 01:19 Tools | |
57032362 | Play | Main Theme from "The Saint" | 01:04 Tools | |
18737992 | Play | Department S Main Titles | 01:09 Tools | |
18738086 | Play | Man In A Suitcase | 00:31 Tools | |
18737974 | Play | Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - Closing Titles | 01:06 Tools | |
57032368 | Play | The Baron Main Titles | 00:49 Tools | |
87676294 | Play | Theme From "Danger Man" | 01:44 Tools | |
18737997 | Play | Le saint | 00:59 Tools | |
57032365 | Play | Theme from the Saint | 00:47 Tools | |
87676296 | Play | Secret Agent (Danger Man) | 02:01 Tools | |
18738042 | Play | Gideon's Way | 00:38 Tools | |
57032363 | Play | Main Title Theme | 00:38 Tools | |
18738064 | Play | Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - Incidental Cue 4 | 00:32 Tools | |
57032364 | Play | Danger Man Theme | 00:47 Tools | |
18738065 | Play | Opening Titles | 00:47 Tools | |
18738024 | Play | The Saint - I'm Out to Get You (from Portrait of Brenda) | 02:14 Tools | |
18738020 | Play | The Baron incidental cue 5 | 00:57 Tools | |
18738058 | Play | Gideon's Way Main Titles | 00:38 Tools | |
57032371 | Play | Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - Incidental Cue 2 | 00:38 Tools | |
57032372 | Play | Danger Man (one hour) closing titles | 01:02 Tools | |
18737988 | Play | Danger Man (one hour) main titles | 01:00 Tools | |
18737981 | Play | Danger Man (half hour) closing titles | 00:49 Tools | |
18738028 | Play | Randall And Hopkirk | 03:04 Tools | |
87676292 | Play | Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) - Theme | 01:49 Tools | |
57032374 | Play | Just Another Divorce Case | 01:49 Tools | |
57032369 | Play | Danger Man (half hour) incidental cue 1 | 00:38 Tools | |
89562563 | Play | Danger Man (half hour) incidental cue 3 | 00:38 Tools | |
57032375 | Play | The Murderous Husband | 01:49 Tools | |
18738069 | Play | The Baron Closing Titles | 00:57 Tools | |
57032366 | Play | Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - Incidental Cue 1 | 03:04 Tools | |
18738082 | Play | Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - Incidental Cue 3 | 01:49 Tools | |
87676293 | Play | The Saint - Opening & Closing Themes | 01:44 Tools | |
57032367 | Play | Devil girl from Mars | 03:04 Tools | |
18738035 | Play | The Saint - closing titles (Legacy of The Saint) | 01:02 Tools | |
18737989 | Play | The Saint incidental cue 1 | 01:13 Tools | |
87676295 | Play | Danger Man - Pre-Credits & Theme | 01:09 Tools | |
57032380 | Play | Gideon's Way closing titles | 01:40 Tools | |
57032373 | Play | Bath Zap | 01:49 Tools | |
18738018 | Play | Danger Man (one hour) incidental cue 4 | 01:00 Tools | |
18738059 | Play | Danger Man (half hour) incidental cue 2 | 02:21 Tools | |
57032386 | Play | The Witness | 01:09 Tools | |
57032381 | Play | The Baron incidental cue 2 | 00:57 Tools | |
57032399 | Play | The Baron incidental cue 3 | 01:11 Tools | |
57032384 | Play | Walking Through Walls | 01:09 Tools | |
57032370 | Play | Closing Titles | 00:38 Tools | |
57032383 | Play | Jeff Nabs Gamekeeper | 01:09 Tools | |
18738029 | Play | The Saint (1962-1969) - Theme from 'The Saint' | 01:47 Tools | |
57032389 | Play | Wake Up, Jeff! | 01:09 Tools | |
18737975 | Play | The Saint closing titles (monochrome) | 00:56 Tools | |
18737986 | Play | The Saint main titles (colour) | 00:51 Tools | |
57032403 | Play | Jealous Ghost | 01:17 Tools | |
57032394 | Play | Danger Man (half hour) incidental cue 4 | 02:28 Tools | |
57032398 | Play | Fast Getaway | 01:11 Tools | |
57032395 | Play | A Ghost At The Funeral | 02:28 Tools | |
18738005 | Play | London Intro | 00:33 Tools | |
18738076 | Play | Department S incidental cue 7 | 02:38 Tools | |
18737993 | Play | The Saint incidental cue 3 | 01:40 Tools | |
57032405 | Play | Gassed! | 01:17 Tools | |
57032406 | Play | No Voice On The Tape | 01:17 Tools | |
57032385 | Play | Marty's Murder | 01:09 Tools | |
18737973 | Play | The Saint - Opening & Closing Theme | 03:08 Tools | |
57032382 | Play | Marty's Headstone | 01:09 Tools | |
57032409 | Play | Gamekeeper On The Run | 01:17 Tools | |
57032410 | Play | Walking Through Walls (Partial Retake) | 01:17 Tools | |
18738007 | Play | Danger Man (one hour) incidental cue 2 | 02:17 Tools | |
57032416 | Play | Cellar Escape And Chase | 01:17 Tools | |
57032413 | Play | You're Alive | 01:17 Tools | |
57032407 | Play | Guilty Gamekeeper | 01:17 Tools | |
57032408 | Play | After Dinner Sneak | 01:17 Tools | |
57032412 | Play | Jeff Arrives At Estate | 01:17 Tools | |
57032415 | Play | Jeff Nabs The Sniper | 01:17 Tools | |
57032418 | Play | Conked Out In The Cellar | 01:17 Tools | |
18737971 | Play | The Adventures of Robin Hood (From 'Robin Hood' TV Serie) | 01:19 Tools | |
57032376 | Play | Danger Man (1964) | 01:19 Tools | |
18738071 | Play | The Saint (1962) | 02:01 Tools | |
18737976 | Play | The Saint incidental cue 2 | 01:30 Tools | |
18737999 | Play | Danger Man (one hour) incidental cue 1 | 02:28 Tools | |
89562564 | Play | Marty On The Case | 02:28 Tools | |
89562565 | Play | The Hit Men | 02:28 Tools | |
57032377 | Play | High Wire (Original British Theme) | 01:19 Tools | |
57032378 | Play | Department S incidental cue 4 | 00:57 Tools | |
57032379 | Play | Secret Agent Man (American Theme) | 00:57 Tools | |
57032397 | Play | Department S incidental cue 1 | 02:28 Tools | |
89562566 | Play | Get Randall! | 02:28 Tools | |
18737969 | Play | Danger Man (one hour) incidental cue 3 | 01:11 Tools | |
18738077 | Play | Vibrating Coffee Cup | 01:17 Tools | |
89562567 | Play | Jeff Is Lost | 01:17 Tools | |
89562568 | Play | Breaking And Entering | 01:17 Tools | |
89562569 | Play | Randall Must Die | 01:17 Tools | |
57032402 | Play | The Early Bird Gets The Bullet | 01:11 Tools | |
57032401 | Play | Department S incidental cue 2 | 01:11 Tools | |
89562570 | Play | Jeff Held Prisoner | 01:11 Tools | |
89562571 | Play | She Had To Die | 01:11 Tools | |
89562572 | Play | Jeff Thrown Off Bridge | 01:11 Tools | |
18737994 | Play | Department S - Main titles | 01:09 Tools | |
89562573 | Play | The Champions incidental cue 1 | 01:09 Tools | |
89562574 | Play | The Arsonist | 01:09 Tools | |
89562575 | Play | Failed Escape | 01:09 Tools | |
57032414 | Play | The Sniper | 01:17 Tools | |
57032417 | Play | Pecked To Death? | 01:17 Tools | |
57032387 | Play | International Detective (var 6) | 01:09 Tools | |
57032419 | Play | Jeannie's Bouquet | 01:17 Tools | |
57032420 | Play | Signpost Switch | 01:17 Tools | |
89562576 | Play | Murder Strip | 01:17 Tools | |
57032388 | Play | Whatever Happened To George Fo | 01:09 Tools | |
57032390 | Play | Tense Night | 01:09 Tools | |
57032391 | Play | I Wonder Where the Microdot We | 01:09 Tools | |
89562577 | Play | The Saint opening titles (Legacy of The Saint) | 01:09 Tools | |
57032392 | Play | Early Morning Visitor | 02:28 Tools | |
87676297 | Play | Explosive Escape | 02:28 Tools | |
87676298 | Play | Department S incidental cue 5 | 02:28 Tools | |
89562578 | Play | Jeannie's Cover Blown | 02:28 Tools | |
57032393 | Play | Department S incidental cue 6 | 02:28 Tools | |
89562579 | Play | Hit And Run | 02:28 Tools | |
89562580 | Play | Dial-A-Killer | 02:28 Tools | |
57032396 | Play | Department S incidental cue 3 | 02:28 Tools | |
89562581 | Play | Fished Out | 02:28 Tools | |
89562582 | Play | Sinister Black Van | 02:28 Tools | |
57032400 | Play | Hire Wire | 01:11 Tools | |
89562583 | Play | Jeff's Dilemma | 01:11 Tools | |
57032404 | Play | Eerie Welcome | 01:17 Tools | |
89562584 | Play | Marty Appears At Seance | 01:17 Tools | |
89562585 | Play | Ex-Wife With A Gun | 01:17 Tools | |
89562586 | Play | Pond Fight | 01:17 Tools | |
57032411 | Play | Shadow Mood | 01:17 Tools | |
89562587 | Play | Prisoners In The Barn | 01:17 Tools | |
89562588 | Play | Jeannie Attacked By Poltergeist | 01:17 Tools | |
87676299 | Play | Theme From Department 5 | 01:17 Tools | |
57032421 | Play | Main Theme From The Saint (The Saint) | 01:17 Tools | |
89562589 | Play | Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) Theme | 01:17 Tools | |
87676300 | Play | Broken Rhythm | 01:17 Tools | |
89562590 | Play | Dance Time | 01:17 Tools | |
57032422 | Play | Night Drama | 01:17 Tools |
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Ted Astley (b. Edwin Thomas Astley, Warrington, Cheshire, 1922. d. Goring, Oxfordshire, 1998) was perhaps the most prolific and inventive composer of British television action-adventure theme music. He was also a highly accomplished musician, songwriter and arranger of popular music, as well as composer of more formal works (an original operatic piece for Hammer's 1962 remake The Phantom of the Opera, compositions for son et lumiere performances at Hampton Court Palace and the Cairo pyramids). He joined the Royal Army Service Corps band as a boy, playing clarinet and saxophone, and by the age of 18 was arranging both military and dance band music. After the war, he joined the Percy Pease dance band and later formed his own band, the Ted Astley Orchestra. The band appeared mainly in the north of England and was often heard broadcasting from the BBC's Manchester studios. Following the closure of northern venues in the late 1940s, he decided to move to London and found work at music publishers Francis, Day and Hunter as an arranger for such popular singers of the period as Vera Lynn and Anne Shelton. Astley's first film work, in 1953, was for the Danziger brothers (Edward J. and Harry Lee), a couple of British-based American producers of second features and low-cost television series: Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder (1953), Star of My Night (1954), A Tale of Three Women (1954), all directed by Danzigers' regular Paul Dickson. He also worked on the Danzigers' suspense anthology series The Vise (which was shown via various ITV companies from 1955). His other television work around this time included Fabian of the Yard (BBC, 1954-56) and the Boris Karloff mystery series Colonel March of Scotland Yard (ITV, tx. from 1955), the latter for producer Hannah Weinstein - an association that led to Astley being asked to write the music for Weinstein's The Adventures of Robin Hood (ITV, 1955-59) series. Astley's popular Robin Hood theme, heralded by his famous nine-note trumpet fanfare, helped launch his career as a composer for television. For the early series he wrote original music for every episode, recording three episodes per four-hour session at Beaconsfield Studios. The conventional practice for television during this time was that only the first dozen or so episodes of a series had original music specially written in order to build up a library of incidental music for re-use in later episodes. Running for 143 episodes and performing well in America, the Robin Hood series was also a highly lucrative assignment for Astley. It was American composer Carl Sigman, however, who wrote the familiar 'Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen...' title song; fellow composer Albert Elms provided the greater part of the episodic underscore. The swashbuckling exploits of The Buccaneers (ITV, 1956-57), opening with a rousing shanty over the main titles, and The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (ITV, 1956-57), employing a suitably noble signature, followed; both series produced by Weinstein's Sapphire Films. During this mid 1950s period Astley also provided the music for Adventures of the Big Man (BBC, 1956), The Invisible Man (ITV, 1958-59), the latter uncredited, Ivanhoe (ITV, 1958) and International Detective (ITV, 1959-61). In 1959, Astley was approached to score the Canadian police drama series R.C.M.P. (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) (1959-60), a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/BBC co-production, but was prevented from taking up the assignment by restrictions imposed by the British Musicians' Union. He did, however, supply the music for another overseas production, the Australian-filmed action series Whiplash (ITV, 1960-61). He also worked on features, shorts and travelogues between TV recordings, including the Hammer Films productions A Clean Sweep (d. Maclean Rogers, 1958), Visa to Canton (d. Michael Carreras, 1960) and The Phantom of the Opera (d. Terence Fisher, 1962). Producer Ralph Smart brought in Astley as musical director for the espionage series Danger Man (ITV, 1960-62; 1964-66). First produced in 1960 as a half-hour series, starring Patrick McGoohan as a NATO trouble-shooter, Astley composed the early series' title and incidental music as fast moving big brass productions emphasising a strong jazz saxophone. When the series returned in 1964 in an hour format Astley's main title theme (called 'High Wire') used a jazz harpsichord over the fast paced brass orchestra. Astley was the first composer for British television with a familiarity with jazz and other contemporary idioms. When the hour-long series of Danger Man was acquired by CBS (the first British spy series to be purchased by an American network), the title was changed to Secret Agent and Astley's main title composition was replaced by a new theme commissioned by the network. This new theme opened with an electric guitar riff and featured a pop-hit song ('Secret Agent Man') sung by American youth market favourite Johnny Rivers. However, the most recognisable British TV theme of the era was Astley's simple seven-note phrase over the introduction to The Saint (ITV, 1962-69), signalled on screen at the start of the opening credits with an animated halo appearing above series' star Roger Moore's head. Based on the series of popular adventure novels written by Leslie Charteris (who was actually credited with the opening bars of the theme later in the series), The Saint was one of the most successful action-adventure series of the 1960s, both in Britain and the USA. Astley recorded several sessions for the early series that were then re-used for the remainder of the series. Both Danger Man and The Saint were ATV/ITC productions, the successful Sir Lew Grade combine that was responsible for several popular mid-Atlantic filmed series of the 1960s. Astley's arresting use of jazz colours and rhythms during this period included works for the ATV/ITC series Gideon's Way (ITV, 1965-66), The Baron (ITV, 1966-67), The Champions (ITV, 1968-69), Department S (ITV, 1969-70) and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (ITV, 1969-71). In 1969, he was called upon to compose the music for Sir Kenneth Clark's 13-part historical documentary series Civilisation (BBC) and provided an appropriately majestic and evocative composition featuring heavy organ music. In the late 1970s, he moved from London to Oxfordshire to enjoy early retirement. He continued his involvement in music, however, converting a garage into a recording studio and acquiring a number of state-of-the-art synthesisers, building up a successful music library. Remaining ever-active, he orchestrated several pieces of music for his son-in-law, The Who's Pete Townshend (married to his daughter Karen). Astley went on to become one of the first to orchestrate symphonic pop for large orchestras. In 1997, he was delighted to see The Saint theme enter the music charts (at number 5) by the electronic band Orbital. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.