BBC Fifties Radio Themes - (pt.2 of 2) - plus the "Ovaltineys Song"

THIS one begins with the "Ovaltineys Song" - which was NOT on the Beeb. Rather, LUXEMBOURG, 'cause it had ADVERTS (Auntie did not allow such things) but I've included it, as it's contemporaneous (THERE'S a word I don't use often!) And don't forget part ONE - it's on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_wuMnEuQ5Y

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• Fifties
• '50s
• radio
• themes
• Ovaltineys
• Song
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• Music
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[filcharlee]

@charade97. Further to my last comment :-' Imperial Echoes' was the theme music to Radio Newsreel and not Television Newsreel as I stated. The theme music to the early Television Newsreel programmes when the mast at Alexandra Palace was shown with TV waves was 'Girls in Grey' and was written by Charles Williams. I think he was right about the tune at No 3 being the introduction music at the start-up of each evening's TV.

[morpheusatloppers]

@filcharlee -Charles Williams was also responsible for the Dick Barton theme. He was also a talented scorer of films - his most famous being "While I Live" - with its centrepiece: "The Dream Of Olwen" - which an alter-ego of mine just uploaded!

[discotecaotonal]

I want to know the title and orchestra the theme begins minute 3, second 46.

This melody remember me radio news program in Santiago de Chile, in the fifties.

Thank you.

[morpheusatloppers]

@discotecaotonal - Sadly, soon after acquiring these two sets of themes, I lost the crib sheet! Most I know, but not this one. I THINK it is by Eric Coates - as it is VERY similar to his "Knightsbridge March" (which the BBC used for "In Town Tonight") - but it is a RECORD. The BBC often used records (which they paid royalties on) rather than spend the extra money to COMMISSION an original piece. Thus, ANYONE could use them - and a lot of foreign stations who wanted to copy the BBC's style DID!

[soundnicetome]

God,close your eyes and you are transported back 50 years or so,when life was not going at 100 mph !! Thanks for posting,brings back happy times.

[MANFROMMARS46]

What lovely memories this brings back particularly the version of With A Song in My Heart, theme tune from Two Way Family Favourites with Cliff Michelmore. It reminds me of lazy Sunday mornings.

[SuperArchie777]

Brilliant memories of those wonderful days gone by

LEONARD WORRALL

[SuperArchie777]

Brilliant superb memories come flooding back

LEONARD WORRALL

[SuperArchie777]

A brilliant compilation of wonderful music from days gone by

LEONARD WORRALL

[flammasherman]

@discotecaotonal You may have found out by now but the music you refer to is ' Television March ' by one of the greatest British Composers of ' light classical music ', Eric Coates.It was commisioned to herald the introduction of the world's first high-definition TV service in 1936.Hope this helps !.Roger.

[sturdle]

@powerspade Kirt Massey and Martha Tilton, Pete Murray.........

[malgray2]

@Mancunian6 You're quite right. Prokofiev wrote a piece called Troika which depicts Lt Kijé driving through the snow in a sleigh pulled by three horses. There are parallels but the Prokofiev piece has more tonal variation.

[Mancunian6]

(Continued) The orchestral version was first recorded in 1949 by Arthur Fiedler and The Boston Pops Orchestra. Whether or not Prokofiev used it too, I've no idea.

[Mancunian6]

@malgray2 You're very welcome. As to whether Sleigh Ride came from Prokofiev, here's what Wiki has to say - "Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. Lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person, were written by Mitchell Parish in 1950.

[malgray2]

@Mancunian6 thanks for the info about The Typewriter and Leroy Anderson, but isn't Sleigh Ride actually from Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé?

[MANFROMMARS46]

@TheAnn2shoes How true, it reminds me of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and my late parents and of course Cliff Michelmore. They were less cynical days and people were satisfied with far less and probably happier too.