Testcard and Library music - any fans here?

[AJSmith625]

I also must admit to enjoying test card and other incidental TV music, and often have some playing in another window while reading these pages. My favourite at the moment is a compilation on Youtube under the title of Dixie Omlette. This is BBC test card music from the 1980s and brings back many memories of being in the trade at that time.

Alan.

[Philips210]

Hi.

I enjoy listening to the BBC and C4 testcard music which was originally aired during the 1980s.

The BBC tapes I liked were: Belle Cannon, Dixie Omelette, Dixieland Parade, Happy Polka, Hi Livin', In the Latest Fashion, Kung Flute, Mon Bijoux, Positron, Songs of Life, Sunflower, The Trolley Song, Tulsa and others. I liked the Latin compositions in Hi Livin'.

My favourite C4 tapes were: 21 Denmark Street, Almost Together, And I love Her, Barnyard Bounce, Grooved Root and The Theme.

I regularly listened to this music when repairing and setting up TV receivers back in the 1980s. As Ben mentions, there's quite a lot on YouTube.

Regards
Symon

EDIT: Forgot to mention the excellent BBC tape Baby I'm-A Want You which has some great tracks.

[martin.m]

In the early 70s, towards the end of the year, the BBC used to play a selection of Christmas music to go with the test card. Whenever I hear Steeleye Span's "Gaudette" it brings back memories of working at Visionhire installing new Philips TVs fitted with the G8 chassis.

[SteveCG]

martin.m Yes, "Gaudete" by Steeleye Span rising slowly out of the hiss on DX TV type reception in East Anglia from London was memorable.

[Hybrid tellies]

I have two cd's of Test Card music, Big Bandwidth and The Girl the Doll and the music. I have downloaded both cd's to iTunes and my ipod and listen to them on a fairly regular basis. Listening to them is a very quick way to transport you back in time to happier times when you were younger and did a job that you enjoyed.

[boxdoctor]

I much enjoyed the test card music, especially the BBC material of the late fifties/early sixties, some of which I recorded.
Sadly, on getting the tapes out to have a 'nostalgic moment' a few years ago, many of them were unplayable, as they fell to bits as they went through the machine. mostly Scotch tape,too!
No recordings of these early pieces seem to be available, apart from literally one or two bits on Utube. Anbody got a decent copy of "Barbados" (big band ChaCha)?
I've got the two CDs H.T. mentions above (#25) very good, too. So different when you first hear the material in stereo. Tony.

[MurphyNut]

I love this music, library music / light music covers a wide range of styles for classical to even rock (more so in library music) the repertory is simply huge. It seems to be coming back in vogue again.
My main place hearing it is on youtube, I've learnt a lot from spending time here, you get to know the composers, I enjoy the dated sound-world, some example-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtzMBSWLIJs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEJDKpjVCXU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQXQfDqLiBE

[ben]

Here's something those of you into themes and library music ought to like. Matt Berry

[Vectamart]

I must confess that I have been an avid collector of test card music ever since I bought my first Philips N4302 reel-to-reel tape recorder in 1970. I now have a massive collection which play on a daily basis.

[See_Mos]

The BBC Concert Orchestra did a disk entitled Sleigh Ride with the music of Leroy Anderson. They played it over the test card for several years in the run up to Christmas. I have an MP3 copy but don't think it is available on CD though there are a few other Leroy Anderson CD's available.

ITV test card music never seems to get much attention. I have built up a small collection of British light music that includes a lot of radio and TV music. I may be wrong, but I seem to remember there was an album Bert Kaempfert Special that was used by the ITV.

[MurphyNut]

Originally Posted by See_Mos

British light music that includes a lot of radio and TV music. I may be wrong, but I seem to remember there was an album Bert Kaempfert Special that was used by the ITV.

There's an excellent company that specializes in light music, much of it sourced from the library/production music vaults. I just received 3 more as Christmas presents to add to the twenty I have. There are well over a hundred in the series.
Strongly recomended, the music is a constant joy.

The golden age of light music on Guild. (link below)

http://www.pelstream.co.uk/abcd_1.htm

[John123]

I remember hearing Ashford & Simpson's version of the Disco hit 'Bourgie Bourgie' on Ceefax a few times back in the day.

I also quite liked the IBA Engineering Announcements' 'Current Affairs' by Francis Monkman.

[See_Mos]

Thanks for the link Clive, I will have a look shortly.

You can hear samples of the Sleigh Ride album and it is available for download at Presto Classical or Chandos

[Graham G3ZVT]

Originally Posted by John123

I also quite liked the IBA Engineering Announcements' 'Current Affairs' by Francis Monkman.

And also the BBC2 equivalent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOxQqcRQyi8

[gec2110]

The music is great have lots of CD's myself.

[Eidolon]

I'm sure i saw something a while back where someone had made a downloadable DVD of TestCards. Didn't include the music though. https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...2&postcount=47 Not sure if it's still available or not.

Those CDs mentioned earlier look good, especially the ITV schools one. Shame they're so difficult to get now. One on ebay for £50 but that's a bit past what I'd be willing to pay for it.

[bill knox]

Hi

During the early sixties I used to enjoy the BBC testcard music(I think that it was that station) they used to play Nelson Riddle "Life is just a bowl of cherries" LP, I liked it so much that I rang the BBC to get the title and then bought the LP, I still have it upstairs somewhere.
It was played at approx. 12 PM just after the classical music

Bill

[PaulM]

I've been following this thread with interest as I'm in the middle of updating/repairing my test card generating facilities. As well as Marconi No. 1 Resolution Chart, I have Test Cards C and F. These are all sourced from an ex-Sky TV Oxtel 'Miranda' Image Store which generates SDI video which is then converted to baseband analogue and also UHF System I using a Barco VSB modulator. That is, I think, about as good as it gets but something is missing - the sound!

The 'Miranda' has sound embedding capabilities and in theory in should be possible to add some suitable test card music to the SDI stream and on to analogue conversion. What I have in mind is to record an LP that I bought in my youth in the 70s of 'Test Card Music' (but it isn't) from BBC Records and put that on the 'Easysound' card option in the Miranda. The album is here: https://www.discogs.com/Pete-Winslow...elease/1463205

I quite like the music, even though it's 'Musak' and not the original as it's done 'in the spirit of the Test Card'. Anybody have any comments on this LP? I can't see any mentions of it, but perhaps I've missed it?

Best regards,

Paul M

[See_Mos]

Just listening to this:-

https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...leroy-anderson

I'm sure this was used as TCM but I don't remember if it was ITV or BBC

you can listen to samples one the right side of the link page.

[Graham G3ZVT]

The first track " Belle of the Ball" is ever so familiar, perhaps as a theme tune. I haven't found out why yet, but while researching it I came across this other Leroy Anderson track on youtube, with some nice vintage TV visuals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8YSz75y5o0