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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc. |
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30th Oct 2018, 7:56 pm | #1 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Knutsford, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 1,500
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Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Hi All,
I enjoy collecting (and of course listening to) old testcard / library music often used in and between TV programmes in the old days.. There have been some great CD's of this genre released, [albeit sometimes in very small run numbers], it seems there is a small but fanatical following these days.. does anyone else here have a similar musical penchant?
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30th Oct 2018, 8:03 pm | #2 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Belper Derbyshire
Posts: 1,936
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Yes indeed. It is a much forgotten light music source
I have to confess I put some test card C music from both BBC and ITA tracks on a USB stick and play this in my works van when there is nothing of interest on radio 4. Christopher Capener
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30th Oct 2018, 8:36 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,935
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Dare I admit I belong to the Test Card Circle since day one!
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30th Oct 2018, 8:36 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 9,433
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
I have a CD of about 20 tracks I listen to in the car, again when nothing of interest on the radio.
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Frank |
30th Oct 2018, 8:37 pm | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Near Swindon, North Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 3,622
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Are you aware of The Test Card Circle?
http://www.testcardcircle.org.uk Having repaired TVs since the late 1960s, I "had" to listen to the music and could amaze "non-TV repair people" friends by humming the next track before it began! I still enjoy listening to it, having acquired many of the CDs issued that contain "library" music tracks, as used to accompany the (BBC1 and 2 and Channel 4) test cards, and TV show theme tunes, etc. |
30th Oct 2018, 8:45 pm | #6 |
Nonode
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 2,535
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
I'm a longstanding fan of Light Music and have many of the Guild series of CDs, originally obtained via the Robert Farnon Society.
I find this sort of music melodious and atmospheric. There is clearly a nostalgic aspect but I also feel it's no exaggeration to say it "makes the heart sing". Played between programmes? The CD on today in the workshop included the piece used in the 'Fishes' BBC Interlude. Steve |
30th Oct 2018, 11:37 pm | #7 |
Nonode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,004
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
I'm interesting in library music, when I was more interested in Melbrum's Home Page & Transdiffusion I was interested to find which tracks had been used for TV themes.
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31st Oct 2018, 12:30 am | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
Posts: 7,498
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
There is some amazing library music out there. The 60s and 70s KPM, Amphonic, Bruton, DeWolfe and Programme Music libraries are well worth investigating.
Many of the artists were made up names, for contractual reasons. You had things like the 'Oscar Bernstein orchestra' (there was no such person, O.B. stood for outside broadcast as the sessions were reportedly held in Europe to avoid MU regs). Some of my favourite artists: Zack Laurence, Alan Hawkshaw, Syd Dale, Johnny Gregory, Keith Mansfield, Geoff and Trevor Bastow, James Clarke, Steve Gray, John Fiddy, Duncan Lamont...So many great session players. Brian Bennett from the Shadows featured heavily on KPM. There were a few CDs made in the 90s ideal for those wanting to test the water ( pardon the pun): 'Test Card Classics' /'Big Band width'. EMI's 'Sound Gallery' is also well worth finding.
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31st Oct 2018, 1:02 pm | #9 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Knutsford, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 1,500
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Wow what a surprise how many of you are into the library music scene..
I have quite a few CD's which are absolute keepers, my favourites being: Watch With Teacher - 2CD's of music from ITV schools intervals Lost in Transmission - various library, some startup music etc Test Card Classics (vol 1 &2) - title says it all Soundtracks Great and Small - similar kind of compilation to 'Lost in Transmission' KPM The big beat vol 2 I thorughly recommend all of these, but they're tough to find, especially at a sane price as most are out of print. + I have some other KPM titles I bought on Bleep.com who host legitimate download sales of some of the KPM catalogue - available in WAV or MP3 formats. I will look into the Test card circle
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31st Oct 2018, 1:22 pm | #10 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Daylesford, Victoria, Australia
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
I'm a KPM fan myself, with a shelf full of 78s discarded by ATV-0 Melbourne.
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31st Oct 2018, 2:19 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Forgot to mention earlier... In case anyone was unaware, there are some fantastic Test card tapes (the original compilations as-TX'd) on Youtube. Example
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Regards, Ben. |
31st Oct 2018, 2:33 pm | #12 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,885
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
I'm a huge fan of KPM library music (and other stuff like Piero Umiliani) a lot of the KPM stuff is on Spotify and I listen to it regularly while working - it's great music to work and drive to!
Ben, Bruton's a new one to me - I'm listening to some of it now |
31st Oct 2018, 2:47 pm | #13 |
Nonode
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 2,535
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Lovely stuff! More up-tempo than interlude-style music in the '50s and where Easy Listening was at after the swinging sixties, with jazz influences etc. Great work-a-day music... optimistic and industrious.
I was one of the TAs operating the Leevers-Rich putting test card music out on BBC1 and BBC2 between 1969 and 1975. At the time the music seemed entirely forgettable and I have to admit the tapes could have been handled with more care. We never would have thought this music would come to symbolise an era. Steve |
31st Oct 2018, 3:49 pm | #14 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Knutsford, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 1,500
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Thanks for the Youtube link Ben... some good stuff on there.. hadn't thought to look!
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31st Oct 2018, 3:55 pm | #15 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,935
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Great prog called Total Recorder,not free but ideal if you wish to record for your own use.
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31st Oct 2018, 3:57 pm | #16 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Derby, UK.
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Alan Hawkshaw is probably best known for the incidental music in Channel 4's Countdown. His daughter Kirsty was in the dance music group Opus III, who had a hit with It's a Fine Day in 1992.
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31st Oct 2018, 4:17 pm | #17 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 14,007
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
I'm not really interested in testcard music, but am deeply fascinated by the music used in 1950s/1960s TV advertising and the background music for the short 'advertorials' that were commonplace in the same era [the "Here's Mayor Joe Bloggs cutting the ribbon to open the MacFisheries shop in Northampton's new shopping-centre and here's some of the delighted housewives on their first visit" - cue jazzy music - sort of thing]
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31st Oct 2018, 4:21 pm | #18 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,038
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Oh yes. I have both the Chandos testcard CD's and I love old interlude music. I've also got some compilations of 'The Queen's Hall Light Orchestra' output, which are full of tunes from my childhood days when I listened for hours on end to my bedroom radio (when I wasn't tinkering with it...).
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31st Oct 2018, 4:24 pm | #19 | |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Quote:
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31st Oct 2018, 6:17 pm | #20 |
Nonode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,004
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Re: Testcard and Library music - any fans here?
Pages From Ceefax was another use of stock music, many times I remember watching this waiting for children's programmes to start in the school holidays. At the times my family didn't have a TV with teletext so I was good to see what I was missing.
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