Music memories

[John10b]

Odd title you may think, but when listening to certain music ( Borodin for example) I often drift back to the workshop we’re a number of sets would be on soak test, happy days. I wonder if other folk experience this when listening to music.
John

[G6Tanuki]

I guess it depends on the definition of 'music' - in times-past I would happily leave a receiver tuned to 5.0/10.0/15.0MHz on in the lab because the regular tick...tick...tick... of WWV was reassuring, and also provided a good guide to propagation.

[ben]

In the days when there were few channels and even less programming, the test patterns were broadcast along with instrumental music from the likes of KPM, Impress, Bosworth and DeWolfe, labels who specialized in music not designed for commercial release but for the broadcast media. I expect a lot of techs got to know the tunes well after soak tests and the like.

A lot of this is now available on YouTube after years of being largely impossible to find.

It is well worth browsing, they made pretty much every conceivable style, from electro to big band and jazz. There are moments of greatness right next to stuff that's truly trite and naff.

[lesmw0sec]

Originally Posted by ben

In the days when there were few channels and even less programming, the test patterns were broadcast along with instrumental music from the likes of KPM, Impress, Bosworth and DeWolfe, labels who specialized in music not designed for commercial release but for the broadcast media. I expect a lot of techs got to know the tunes well after soak tests and the like.

A lot of this is now available on YouTube after years of being largely impossible to find.

It is well worth browsing, they made pretty much every conceivable style, from electro to big band and jazz. There are moments of greatness right next to stuff that's truly trite and naff.

Indeed so. I recall the BBC in the 60's using some excellent latin-american stuff of very good quality. I can recall the tunes and wish I could get hold of the originals!

[vinrads]

I do remember the tune/song when luxenbourg closed at around 2.30 am , it started with (at the end of the day) . happy days. Mick.

[Doghouse Riley]

Back in the fifties when in my teens, there was always music accompanying the test card on BBC TV. Each day it would be a different theme, but never any vocals.

[Martin Bush]

Joe Jackson's Steppin Out reminds me of Ceefax

[ben]

Originally Posted by lesmw0sec

Indeed so. I recall the BBC in the 60's using some excellent latin-american stuff of very good quality. I can recall the tunes and wish I could get hold of the originals!

Try looking for Les Baxter material on Youtube. I will look at some of the Impress library LPs I have, pretty sure I have some latin.

[Audio1950]

Originally Posted by vinrads

I do remember the tune/song when luxenbourg closed at around 2.30 am , it started with (at the end of the day) . happy days. Mick.

Yes, and it took me years to find out who sang it. Steve Conway.

Barry

[Nickthedentist]

A bit weird, I admit, but a couple of orchestral works by Parry and Wesley remind me of getting up ridiculously early to do some last minute GCSE revision! They were used as the start-up music on BBC Radio 3

Similarly, "Sailing By" on R4 reminds me of dad still not being home from "a work meeting" (i.e. the pub), and mum getting very cross!

[Doghouse Riley]

Originally Posted by Audio1950

Yes, and it took me years to find out who sang it. Steve Conway.

Barry

I'm quite old now but as a child, I remember Steve Conway being my mother's favourite singer, his recordings were on the radio sometimes. I quite liked him too. He didn't have a phoney American accent.
About 12 years ago I bought a CD of his and I uploaded this track to YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDOmqvYkN9U

It's had 54,000 hits and has been heard in over 100 countries.

59 positive comments, 332 "likes" no "dislikes."

There must be a lot of ex-pat Brits all over the world.

[Panrock]

Originally Posted by Doghouse Riley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDOmqvYkN9U

Thanks for this. Up to now Steve Conway hadn't been on my radar. But what a lovely song, so beautifully sung.

Steve

[Doghouse Riley]

Originally Posted by Panrock

Thanks for this. Up to now Steve Conway hadn't been on my radar. But what a lovely song, so beautifully sung.

Steve

A little known fact is that he had a very brief film career.
It was in the 1953 film, "The Girl on the Pier" recently shown on Talking Pictures TV.
He plays a detective sergeant. The part wasn't big enough for his name to appear on the screen credits. But IMdB lists everyone in every film and his name appears there. The film wasn't released until after his death.

He made about 100 recordings, although charts weren't made during his life, it has been estimated that 23 of his records would have made a top 30.

This makes an interesting read..


https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0176782/...ef_=nm_dyk_trv

[Richardgr]

Originally Posted by Panrock

...
Thanks for this. Up to now Steve Conway hadn't been on my radar. But what a lovely song, so beautifully sung.

Seconded, a lovely voice. Looked Steve Conway up on wikipedia, and what a tragic life he lead, with siblings that died and a heart condition that caught up with him at 32.

For me I get a horrible cold panic whenever I hear the them tune to Songs of Praise. It takes me back to school days, and finishing off the weekend homework or revising for the next day.

[SiriusHardware]

For me the 'Telly Tune' which keeps getting stuck in my head is the one which played over the "Viewers' Gallery" section in 'Vision On', which featured Tony Hart and Pat Keysell (with occasional appearances by Wilf Lunn and others). I never knew what it was until now.

A quick Google tells me it is "Left Bank Two" by Wayne Hill, and recorded by the Noveltones.

[knobtwiddler]

Originally Posted by ben

In the days when there were few channels and even less programming, the test patterns were broadcast along with instrumental music from the likes of KPM, Impress, Bosworth and DeWolfe, labels who specialized in music not designed for commercial release but for the broadcast media. I expect a lot of techs got to know the tunes well after soak tests and the like.

A lot of this is now available on YouTube after years of being largely impossible to find.

It is well worth browsing, they made pretty much every conceivable style, from electro to big band and jazz. There are moments of greatness right next to stuff that's truly trite and naff.

KPM and DeWolfe have seen their releases repressed in recent years. They have a cult following. My understanding is that some of the records were sought after by Hip Hop producers, as untapped sources of break beats. That theory is plausible, if you consider the prices that some of the records were fetching (I suspect prices have calmed down now, but haven't really looked). It's also testament to the tightness of the musicians, as breaks are easier to loop when played by highly skilled musicians.

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

A quick Google tells me it is "Left Bank Two" by Wayne Hill, and recorded by the Noveltones.

That definitely qualifies as an Earworm.

I used it in the past when setting-up videoconferences, as an audio-channel-occupier.

Also from 1970s Vision-On there's a freaky little bit of music called "Merry Ocarina" played, yes, on the Ocarina. I had this as my phone ringtone at one time.

[Doghouse Riley]

What always got to me was the "noodling" of Barrington Pheloung in the Morse and Endeavour series on TV. It was always annoying and completely unnecessary to have it droning on over the opening titles. It's even more annoying if I come across the many repeats.

But I can be "back in my youth" when I play either of my two vinyl jukeboxes.

This for me typifies the era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42Wuc_Pzoc

[dave walsh]

I think that the "Sunset Melodies" program I found recently may chime with the sentiments expressed here? It's mentioned in my thread "RNIB Connect Radio on Freeview channel 730" started 14/10/23! If anyone can identify the set on the front page it's a bonus! I listen to the Folk and Roots slot as well but that may not be at all the same thing for others.

Re memories, there is a presenter on LBC who comments on what callers say by using sound effects including very recognisable clips of politicians or others saying eg, yes or no! It's funnier than it sounds but does remind me of the Jack Jackson Show on the Light Program in the sixties. He did the same sort of inserts but between records and it was so different to anything else, even we teenagers listened. A sort of early Kenny Everett in a way but no fishnet tights! I'm sure the LBC chap nust have heard about Mr Jackson somehow!

Dave W

[The Philpott]

Re. Post No.14 by Richard-

The paranoia of homework undone was used by Ben Elton in one of his stand-ups on Saturday Live- he opined that the main viewer demographic watching Songs of Praise wasn't the elderly- it was teenage 'fartys', all stressing whilst inexorably running out of time. Perhaps this is why part of the theme to Antiques Roadshow was truly piercing- a subliminal signal to blast the young off the sofa and up the stairs.

Post No.1 mentions Borodin- apparently when i was very small i was obsessed with Polovtsian Dances and would play it repeatedly, but curiously when i play it now i have no memory of it whatsoever...so i can only think that i must have been very young indeed.

Students of Aesthetics are presented with the concept that's there's something extra in music, beyond the actual sounds themselves- now there's a rabbit hole of theories if ever i saw one. Sounds (and smells) certainly do seem to be a more acute trigger to deep memory than sights.

Dave