Tracklisting

• Fontana Records was established in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch-owned Philips music company.

• The Avengers theme included is a cover of the original Johnny Dankworth theme rather than the later Laurie Johnson theme which became synonymous with the series.

Tracklisting

• The first in a series of TV and radio themes albums from His Master's Voice.

• This and the second volume were reissued on a single CD in 2016 by Sepia Records.

Tracklisting

• The second in a series of TV and radio themes albums from His Master's Voice.

• This and the first volume were reissued on a single CD in 2016 by Sepia Records.

Tracklisting

• TV themes collection notable for including a cover version of The Saint and a rare outing for the Ghost Squad theme.

Tracklisting

Notes

• The solitary ITC track on this compilation was Henry Mancini's Man of the World theme, a welcome outing for this rarely heard track.

• This themes collection was simultaneously issued on vinyl LP in stereo (ST 285) and mono (T 285) and additionally on ¼" reel-to-reel tape (TTP 285).

Images: World Record Club

• Finally, both 45worlds and Discogs suggest this LP was released in 1964 (with 45worlds narrowing it down to January of that year). However, the 2011 CD reissue by Vocalion confirms a 1963 release for Dance to the TV Themes as does the 1965 vinyl reissue, the disc labels of which state "First issued 1963".

Tracklisting

• The third in a series of TV and radio themes albums from His Master's Voice.

• This album was later released in Venezuela (OLP-386, Odeon, 1964). The title was translated into Spanish as Temas Favoritos de Radio y T.V., dropping the volume number. The tracklisting remained the same, with most titles given in Spanish on the back cover, and the ITC track becoming La Bola De Fuego (Fireball).

Image: Odeon (Venezuela) with thanks to Bernard Dunne

Tracklisting

• In the track listing on the record sleeve and disc label, Carlos' Theme is printed in error as 'Carlo's Theme'.

Tracklisting

• The fourth in a series of TV and radio themes albums from His Master's Voice.

Tracklisting

Tracklisting

• The fifth in a series of TV and radio themes albums from His Master's Voice.

• The Danger Man theme was noted on the record's tracklisting as being 'High Wire (from High Wire)' rather than 'High Wire (from Danger Man)'.

Tracklisting

• Phase 4 Stereo was a recording process created by the UK Decca Records label in 1961, the process featuring on 1960s and early 1970s Decca recordings and those of its American subsidiary London Records. Phase 4 Stereo recordings were made with an innovative 10- and later 20-channel recording console. The multi-channel console outputs for Phase 4 recordings were originally made on then novel 4-track tape, but the innovation was in how the process maximised the technology. In recording techniques of the early to mid 1960s, to get the sort of layered sound heard in Phase 4 recordings, multiple overdubs over multiple reels of tape were employed, bouncing down and across to different recorders. This increased the level of tape hiss on the final master, something which Phase 4 engineers wanted to avoid. They achieved in one pass what everybody else was achieving with multiple overdubs. About two hundred albums were released that utilised the process, including popular music, gimmick records engineered to make the sound travel from speaker to speaker, records featuring percussion effects, and historical sound effect records. The label was a major financial success for Decca.

• This LP was reissued on heavyweight 180g vinyl in replica packaging by Decca in 2017 with an identical catalogue number.

Tracklisting

• A reissue of Channel Thrill!: The TV Thriller Themes (STFL 585 (Stereo) / TFL 5170 (Mono), 1962).

• As per that release, The Avengers theme is an arrangement of the Johnny Dankworth original rather than the Laurie Johnson version that was by 1966 the series' current signature tune.

Tracklisting

• The tracks Underworld, Guys, Guns, Dolls and Danger and Blues for an Unknown Private Eye were original compositions by Reg Guest.

• Contemporary editions of this album in the USA and Canada comprised ten tracks only. These were run in a different order and High Wire and Blues for an Unknown Private Eye were both omitted.

• This LP was reissued on CD by Harkit in 2o14 (HRKCD 4879), though this proved to be a disappointment as the USA/Canada variant was used as the source. This meant that neither High Wire or Blues for an Unknown Private Eye was featured. It is possible that the decision to source from the USA edition was taken because it appears to have been the only version issued in stereo. This UK edition was monoaural.

Tracklisting

• This TV themes EP features the ITC series  Thunderbirds and The Saint alongside their ATV stablemate Crossroads. By this point, Pye Records was wholly owned by ITC.

• This was also issued in Argentina (Pye / Music Hall, catalogue number 60.270, 1967) with alternative artwork (see below). Two tracks were omitted - Steptoe and Son and Z Cars.

Image: Pye Records / Music Hall

Tracklisting

• This TV themes features a mix of UK and USA television themes, all linked to the spy craze,. All were performed and arranged by Roland Shaw and his Orchestra and hail from the Themes for Secret Agents LP (Decca, LK 4765).

Tracklisting

• Tracks A4 (At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal) and  B4 (The Clanger) were original compositions by bandleader Brian Fahey, patented in 1960, seven years before this LP was published. The former became associated for many years with disc jockey Alan 'Fluff' Freeman, who used it as a theme and punctuation for various radio shows including Pick of the Pops between 1961 and 2000.

• This excellent collection was later reissued in 1999, when it shared a double-disc CD set with Alan Hawkshaw's 27 Top TV Themes and Commercials. This release can be found on our TV Themes Collections - CD page.

Tracklisting

• Tilsley Orchestral sometimes performed as the Reg Tilsley Orchestra.

• This album was reissued in 1969 on the Fontana Special label (SFL 13139).

Tracklisting

• All tracks were recorded by the Barry Gray Orchestra, with The Monkees and Man in a Suitcase themes therefore presented as cover versions.

• This Century 21 EP was reissued for fan club members on CD by Fanderson Records in 2007 (see TV Themes Collections - CD).

Tracklisting

• Unusually, the reverse of the record sleeve carried an outline drawing of the cover illustration, so that listeners could easily identify how the people depicted linked to each theme tune.

Tracklisting

• This album was  a reissue of the 1967 Fontana LP of the same title  (SFL 13139), now on the budget Fontana Special label.

• In accommodating the Fontana Special logo, which was larger than the Fontana one seen in the original design, the cover lost its ITC element as the Thunderbirds image was replaced with a repositioned photograph of Robert Vaughan as The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'s Napoleon Solo. We can take some solace knowing that a few years down the line, Vaughan would be starring in ITC's The Protectors...

Tracklisting

Tracklisting

• The Phase 4 World of Thrillers was in fact a compilation sourced from several earlier Phase 4 Stereo releases, taking tracks from Film Spectacular Vol. II (1964), The Magic Mood of Ronnie Aldrich (1965), All Time Top T.V. Themes (1966), Film Spectacular Vol. III (1966), Themes for Secret Agents (1966), Music from the Great Movie Thrillers (1969), An Astromusical Odyssey (1970) and Children of France (1971).

Tracklisting

• This title was also made available on audio cassette (catalogue number 40-64816) and 8-track cartridge (42-64816). The track ordering varied across all three formats.

• The two tracks taken from the BBC TV series Vendetta - A4 and B2 - were monoaural recordings whereas all other tracks were presented in stereo.

Tracklisting

• There is some confusion as to the catalogue number of this release. It is given as SVS 2720 on the front cover, SVSC 2720 on the back cover, and SVSC-2720 on the disc labels.

• While Ron Grainer's theme to Man in a Suitcase was often titled 'A Man in a Suitcase' when it appeared on TV theme collections, here we find another title variant: 'The Man in a Suitcase'.

• Die Raumpatrouille is another slight misnomer in that the series it is the theme to is simply Raumpatrouille (or Space Patrol in English). The series in question is a West German science fiction series from 1966 that Randall and Hopkirk (Declassified) recommends most highly. The music to the series (including its theme) by Peter Thomas is also sublime...

• Der Kommisar and Salto Mortale are TV series that also hail from West Germany. Der Kommisar starred Erik Ode as its central protagonist Inspector Herbert Keller. It was set in and around Munich and lasted for 8 seasons between 1969 and 1976. Salto Mortale focused on the exploits of a troupe of trapeze artistes as they tour Europe. This series lasted for two seasons comprising a total of 18 episodes that aired from 1969 to 1972.

Tracklisting

Tracklisting

Notes

• This excellent collection was later reissued in 1999, when it shared a double-disc CD set with Brian Fahey's Time for T.V. This release can be found on our TV Themes Collections - CD page.

Tracklisting

Notes

• This collection was simultaneously released on vinyl LP (2870 185) and audio cassette (3470 185).

Tracklisting

Tracklisting

Notes

• The orchestrations for both versions of this album were arranged by Cy Paine.

• This LP was quickly reissued after publication when it became apparent that there was a rights problem with track A7 - The Pathfinders. The new version was identical in all respects (sleeve, disc labels, catalogue number) except that track A7 on the disc was now an arrangement of Barry Gray's theme from UFO and the presence of a printed sticker at the top left of the sleeve back cover to explain the substitution.

Image: CBS Inc with thanks to Bernard Dunne

Tracklisting

Notes

• The Persuaders! theme - in quadraphonic sound!

• This collection was issued simultaneously on vinyl record (QUAD 1003) and 8-track cartridge (Y8QP 1003).

• This was a Quadraphonic release offering 4-channel playback for those with appropriate equipment. However, Quadraphonic records like this one were designed to be compatible with regular stereo turntables and amplifiers, so listeners could still enjoy them without specialised equipment, albeit as 2-channel rather than 4.

• This LP was reissued as part of a box set - Easy Listening (11PP 103) - in 1973 along with three other Pye Records quadraphonic titles: Tony Hatch and his Orchestra's What the World Needs Now (NSPL 41014, 1971), You've Got A Friend by Sounds Orchestral (NSPL 41017, 1971) and Acker Bilk: His Clarinet and Strings (QUAD 1016, 1972). The records carried their original labels and were presented in plain white sleeves inside the box, suggesting this was a repackaging of unsold stock as a it is highly likely new labels would have been printed for a completely new pressing of these discs. None of the additional discs in the Easy Listening collection included any TV theme tunes.

Image: Pye Records Ltd with thanks to Bernard Dunne

• This collection was simultaneously released on audio cassette (TC-TWO 372) and vinyl LP (TWO 372).

• The track order differed across the two formats. However, all ten tracks were present on cassette and vinyl.

• John Keating's arrangement of the theme from The Persuaders! received 7" single releases in Canada (Capitol Records, 72661, 1971) and France (Columbia, 2C 006-05329, 1973). In both instances, the Owen M.D. theme Sleepy Shores appeared on the B-side.

• The version of The Onedin Line presented on this LP was also released as a single, on Fly Records in the UK, on 3 December 1971 (cat. no. BUG 17). The B-side was an original Keating composition, Taransay Lullaby.

Tracklisting

• This album was issued simultaneously on vinyl record (2460 188), audio cassette (3170 130) and 8-Track cartridge (3820 085).

• Although there is no performer credit on the record sleeve or labels, an internal TRO-Essex document credits the artist as "John Schroeder Orch.". Orchestrations were arranged and conducted by Harry Robinson (A1-5 and B1,3,6) and John Scott (A6, B2 and B4-5).

Tracklisting

• The recording sessions for this collection took place at Pye Studios, London, in January 1974.

• More than half of the themes on this collection were Tony Hatch compositions: Hadleigh, Best in Football, Serenade of Love, The Champions, Crossroads, Emmerdale Farm, Man Alive, Memories of Summer and Sportsnight.

• This collection was simultaneously released on audio cassette (ZCP 41029), 8-track cartridge (Y8P 41029) and vinyl LP (NSPL 41029).

• This was a Quadraphonic release offering 4-channel playback for those with appropriate equipment. However, Quadraphonic records like this one were designed to be compatible with regular stereo turntables and amplifiers, so listeners could still enjoy them without specialised equipment, albeit as 2-channel rather than 4.

• A version of this album was released on vinyl in Australia (Astor Records, QUAD 1025).

• Hit the Road to Themeland was remastered in the early years of the 21st century and reissued in replica packaging as one of six compact discs in Castle Music's Hatchbox. Details in ITC Pop - CDs and TV Themes Collections - CDs.

Tracklisting

Notes

• A follow-up release on the same label, More TVTimes Top TV Themes (SPR 90061), was issued in 1975 and included the theme to The Zoo Gang.

• An Australian sister release to The TVTimes Record of Your Top TV Themes was released by EMI / Axis in 1974 (AXIS 6138). Sporting the same title (with the subtle addition of a word space in 'TV Times'), this was recorded by the Eric Jupp Orchestra at EMI 301 Studios in Sydney. The tracklisting was hugely different, with only Hawaii Five-O surviving from the UK edition (albeit as a re-recording). Popular home-grown Australian shows such as Number 96, The Box, Division 4, Homicide and Matlock Police were represented, along with a smattering of US theme tunes. The cover illustration by Rich Richardson and design by John Frampton followed the template set by Barry Elphick on the UK edition - so much so, that it is easy to visually confuse the two!

Image: EMI (Australia) Ltd  - Axis Records

Tracklisting

• This collection was also released on audio cassette and 8-track cartridge. At present, we do not have photographs or further details about these editions.

Tracklisting

• This album was issued simultaneously on vinyl record (2842-240), audio cassette (3192-215) and 8-Track cartridge (3795-115).

• TV themes collection notable - at least here! - for including John Barry's theme from The Adventurer.

• Barry's theme to Anglia Television's Orson Welles Great Mysteries is rather reminiscent of his theme to The Adventurer. Likewise, Tony Hatch's Man Alive theme exhibits similarities to his theme for The Champions.

Tracklisting

Notes

• A collection comprising a mix of film and television themes and orchestrations of pop and Easy Listening staples of the time.

• Oddly, the record labels both carry the header title 'Singalong with Max' (Bygraves, of course), though Bygraves takes no part in the recordings. The actual title is given in smaller text near the spindle hole. Presumably a misprint as the outer sleeve makes no mention of the popular singer and variety performer in question.

• Neither the LP sleeve or disc labels provide a copyright date and internet databases don't hazard a guess at the year of release of In a Romantic Mood with the Cyril Stapleton Orchestra... but we do! In fact, it was relatively straightforward as we have been able to confirm via 45worlds and Discogs that the RDS 9048 catalogue number puts it firmly among Reader's Digest's 1975 releases. This fits nicely with the individual track dates shown on the disc labels, the latest of which is 1974.

Tracklisting

Notes

• A follow-up to the EMI Music for Pleasure/Sounds Superb release The TV Times Record of Your Top TV Themes (SPR 90035), issued in 1974. Once again, Jack Parnell and his Orchestra provided the orchestral reperformances.

• This album was issued simultaneously on audio cassette (TC-SPR 90061) and vinyl LP (SPR 90061).

Tracklisting

Notes

• Golden Hour Presents The Tony Hatch Orchestra: Mr. Nice Guy was released simultaneously by Golden Hour on vinyl record (GHX 628) and audio cassette (ZCGH 628).

• This was a Quadraphonic release offering 4-channel playback for those with appropriate equipment. However, Quadraphonic records like this one were designed to be compatible with regular stereo turntables and amplifiers, so listeners could still enjoy them without specialised equipment, albeit as 2-channel rather than 4.

• Online databases 45worlds and Discogs disagree regarding the year of release of this title. The former places it in 1974 - presumably based upon the latest track copyright date listed on the packaging - whereas Discogs suggests it hails from 1976, which appears to be accurate when other titles with consecutive catalogue numbers are borne in mind.

• 50 Popular TV Themes was released simultaneously by Pickwick Records on vinyl record (50DA 315) and audio cassette (50DA 315).

• The front and back sleeve artwork of this gatefold double album were identical, with the tracklisting and credits shown on the inner fold of the sleeve.

• This collection was released in heavily truncated form in Spain as 14 Popular TV Themes (Olympo: vinyl LP L-605; audio cassette C-605). The only ITC series that survived to be heard on the Spanish edition were The Saint and The Persuaders! and The Protectors ('Avenues & Alleyways').

Images: Ediciones Olympo, S.A.

Tracklisting

Notes

• Star Wars and Other Space Themes contained three ITC-related theme tunes - Thunderbirds, UFO and Space: 1999 - which is quite a decent representation considering ITC's science fiction output was limited to Gerry Anderson series such as these.

• The cover artwork seemed to be an exercise in copyright avoidance - depicting Star Wars heroes who looked nothing like Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia Organa and a USS Enterprise which was somewhat pimped up!

Tracklisting

Notes

• Themes for Super Heroes contained just the one ITC-related theme tune, Return of the Saint, which it billed as 'The Saint - Return of the Saint'.

• Themes for Super Heroes came in a standard plastic audio cassette case with a cardboard outer cover.

• Interestingly, the Belgian LP issue of this album (EMI Music for Pleasure, 4M 024-62912 - see right) featured different sleeve artwork and an alternative track listing - dropping Blakes 7, the Love Theme from Superman and Dick Barton and replacing them with The Pink Panther, Jaws 2 and Emanuelle ('The Joys of a Woman').

Image: EMI Music for Pleasure

Tracklisting

Notes

• Composer Barry Gray guested on this album, conducting The Rank Concert Orchestra as they played a medley of his Thunderbirds themes.

• The Thunderbirds Are Go (1966), Thunderbird 6 (1968) and Doppelgänger (1969) feature films were not actually ITC productions, but we stretch a point here as they were made by Century 21 Productions which was owned by Lew Grade of ITC.

• The performance here of the stirring Thunderbirds theme by Barry Gray and The Rank Concert Orchestra has garnered favourable response from fans of Gerry Anderson and Gray himself.

Tracklisting

Notes

• This collection of television themes looked back over the first 25 years of Independent Television (ITV), which had commenced broadcasts in September 1955. However, the earliest theme included on the LP was that for  Coronation Street and dated from 1960.

• 25 Years of ITV was hosted by actors Elaine Stritch and Donald Sinden, stars of the hit situation comedy Two's Company, and was issued in aid of The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund, with proceeds from sales being donated to that organisation.

• Since this LP lacked both a catalogue number and an EAN, it is presumed that it was available via mail order only or at a specific event.

Tracklisting

• Tracks A1 (Tales of the Unexpected), A3 (Born and Bred), A4 (Malice Aforethought), B1 (Doctor Who), B3 ('When Love Grows Cold'), B4 (Paul Temple) and B6 (Tales of the Unexpected Disco Version) were Ron Grainer television theme or incidental music compositions. B2 (Love Theme from Rebecca) was a Grainer arrangement of a Claude Debussy composition.

• The sole ITC representative on this album is Barry Gray's Joe 90 theme. Presumably it was a composition much liked by Grainer.

• Tracks A6 (A Touch of Velvet, a Sting of Brass by Mark Wirtz) and B5 (Six by Six by Paul Riser and Tom Nixon) were instrumentals but are not thought to have been employed as television themes in the United Kingdom. The former - performed by Mood-Mosaic and The Ladybirds - was utilised as the theme to the West German pop music show Beat-Club in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Tracklisting

• This appears to be the first of two variant 1986 releases of this collection of television themes. It seems that this one was intended for mail order sale since it carried no EAN barcode. It was issued simultaneously on vinyl record (MOMENT 105) and audio cassette (MOMENT C105) formats.

• There is some debate to be had as to whether or not this 'mail order' release is titled Watching Music: Original TV Hits of the Sixties - Collectors Edition as the LP sleeve and audio cassette cover include the 'Watching Music' title. The LP sleeve has these words in small print, only marginally larger than the catalogue number, but the cassette displays them in larger text on its cover. Additionally, the cassette spine has 'Watching Music' in the same weight and size of text as the rest of the title. This wording does not appear on the alternative retail version. One wonders if perhaps Original TV Hits of the Sixties was intended as part of a Watching Music series of releases. There appears to be no evidence of this among other contemporary titles from Filmtrax.

• Original TV Hits of the Sixties - Collectors Edition was compiled by Philip Masheter who was at the time a co-owner of 58 Dean Street Records, a small, independent record shop based at that very address off Shaftesbury Avenue in London's Soho district. From the 1970s until the very early 2000s, the shop was a treasure trove for enthusiasts of film and television soundtracks and theatrical cast recordings.

• Typo Watch: Danger Man was erroneously listed as 'Dangerman' and Department S as 'Dept. S'.

Tracklisting

• This appears to be the second of two variant 1986 releases of this collection of television themes. Unlike the other, this version carried an EAN barcode, by then necessary for retail sale. It was distributed by BMG and issued simultaneously on vinyl record (MOMENT 105) and audio cassette (MOMENT C105) formats, retaining the catalogue number of the seemingly earlier edition. The tracklisting is identical.

• The 'Watching Music' element of the title was completely dropped for this edition.

• The appearance of this variant version was heavily revamped, with the design duties entrusted to Quadrata. The striking cover photograph was supplied by Rolf Cornell SCL Ltd.

• Typo Watch: Danger Man and Department S were still erroneously listed as 'Dangerman' and 'Dept. S' respectively, although at least the latter was printed corrected on the front cover.

• This flexi-disc, produced by Larry Hall for the Six of One fan club, was distributed free to members as part of their annual subscription.

• The Age of Elegance is an early version of Ron Grainer's theme from The Prisoner, which proceeds at a more sedate pace than the screen-used theme.

• Arrival - The Awakening is the Ron Grainer-composed music cue heard in most episodes as Number 6 awakens in his Village apartment and goes to the window (at which point the episode title appears on screen).

Tracklisting

• All tracks produced by Russell Writer.

• This title was later reissued in 1993 on vinyl, CD and cassette by Future Legend Records, with a subtly different tracklisting.

• The first of a series of TV themes releases, this compilation and its sequels were bolder than many other such collections in that all tracks were cover versions performed by up-and-coming British indie bands.

• Kitch/Box Office Poison's The Prisoner featured dialogue excerpts from the series title sequence.

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Tracklisting