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A selection of posts that have appeared in the Ron Grainer Appreciation Society Facebook page

> RON'S FIRST MOVIE SOUNDTRACK<






Film still from CBS Television Network Press Information [via Ebay]
















Advert from the Sydney Morning Herald TV program lists 12th November 1970.  THe program was earlier shown on Tuesday 6th April 1969 and, because of the weekday afternoon time slots it was probably regarded as filler material.

Elephant River appears to quite likely be the very first film that Ron scored and his first major soundtrack project up to that point was the children's movie "Elephant River" which was released in Ceylon in 1959 [not 1956 as several online data bases have it] followed by UK, USA and Australia. The films director Kenneth Hume later became the first manager and emotionally unstable husband [twice] of Singer Shirley Bassey. Ron was possibly given the valuable opportunity to compose the score by his friends Ned Sherrin and Carly Brahms who most likely knew Hume through 1950s London show bIz social circles. 

The plot of "Elephant River" may have been based on a short story of the same name by English writer Norah Burke who published over a dozen popular novels and short story collections some of them set against a backdrop of memories from a childhood spent in India where her father was employed as a forest officer.

There is a tale called "Elephant River" in the Norah Burke hardback collection "Jungle Picture' but it reads like a first chapter describing the young boys first encounter of the elephant he was later to team up with and the location of any published sequel incidents that could have been incorporated into a film plot is currently unknown.

The movie seems to have worn well as it was included in the 6th series of the CBS Children's Film Festival program shown on USA television in 1971. Children's Film Festival 1971-1972 
  [See Film 2 on list] 

"Elephant River" was one of the earliest films made by Sri Lankan actor Gamini Fonseka later to become an acclaimed screen presence in his native country.

link to  Sunday Observer article on career of Gamini Fonseka

> RON AND THE ONDES MARTENOT KEYBOARD <

"... Much of Ron Grainer's musical material is drawn from the past. A keen musical research worker he has collected, and written music for such antique instruments as the virginal, heckle-phones. shaums. tenor comporium and the ondes martenot". ref: Music in the Maigret Manner / Spinning Disc [column] / Mike Nevard / Oct 1960

Although the names of The Heckle-phone and the Ondes Martenot do sound "medieval" and "antique" the instruments were invented in the early 20th century!

The mention of Ron having written for the Ondes Martenot by 1960 is especially interesting because it is an electronic instrument that combines the frequency swoop of the theremin with the ability to add a keyboard melody. in other words all the ingredients of the Dr Who theme that Ron composed three years later. Is that themes skilful 1963 manuscript arrangement the result of lessons learnt from an earlier Ondes Martenot work ?

One problem with this speculation is a press release that appeared around the same time as the Spinning Disc column. It suggests Ron, although very keen, may not have tracked down a Ondes Martenot by Oct 1960. Did he eventually acquire one?

" ... A short break in Paris is awaiting Grainer, at the end of the month when he hopes to realise a much cherished dream to find an elusive instrument called an Ondes Martenot for which he understands Milhaud has written, and soon we guess, will Grainer."
ref: Warner Brothers press release c Oct 1960

You Tube video demonstrating the Ondes Martenot

Wikipedia article on the Ondes Martenot

 
> RON ANSWERS QUESTIONS ON THE 1963 DR WHO THEME <







Scans courtesy of Gerald Lovell  

In June 1980 Brit Movie buff Gerald Lovell noticed Ron was not getting credit for the Dr Who theme on the then current series of the show so he wrote to him about the situation.

Gerald also asked Ron several questions about the themes creation. In his handwritten reply Ron did not quote these and Gerald did not record them in his personal papers but in 2014 a member of the Ron Grainer Appreciation Society Facebook Page suggested the following questions [included here in italic script] are the most likely -

How did you get involved with Doctor Who?

[1] "I was asked by the first producer of Dr Who - [Verity Lambert] to come up with a theme for this series".
 
 Were you asked to use electronics?

[2] "Yes I was asked to make it completely electronic,  but I was also specifically asked to to make it melodic, not just weird effects".

 Had you worked with The Radiophonic Workshop before?

 [3] "Yes I had often used the Radiophonic Workshop facilities. In fact the score of the film "The Caretaker" was entirely made up of sounds created by Radiophonic techniques. This was created a short time before Dr Who".

How did you go about notating the score?

[4] "In the usual way, on manuscript paper, but with the sound colours for each line defined".

Did you work closely with TRW?

[5] "Very closely over a period of some weeks".

Were you happy with the result?

[6] "Yes, very much so".

What do you think of the latest arrangement?

[7]"I prefer the original, probably because I worked on it".

The original manuscript of the Dr Who theme has been missing from the BBC archives for many years so it is impossible to know which version of the theme's creation is correct.  

Gerald received his letter from Ron a mere eight months before Ron died of cancer in February 1981.

> 1963 DESERT ISLAND DISCS SHOW RESTORED <

Two days after the first episode of Dr Who was broadcast Ron was the subject of a Desert Island Discs episode. Although this program was not archived and Ron's commentary about what his choices meant to him at the time were not recorded thanks to YouTube it is possible to reconstruct the play list with Ron's choice of artist performing the compositions.

It appears the "Robert and Elizabeth" score was on Ron's mind in Nov 1963 with Track 4 "Green" by Debussy possibly an influence on one of the musicals key songs "I Know Now".

Desert Island Discs / November 25 1963 / Ron Grainer  

The Play List

New York Pro Musica / "Play of Daniel Overture" 0 - 4.06

J S Bach / "Brandenburg Concerto no 4" / Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra Conductor Karl Munchinger

Johannes Brahms / "Piano Quintet in F Minor" / Sviatoslav Richter Orchestra Borodian Quartet

Claude Debussy / "Green" / Maggie Tayle  

Maurice Ravel / "La Flute Enchantee" / Suzanne Dance Orchestra

Ogor Stravinsky/ "Symphony of Wind Instuments" / Eastman Symphonic Wind Essemble

Ravi Shankar  "Spring Season"

Miles Davis / "Flamenco Sketches"

Note the BBC Desert Island Discs site gives the artist for this track as "Charlie Parker's Reboppers" but I can't find it listed online in any Charlie Parker discographies 

Castaway Book: "Techniques and Civilization" by Louis Mumford
 

Castaway Luxury: Flame Opal

> RON'S LAST FILM SOUNDTRACK <

 















Seems to have been the 25.12.80 released children's film with a social message about the plight of the homeless young and aged in every community.

> RON'S LAST SONG <

 

   
 In 2015 a white label copy of a single called "Love is a Carousel" was found on EBay by a member of the R.G.A.S. Facebook page. It appears to be a previously unknown song version of Grainer's theme for the TV series "Tales Of The Unexpected" and was sung by Craig Douglas. Douglas said he remembers it as being recorded for T.O.T.U. but does not recall any other details and it does not seem to appear in any episode of  the series DVD  box set. 

Although not surfacing, in a limited way, until 1983 this song was most probably recorded in 1978 / 79. In 1978 the soundtrack of the "Edward and Mrs Simpson" TV series included "Bring Down The Curtain" Ron's song version of his main incidental theme "When Love Grows Cold".

The arrangement of "Love Is A Carousel" is slightly different to that of the original theme but it does sound as if the original sax player was used. Craig's voice blends in especially well with the "Rich men and poor men and wise men and fools" chorus. This musically interesting section is not heard during the TV series opening and closing credits but is included on the LP version. 

As for the lyrics they are credited to Grainer and  fit in with the domestic battles that underline many T.O.T.U. plots and like the music there are some melancholic turns of phrase that suggest all is not as jolly as it seems.

Many episodes of T.O.T.U. appear to have been recorded some time in advance of broadcast. After his Feb 1981 death Grainer incidental music credits keep appearing in the series up to 1985. There is a uncredited but very Craig Douglas sounding vocal on a song presumably called "Come To My Heart" in the Series 8 Episode 4 "Scrimshaw" first broadcast 28.7.85  so "Carousel" may have been a take from the same recording session.
 
LOVE IS A CAROUSEL - Tales of the Unexpected 

Lyrics and Music: Ron Grainer 
Vocals: Craig Douglas 
Easy On The Ear Records 1983

[verse 1] Love is a carousel / And when the music plays / You'll soon forget / Your lonely yesterdays / Suddenly someone smiles / And then you know so well / That you are on / Love's carousel

[verse 2]  Love is a carousel / Maybe you'll find my friend / That every broken heart / Takes time to mend / But somehow love goes on / Weaving its magic spell /When you are on / Love's carousel

[chorus] Rich men and poor men / And wise men and fools / All of them equal / Love has no rules / Somewhere a dream / That just waits to be found / As the world spins round / Just how the story ends / Heaven alone can tell / When you are on / Love's carousel

 
[instrumental]

[chorus] Rich men and poor men /And wise men and fools /All of them equal /Love has no rules / Somewhere a dream / Waits to be found / As the world spins round
 

[verse 3] Love is a carousel / Waiting for you to ride / Whether you win or lose / At least you tried / Isn't it time to start / Kissing your heart for her [?] / Come on and ride / Love's carousel / Come on and ride / Love's carousel

[instrumental fade out]