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Can’t find any racing footage using "Garden Party" right now, but here’s the promo video for its single release;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmSDTutGyIw
A number 17 hit back in 1983, before it was used to accompany the horse-bothering, and I do remember them performing it on the Top Of The Pops once. You know, the Top Of The Pops that they have now. With the rap singers. The rap singers on the Top Of The Pops. Rapping about sausages and wool. On the Top Of The Pops. With the rap singers, etc.**
Notably, Mezzoforte were (and as they’re still going, are) Icelandic, which I presume could make "Garden Party" the first big British chart hit to emanate from that country. It certainly predates The Sugarcubes’ first top 40 hit by nine years, Bjork’s by a little more, and Sigur Ros’s by over 20 years.
Don’t look at me like that. This stuff wins quizzes.
gc
** With apologies to Stewart Lee
Remind me to give you a call when i next enter a pub quiz!
Right, here speaks another who got into racing while watching on the tv with his grandad, in the late 70s and early 80s.
I think the Mezzoforte tune would have been adopted by the Beeb in about 1984. I would have heard themes before that but the only one I can find online is at this link. I don’t remember it as a theme but I guess it must have been. It’s the late-night re-showing of the 1983 Grand National
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KsZqGdBZ_U
I have a vague memory of something different, with a primitive synthesiser, but I really couldn’t give more info.
I’d also vote for the Champions theme as the most evocative piece, but I also enjoyed the Beeb’s use of Morricone’s ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ from The Mission for Aintree
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L41oGXgVmZg
I have questions about music used by the Beeb on Grand National day for the betting and running/riders, but I may save them for April when we’re all in the mood!
I have a vague memory of something different, with a primitive synthesiser, but I really couldn’t give more info.
There was definitely something which fitted that description used as the end credits music in the early 1980s. Not sure if that was part of a longer track, though, or some BBC Radiophonic Workshop-derived doodle. Anyone?
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAhAQy3Lq5E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx72-bSIisA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t8ZGD37HRI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPREXKPNc8I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXIUzmeeYOM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPANCGJL … re=related
I came across these on youtube. A few clips of the old channel 4 racing theme which always takes me back to my childhood. Also found one of the old bbc racing theme’s as well.
OA/GC, I can hum the end credit music from the early 80’s, it’s still lodged in my brain……….unfortunately it won’t translate too well on here.
OA/GC, I can hum the end credit music from the early 80’s, it’s still lodged in my brain……….unfortunately it won’t translate too well on here.
I think everyone on this thread will feel deeply hard done by if you dont at least give it a go Venture
VtC, if you do it quietly, I’m sure it’ll be ok.
Anyhow yes, it seems I am thinking of a closing credits tune and it may be a BBC Radiophonics effort. So my task this Christmas is to scour their albums and see if I can come up with anything.
I know how to live, eh?
Enjoyable thread gents. Well done on all the links.
My first memory of the theme on Old Applejack`s link to the 1983 GN clip was about 1979/80 on first day the Grand National meeting. A very windswept looking Des Lynam introduced the programme and I`d only come across him on radio before that.The one we are referring to as the Radiophonic workshop theme seemed to consist of 15 notes looped about a dozen times with a coda of 5 ascending notes. It closed the programme but not sure what opened it. Associate it with early 80s Goodwood midweek, Julian Wilson signing off with Jimmy Lindley alongside.
I didn`t like the C4 theme, seemed quite derivative of the BBC golf theme.
The old ITV midweek theme may not have been great but I was fonder of that.
Guys, I might give it a bash tonight when I’ve a few Jack Daniels in me…………I’m sure it won’t go well
It may be best to leave it with Pilgarlics description of it, that pretty much nails it.
Several bits of music make me think of certain horses. When they use that Moby song when horses are parading before a big race I always thing of Gloria Victis. And there was a Level 42 song that they used to play when Dessie was racing
. And, of course, the ‘Champions’ music always sends shivers up my spine [and think, obviously, of Aldaniti]. Note to self; New Years Resolution..learn to do links even though Mr P has TRIED to teach me. Old dog new tricks. Hmmmm; we’ll see.
Not sure whether this counts as a "racing theme", but as these things go, Hans Ebert’s Silent Witness has a pretty catchy tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtvUcB7O0O0
During the parade for the Derby, circa 1993 I’d reckon, Channel 4 played Enya’s The Celts which is a terrifically dramatic piece of music.
I do remember The Celts being used and would love to know the Level 42 track as it passed me by. Finally, there was another track that C4 used a lot for parades – it was built around a fairly repetitive guitar riff and I think it might have been by Mark Knopfler?
Enjoyable thread gents. Well done on all the links.
My first memory of the theme on Old Applejack`s link to the 1983 GN clip was about 1979/80 on first day the Grand National meeting. A very windswept looking Des Lynam introduced the programme and I`d only come across him on radio before that.The one we are referring to as the Radiophonic workshop theme seemed to consist of 15 notes looped about a dozen times with a coda of 5 ascending notes. It closed the programme but not sure what opened it. Associate it with early 80s Goodwood midweek, Julian Wilson signing off with Jimmy Lindley alongside.
I didn`t like the C4 theme, seemed quite derivative of the BBC golf theme.
The old ITV midweek theme may not have been great but I was fonder of that.
I also recall in the early 80’s Tony Gubba (former BBC fourth choice Football & minority sport commentator last heard on "Dancing On Ice") hosting the first two days of the Grand National meeting while Julian Wilson was exiled to Bechers.
I have questions about music used by the Beeb on Grand National day for the betting and running/riders, but I may save them for April when we’re all in the mood!
I Want To Break Free without the words by Queen was quite an effective one for this although non could match a betting show being given out by the dulcet tones of Len Martin.
Old Applejack. The song was called Heaven in my Hands. I’d become increasingly aware of this grey horse from seeing the news on Boxing Day, and I’d been trying to find out more about him. The BBC showed him winning at Ascot along with a few other races, and the music just so suited his style of running and the flamboyance of his jumping. I just did a bit of maths [not bad considering I’m halfway through doing some cooking for tomorrow and I’ve had a few glasses of I know not what] and realised it was 1988; googled Level 42 utube and there it was. I just can’t believe it was 23 years ago! It was a magical time for me. I watched an old video of some of his races a few days ago, and still can’t believe how he soared over his fences. When I finally got to meet him I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
Thought I’d revisit this thread following the Christmas festivities. A happy new year to all nostalgia fans!
Firstly Moehat, thanks for your info. I do remember that Level 42 track, and heard it not too long ago on a Greatest Hits of theres. I don’t remember it being used for racing, but it’s quite a powerful track and I can see why it would be suited.
I’ve had a bit of a search and had no joy finding the BBC’s late 70s/early 80s closing theme, so still no nearer to finding out if it was a BBC Radiophonic effort or not. None of their compliations are on Spotify, that I can see.
Upthread, I mentioned a tune that C4 used a lot and thought it might have been Mark Knopfler. Youtube is again our friend and I can confirm it was Mr K’s noodling on The Long Road from the soundtrack to the film Cal. See link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J19cyDYe-xQAlso earlier, I mentioned Grand National music that accompanied the lists of runners/riders/colours/betting. I can only remember the Beeb doing this from around 1984 onwards. We all know the Champions theme, but I also remember the following being used at various points:
Theme from Local Hero (more Knopfler!) although they used bit when it gets a bit more uptempo from about 2.25
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLhraQaCLx0Robin Hood Prince of Thieves opening theme – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AxVTvrD3HY
Southampton, main theme from Titanic – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra-zp1BwtJ8
There’s two pieces I can remember but cannot put names to. One was from the 90s/00s and sounded like a piece written for the hunting field. It was string based, very uptempo and gallopy, and contained numerous whipcracks!
The other was, I think from 1984 only. We’d just got our first video recorder so I think I taped all of the coverage that year and kept it for a long time before taping. A piece of instrumental music was used over the scrolling betting show, but I really can’t give many clues to it, other than saying it was fairly uptempo and had a driving beat. Something you might run to. There may have been some kind of engine effect in there but that’s probably my mind playing tricks. It had a repetitive guitar riff too. Unfortunately, I can’t think of anything it sounded like.
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