Over the years there has been many composers write music for Look and Read. Most were electronic though Debbie Wiseman’s excellent score for the ‘Legend of the Lost Keys’ was orchestral.
Most off the other composers came from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop tradition such as Paddy Kingsland (Boy From Space, Joe and the Sheep Rustlers) Peter Howell (Badger Girl [Drama], Spy Watch) and Roger limb (most of the rest)!!!!!
Who’s music “worked” the most? Who captured the atmosphere of the drama and/or the teaching animations the most?
My view is that Paddy Kingsland’s score for the Boy From Space was very atmospheric and his music captured the dramatic parts of the story to a tee (BEN: did he write the music to the orginal story?) His guitar version of “Magic e” was much more catchy than the Roger Limb versions. (also I’ve spoken to Paddy Kingsland on the phone regarding him composing music for a programme I was producing and he is SUCH a friendy and helpful guy.) Other “paddy” facts include a couple of other ‘wordy’ song compositions that were never credited in future stories, was responsible for music for “Around the World in 80 Days,” “Hitchikers guide to the Galexy”, “Dr Who”, “Words and Pictures” (pre Sheila Fraser) Moyra Gambleton’s “Rat-a-tat-tat“ and anything produced for BBC and C4 Schools by Susie Nott-Bower (a prolific Schools producer who described the job as “boredom and stress’” – see her views at: http://www.hounslowguardian.co.uk/leisure/leisurenews/display.var.381966.0.cultivating_a_creative_approach.php (BITCH!)
What a fascinating post! Thank you for such a concise and knowledgeable overview of the music & composers.
Personally I reckon Badger Girl has some of the best music from any Look & Read story, it's really lovely music anyway, and there's so many different little tunes involved, all from the same sort of "suite" but very different in themselves. Some of them are played in isolation on the story tape & it's really striking how many different bits of lovely music there are that are all the signature of Badger Girl and... look, I'm really useless at talking about & describing music, OK! Spywatch also has some of the best educational songs ever written, well up to the 'classic' standard, and a great theme tune, so it looks like I'm coming down for Peter Howell.
As to the music from the original Boy From Space - that's trickier than I thought. It does have on this site that Paddy Kingsland did the music, but glancing over my notes I can't see where that information could have come from, so I may possibly have got info for the 1971 & 1980 version confused when I was first putting the credits together. The Study Series LP of The Boy From Space from 1972 apparently has music by John Baker, with "special sounds by Richard Mills and BBC Radiophonic Workshop". John Baker, I know, did most if not all of the educational song music in the early 70s, so that may be all his credit refers to. I did have the impression that the LP only contained the story, not any separate songs, though I haven't heard it (yet!) so that's probably wrong.
Something I found particularly interesting in what you wrote, John, was the reference to Paddy Kingsland scoring anything produced by Susie Nott-Bower. First of all, to be fair, that article has her describing what she was doing in television generally as "boredom and stress", not the specific task of writing/producing/directing schools programmes, which I've always imagined to be one of the most interesting & creative things you could do in TV or radio. And if she was working latterly for the all-for-profit 4Learning, might it be a little more understandable? Didn't 4 Learning, when they resumed commissioning in 2002, ask companies that had submitted proposals for primary schools programmes to resubmit them aiming for a late-secondary / sixth form audience?! I probably got the wrong end of the stick on that, as it did seem completely ridiculous.
But anyway, the main point I wanted to make was about a producer bringing a musician with her from project to project, and even channel to channel. Basically, how common is that practice? The reason Roger Limb did "most of the rest" of the Look & Read stories was because he was mates with the producer Sue Weeks & was always brought in for all her programmes, so is it a standard way to work? Wasn't there somebody in charge of the Radiophonic Workshop, or any other music resource, who would assign out jobs based on who was available? Wasn't getting a musician much the same as getting a VT editor - it just depended who was on shift when you needed them? John, you sound like you may know how that worked/works!
I was horrified to read John's comment about me in the above: I'd like to make it clear that I was misquoted in the article referred to. I certainly left television partly due to stress (NOT boredom!) but the implication in John's piece that I found it 'boring' making Rat-a-tat-tat and/or working with the delightful Paddy Kingsland - an association of many years - is completely untrue. Making Rat-a-tat-tat was a brilliant experience.
As far as calling me 'BITCH!' at the end - I find this totally unacceptable.
Susie, I realy take back using the word "bitch" at the end of my posting, that was unfair and it was used in a very "Camp" way.....as as Ben stated "I've always imagined to be one of the most interesting & creative things you could do in TV or radio" It just made me very cross to read such an article as new guard schools producers don't seem to have a clue! but I did describe you in my article as "a prolific Schools producer." There are a few of us schools producers who would love the oppitunities that you have had.
I'd like to add to that I know several teachers that still use your "up in the air" Watch programmes...... An excellent unit, with music by Paddy Kingsland and Jim Parker.
Just to add a bit of series history of Rat-a-tat-tat, / Words and Pictures:
Moyra produced the classic years of Words and Pictures with Henry Wolf, Vicki Ireland and Charlie (Charles O'Roake) in the Library. most of the animation was from the great Bura & Hbuardwick (- also Music Time, Trumpton saga, Watch, Crow and Alils), Cut Out, Markas Parker Rhodes etc..... After moyra left the BBC Words and Pictures fell sadly into the hands ofCaroline Godley/Wright who axed Vicki and Charlie in the libray and introduced a cat (Nutmeg) that could not speak (SIC - for a language prog) though the series did still feature the regular animators and paddy kingsland!!!!
Then Sheligh Fraser produced the next series of W & P with the "composer" Howard Goodall composing the music - BUT another very sad version of W&P did not matter as over on Channel Four was......
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"
Channel 4's annual programme played on the fact that the producer of the series was the "former producer" of Words and Pictures". Sadly Bura and Hardwicks animations that punctiated Moyras' fomer series did not feature, but the "W&P" animators did. Featured was her good friend Ian Humphris, the similar "W&P" animatiors and of course Mr Kingsland!!!
Susie Nott-Bower who was Assistant Producer on Moyras final "Words and Picturers" series took over in Rat-a-tat-tat! when Morya retierd. Moyras "Rat-a-tat-tat" were a continuation of the BBCs "Words and Pictures". I've got a lot of time for Susie's "Rat-a-tat-tat" but why the presentation on location???
Hello John. Thanks for your 'retraction' and your words about 'Up in the Air' and 'Rat'. Who are you, by the way, and what is your connection with Schools TV? I've only just come across this website, being a technophobe!
In answer to Ben's point about producers 'taking musicians with them' - I guess it's because Producer Choice came into being about that time and we were able to choose who we worked with. Having had an enjoyable and productive time working with Paddy, I wanted to keep working with him. The sessions at his studio with the presenter, Aidan, were SO much fun!
John, you ask about why I chose to take Rat out of the studio. I felt that if we went to locations which echoed the theme of each programme, we'd be bringing some 'real life' into the programme. I wanted there to be lots of 'jumping off' points for teachers watching Rat - right across the curriculum. This way, we could visit zoos, surfing beaches, cafes, cat sanctuaries and dog-training classes etc. and the kids watching could relate their real-life experiences to the ideas in the books and songs. It also added an extra dimension or texture to the programmes.
Gosh, this John seems to know so much about the Words and Pictures history. - as an infant teacher for too many years I do wish the old series was still around, though I do have many VHS tapes.
As a year one teacher teaching in Spain but ex UK, i.e english speaking kids I did a search on Moyra Gambelton to try and find old videos and found this site! Susie, as well as using old Words & Pictures, I did record a few rat,a tat,tats, and my pupils loved the new series. We get BBC prime over here and only get a series called "Words and Pictures Plus" which you get a story and reading on the screen which is far too small. Are any "Rats" yet on DVD?
Sue x
PS I am going to show this website to a teacher that uses Fairground with an older age group Sue x
So glad you used some Rats in the past. I believe they are still repeating (though we made the last one five years ago). As to DVDs, I'm not sure, but if you ring Open Mind Productions (the production company with whom I made the series) they will, I am sure, be able to help. Their number is 0207-437-0624.