Golden Age of Light Music: Motorway - Production Music of the 1960s

Production Music (better known in some parts of the world as 'Library Music') has always featured prominently in this Guild series. GLCD5115 was devoted exclusively to the Bosworth Library, one of the earliest dating back to the 1930s, and GLCD5164 and 5183 were collections of tracks from other libraries. GLCD5220 and 5224 were devoted to library music from the 1940s and 50s and now we have a collection from the 1960s.

By this time, although Chappell, Boosey & Hawkes, Paxton and Bosworth were still the major players, many other music publishers had realised that, with the rapid expansion of television and a growing demand for corporate videos, there was a potential market for such music. Charles Brull, Conroy, Francis Day & Hunter, Impress, KPM, Southern and Weinberger were among those who provided radio and TV stations, film producers and anyone else they thought might use their music with free copies in the hope that they would be used and thus generate some royalty payments for the publisher and the composer.

Some composers wrote for more than one company and there is at least one instance of a composer submitting the same tune to two publishers under different titles and getting both published - there’s no suggestion that he was one of those featured here!

With names such as Robert Farnon, Charles Williams, Trevor Duncan, Ernest Tomlinson et al, this collection is a real 'Who’s Who' of Light Music.

Track Listing:
1. The Big Night - Robert Farnon: Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra conducted by Robert Farnon
2. Puppet Parade - Roger Roger: Roger Roger and his Champs Elysees Orchestra
3. Rhapsody - Laurie Johnson: Group-Fifty Orchestra conducted by Laurie Johnson
4. Merrily Along - Alan Perry, real name Ernest Tomlinson: Continental Theatre Orchestra conducted by Heinz Buchhold
5. China - Walter Stott: Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra conducted by Walter Stott
6. Soft Moment - Robert Mersey: Telecast Orchestra conducted by Walter Stott
7. Crepe Suzette - Cyril Watters: New Century Orchestra conducted by Erich Börschel
8. Sports Flash - Charles Williams: Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra conducted by Charles Williams
9. Motorway - Kenneth Alwyn: Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Alwyn
10. Mountain Splendour - Bruce Campbell: Group-Forty Orchestra
11. Parade Of The Bottles - Dolf van der Linden: Dolf Van Der Linden and his Orchestra (As ‘Paul Franklin’ on Disc Label)
12. Tales Of Nature Suite - Introduction & Finale  - Derek Laren, real names Hugo De Groot, Else Van Epen: Hilversum Radio Ensemble conducted by Hugo De Groot
13. Holiday Mood - Jack Coles: Lansdowne Light Orchestra
14. Calling All Stars - Peter Yorke: The Connaught Light Orchestra
15. Pacific Highway - Mel Young: Mel Young and his Orchestra
16. Pussyfoot - Van Phillips: The Connaught Light Orchestra
17. Winter Olympics - Alan Braden: Group-Forty Orchestra conducted by Laurie Johnson
18. Crystal Clear - George Blackmore: Malcolm Lockyer and his Orchestra
19. House Party - Len Stevens: The Westway Studio Orchestra
20. Life Of Luxury - Kurt Schick: Symphonia Orchestra conducted by Curt Andersen
21. Holiday - Paul Gerard, real name Dennis Farnon: Bosworth Orchestra
22. High Venture - Ronald Hanmer: Symphonia Orchestra conducted by Curt Andersen
23. Bright Tune - Paul Fenoulhet: Crawford Light Orchestra
24. Skyride - Peter Dennis, real name Dennis Alfred Berry: The Westway Studio Orchestra
25. Citizens Of The World - Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard Charles Trebilco: New Concert Orchestra conducted by Monia Liter