The Electronic Sound April Seven-Inch Single
This month’s ES seven-inch presents six pieces composed by Barry Gray for Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s classic television shows, including ‘Captain Scarlet’ and ‘Thunderbirds’
‘CAPTAIN SCARLET (MAIN TITLES)’
‘THE POWER OF THE MYSTERONS’
‘CAPTAIN SCARLET (END TITLES)’
The A-side of Electronic Sound’s ‘Spectrum Of Sound’ seven-inch focuses on the music that British composer Barry Gray crafted for ‘Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons’, probably Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s most unsettling sci-fi television series. The show was originally broadcast in 1967 and 1968.
“The opening credits for ‘Captain Scarlet’ are extremely atmospheric and moody,” says Tim Mallett, who has overseen the restoration of Barry Gray’s tape archive. “The camera creeps along an alleyway and you hear the sound of footsteps. There are a few stabs of music and a sting at the end, but it’s all very minimalistic, especially for a children’s TV programme.”
This striking opener is followed by ‘The Power Of The Mysterons’, a piece soundtracking the sinister practices of the aliens that Scarlet and his fellow Spectrum officers are battling against. It’s a terrific example of Gray’s use of electronic and tape effects, highlighting the parallels between his approach and that of the Radiophonic Workshop. The A-side of the EP concludes with the main theme tune of ’Captain Scarlet’, complete with its “Indestructible!” reference, which played over the closing credits.
“A lot of the music for ‘Captain Scarlet’ is pretty dark,” says Nick Williams, the chairman of Fanderson, the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson fan club. “The end credits, on the other hand, hark back to the Andersons’ earlier puppet shows, where they always wanted to have a jolly, catchy, singalong track to leave the episode in an upbeat place.”
‘THUNDERBIRDS (MAIN TITLES)’
‘HEADING FOR THE SUN’
’UFO (MAIN TITLES)’
The flip side of ‘Spectrum Of Sound’ delves into the music of ‘Thunderbirds’, perhaps the best known of the Andersons’ Supermarionation shows, as well as the much-praised live-action ‘UFO’ series. The former was first broadcast in 1965 and 1966, while ‘UFO’ appeared on the screens in 1970 and 1971.
“The ‘Thunderbirds’ theme music is recognisable to all generations,” says Tim Mallett. “It’s an amazing piece with a slightly militaristic feel, but it also has those strings, which evoke the expansive and global nature of the show. A rescue mission could be anywhere – under the sea, or in the sky, or in outer space – and the theme promises adventure. From the moment you hear it, you know it’s going to be incredible.”
The next track is ‘Heading For The Sun’, a short but dramatic segment from the ‘Thunderbirds’ episode ‘Sun Probe’, with Barry Gray adapting material he had initially composed for ‘Fireball XL5’ earlier in the decade. And for the final cut on the EP, there’s the seriously swinging and super-groovy title music to ‘UFO’, which accompanied footage of Commander Ed Straker and his SHADO team preparing Earth’s defences to repel unnamed alien invaders.
“All of these different pieces show the breadth and variety in Gray’s work,” notes Nick Williams. “With the electronic tracks, a lot of it isn’t even music, so we don’t really know what’s going on with it. But that’s fitting because we don’t know who the aliens are, or what they’re about, or why they’re coming.”
They are coming, though. You can be sure of that.
