NEW SOUNDTRACKS

New release: UK distributor Network announced the next titles in their line of limited-edition soundtracks this week: The Baron and Themes for TV Drama: Music of Robert Earley. From the press release: The Baron: "The never before released original soundtrack for the popular ‘60s crime drama series The Baron, from legendary film and TV composer Edwin Astley (The Saint, Danger Man), is to be released as a 12” vinyl LP in gloss gatefold sleeve packaging and limited to just 1,000 copies. It will be released on 23 November 2015 exclusively through networkonair.com for £25, and is available to pre-buy** now for £20. Notable in its absence from Network's earlier CD releases of ITC soundtrack material, The Baron now emerges triumphant from the original analogue tapes which were unearthed in 2014. Specially selected tracks from those existing music cues have been used here to create superb episodic music suites featuring the work of one of the 20th century's premier soundtrack composers. The main theme exhibits some similarities with Astley's contemporary work on Gideon's Way: the two themes are in related keys (The Baron in B major, Gideon's Way in F#), but while Gideon’s Way marches along at a steady plod, The Baron is considerably more upbeat and dynamic, with the main theme carried by a strident brass section. Listeners of this 12” LP will detect new depths and textures previously unheard in the television broadcast versions of these themes and incidental cues. This audiophile-level album is presented on 180g virgin vinyl featuring new transfers from original analogue tape elements. Mastering engineers Ray Staff and John Webber at Sir George Martin’s legendary AIR studios mastered the audio for this and cut the lacquers. The high quality pressing was done by the renowned Pallas pressing plant in Germany."

Themes for TV Drama: The Music of Robert Earley: An exceptional collection of work from composer, bandleader and conductor Robert Earley (born Robert Sharples) - Themes for TV Drama: The Music of Robert Earley - is to be released on 10” vinyl and limited to just 1,000 copies. It will be released on 21 December 2015 exclusively through networkonair.com for £25, and is available to pre-buy** now for £20. Lancashire-born Robert Sharples is probably best remembered as the musical director of prototype TV talent show Opportunity Knocks, where he was frequently name checked on screen by host Hughie Green, but it was under the pseudonym Robert Earley that he provided memorable themes and incidental cues for a range of ITV drama series during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Themes for TV Drama brings together some of Earley's best-known compositions, ranging from the smokey, jazz-tinged Public Eye (perfectly encapsulating the down-at-heel milieu of investigator Frank Marker) to the brassy, urgent aggression of Special Branch. This EP is presented on 80g virgin vinyl featuring new transfers from original analogue tape elements. Mastering engineers Ray Staff and John Webber at Sir George Martin’s legendary AIR studios mastered the audio for this and cut the lacquers. The high quality pressing was done by the renowned Pallas pressing plant in Germany.

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