Syd Dale (20 May 1924 – 15 August 1994) was an English
self-taught composer and arranger of funk, easy listening and library music.
His music played an important role on TV, radio and advertising media of the
1960s and 1970s and is still used. It is very likely you will have heard his
work on radio or TV and not been aware of the composer.
THE SQUADRONAIRES IN DUBLIN, 1953
(SYD FRONT-CENTRE)
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Yorkshire born Sydney Dale started as an apprentice
technician at Rowntree's chocolate factory at 16. Soon big band music, very
popular in the 1940s, became his passion. He was enthralled by the Big Band
sounds that were popular at the time and, deciding that he wanted to make music
his career, he left the factory and spent as much time as possible studying
arrangements and listening closely to the Big Bands. In 1945, with the war
over, he became a member of various local bands including The Squadronaires and
played in the style of the famous Ted Heath Big Band. Syd’s role was as pianist
and arranger.
Playing with the bands allowed him to travel, when they were
engaged to play on cruises aboard the Queen Mary liner. This meant he was able
to visit the US, where he heard firsthand the major American Big Bands of the
era. These activities helped Syd to establish himself as one of the most
talented up-and-coming composers and arrangers of his generation.
His music, which emphasized melody and harmony with
intricate arrangements, was composed for many television and radio projects. He
was musical director on Oh Boy, Six-Five Special and Braden's Week. He had also
co-arranged and co-produced some 007 themes as many other commercial successes.
Another of his many production music pieces, the bongo drum and
harpsichord-driven "Cuban Presto" (originally released on the 1966
KPM album Accent on Percussion), was used by WPIX (Channel 11) in New York City
as the theme for its late-night movie show, The Channel 11 Film Festival, from
the late 1960s to the 1980s.
Through the 1970s and 1980s his "The
Hellraisers" composition was used as the theme music to the BBC World
Service Outlook topical programme. It was also used as the theme music to
Orlando, a children's television thriller serial starring Sam Kydd which ran
for 76 episodes from 1965 to 1968.
In 1971 Syd founded Amphonic Music, to
provide the TV, film, radio and advertising media with music that covered all
bases, produced to the highest possible standards. The company’s reputation as
one of Britain’s major suppliers of ‘library’ music was quickly established
with the release of Big Band Sounds Of Today, the first LP Amphonic issued. Its
success was helped in no small way by Syd’s contributions as composer.
This musical attitude was reflected in the work of the
leading British composers and arrangers Syd invited to write for his company.
Prestigious names such as Alan Hawkshaw, Keith Mansfield, Nick Ingman, Ronnie
Hazlehurst, Les Reed and Tony Hatch, to mention only a few, all have credits
within Amphonic’s
library. Lesser-known (but equally gifted) composers such as Dick Doerschuck and James Clarke (a musical associate of Syd’s for some time) also made outstanding contributions.
library. Lesser-known (but equally gifted) composers such as Dick Doerschuck and James Clarke (a musical associate of Syd’s for some time) also made outstanding contributions.
Amphonic’s sound had a bias towards the large, orchestral
style favoured by Syd, he and the other composers often expertly fusing this
sound with the funk rhythms prevalent in the 1970s. LPs such as Sounds 80,
Special Assignment, The All Electric Steam Radio Band and Super Sounds
Unlimited feature excellent examples of this particular fusion, giving them
their status as highly desirable items for collectors of funky library records.
After the company’s third move, during the latter part of
the 1970s, to the Kerchesters Building in Surrey, Syd launched the successful
Sound Stage series of albums that took the company into the 1980s. His music is
still used in productions today. For example, his "Beauty Parade" was
used in the SpongeBob Square Pants episode "Spy Buddies". In the TV
comedy series Episodes, Matt LeBlanc uses the tune "Two Time" as his
iPhone's ringtone. The composition known either as "Man Friday" or
"The Penthouse Suite" was used as the theme tune to LWT's Tarrant on
TV and was also used extensively in the episode "Speed 3" of Father Ted
to introduce libidinous milkman Pat Mustard.
Although Syd died on 15 August 1994, in Surrey, England.at the age of 70, the resurgence of interest in 1960s and 1970s library music during recent years means his musical legacy has been discovered by a new generation of listeners, eager to hear the beautifully realised sounds produced by Syd and his colleagues during this golden era. (Edited from syddale.co & Wikipedia)
3 comments:
For “Syd Dale Orchestra – Love Isn’t Just For The Young Vol.5” go here:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/5whnrwdes3kto1s/Syd_Dale_Orchestra_-_Love_Isn%2527t_Just_For_The_Young_Vol.5_%25281984%2529.rar/file
01- When I Fall In Love (02:41)
02- Paradise (04:08)
03- Warm & Willing (03:15)
04- Pretend (03:06)
05- Stay As Sweet As You Are (03:10)
06- I’ll Never Smile Again (03:03)
07- An Affair To Remember (03:13)
08- Love Me As Though There Was No Tomorrow (03:04)
09- Dinner For One, Please (02:32)
10- There Goes My Heart (02:43)
11- You’re Mine Now (03:06)
12- The Party’s Over (02:47)
A big thank you to zokyat @ Only Instrumental Music blog for active link.
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Below is a selected discography. A big thank you goes to all the credited up-loaders with active links.
*Jose Sandoval @ A Walk in the Black Forest blog
** Egroj @ Egroj World blog (PASSWORD: egroj)
*** Jorge Gago @ disco-orchestral.blog
Syd Dale • The Sounds Of Syd Dale (1966)**
https://ulozto.net/file/IyrlEFIyeYXR/syd-dale-the-sounds-of-syd-dale-rar
Syd Dale - Made In England No. 2 (1967)*
https://mega.nz/file/lYUAlKjB#yC4GKexnkIy3bDLkQMwTmUWqN_eEHAJJfweHR9yKOrs
Spider-Man • Music From The KPM Music Library [1967-1969] **
https://ulozto.net/file/A0i7lD23lYCP/spider-man-music-from-the-kpm-music-library-1967-1969-rar
Various • Flamboyant Themes Vol.2 (1968)**
https://ulozto.net/file/i0t54phgMi2n/various-flamboyant-themes-vol-2-rar
New Elizabethans (Syd Dale) • Girl With Golden Hair (1969)**
https://ulozto.net/file/KbLP8Lz76/new-elizabethans-syd-dale-girl-with-golden-hair-rar
The Syd Dale Orchestra – A Tune For Everyone (1973)*
https://mega.nz/file/EYEiFIZR#WDogNDiSkcPgCa7hkw5fQdD-dnRh-kYgjvvFxDYxwmY
Syd Dale Orchestra - Where The Action Is (1975) Vinyl rip ***
http://uploaded.net/file/ck8jh8bt
The Syd Dale Orchestra - It's A Colourful World (1981)*
https://mega.nz/file/Mdck0aRK#UeuMQL7oBVyW5oAEUpFc3f7u2oVSFZGEenkYTLxzeN8
The Syd Dale Orchestra – Scene In Manhattan (1983)*
https://mega.nz/file/JYUwUAbZ#h8-atSePwCOkIRfBdg0JiCLQHC5uADZ1e93MrkSTWvY
VA • Ready Steady Boogaloo (1998)**
http://www.mediafire.com/file/q9nfgc8hs44bsoc/VA_-_Ready_Steady_Boogaloo.rar/file
Crime Jazz • Volume 09 - Syd Dale in Action**
https://ulozto.net/file/mam7TJh8svyS/crime-jazz-volume-09-syd-dale-in-action-rar
Great post!
many thanks!
Does anyone have a list of Syd Dale's band members/instrumentation? Specifically for the song "The Bird Watcher"?
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