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Alan Hawkshaw, the composer and pianist, who from a DYR perspective was famous for composing the first (and last as it was used for the 2008 series) Grange Hill theme has died at the age of 84.
He was famous for other theme tines, but the Grange Hill theme, answers to the name of "Chicken Man" from 1978 to 1987, with a re-recorded version in 1988 and 1989, and a return to the original for its final series in 2008, was one of his most well-known compositions - it was heard all over the place including use in a television commercial for a Spanish grocery chain which was seen for a while on YouTube.
Interestingly, Grange Hill only have Hawkshaw a credit for its re-recording in 1988 and 1989 (aka by myself as the two "Calley Donington looks so exciting in that short black skirt!" series), and not for the first ten series which was ironic as it was the original version. He was mentioned on the credits of Give us a Clue when it started in 1979 for they chose Chicken Man as well until Thames had realised by 1981 that they had the same tune as a BBC programme and so they finally changed it. Give us a Clue had a more "trombone" version to it which wasn't like the original.
Hawkshaw also had such a huge contribution original Channel Four series for he also did the Channel Four News and Countdown themes as well - as he was born in Leeds, he wasn't too far away from where the letters and numbers game was made, and I bet that they had to pay him a few quid for his troubles! He also worked with Hank Marvin and the Shadows and Olivia Newton-John as well, and he composed the music in the sub-James Bond Milk Tray adverts "all because the lady loves...". It surprised me that he was also a member of Emile Ford and the Checkmates who gave British pop music the final number one of the 1950s.
He did other things which you can read on his Wikipedia page... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Hawkshaw - quite a huge musical portfolio accumulated over the past few decades, methinks...
He was famous for other theme tines, but the Grange Hill theme, answers to the name of "Chicken Man" from 1978 to 1987, with a re-recorded version in 1988 and 1989, and a return to the original for its final series in 2008, was one of his most well-known compositions - it was heard all over the place including use in a television commercial for a Spanish grocery chain which was seen for a while on YouTube.
Interestingly, Grange Hill only have Hawkshaw a credit for its re-recording in 1988 and 1989 (aka by myself as the two "Calley Donington looks so exciting in that short black skirt!" series), and not for the first ten series which was ironic as it was the original version. He was mentioned on the credits of Give us a Clue when it started in 1979 for they chose Chicken Man as well until Thames had realised by 1981 that they had the same tune as a BBC programme and so they finally changed it. Give us a Clue had a more "trombone" version to it which wasn't like the original.
Hawkshaw also had such a huge contribution original Channel Four series for he also did the Channel Four News and Countdown themes as well - as he was born in Leeds, he wasn't too far away from where the letters and numbers game was made, and I bet that they had to pay him a few quid for his troubles! He also worked with Hank Marvin and the Shadows and Olivia Newton-John as well, and he composed the music in the sub-James Bond Milk Tray adverts "all because the lady loves...". It surprised me that he was also a member of Emile Ford and the Checkmates who gave British pop music the final number one of the 1950s.
He did other things which you can read on his Wikipedia page... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Hawkshaw - quite a huge musical portfolio accumulated over the past few decades, methinks...
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