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For many viewers, the reputation of Prisoner Cell Block H was sealed by the memorable theme tune – On the Inside, performed by Lynne Hamilton – but, like many TV shows from around the world, the world’s greatest Women-in-Prison Soap Opera used library music, professionally recorded themes made prospectively for use in future broadcasts, to add atmosphere to scenes.
A fully rounded overview of library music is a story for another day, but all we need to know today is that there were a number of successful companies producing high quality music for TV and Film, which were often pressed in small runs of vinyl LPs which were sometimes collated around themes such as horror, romance or suspense.
Many Library music operations provided sounds internationally, which is why sharp eared Prisoner viewers with a taste for splatter may occasionally fear that a Zombie outbreak is about to occur at Wentworth Detention Centre as music stings from Romero’s Dawn of the Dead suddenly drift across the speakers.
Check out a playlist of Prisoner incidental music featuring a few familiar names, including Keith Mansfield, the composer of numerous UK TV theme tunes including Grandstand, who has had his library tracks mined for samples by such Hip-Hop luminaries as DJ Danger Mouse. Look out as well for Brian Bennett, who supplemented his earnings as the drummer of The Shadows with some stirring Mod club organ stompers and a lot of production music for TV and film.
"Turn that radio off... This isn't a holiday camp!"
ROCK CLIMB – JOHN PEARSON
PENDULUM – STEVE GRAY
MAINFRAME – R JACKSON
CAN’T GET ENOUGH – F. McDONALD
JOURNEY … – DENNIS FARNON
PROTON – PAUL HART
DATALINK - PAUL FENTON
ACTION NEWS 2 - NICK INGMAN
IMAGE MAKER – TOM ELLIOT
NIGHT SOUNDS - JOHN CAMERON
PRETTY SCENES – JAMES CLARKE
MOMENTUM – DAVE VORHAUS
OFF CENTRE - FRANK TALLEY
INTERCHANGE – RAY RUSSELL
ON TARGET – RAY RUSSELL
ESPIONAGE – KEITH MANSFIELD
GETAWAY – BRAIN BENNET
