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| Liner Notes from Volume Two by Roger Langley |
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The 1989 Silva Screen Prisoner Themes album Volume One contained 26 essential music tracks from the classic 1967 ITC British television series The Prisoner. The tracks featured the work of the programme's main composers, Ron Grainer, Albert Elms, and Wilfred Josephs. The music from the previous volume was all specially provided for The Prisoner series and was therefore grouped together as one compilation. >Volume Two now turns its ear to the atmospheric and much-appreciated incidental music heard behind the action in several key episodes. Not only is the series' other main composer, Robert Farnon, featured, but also, as a bonus, this latest volume of Prisoner music closes with the alternative main title theme played by the composer Ron Grainer on harpsicord. This version was originally titled "The Age of Elegance" and offers a more gentle rendition of the series title music. The star of the show, Patrick McGoohan, wanted a more 'beefed-up' version. And so it was not just a case of producing an 'alternative-mix' -- Ron Grainer set about recording a completely different orchestral version for the programme. He corresponded with this writer (Roger Langley) some years ago and explained how the earlier version of the main theme had been played and recorded with only a few instruments -- "I remember there was a harpsicord and clavicord and percussion, probably a flute too." The actual orgins of the "Age of Elegance" composition are obscure, but the arrangement had a similar structure to the more familiar up-tempo version which accompanied the TV series, indicating that it was Ron Grainer's original concept for The Prisoner main theme. Certainly, the electric harpsicord played by Grainer was distinctive, although it must be said that the orchestral music heard on screen is much more powerful. The story goes that Patric McGoohan contributed to the melody line and demanded a more strident combination of instruments and pace, resulting in the piece being re-recorded for the screen version. The source for the closing track on this album is believed to be the only copy of "Elegance" now known still to be in existence -- hence a true collector's item! The famous Chappells Music Library was waiting to be researched and the episodes of The Prisoner needed to be filled with incidental music. |
Both tasks were undertaken by Prisoner music editor Eric Mival, who worked tirelessly taking timings of the countless scenes and fitting snatches of music to them. The writer (Langley) borrowed his working notes a few years back. These were contained in a book with black covers, devoid of identification save for a label "The Prisoner -- Music Bible". Another name appeared in the book, that of Robert Dearberg, who was music editor on the episodes "Arrival", "Chimes", and "Checkmate". One other music editor, John S. Smith covered "Its Your Funeral", but the remaining 13 episodes music were all edited by Eric Mival. Therefore, Mival had perhaps the greatest insight into the workings of the script and screen action, enabling him to provide much of the musical interplay. Occasionally, Mival noted in his book comments such as "Pat likes". Clearly the series star and mentor McGoohan was closely involved with all aspects of production, not the least of all the music. By January 1967 Mival was working on the "Chimes" episode and there was a long way to go. The notes recorded that Ron Grainer had begun to put together a demo of the first version of the music for the opening titles and closing sequence, together with a second version (which was subsequently used, with the original version being dropped, as mentioned earlier). Work continued throughout 1967, until Mival was engaged on the music for "Do Not Forsake Me..." then entitled "Face Unknown", in the October of that year. Numerous titles from the Chappells library were dotted about Mival's notes, and it might be throught that the editor had merely closed his eyes and stuck a pin in the vast catalogue of listings. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mival expertly chose the most appropriate tracks to be matched up with the screen action portrayed by the episodes he was involved with. When I perused the "music bible" some years ago, its pages were already yellowing. Now, a quarter century since The Prisoner was made, we are fortunate that it is still possible to blow the dust off the Chappells library tapes and present the tracks again for listener's appreciation. Eric Mival can justly be proud of his involvement in the whole undertaking, helping to create the unique atmosphere of "the Village" and in bringing to life the Prisoner screen action... |
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