the z cars theme tune
anyone any idea who wrote the theme music for the show?
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MovieChat Forums > Z Cars (1962) Discussion > the z cars theme tune
It was an arrangement of an old english folk tune done by adopted Scouser (Liverpudlian) the late Fritz Speigl.
shareJohnnie Todd he took a notion
For to sail across the sea
And he left his true love a-weeping
All alone on Liverpool quay.
Everton have been running out to the Z-Cars theme since the early 60's.
Something I love as, not only am I a season ticket holder at Goodison, but I appeared in 2 episodes in 1974.
Anyone who’s googled "z-cars" and "theme" would’ve come up with this already, but I thought I'd pop it in here for good measure...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/titles/zcars.shtml
For what its worth my Dad always told me it was Telstar, which despite being completely wrong will always be the proper Z-Cars theme music for me!
It was written by (or credited to) Johhny Keating.
shareI have the 45 record of the theme song from the show - it entered the British charts in 1962 - my Dad bought it for me.
According to Wikipedia
"The Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl and performed by John Keating and his Orchestra. The single reached #5 on the UK singles chart in April 1962."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_from_Z-Cars
Reading the label on my 45.......
Released on the Piccadily label - distributed by PYE GROUP RECORDS (SALES) LTD
7N.35032
Recording First Published 1962
P.45.1032-A
Theme From Z-Cars (Johnny Todd)
(Bridget Fry)
ESSEX MUSIC
Arranged and conducted by
JOHNNY KEATING
The Z Cars theme was arranged by Fritz Spiegl's wife, Bridget Fry. He suggested the tune to her, according to his obituary. I have a feeling it was credited to both of them on the show, but that might have been the theme to The Z cars successor Softly Softly which took the lead characters from Z Cars to Bristol (called Wyvern in the series - and Casualty is set in Holby part of the Wyvern County - also really Bristol.)
Later Softly Softlys were set in the Medway area.
This was the first record that I ever got, and I still have it. I recently downloaded the MP3 version from amazon.
shareYou can listen to the theme as well as see the opening at this youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWflrCrwUSw
shareI remember the tune going like this:
Da, da ,daah, da-da, da, da, da,...
"Bed!"
It was one of several theme tunes which meant I had to retire!