[Harp-L] re: Tommy Reilly and P.C. George Dixon

[Roger Trobridge <gopher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve

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>BBC Radio 4 has a six-part series reviving "Dixon of Dock Green," the London 
>police TV drama from the 50s and 60s, starting on Wednesday at 11.30a.m.  It 
>had a memorable theme tune called "An Ordinary Copper" which was played on 
>harmonica by Tommy Reilly and which I get asked to play more than anything 
>else apart from the theme tune to "Last of the Summer Wine" (which I believe 
>he also played!).  

Tommy played a couple but Harry Pitch played it for about 20 years, and Jim Hughes
has done the last few years. Each show had to record new incidental music written
and conducted by Ronnie Hazelhurst.
http://www.area5.co.uk/summer-wine/lyrics.htm
Here is an image wth Harry and Jack Emblow, the great jazz accordionist at a
recording of an episode of the show.

>Tommy also played the theme from the long-running radio 
>show "The Navy Lark."  He was a pretty good classical harmonicist too!  

He set the standard after the Second World War.

>I heard a trailer for the new radio series this morning, and they played the 
>famous theme, but I'm not sure it was the original...I'll have to listen to 
>the programme proper on Wednesday.

It is a new recording of the old scripts and music for the show which ran from 1955
to 76. Eddie Martin plays it on the new show produced by Radio Bristol. 

Roger