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Barry Gray (born John Livesey Eccles; 18 July 1908 – 26 April 1984) was a British musician and composer best known for his collaborations with television and film producer
Gerry Anderson Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...
.


Life and career

Born into a musical family in
Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north- ...
, Lancashire, Gray was encouraged to pursue a musical career from an early age. Starting at the age of five – with piano lessons – he studied diligently and became a student at the Manchester Royal College of Music and at
Blackburn Cathedral Blackburn Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral Church of Blackburn Saint Mary the Virgin with St Paul, is an Anglican (Church of England) cathedral situated in the heart of Blackburn town centre, in Lancashire, England. The cathedral si ...
. He studied composition under the Hungarian born émigré composer Matyas Seiber. Gray's first professional job was for B. Feldman & Co. in London, where he gained experience in scoring for theatre and variety orchestras. From there, he joined
Radio Normandy Captain Leonard Frank Plugge (21 September 1889 – 19 February 1981) was a British radio entrepreneur and Conservative Party politician. Early years and political life Plugge was born at Walworth, only son of Frank Plugge (1864–1946), a co ...
as a composer-arranger. After serving for six years with the Royal Air Force during World War II he returned to the music industry to work with such names as Vera Lynn and Hoagy Carmichael. In 1956 Gray joined
Gerry Anderson Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...
's
AP Films AP Films or APF, later becoming Century 21 Productions, was a British independent film production company of the 1950s until the early 1970s. The company became internationally known for its imaginative children's action-adventure marionette tel ...
and scored its first marionette puppet television series, ''
The Adventures of Twizzle ''The Adventures of Twizzle'' is a television show produced by AP Films and Gerry Anderson. Conceived by author Roberta Leigh, later a co-producer, the children's show premiered in 1957. The show follows a young boy named Twizzle and his comp ...
''. This was followed by ''
Torchy The Battery Boy ''Torchy the Battery Boy'' is a British television series, the second produced by AP Films and Gerry Anderson, running from 1959 to 1961. Directed by Anderson, it was a collaboration with author Roberta Leigh, with music scored by Barry Gra ...
'' and ''
Four Feather Falls ''Four Feather Falls'' is a British television programme, the third puppet TV show produced by Gerry Anderson for Granada Television (now ITV Granada). It was based on an idea by Barry Gray, who also wrote the show's music. The series was the ...
'', a puppet
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
based on a concept suggested by Gray. His association with Anderson lasted throughout the 1960s. Although best known for his score to '' Thunderbirds'' (in particular the "March of the ''Thunderbirds''" title music), Gray's work also included the themes to all the other " Supermarionation" productions, including ''
Fireball XL5 ''Fireball XL5'' is a 1960s British children's science-fiction puppet television series about the missions of ''Fireball XL5'', a vessel of the World Space Patrol that polices the cosmos in the year 2062. Commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac, ''XL5' ...
'', '' Stingray'', ''
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons ''Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons'', often shortened to ''Captain Scarlet'', is a British science fiction television series created by Gerry Anderson, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films#Century 21, Cent ...
'' and ''
Joe 90 ''Joe 90'' is a 1968–1969 British Science fiction on television, science-fiction television series created by Gerry Anderson, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company, AP Films#Century 21, Century 21, for ITC Enterta ...
''. Recording sessions were held at
Olympic Studios Olympic Studios was a renowned British independent commercial recording studio based in Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century, including Jimi Hendr ...
,
Pye Studios Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhoo ...
and CTS Studios in London, Anvil Studios in Denham, Buckinghamshire and Gray's own studios at his residence in Esher, Surrey. Additionally, Gray is known as the composer for the Anderson live-action series of the 1970s, such as '' UFO'' and '' Space: 1999'' (though he was not involved in scoring ''
The Protectors ''The Protectors'' is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It was Anderson's second TV series to exclusively use live actors as opposed to marionettes (following ''UFO''), and his second to be firmly set in ...
''). His work in cinema included the scores to the ''Thunderbirds'' feature films '' Thunderbirds Are Go'' (1966) and ''
Thunderbird 6 ''Thunderbird 6'' is a 1968 British science fiction puppet film based on '' Thunderbirds'', a Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by th ...
'' (1968), and the live-action science-fiction drama '' Doppelgänger'' (1969). Gray's professional association with Anderson and his career in TV and film scoring ended when he decided to leave the production of ''Space: 1999'' after the completion of the first series. His replacement for the second series was
Derek Wadsworth Derek Wadsworth (5 February 1939 – 3 December 2008) was an English jazz musician, composer and arranger. Early life Wadsworth was born in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire on 5 February 1939. His first instrument was the cornet and he started playing the ...
, who composed new title music. In 1970, Gray moved from Esher to St Peter Port,
Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands, ...
. Later, after his retirement, he served as resident pianist at the Old Government House Hotel. Gray died in hospital on Guernsey on 26 April 1984. He had a son, Simon.


Composing style

Gray's music is characterised by the use of
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...
and percussion sections. It made extensive use of leitmotifs, with each machine in '' Thunderbirds'' having its own theme and the eponymous title character of ''
Joe 90 ''Joe 90'' is a 1968–1969 British Science fiction on television, science-fiction television series created by Gerry Anderson, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company, AP Films#Century 21, Century 21, for ITC Enterta ...
'' being accompanied on-screen by a wordless representation of his name. The ensembles required for Gray's scoring in series such as ''Thunderbirds'' and '' Stingray'' dwarfed those used in the production of most contemporary television programmes; even the orchestra employed for the first Anderson-produced series to carry the "Supermarionation" label, '' Supercar'', comprised some forty instrumentalists. A standout example is ''Stingray: March of the Oysters'' (1964), which was later recorded by the
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech: ''Filharmonici města Prahy'') is a classical orchestra, predominantly composed of Czech classical, jazz and guest musicians. The history of the orchestra goes back to the Film Symphony Orchestra ...
, conducted by Nic Raine. Besides composing and conducting orchestral scores for television and film, Gray developed an interest in the
Ondes Martenot The ondes Martenot ( ; , "Martenot waves") or ondes musicales ("musical waves") is an early electronic musical instrument. It is played with a keyboard or by moving a ring along a wire, creating "wavering" sounds similar to a theremin. A player o ...
, which he used to produce unconventional musical notes as well as
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
sound effects in several of his scores, including those for ''
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons ''Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons'', often shortened to ''Captain Scarlet'', is a British science fiction television series created by Gerry Anderson, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films#Century 21, Cent ...
'' and '' Doppelgänger'' (1969). Gray's knowledge and recognition in the field resulted in commissions to provide electronic music and sound effects for such films as ''
Dr. Who and the Daleks ''Dr. Who and the Daleks'' is a 1965 British science fiction film directed by Gordon Flemyng and written by Milton Subotsky, and the first of two films based on the British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It stars Peter Cu ...
'' (1965), '' Island of Terror'' (1966), and ''
Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. ''Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.'' is a 1966 British science fiction film directed by Gordon Flemyng and written by Milton Subotsky, and the second of two films based on the British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It stars P ...
'' (1966), and uncredited work on ''
Fahrenheit 451 ''Fahrenheit 451'' is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. Often regarded as one of his best works, ''Fahrenheit 451'' presents an American society where books have been personified and outlawed and "firemen" burn any that ar ...
'' (1966). Gray believed that the score for the live action ''Doppelgänger'' was his best. It was recorded in three studio sessions between 27 and 29 March 1969.Archer, Simon; Hearn, Marcus (2002). ''What Made Thunderbirds Go! The Authorised Biography of Gerry Anderson''. London, UK: BBC Books. . The first of these sessions used a 55-member orchestra, the second 44 and the third 28. The scenes of Ross and Kane's journey to the Counter-Earth are accompanied by a piece titled "Sleeping Astronauts" featuring the Ondes Martenot, played by French ondiste Sylvette Allart. Archer and Hearn describe this piece as "one of the most enchanting" ever written by Gray, adding that the soundtrack as a whole evokes a "traditional Hollywood feel" in contrast with the film's future setting.
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
, the official appreciation society dedicated to the productions of Gerry Anderson, has gained access to all Gray's original studio tapes and undertaken a major re-issue project, compiling the theme and incidental music from Gray's various collaborations with Anderson onto a series of re-mastered CDs. Silva Screen Records has released several single-disc versions of the tv series soundtracks (''Supercar'', ''
Fireball XL5 ''Fireball XL5'' is a 1960s British children's science-fiction puppet television series about the missions of ''Fireball XL5'', a vessel of the World Space Patrol that polices the cosmos in the year 2062. Commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac, ''XL5' ...
'', '' Thunderbirds'') and feature film ''Thunderbirds are Go'' Unlike the Fanderson releases (members-only) the Silva Screen discs are available to the general public.


Centenary concert

On the evening of 8 November 2008, to mark the centenary year of Gray's birth, a concert was held in the Royal Festival Hall at London's
South Bank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the N ...
. Ralph Titterton, restorer of the Gray archive and co-producer of the original soundtrack CDs, and Cathy Ford, a librarian, researcher and biographer, joined film composer, conductor and arranger François Evans to produce the event in aid of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund.


Discography

*''Space Age Nursery Rhymes'' (Mini- EP, Century 21. Comical updates of nursery rhymes sung by
Ken Barrie Leslie Hulme (9 January 1933 – 29 July 2016), known professionally as Ken Barrie, was an English voice actor and singer. He was best known for singing the theme tune of the BBC television programmes ''Hi-de-Hi!'', ''Postman Pat'' and '' Charli ...
and Eula Parker; "Three Refined Mice" sung by Gray.) *''Great Themes from Thunderbirds'' (Mini-EP, Century 21. Record with incidental music.) *''Themes from Captain Scarlet'' (Mini-EP, Century 21. Record with songs and instrumentals from the series and some cover versions of other series.) *''No Strings Attached'' (
Maxi-single A maxi single or maxi-single (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song. The first maxi singles Mungo Jerry's first single, "In the Summertime" was the ...
. A release of all the commercial recordings of theme music, near-originals. The CD release also includes "March of the Oysters" from the '' Stingray'' episode "Secret of the Giant Oyster".) *'' Thunderbirds Are Go!'' ( LP, United Artists. Film soundtrack incorporating pieces from the TV series; not the original film recording. The
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
CD release also includes the tracks sung by The Shadows.) *'' Thunderbirds'' (CD, Silva Screen. TV soundtrack, released posthumously.) *'' Captain Scarlet'' (CD, Silva Screen. TV soundtrack, released posthumously.) *'' Space: 1999'' (CD, Silva Screen. TV soundtrack, released posthumously.) *''
Joe 90 ''Joe 90'' is a 1968–1969 British Science fiction on television, science-fiction television series created by Gerry Anderson, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company, AP Films#Century 21, Century 21, for ITC Enterta ...
'' (CD, Silva Screen. TV soundtrack, released posthumously.) *''Stand By For Adverts'' (CD,
Trunk Records Trunk Records is a British independent record label, which specialises mainly in lost film scores, unreleased TV music, library music, old advertising jingles, art, sexploitation and kitsch releases. It was founded in 1995 by Jonny Trunk, an ...
. A compilation of Gray's TV advertising jingles and incidental music recorded in the late 1950s and 1960s. Released in 2011.)
''The Cult Files Re-Opened''. Silva Screen 2 CDs (1997)
Cult TV and film themes. *'' Supercar/
Fireball XL5 ''Fireball XL5'' is a 1960s British children's science-fiction puppet television series about the missions of ''Fireball XL5'', a vessel of the World Space Patrol that polices the cosmos in the year 2062. Commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac, ''XL5' ...
'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, released posthumously in 1998) *'' Space: 1999 year 1'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, released posthumously in 1998) *'' UFO'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, released posthumously in 2003) *''
Thunderbird 6 ''Thunderbird 6'' is a 1968 British science fiction puppet film based on '' Thunderbirds'', a Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by th ...
'' (CD,
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
. Film soundtrack, released posthumously in 2005) *''
The Secret Service ''The Secret Service'' is a 1969 British science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company, Century 21, for ITC Entertainment. It follows the exploits of Father Stanley Unwin, a pupp ...
'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, released posthumously in 2007) *'' Stingray'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, released posthumously in 2009) *'' UFO'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, re-released posthumously in 2010) *''
Four Feather Falls ''Four Feather Falls'' is a British television programme, the third puppet TV show produced by Gerry Anderson for Granada Television (now ITV Granada). It was based on an idea by Barry Gray, who also wrote the show's music. The series was the ...
'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, released posthumously in 2011) *''
Fireball XL5 ''Fireball XL5'' is a 1960s British children's science-fiction puppet television series about the missions of ''Fireball XL5'', a vessel of the World Space Patrol that polices the cosmos in the year 2062. Commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac, ''XL5' ...
'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, re-released posthumously in 2012) *'' Supercar'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, re-released posthumously in 2013) *'' Space: 1999 year 1'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, re-released posthumously in 2014) *'' Thunderbirds Are Go/
Thunderbird 6 ''Thunderbird 6'' is a 1968 British science fiction puppet film based on '' Thunderbirds'', a Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by th ...
'' (CD, La-La Land records. Films soundtrack, released posthumously in 2014) *'' Thunderbirds'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, released posthumously in 2015) *'' Captain Scarlet'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, released posthumously in 2015) *''
Joe 90 ''Joe 90'' is a 1968–1969 British Science fiction on television, science-fiction television series created by Gerry Anderson, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company, AP Films#Century 21, Century 21, for ITC Enterta ...
'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, released posthumously in 2017) *'' Doppelgänger'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
, Film soundtrack, released posthumously in 2018) *'' Stingray'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, re-released posthumously in 2019) *'' UFO'' (CD,
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
. Original incidental music from the series, re-released posthumously in 2020)


See also

*
List of film director and composer collaborations * The following film directors and film score composers have worked together on multiple projects. A Ali Abbasi *Martin Dirkov **'' Shelley'' (2016) **''Border'' (2018) J. J. Abrams * Michael Giacchino **''Alias'' (2001–2006) **''Lost ...


References


External links

* *
'The screen music of Barry Gray'. ''Sound of Cinema'', BBC Radio 3, 27 June 2020

''Stingray: March of the Oysters''

''Sleeping Astronauts''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Barry 1908 births 1984 deaths 20th-century British composers 20th-century British conductors (music) 20th-century British pianists Alumni of the Royal Northern College of Music British male conductors (music) British electronic musicians British expatriates in Guernsey British film score composers British male film score composers British music arrangers British male organists British male pianists British radio people British television composers British military musicians Ondists People from Blackburn Royal Air Force personnel of World War II 20th-century organists 20th-century British male musicians