Robert Sharples (2 July 19138 September 1987), known as Bob Sharples, was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
musical
conductor,
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
and
bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...
, whose work encompassed films and well-known British television programmes in the 1960s and 1970s.
[Obituary, ''The Guardian'', 9 September 1987 p. 34]
Early life and pre-war big bands
Sharples was born in
Bury, Lancashire
Bury ( ) is a market town on the River Irwell in Greater Manchester, England. Metropolitan Borough of Bury is administered from the town, which had an estimated population of 78,723 in 2015.
The town is within the Historic counties of Englan ...
, England, under the birth name Robert Standish. He began playing piano at the age of seven and organ at eleven. He studied orchestration, composition and conducting with
Hamilton Harty
Sir Herbert Hamilton Harty (4 December 1879 – 19 February 1941) was an Irish composer, conductor, pianist and organist.
After an early career as a church organist in his native Ireland, Harty moved to London at about age 20, soon becoming a w ...
in Manchester before moving to London to enter the world of jazz, where he played in nightclubs and began writing arrangement for big band leaders such as
Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...
, Jack Harris,
Roy Fox
Roy Fox (October 25, 1901 – March 20, 1982) was an American-born British dance bandleader who was popular in Britain during the British dance band era.
Early life and career
Roy Fox was born in Denver, Colorado, United States. He and his ...
and
Carroll Gibbons
Carroll Richard Gibbons (January 4, 1903 – May 10, 1954) was an American-born pianist, bandleader and popular composer who made his career primarily in England during the British dance band era.
Image of Gibbons from the W.D. & H.O. Wills ...
.
[Biography, Robert Farnon Society]
/ref> In 1934 he joined the Freddy Platt band at the Carlton Ballroom, Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
along with Geoff Love
Geoffrey Love (4 September 1917 – 8 July 1991) was a prolific British arranger and composer of easy listening and pop versions of film themes. He became famous in the late 1950s, playing under the pseudonym of Manuel and The Music of The Mo ...
; Sharples played piano, and Love played trombone. He also played with Teddy Foster's big band, which was formed in 1945.
Decca
After the war and into the 1950s and 1960s Sharples became established as an independent arranger, conductor and musical director. Bob Sharples and His Music recorded many LPs for Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
, backing such artists as Jimmy Young, Lorrae Desmond
Lorrae Desmond (2 October 1929 – 23 May 2021) born as Beryl Hunt, was an Australian Gold Logie-award-winning singer, recording artist, radio and television presenter, character actor, and playwright, with a career that spanned over 55 years ...
, Tonia Bern, Kenneth McKellar and Sandie Shaw Sandie may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Sandie Clair (born 1988), French professional racing cyclist
* Sandie Fitzgibbon, Irish former camogie player
* Sandie Jones (1950/1951–2019), Irish singer
* Sandie Lindsay, 1st Baron Lindsay of Birker (1879 ...
. Recordings for Decca under his own name included a series of themed arrangements, such as ''Dancing Round the World'' (1958), ''Waltz Magic'' (1958), ''America on the March'' (1964), and ''Battle Stereo'' (1964). He also worked with Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's "Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical '' Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his work ...
, providing the orchestrations for the 1962 musical Blitz!
''Blitz!'' is a musical by Lionel Bart. The musical, described by Steven Suskin as "massive", was set in the East End of London during the Blitz (the aerial bombings during World War II). The story drew on Bart's childhood memories of London's Je ...
. In 1963 he conducted the London Festival Orchestra
The London Festival Orchestra (LFO) was established in the 1950s as the 'house orchestra' for Decca Records. In 1980 it was incorporated as an independent performing orchestra under Ross Pople. At least in the world of pop music, the orchestra is b ...
(Decca's 'house orchestra') in a Phase 4 Phase 4, Phase IV or Phase Four may refer to:
Media
* Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Four, a group of superhero films and television series beginning in 2021
* ''Phase IV'' (1974 film), a 1974 film
* ''Phase IV'' (2002 film), a 2002 film
* ...
LP of music by Tchaikovsky, including the ''1812 Overture'' and the ''Nutcracker'' suite.
Television variety
In the early 1960s Sharples became Musical Director for ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to:
*ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or
*ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia
ABC Television or ABC ...
based at Manchester's Didsbury Studios, where (with help from Ronnie Taylor and Johnny Roadhouse
John Roadhouse (13 January 1921 – 11 April 2009) was a British musician who specialised in saxophone.
Biography
Roadhouse was born in Sheffield, but lived in Moss Side, Manchester from an early age. He taught himself how to play the saxophon ...
) he formed The ABC Television Orchestra. This was used to supply music for all the ABC shows of the period, including ''Big Night Out'' (1961-1965), ''Saturday Bandbox'' (1962) and the long-running talent show '' Opportunity Knocks'', whose host Hughie Green
Hugh Hughes Green (2 February 1920 – 3 May 1997) was an English radio and television presenter, game show host and actor.
Early life
Green was born in Marylebone, London, to a Scottish father, Hugh Aitchison Green, a former British Army offic ...
would routinely refer to Sharples as "Uncle Bob". When ''Opportunity Knocks'' was taken on by Thames TV
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992.
Thames Television broad ...
in 1968, moving to the Teddington Studios
Teddington Studios was a large British television studio in Teddington, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, providing studio facilities for programmes airing on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky1 and others. The complex also provide ...
, Sharples and his band were retained until the run finished in 1978.
His best-known compositions are in the field of TV theme music
Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
and film music. Under the pseudonym Robert Earley (a musical joke, as he always arrived late for sessions)[ he wrote the themes for ABC's '']Public Eye
Public Eye or The Public Eye may refer to:
* ''Public Eye'' (TV series), a British television series that ran from 1965 to 1975
* ''The Public Eye'' (TV series), a Canadian television public affairs television series which aired on CBC Televisio ...
'' and the later series of ''Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence in Policing in the United Kingdom, British, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, ...
'', and under the pseudonym E. Ward composed the theme music for the 1969 television series ''Fraud Squad''. Sharples' other TV credits include themes for Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...
, including '' Man At The Top'' (1970-72), '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' (1971), ''Harriet's Back in Town
''Harriet's Back in Town'' is a 1972 British television series produced by Thames Television.
The cast included Pauline Yates, William Russell, Edwin Richfield and Sally Bazely.
The show featured a newly divorced woman (Harriet Preston, play ...
'' (1972), and ''Napoleon and Love
''Napoleon and Love'' is a 1974 British television series originally aired on ITV and lasting for 9 episodes from 5 March to 30 April 1974. The series stars Ian Holm in the title role as Napoleon and depicts his relationships with the women who f ...
'' (1974). He wrote music for the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
.