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Prisoner Music FAQ - updated to version 1.5

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Larry Hall

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Oct 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM10/11/97

This is the latest version of the Prisoner Music FAQ and
incorporates quite a few additions and improvements to the
general content in addition to the new features listed below.

As ever, this text version is provided for those who prefer
to use basic newsreaders. A more easily navigable HTML
version of the FAQ in colour and complete with illustrations
and photographs is available at all times and attached to
the Prisoner Music Site :-

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/4031

Due to the exponential growth of the FAQ, it's becoming
necessary to limit the information to basics in the text
version as it's becoming more and more difficult to work
through it. Expanded information will appear in the HTML
version.

------------------------------------------------------------

Prisoner Music FAQ v1.5

by Larry Hall and Victor R. Volkman

UPDATES IN VERSION 1.5

6.1 Mike Simmons and his "Portmeirion" album
9.2 Getting hold of the sheet music (for the Prisoner Theme)
9.3 The Theme and "Total Guitar"

CONTENTS

1.0 Welcome to the FAQ
2.0 Who worked on the music?
3.0 An Interview with Albert Elms
4.0 Ron Grainer - 20 years on record
5.0 What is on the soundtrack recordings?
5.1 Prisoner Music - the first releases
5.2 What is the Bootleg CD?
5.3 Sleeve Notes from THE PRISONER ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK LP
5.4 Liner Notes from THE PRISONER CD's, Volumes Two and Three
5.5 Victor Volkman's comments on Volume Three
5.6 PRISONER/DANGER MAN/DRY BONES CD
5.7 Neil Norman's "Greatest Science Fiction Hits III"
5.8 Ron Grainer's Soundtrack Collection
6.0 Prisoner Music Discography and product ID numbers
6.1 Prisoner References in other songs
6.2 Prisoner dialog sampled into techno music
6.3 Carmen Miranda and "I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi"
6.4 DREAM INTO DUST and "A PRISON FOR ONESELF"
7.0 How do I buy the soundtrack recordings?
7.1 Mail order direct from the manufacturer
8.0 McGoohan and The Beatles
9.0 Recording the Theme Music
9.1 How can I play the theme music myself?
9.2 Getting hold of the sheet music
9.3 The Theme and "Total Guitar"
10.0 Are there any other unreleased tracks?

1.0 Welcome to the FAQ

Most Prisoner fan sites or FAQ's concentrate on things like episode
synopses, attempts at analysis, opinions on "hidden meanings" and so on.
Audio is at least one-half of the message and certainly the music
of the PRISONER is an equal match to the surrealistic, moody, and
triumphant nature of the stories. However, very little has been done to
analyse and record the details of the rich and varied musical content,
nor has there ever been a listing of the many musical offerings inspired
by it. This is the purpose of the Prisoner Music FAQ, to provide as much
information and detail as possible on this facet of the series and provide
a
facility which both enthuaiasts and Prisoner historians can use for
reference
and enjoyment.

The FAQ can always be accessed through The Prisoner Music Site
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/4031 and at most times in plain text format
on the alt.TV.prisoner newsgroup. We will happily accept updates from
anyone with
a documented source of information for evaluation and inclusion into the
FAQ. Please send comments, constructive criticism and contributions to
Larry Hall's e-mail address - fr...@globalnet.co.uk

This FAQ sheet is in no way connected with Six Of One or indeed any other
Prisoner fan organisation, neither are the authors involved with any of the

commercial organisations mentioned below.

2.0 Who worked on the music?

There are several key people in the story behind the PRISONER
soundtrack. Here's a brief summary of each:

ALBERT ELMS: Perhaps the second-most influential of the composers who
worked on the PRISONER. He was responsible for much of the "incidental"
(background) music throughout the series.

ROBERT FARNON: Made the first attempt at writing the theme music for
the PRISONER, which was subsequently rejected. Some of the most
dramatic incidental music was composed by him.

RON GRAINER (1922-1981): The best known and most influential of the
composers. He was a professional soundtrack composer during the 1960's
and 70's. It is his musical numbers for the opening theme and closing
credits which set the distinctive sound for the PRISONER.

WILFRED JOSEPHS: Originally contracted to do the PRISONER opening
theme, his work was subsequently rejected by McGoohan himself.

ERIC MIVAL: Music editor for the PRISONER. His responsibility was to
go through every scene of every episode and find music that (1) fit the
mood exactly and (2) could be edited down to fit the time constraints
of each scene. He wrote and maintained the "music bible" that told
which library tracks went with which scenes.

WILFRED THOMSON: Sound editor for the PRISONER. The resourceful man
responsible for creating the unique sound of Rover and many other sound
bites. Basically, his role is the non-musical portion of the
soundtrack.

3.0 Who is Albert Elms? (An Interview with Albert Elms)

Excerpted from "Once Upon a Time", Issue #32

"An Interview with Albert Elms" by David Walters

When ``Arrival'' was at the screen room stage, the main theme was yet to
be decided on. All I had was the original theme by Bob Farnon, which I
hasten to add was disliked intensely by Pat and the production team. At
the time, though, it had not been totally rejected, and seeing as Farnon
had been paid for the piece, I decided to use it. Although it made an
eerie type sound, it needed what I fondly call ``plonkety plonk'' music,
which is often used for extra footage to use up screening time. This is
usually the hero walking to his car or kissing the girlfriend in this
case, McGoohan's walk around the Village.

I often (other series) based the incidental on the main theme, but
for obvious reasons I couldn't use that this time. So, after watching
the rough cuts, I got the feeling of a fantasy type theme, so I sat down
at my piano and started ``plonking.'' Now, I don't know why but I
played the opening bars of ``Pop Goes the Weasel,'' and that's it
really. It was as simple as that!

Some episodes were easy to do, like the one where he comes back to
London after making his escape on a raft. I got the feeling of Robinson
Crusoe, hence my Hawaiian theme, or the fairground music in the episode
where he's telling the spy story to some kids.

Others were bitches to do and Pat was so intense in selecting the
incidentals. The Bizet episode, of which I conducted the music for
the Bizet records No. 6 plays, when No. 6 tells the band leader to play,
that was my sound track. The band at Portmeirion were miming!

Now then, you'll have to tell me about the ``Once Upon A Time'' one,
it was a long time ago. (After a brief description of the storyline.)
Ah, now that's the episode where Pat buggered about with the soundtrack.
I had a brief from upstairs that this was the cliffhanger episode that
would lead to series two. But little did I know that Pat and David had
other plans! I was home one night, it must have been about three weeks
after the completion of series one of ``The Prisoner,'' when Pat rang
and invited himself to dinner the following weekend.

He sat in that chair there and told me about his trouble with
Markstein and others. He said ``It's all got out of hand, Berty. They
want to make it into a Bond movie and if there's one thing is ain't,
it's another `Goldfinger.' I'm putting the bloody thing to sleep be-
fore it gets up and bites back.''

I said, ``Are you going to leave it there without any explanation?''

``If Lew lets me, yes I am,'' he replied.

``Bloody hell, Pat,'' I said; ``They will do their nuts.''

``I know,'' he said and grinned at me.

After dinner, we sat in my lounge and talked about old times. He
told me that if he had to do a last episode, he wanted me an MD. I told
him about my new contract on ``The Champions,'' but I told him I could
do both with a push.

It must have been another six weeks before I knew for sure that
``The Prisoner'' was not finished, and I stalled my job on ``The
Champions'' to complete ``The Prisoner.'' Ironically, it was Bob Farnon
who filled in for me by doing episode one of ``The Champions.''

I knew Pat wanted ``Once Upon A Time'' as the penultimate episode,
but I didn't know he had messed about with it until it came on the
screen.

But it was the last episode that got my blood boiling. You ought to
have seen the out-takes, miles of wasted film and nothing wrong with it
except Pat didn't like it! By this time, Pat was doing it all; I think
he was afraid of leaving it to anyone else. He left notes for me
telling me what music he wanted. He knew that even the people who hated
the series would be watching. He wanted to shock.

Of course, what he did was make them angry.

When I arrived at Elstree, the set was abuzz with ``McGoohan and his
bloody ego,'' and Dennis Spooner knew it would be a tough act to follow.

One episode of ``The Champions,'' ``The Night People,'' was even set
in North Wales at a fictitious place called Porthgerwyn. It was not to
copy ``The Prisoner,'' just to add spice to the series, and you know
what they say about imitation.

Patrick has been a family friend for many years. We worked together
many times and he is Godfather to my son. He adores his wife and is a
distant, deep-thinking man. I think that's why he lives out of the
public eye; he prefers to spend his time with his family and why not?

Albert Elms was responsible for the incidental music in ``The
General,'' ``A, B & C,'' ``Free For All,'' and ``Once Upon A Time,'' and
Music Director on ``Living in Harmony.''

5.3 RON GRAINER -- 20 YEARS ON RECORD

From the late FIfties, until his death in 1981, Ron Grainer composed
numerous film and television music scores. He was born in 1922 and
emigrated to Britain from his native Australia. At first he had a rough
time but eventually managed to obtain a job as a rehearsal pianist for
the BBC. His first success was the atmospheric theme for the Maigret
detective series. His work with the BBS Radiophonic Workshop led to the
famous Dr. Who theme, first heard in 1963. In 1961 he provided the
music over a short transport film called "Terminus". This was followed
by the music for the film "A Kind of Loving", in 1962.

These were Ron Grainer's early years of being involved with the British
music scene. He had worked on the BBC Panorama music and by 1964 had
come up with the memorable "Steptoe and Son" theme. Further music was
provided by him for the film "Nothing But The Best", in 1964. The first
time his name appeared on a commercial music disc seems to have been the
1962 flipside of a UK recording group, The Eagles, called "March of the
Eagles" on Pye #7N15473. However, several more orchestral releases
would follow in later years.

Further television music included "Malice Aforethought", "Tales of the
Unexpected", and others. Films comprised "To Sir With Love" (1967),
"Lock Up Your Daughters" (1969), "In Search of Oregon" (1970), "The
Omega Man" (1971), "Yellow Dog" (1973), and "I Don't Want to Be Born"
(1975).

1978 saw the Ron Grainer Orchestra releasing "A Touch of Velvet, A Sting
of Brass" which reached chart position 60 on 9th December, having been
in the chart for seven weeks (catalogue Casino Classic CC5). The "Dr.
Who" theme was taken over by Mankind who released a single on Pinnacle
(PIN 71) reaching chart position 25 on 25th November, being in the chart
for 12 weeks. The same year saw Ron Grainer helping to produce a Club
version of The Prisoner theme music on an extended play disc. An
earlier version had been released by Ron Grainer in 1967 (on RCA 1635)
being a more up-beat pop version of the theme. (EDITOR'S NOTE: this
is being reissued on CD, see section 5.6 below!).

It had been at Utopia recording studio in London on Friday 6th October
1978 that members of the Prisoner appreciation society, Six of One, met
with Ron Grainer who supervised the engineering and recording of two
tracks. These were his Prisoner opening and closing themes.

* * * Editor's note: Just to be clear, the then co-ordinator of Six Of One,

Roger Goodman, had wanted to release some Prisoner music on a vinyl
maxi-single and had managed to obtain a tape of the television version of
the opening and closing credits (ie: with all the sound effects in place).
He asked Ron Grainer to supervise the transfer of the two pieces to the
record, meaning applying tone and equalisation adjustments between the
source
tape and acetate master, which he kindly did. * * *

The Prisoner theme had come about in 1967. In fact, the full version of
the theme did not appear in the opening credits of Prisoner episodes, but
the second 'half' of the piece was used over the opening credits of the
final episode of The Prisoner "Fall Out".

* * * Editor's note: Not really. Listening to the recording session plus
looking at Grainer's original score reveals that there were six different
versions put on tape. Two versions were recorded specifically for the
opening titles, one for "Arrival" and another slightly shorter for most
of the rest of the episodes which had a shorter opening sequence. These
were always intended to be used in this way and were recorded as such with
timings specific to the edit points and sound effects. The version heard
over "Fallout" (and nowhere else) is quite different with a fuller musical
content. * * *

The theme composed for The Prisoner by Ron Grainer set the scene for the
programme. The music came from Ron Grainer's earlier piece, entitled
"The Age of Elegance". This was a harpsichord rendition, regarded as not
being strong enough for the episodes on television. The composer set about

converting it into a more powerful version, adding electric guitar, drums,
bass, and brass.

Ron Grainer was asked in 1979 about the various versions of The Prisoner
theme and the similarity found within his music for the later score for
the film "The Omega Man". He referred to being influenced by his own
predilection for certain model sequences. He attended a Six of One
convention a few months earlier, at Borehamwood where The Prisoner had
been filmed, and received much applause.

Ron Grainer's name is remembered for many pieces of incidental music.
His talent, described by his former wife, was being able to create
exactly the right music to match the atmosphere of a television series.
There is no better example of this than The Prisoner. Listening to the
title theme conjures up the fast-moving opening scenes of the programme,
as well as providing a strong closing theme at the end of each episode.
Ron Grainer died on 21st February 1981, aged 57. His many and varied
music scores will continue to be heard and regarded as classic film and
television themes.

5.0 What is on the soundtrack recordings?

There are currently three officially released commercial volumes of
PRISONER soundtrack recordings. Note that these are pure instrumental
soundtrack material -- no singing, no dialog, and no sound effects
(apart from the TV version of the Title Theme, track 1 on LP, bootleg
and "official CD).

There are four basic types of musical material to be found:

Titles: opening and closing music, alternate theme takes
Brass Band: lots of rousing brass pieces great for marching!
Prisoner Music: composed especially to match dramatic scenes
Library Tracks: pre-recorded music not especially written for THE
PRISONER but available to anyone (for a fee) to use in films, TV,
theatre, etc.

Complete Soundtrack Breakdown
(The track listing for CD 1 also applies to the original Bamcaruso vinyl
album and the "bootleg" CD)

1 | 1| ARRIVAL | Main Titles | 2:23 | Grainer
1 | 2| ARRIVAL | No.6 Approaches the Esc. Helicopt.| 1:58 | Josephs
1 | 3| ARRIVAL | Village Band March into M. Square | 1:48 | Radetski
1 | 4| ALTCHIM | Alternative Main Titles | 2:19 | Josephs
1 | 5| A,B,&C | No.6 and "B" dance at Engadines P.| 1:24 | Elms
1 | 6| FREEFOR | Escape Attempt by Moke & Spd Boat | 2:54 | Elms
1 | 7| FREEFOR | Mechanical Band play in Cat&Mouse | 1:37 | Elms
1 | 8| FREEFOR | The election won, No.6 takes office | 1:29 | Elms
1 | 9| FREEFOR | Violence erupts in the Rover cave | 1:47 | Elms
1 | 10| GENERAL | The art seminar around the fount. | 0:42 | Elms
1 | 11| GENERAL | Top hats approach security clear. | 0:52 | Elms
1 | 12| GENERAL | Villagers celebrate passing exams | 2:05 | Elms
1 | 13| GENERAL | No.6 is taken to meet The General | 0:41| Elms
1 | 14| GENERAL | Destruction and aftermath | 2:37 | Elms
1 | 15| FALLOUT | Main Theme and Fallout Reprise | 3:37 | Grainer
1 | 16| HAPPYRT | No.6 Searches the Gunrunner Boat | 2:00 | Elms
1 | 17| DANCE | Carnival Procession around square | 2:22 | Elms
1 | 18| DANCE | No.6 Steals the Lifebelt | 1:44 | Elms
1 | 19| CHECKMT | Conspirators attack searchlight | 1:46 | Elms
1 | 20| HAMMER | No. 6 is followd to stone boat | 2:28 | Bizet*
1 | 21| HAMMER | Village band play the Farandelle | 00:47 | Bizet*
1 | 22| HAMMER | No.14 attacks No.6 in his house | 3:59 | Vivaldi*
1 | 23| GIRL | At the cricket match | 2:00 | Elms
1 | 24| OUAT | No.6 is regressed back to childhd | 2:10 | Elms
1 | 25| OUAT | and starts his schooldays | 0:42 | Elms
1 | 26| ARRIVAL | Closing Credits (animated bike) | 1:09 | Grainer

2 | 1| ARRIVAL | No.6 in his cottage "home" | 3:20| M. Lubbock
2 | 2| ARRIVAL | No.6 espies the cleaning maid | 2:17| Tamburello
2 | 3| ARRIVAL | Village Band afternoon concert | 2:17| C.H. Jaeger
2 | 4| CHIMES | No.6 hides loudspeaker in fridge | 3:03| P. Green
2 | 5| CHIMES | No.6 tree chopping and raft bldg. | 2:33| Bonneau
2 | 6| CHIMES | Curfew time/Bedtime | 1:57| Aliprandi
2 | 7| CHIMES | No.6 and Nadia inside crate | 3:01| J. Beaver
2 | 8| CHIMES | Announcement of art competition | 3:01| R. Farnon
2 | 9| A,B,&C | Engadines party string music | 2:47| M. Stern
2 | 10| A,B,&C | No.6 arrives at "dreamy" party | 2:06| J. Arel
2 | 11| HAPPYRT | No.6 adrift on raft at sea | 2:55| T. Veneux
2 | 12| CHECKMT | Invitation to human chess | 2:42| S. Logan
2 | 13| DANCE | Village morning prior to carnival | 2:42| R. Roger
2 | 14| DARLING | En route to Kandersfelt | 1:30| R. Farnon
2 | 15| GIRL | In the Magnum Record Shop | 2:02| Arel/Petit
2 | 16| GIRL | You have just been poisoned | 2:34| N. Nardin
2 | 17| GIRL | On the Big Dipper | 3:41| Bourdin
2 | 18| GIRL | Chase with sports cars and copter | 2:34| Bonneau
2 | 19| GIRL | Good night children everywhere | 1:30| N. Nardin
2 | 20| FALLOUT | President's speech | 2:39| R. Roger
2 | 21| FALLOUT | No.6's speech | 2:16| Arel/Petit
2 | 22| FALLOUT | Back in London | 1:46| Bellington
2 | 23| ARRIVAL | Alternative Main Title Theme | 3:09| Grainer

3 | 1| ARRIVAL | Nos.6 & 9 listen to band | 2:42| A. Steck
3 | 2| CHIMES | Nightcap with Nadia | 2:26| P. Bonneau
3 | 3| CHIMES | Nadia's escape swim | 3:08| J. Beaver
3 | 4| CHIMES | Outside exhibition hall | 2:25| A. Steck
3 | 5| CHIMES | Escapers launch dinghy | 1:20| R. Farnon
3 | 6| A,B,&C | Drugged No.6 collapses | 1:53| E. Austin
3 | 7| FREEFOR | Breakfast with No. 2 | 1:20| Arel & Petit
3 | 8| GENERAL | Speedlearn broadcast | 0:43| E. Peters
3 | 9| GENERAL | Insomnia for No. 6 | 3:44| P. Bonneau
3 | 10| GENERAL | No. 6 leaves the dance | 1:32| R. Roger
3 | 11| GENERAL | Mob chases No. 6 | 0:48| Grainer
3 | 12| HAMMER | Kosho on Trampoline | 1:31| N. Nardini
3 | 13| MIND | No. 6 is refused coffee | 2:17| C. Sauvage
3 | 14| DARLING | Janet's Birthday party | 1:21| Hawkesworth
3 | 15| DARLING | Europe by Lotus Seven | 1:10| Hawkesworth
3 | 16| GIRL | No. 6 Plays Cricket | 2:26| R. Roger
3 | 17| GIRL | Benny's Turkish Baths | 2:34| R. Roger
3 | 18| GIRL | Barney's Boxing Booth | 2:00| R. Roger
3 | 19| GIRL | Fairground Fashion Photography | 1:26| S. Torch
3 | 20| GIRL | Lotus Elan in a spin | 2:26| Hawkesworth
3 | 21| GIRL | The Lighthouse | 2:26| M. Young
3 | 22| FALLOUT | No. 2 gives rocket a stare | 1:20| R. Farnon
3 | 23| FALLOUT | Rocket ignition | 3:08| R. Farnon

* Indicates special arrangement by Elms.

Note: Chappells Library music tracks have their
real title given in parenthesis after their Prisoner usage title).

CD Title
1 Original Music from The Prisoner, Vol. One
2 Original Music from The Prisoner, Vol. Two
3 Original Music from The Prisoner, Vol. Three

Episode CodeName Key

Episode | Full Episode Title

Tracks are credited by the episode in which they first appeared. That
is why "Main Titles" is listed under Arrival rather than the 13 episodes
in which it was also used.

5.1 Prisoner Music - the first releases
by Larry Hall

The Six Of One (Club) maxi-single

Prisoner appreciation started with the formation of Six Of One in the UK
by Dave Barry and Judy Adamson in the early Seventies. The idea was to get
together with like-minded people to discuss the concepts and ideas behind
the series and it was thought that a only a very small number of people
would be involved. Dave Barry managed to get his address and a short
message
transmitted after the last episode was aired (second run) and was bowled
over by the letters, phone calls and actual people turning up on the
doorstep.

With a couple of helpers, he attempted to run what turned into an
appreciation society but was soon unable to cope with the work,
particularly as his friend Judy Adamson died. One of the other helpers,
Roger Goodman, stepped in and turned the shambles into a properly organised

society with regular mailouts, promotional material and merchandise. It
was pretty basic stuff by today's standards but as other people joined as
"co-ordinators" to share the work there were conventions, episode
screenings
and the material became more professional and collectable.

One of Goodman's ideas was to release some Prisoner music on a vinyl
maxi-single and had managed to obtain a tape of the television version of
the opening and closing credits (ie: with all the sound effects in place)
plus two pieces from the Chappells' French catalogue "September Ballad"
and "Rag March". These were to be transfered to an acetate master to be
used for making the actual maxi-single and he asked Ron Grainer to
supervise the transfer of the two Prisoner theme pieces to the master.
On Friday the 6th October 1978 at Utopia Recording Studios on the
outskirts of London, Goodman and several members of the society met with
Grainer who applied some adjustments to the tonal balance and generally
saw that the transfer would be as good as the mono tape would allow.

The four track 7" maxi single was a very professional job and featured a
colour sleeve with the assembled Penny farthing bicycle emblem from the
closing credits overlaid with "The Prisoner" logo on the front. The back
was a photograph of Ron Grainer taken at a convention some months after
the Utopia session. There were no sleeve notes. The record was initially
included "free" as part of the annual membership package although members
could later buy further copies. This is a VERY collectable item and I'd be
interested in an opinion as to the value of it today.

Some years later when I came to produce the Prisoner Music LP I wanted to
include the same material but was unable to locate the Utopia tape despite
extensive searches. Goodman had left the society by that time which was
being torn apart by squabbling and was unavailable for comment.

The Six Of One member's edition vinyl LP

After Goodman's departure, the society went through a number of changes,
effectively changing "ownership" several times. I'd joined it during the
"quiet time" and stuck with it for 10 years producing a number of projects.

One thing I wanted to do was to build on the maxi-single idea and release
more tracks. At the time, it was going to be a modest affair on easily
reproduced cassette tape. This was to change considerably!

The first problem was locating the music tapes. I'd built up a relationship

with the ITC depository of all things Prisoner at their Denham offices but
they were initially unable to find the tapes, their theory being that all
things musical were held at their music library facility in London. This
turned out to be a blind alley, but after several anxious weeks of phone
calls and generally running round the country I had a tip from an ex-ITC
employee that some tapes which MIGHT be what I was looking for were
actually at Denham after all but in another department. Sure enough, a
cardboard box full of dusty unmarked reel-to-reel tapes were found in a
cupboard behind someones desk. The comment I got was "Oh, are these
important? I was going to throw them away." Hmmmmm.

Now the good news/bad news and, later, more bad news routine! The good
news was that the tapes were a veritable treasure trove for collectors
and contained virtually all the pieces specifically written and
recorded for the series.

All the Ron Grainer recording sessions were there, as were most of the
sessions done by Albert Elms and Robert Farnon (including his "Western"
version of the Prisoner Theme) plus tapes of sound effects experiments
including attempts at producing the "Rover" sound. (As an aside, these
sound nothing like the "threatening roar" version and were probably
intended
for the abortive mechanical Rover). The tapes included every take,
including
rehearsals and "fluffed" takes which make fascinating listening. There are
twenty eight recorded attempts at the theme alone!

The bad news was that the tapes were safety copies, not the original
recordings. This meant they were in mono and the sound quality was slightly

lower than the originals would have been. However, it was all there was and

so I went with what I'd got.

About this time I had contact with Phil Smee who was a graphic designer by
trade, doing work for the BBC and designing record sleeves for bands such
as "The Damned", but who ran a small specialist record label called
Bamcaruso as a sideline. They specialised in re-mastering and re-releasing
material by obscure and esoteric bands such as "The Grateful Dead" and
"Velvet Underground". Phil had joined Six Of One, heard about my on-going
project and offered assistance. He was particularly keen on producing the
music in the form of a properly presented LP and was willing to let me make

use of his Bamcaruso facilities and do the design work.

Too good to be true I thought - how innocent were the times back then!
Anyway, I'd played the tapes back a million times and selected the most
representative tracks. They were scattered across twenty or so reel-to-reel

tapes and needed to be transferred to a single high quality master tape
which would then be used to make the master for the LP. We booked a session

at CTS Recording Studios located at Wembley and devotees of James Bond will

recognise this is where all the film music for that series (and indeed many

other films) is recorded.

The second bit of bad news was that the TV version of the theme music (ie)
with sound effects had not been on the Denham tapes. The entire Grainer
session was there which included the music-only version, but the tracks
which made up the 7" maxi-single mastered at Utopia Studios were missing
and I was never able to find them. However, I felt that no soundtrack LP
would be complete without that version of the theme, plus, if I didn't
somehow get it on the album, it might disappear completely. The opening
track of the LP is therefore actually a recording taken from a previously
unplayed copy of the vinyl maxi-single. All other tracks were mastered
from the source tapes but had to be re-recorded with a similar tonal mix
to the maxi-single track.
The recording engineer was Bob Jones who did everything from cleaning the
maxi-single to mastering the acetate. All the tracks which appear on the LP

(and later both the bootleg and "official" CD's) were transferred from the
Denham tapes to a single roll of tape recorded at 30 inches per second.
Every track was individually assessed and copied with any necessary tonal
adjustment. At the end of the session the whole thing was transferred to
the acetate master to which the three of us ceremonially added our
signatures
in the run-out groove area. If you possess a vinyl copy of the album, get a

magnifying glass and check. This is how you know if you've got an original.

Because of the limitations of vinyl, you can only get so much information
on a disc before the wall between the grooves becomes too thin to maintain
it's integrity. 26 tracks were therefore all we could sensibly cram onto
the LP although there were quite a few other pieces on the source tapes
which I wish we could have included.

Then it was back to the drawing board for the album cover design. ITC
have an extensive collection of production photos and I went through
them all to choose shots for the album cover and inner sleeve. I picked
a particular election scene from "Free For All" partly because it had
never been published anywhere else. It was a 3 1/4" tranny which Phil
blew up for the front of the album and then created a second version
overlaid with prison bars. This was cut down the middle and arranged
over the "plain" picture as a gatefold. Therefore, you got an LP front
cover of The Village through prison bars which you could "escape" from
by opening it up. Clever stuff.

The back of the LP had McGoohan in his "Checkmate" outfit and the
inner sleeve (on the first 3000 run only) had black and white photos,
including some I blew up direct from individual frames of a 16mm film
episode print, plus sleeve notes by Eric Mival and myself. The source
tapes had been totally undocumented and the tracks were without titles
(just recording session identifying numbers announced just before the
take) so I had to make titles up using a description taken from one
scene for each in which the music was used most memorably.

The album was processed in France and 6000 copies were pressed. 3000
were made up as Six Of One "Members Only" versions and the other 3000
were held as an option. Ostensibly this was because the members-only
version was very expensive to produce - the packaging with it's ornate
outer and inner sleeves actually cost more than the disc - and if the
first 3000 didn't sell then the rest could be packaged simply and sold
off cheaply.

Just as Prisoner-dom is obsessed with numbers, Phil Smee seems
obsessed with musical references. His company is Bamcaruso
(as in Enrico Caruso .... famous Italian tenor, wake up at the back
there!). The original album catalogue number is WEBA 066 (as in
Andrew Lloyd Webber) and the unofficial vinyl issue was KIRI (as in
Kiri Takanawa). More of WEBA 066 later.

The Six Of One Flexidisc

At the recording session for the LP, we also did another tape
containing two tracks not destined for the LP. These were "The Age
Of Elegance" Main Theme demo track and the piece which comes after
the main titles in most episodes and which starts with a slow guitar
segment, cranks up into a reprise of the main theme then fades out
quickly. (Not to be confused with the "Fallout" version which is
different altogether.)

Because the only copy of "Elegance" was a poorly recorded domestic
cassette, the sound quality was really naff and, although it was a
real collectors item, I didn't want to spoil the professionalism of
the LP. My idea was therefore to release it on a flexidisc and give
it away to members as part of one of the quarterly mailouts coupled
with another piece which had similar collector's appeal. The Grainer
recording session included a version of the main theme which wasn't
used at all in any episode, apart from the slow guitar intro and it
seemed to fit the bill. This piece has never been released since.

The flexi was produced without a sleeve and the "label", which was
printed directly onto the plastic, featured a Penny Farthing bike
emblem in silver. It was manufactured by Lyntone in London, serial
number LYN18284 and is dated January 1987.

5.2 What is the Bootleg CD?

* * * Editor's note: I've retained this section more or less as Victor
Volkman originally wrote it because it raises some interesting points
some equally interesting myths) and the format allows for a good "question
and answer" forum. I've added my comments, corrections and other
information in italics preceded by "Editor's note". * * *

This CD was in the sales channel mainly from 1990 to
1991. It was actually made in France, although the liner states
"PRINTED IN GREECE". The disc has "MFG IN
FRANCE" stamped in very faint letters around the inner rings.

The content of the bootleg CD is exactly the same as the original LP.
Bamcaruso had got nothing for their efforts on the original pressing
of 3000 copies apart from being reimbursed the origination costs and
decided to press another 3000 in cut-down packaging for commercial
release and make something on it for their efforts (they were a small
specialist label re-issuing "Grateful Dead" material and similar and,
for them, 3000 copies was a reasonable sale). Six Of One was quick
to point out that this was against copyright, Bamcaruso feigned ignorance
and gave them 1000 of the cut-down version as a sweetener and called it
quits.

However, they retained the master tape and the bootleg CD appeared not
long afterwards with exactly the same format and track content as the LP
so the origin and reasons for it aren't too difficult to work out. The
LP had been pressed in France as were all Bamcaruso releases and it comes
as no surprise therefore to see "MFG IN FRANCE" stamped on the CD. And
if you need any further proof, look VERY closely at the inner laser ring
and - surprise, surprise - the magic number WEBA 66 is etched there in
rainbow letters!

All subsequent CD's (official or not) are simply mastered from one of
the bootlegs. We did the master tape just before digital equipment was
available and the source tapes were noisy to begin with, so the CD has
noise gating applied to cut down the hiss.

As far as program content is concerned, the bootleg CD and the
later "official" release have a slight difference in overall running
time. The bootleg CD runs 49 minutes and 42 seconds while the other is
49 minutes and 2 seconds in length. This at least confirms that they
are indeed two different pressings. The time discrepancies seem to be
evenly distributed across all 26 tracks, for an average of 1.53
seconds/track. The initial track, the "Arrival" theme runs about 2
minutes 23 seconds on the bootleg as opposed to 2 minutes 20 seconds on
the legitimate print.

Audiophile Keith Baird notes that several
factors indicate the bootleg is a high quality release and perhaps
superior to the legitimate print:

He notes there is an index point in track 15 separating the main
opening theme from its reprise, coinciding with the point in every episode
when No. 6 awakens in the Village; the Silva release has no index here
(or on
any other track)."

Indexing, although part of the Phillips/Sony standards since the
beginning of CD manufacture in the early 1980's, is rarely used in
commercial releases; its use on this disc indicates someone knew the
material and its context within the opening credits of The Prisoner.

* * * Editor's note: I'm not sure about a deliberate index point. There's
certainly a (supposedly silent) edit point there because the two pieces
were written and recorded totally seperately and I had the engineer
splice the two tapes together to simulate the TV soundtrack (although
it's acually the "Fallout" version). Possibly subsequent processing
picked up the splicing "glitch" and intrepreted it as an index marker.
Remember that Bamcaruso used the French plant because of the quality
of it's work, maybe Silvascreen aren't so fussy! * * *

2. The recorded sound quality is marginally better than on the Silva
disc.

* * * Editor's note: This is a combination of the Silva disc being a
copy of the bootleg CD (one generation deterioration) and a lower quality
pressing. * * *

3. Good equalization on the transfer (Victor's note: track #6 is superb
in terms of dynamic range).

The re-equalization of the LP master for the CD medium also shows care
was taken. A major complaint in the early days of CD was that LP-to-CD
transfer producers were not removing the treble pre-emphasis used in LP
manufacture; the resulting CD's sounded harsh and shrill. The Prisoner
bootleg actually sounds somewhat smoother than the authorized version."

* * * Editor's note: The reason for this is that when we assembled the
master tape, each track was re-recorded and balanced for the best
possible sound but without adding any extra equalisation, noise
reduction or pre-emphasis. We cut the acetate LP master on the same
afternoon from the completed tape, applying pre-emphasis adjustments
between tape and acetate during the process. The later CD was therefore
able to be equalised in the same way. Simple and clean. * * *

The CD is completely bereft of any copyrights except for the
cryptic note "COMPILED BY NUMBER TWO: Copyright Control" on the back of
the jewel case (type is white on red background). While I had nothing
to do with the bootleg CD, I did compile the tracks in the first place
(for the legitimate LP) and can only guess that this is a nod towards me
for the original work.The disc title and spine label both have a
misspelling of "PRISIONER". This might or might not be to persuade people
that it originated in a non-English
speaking country.

There is some controversy as to the source of the cover art, which is a
color photo of villagers marching with placards, as in "Free For All".
It was in fact an original "Free For All" production shot and comes from
a 3 1/4" transparency. The CD art used a re-photographed copy of the LP
cover.

The front liner piece unfolds into two black-and-white stills from the
series itself. The left side photo is from "Free For All", the right
side from "Living in Harmony". These photographs take the place of the
text for the liner notes, which is missing. The inner-liner (facing the
disc) and the back of the jewel case both have the same list of track
titles with composers listed.

No track timing information is included on the CD. This is because there
was no timing information (or indeed ANY information) with the source
tapes. They were literally kept in a shoe box without even identifying
labels. In all my dealings with ITC, I could never get used to the way
they just shoved irreplacable material in any old drawer that was handy.
Many items have simply disappeared over the years.

5.3 Sleeve Notes from THE PRISONER ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK LP
by Eric Mival and Larry Hall

The music for THE PRISONER was a very mixed bag. It took the efforts of
three
composers just to get the title theme right - Robert Farnon's offering was
deemed unsuitable, Wilfrd Josephs almost got it, and then Ron Grainer took
a whistled phrase from Patrick McGoohan and came up with the theme we know
and love, although he still had to bow to Patrick's re-arranging of it.
Robert Farnon and Wilfred Josephs were joined by Albert Elms to write the
incidental music, throw in The Beatles, Vivaldi, Bizet and a host of
Chappells British and French library music composers and you get an amazing

range of talent and style.

To put all this diverse range of music on one disc would be impossible so
this first collection is devoted to the specially written and/or recorded
pieces which were used as the mainstay of the series. This was exacted by
yours truly, selecting appropriate pieces, cutting, extending or repeating
them to fit in as undetectable a manner as possible. Albert Elms section
M65 take 3 became my favourite chase music and was originally used in
"Free For All" (see side 1 track 6). I would have liked to have used more
of Wilfred Josephs' haunting music but he left the production early on and
there was never enough to create a continuity with it. Why should I have
worried though? You can't have a more diverse patchwork of music in
"Fallout", and on reflection this was the episode which pleased me the
most.

It was on the penultimate episode "Decree Absolute" (better known as
"Once Upon A Time") that I learnt a salutary lesson. Although shown late
in the series it was the first to be dubbed and full of enthusiasm I'd
painstakingly laid down fourteen musical tracks. Lee Doig, the film editor,

said that we actually needed very few of them. Although at the time I
disagreed, hindsight tells me he was right because if the dialogue and
acting are strong the need for music is minimal

After completing work on THE PRISONER I was offered another series to
music-edit. I felt I had to turn it down, for anything else was bound to be

an anti-climax. THE PRISONER was a rarity and even as we worked on it we
knew it was something special, something head and shoulders above the
average. Like the first audience we were not sure what it was all about,
and even suspected that Patrick wasn't too sure either. During "Fallout"
Pat and I discussed using the Beatles song "All You Need Is Love". He was
concerned that using it might date the series as music often does. I told
him that I didn't think it would. Somehow, although both The Beatles and
THE PRISONER are locked in a sixties time capsule, they still appear as
relevant and stimulating as when they first went on the air - and as the
years go by THE PRISONER especially becomes more and more so.

ERIC MIVAL (Music Editor on THE PRISONER)
Chesham Bois December 1985

Virtually all the music on this album was written specifically for THE
PRISONER and none of the pieces were given actual titles at the time. A
numbering system was used but this was inconsistent between different
recording sessions, Even the main theme is known simply as "A1 M1" or
B1 M1" depending on which session you listen to.

Therefore, purely as an identification guide, the track listing refers
to specific bits of action within an episode where that particular piece
of music was used to noticable effect. Most of the pieces were used in
other episodes and you might prefer your own choice.

Also, while some attempt has been made to group the pieces in episode
order, it should be appreciated that occasional juxtapositions have
been made to preserve a musical balance between the tracks.

LARRY HALL
Sheffield, December 1985

5.4 Liner Notes from THE PRISONER CD's, Volumes Two & Three
Liner Notes from "THE PRISONER, Volume Two", by Roger Langley

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 gentile 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!

* * * Editor's note: The only copy anyone ever found was a poor quality
recording on a domestic cassette tape which was donated to Six Of One
by a long-departed member. Nobody now knows where it came from or what
happened to the original recording. * * *

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...

Liner Notes from "THE PRISONER, Volume Three", by Karen Langley

WELL COME, as the illuminated, underground door sign in the final
Prisoner episode "Fall Out" bids us, to Volume 3 of Prisoner music.
This collection of tracks is no less enigmatic than those which adorned
the first pair of Silva Screen albums of music from the 1967 Prisoner
television series. This third compilation features instrumental gems
from Chappell's library, used in various episodes to provide that
distinctive Prisoner 'atmosphere'.

The series has now reached its 25th anniversary and has enjoyed another
national U.K. rescreening, courtesy of Channel 4. Everybody has a
different favourite piece of music, a passage which lingers in the
memory, recalling an image from a particular episode or scene. Much of
the music epitomises those carefree far-off days of the sixties. And
yet, this album, along with its two predecessors, offers musical
delights which have stood the test of time. Snappy tunes and clever
orchestral arrangements remind us of a bygone era. How effective was
the use of much of the music in providing a counterpoint to the striking
images created by The Prisoner -- sombre passages, brisk marches, and
memorable melodies.

Of course, the series also utilised good effect pop music by The
Beatles, Carmen Miranda, and the Four Lads, as well as classical music,
featuring composers like Vivaldi, Bizet, and Strauss. Original scores
were also developed for the main titles and during other key scenes.
Ron Grainer, Wilfred Josephs, Albert Elms are the names most associated
with the music specially composed for The Prisoner. Examples of their
work have already appeared on volumes 1 and 2. Another well-known
composer whose work is to be found dotted about the episodes is Robert
Farnon.

The many other composers whose themes appear on this album were not to
know that their work was destined for inclusion in The Prisoner. The
choice of compositions was the work of the series' main music editor,
Eric Mival, along with Robert Dearberg who worked on a trio of episodes.
All of the composers and musicians can take a bow for their
contributions to the series, helping to sustain such a high profile for
a quarter of a century.

If you have bought the first two Silva Screen volumes of Prisoner music,
you have already savoured the starter and main course. Here, now, is
the dessert, complete with decorative topping. The third serving of
Prisoner music has at last arrived. So, bon appetit, happy listening
and be seeing you!

5.5 Volkman's comments on Volume Three

Volume Three (hereafter "V3") continues the eclectic tradition of the
soundtrack
releases. It opens with yet another piece of rousing marching band
music ("Freedom of the City" by A. Steck) from "Arrival" as No. 6 and
his accomplice discuss escape by helicopter with the "electropass". The
disc closes with the weirdly sinister organ piece ("Tocatta" by R.
Roger), highly reminiscent of Bach's famous Tocatta Fugue in D Minor, as
No. 6 hurriedly rushes to prepare the rocket for launch in "Fallout".
The disc in many ways represents a microcosm of the series itself.

In my mind, there are a few tracks that make this disc a "must have".
In addition to the opening and closing tracks, which I have a mild
appreciation for. First, track 13 entitled "Inferno" by C. Sauvage is
featured from "A Change of Mind", "The Girl Who Was Death", and
"Fallout": all episodes where No. 6 was on the brink of insanity. Some
may say past the brink. You may probably remember it from the scene
where all hell breaks loose in the underground cave in Fallout, where
No. 2, No. 6, and No. 48 finally let loose with machine guns.
Sauvage's "Inferno" was surely inspired by Dante's famous allegorical
work from the middle ages. In "Inferno", the main character went to
the inner circle of hell and back.

Equally notable is track 12 entitled "Osaka" by N. Nardin. This track
is featured in both "Hammer into Anvil" and "It's Your Funeral". I am
of course referring to the background music for that wacky and wonderful
game called Kosho. This is the game played dressed in robes while they
jump between trampolines with a pool of water in the middle, presumably
where the loser is dunked. The combatants have long poles with which to
strike at eachother. Although its a mere 92 seconds long, it just made
me want to get a pair of trampolines and set them up next to my pool!

Other less notable numbers include track 20 entitled "Psychedlia" by J.
Hawkesworth. Well, this crazy slow strumming sitar was just about
enough to give me a flashback. Track 5 entitled "Zero Minus Sixty" by
R. Farnon effectively captures the suspense and drama of the series in a
nutshell. Farnon, you may remember, composed the original opening theme
which was rejected by McGoohan and eventually found its way into the
"alternate" take of "Chimes of Big Ben". Track 11 is a cute little
ditty called "Harpsichord in Drama No. 1" by Ron Grainer and J.
Hawkesworth. The piece is almost certainly performed by Grainer
himself, whose other harpsichord piece appears on Volume Two.

5.6 PRISONER/DANGER MAN/DRY BONES CD!

This is a CD single, supposedly released in 1993, and is a brand new
compilation from newly restored master tapes. The first track is the
1967 single version of "The Prisoner" this is a special pop-radio mix
by the composer Ron Grainer himself. During the '60s and '70s, the
TV studios would sometimes attempt to cash in on the popularity of
particularly good theme music and issue 45's(remember those?) into
the pop market. This track showed up on a totally unrelated "best
of 1960's" compilation in 1992.

Next up is the single (45 RPM) version of the DANGER MAN soundtrack.
Many of us still have a soft spot for that PRISONER precursor. Last is
the "Dry Bones" song done by the Four Lads. The Four Lads did the
version used in the "Fallout" episode. The Four Lads are extremely rare
and a virgin copy of their 1960's album sells for more than $200. Those
who have listened to the Four Lads album say that the tempo is somewhat
slower than used in the "Fallout" sequence. In a bizarre coincidence,
one of the tracks on the original Four Lads album was called "Do Not
Forsake Me Oh My Darling", the same as a PRISONER episode.

5.7 Neil Norman's "Greatest Science Fiction Hits III"
(Comments by Victor Volkman)

I purchased the entire three volume set of "Greatest Science Fiction
Hits" by Neil Norman. Neil Norman is apparently an accomplished
musician since he plays synthesizer, guitar, theremin, and percussion on
the album. The arrangements are musically sound, but just not the same
as the original recordings. Norman inserts a continuous gratuitous
percussion line that reminds me of "Hooked On Classics".

The recordings were made in 1984 by GNP/Crescendo Records (GNPD2163).
They were transferred to CD in such a hurry that the liner refers to
music on "side one" and "side two". Excuse me but there's only one side
on a CD! There is no emblem describing how the disc was made, so I'm
assuming its "AAD" (the worst possible).

Anyway, Norman does a passable rendition on his 1:05 version of Ron
Grainer's classic theme. (see note below - Ed) His guitar and brass
(trumpet/trombones/french horns) are right on target, but the monotonous
drumbeat gets in the way. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this disc unless
there is at least four of the other seventeen tracks that you really want.
Total running time for the disc is 39 minutes (the shortest track is 37
seconds) so you may feel cheated out of something. Certainly this three
LP volume set would have fit much better on two CDs.

* * * Editor's note: This question of track length has plagued me for
years. Just for the record, Ron Grainer's manuscript indicates that,
for recording purposes, the opening titles theme was timed at 1 minute
47 seconds (ending as McGoohan slumps on the bed. The end titles version
was timed at 1 minute 6 seconds (actually six and two thirds but who's
counting!) Any differences (either on the TV screen or on CD) are due
to either deliberate speeding up for dramatic effect or errors creeping
in after several-generation copying. There is also some difference
between UK and USA episode prints due to TV standard conversions which
can contribute timing errors. When you watch an episode, it could have
been processed any number of times - from 35mm film to 16mm film to
U-matic tape to UK VHS PAL to USA VHS NTSC to French VHS Secam and
probably back again! I quite like the Neil Norman version (this is the
end titles) and at 1 minute 5 seconds it's quite close. * * *

5.8 Ron Grainer's Soundtrack Collection

Released on the Play It Again label, this is a 30 track album lasting
nearly eighty minutes and covers just about every classic Ron Grainer
theme, some well-known, others less so.

Included is the RCA 7" version of The Prisoner plus other tracks familiar
to afficianados of British 60's TV including Man in A Suitcase, Tales of
the Unexpected, Malice Aforethought and Dr. Who.

An omission is the title music from the film The Omega Man, which is
supposedly very close in structure to The Prisoner theme. Also, the
livelier and full incidental variations of the actual TV versions of
the Malice Aforethought would have been a happy inclusion. However, the
slower Malice piece provided is still welcome.

Extensive biography notes included with the album take the listener
through nearly 3 decades, testifying to the composer's versatility
and the popularity of his music.

The CD "Doctor Who and Other Classic Ron Grainer Themes" is on the
Play it Again label, catalogue no PLAY 008. If you have trouble locating
a copy, try:

Screenthemes
22 Kensington Close
Toton, Beeston, Nottingham
U.K. NG9 6GR (send S.A.S.E for details)

6.0 Prisoner Music Discography and Product ID Numbers

There are still a lot of facts, dates and other details to fill in here.
If you have any more information I'd appreciate updates, additions or
corrections. Many thanks.

Only tracks relating specifically to The Prisoner
are noted in the table below. The albums, maxi singles and B sides
obviously
contain other material (some including the "Dangerman" theme) but this is
not pertinent to the list.

Only tracks used in or specifically relating to The Prisoner and not
otherwise drawn from Chappell's library are noted below.
Full details of the soundtrack albums can be found in section 5. The
albums, maxi singles and B sides obviously contain other material
(some including the "Dangerman" theme) but this is not pertinent to
the list.

Some tracks, such as the Ron Grainer "orchestral" theme and the
Carmen Miranda song (originally recorded around 1949) will have appeared
several times over the years as re-issues or on compilations. The details
which follow reflect the ones I know about - if you have any information
on other releases, please let me know so they can be added.

The Prisoner Theme
Ron Grainer (Producer: Not known)
RCA
RCA 1635
7" VinylSingle
1967

I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)
Written by Warren - Gordon
Carmen Miranda (Producer: Chris Ellis)
MCA
MCL 1703
12" Vinyl LP (also on cassette)
1975

I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape
The Teenage Filmstars(Producer: Eddie Ball)
FAB
FL1
7" VinylSingle
1980

The Prisoner Theme (Opening Titles TV version)September Ballad, Rag March
Original recordings (Producer: Roger Goodman, Ron Grainer)
SIX OF ONE (Club)
TBA
7" Vinyl/Maxi-single
1982

The Prisoner Original Soundtrack Music (See section 5.0 for track listing)
Ron Grainer, Albert Elms,Wilfred Josephs (Producers: Larry Hall, Phil Smee)
BAMCARUSO
WEBA 066
12" Vinyl Album
1985

I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape
The Times (Producer: Eddie Ball) See note 1 below
ARTPOP
ARTPOP 1
7"/12" VinylSingle/Maxi
1986

TV Hits Of The Sixties inc THE PRISONER THEME (original Grainer TV version)
Original orchestral recordings (Producer: Philip Masheter)
FILMTRAX
MOMENT 105
12" VinylAlbum
1986

The Age Of Elegance & The Prisoner Theme(Alternative take)
Ron Grainer (Producer: Larry Hall)
SIX OF ONE
LYN18284
7"Flexidisc
1987

The Prisoner Original Soundtrack Music (See section 5.0 for track listing)
Ron Grainer, Albert Elms,Wilfred Josephs (Producer: Number Two)
UNLABELED "BOOTLEG"
WEBA 66
CDAlbum
1987

Number Six
Taboo (Producer: Keith West)
ANAGRAM
ANA 44
7"/12" VinylSingle
1988

The Prisoner Original Soundtrack Music (reproduced from the Bamcaruso
master)
See section 5.0 for track listing
Ron Grainer, Albert Elms,Wilfred Josephs (Producers: Larry Hall, Phil Smee
plus some re-work by Silvascreen)
SILVASCREEN
FILMC(D) 042
CD/CassetteAlbum
1989

Fallout (Radio Mix)
also includes Fallout (Club Mix) and Super Seven
Alternative Radio
(Producers: R&A&A Fennah/I Lewis)
PULSE
NUMB 6 T
12" Vinyl Maxi-Single
1990

Fallout (Radio Mix)
also includes Fallout (Instrumental)
Alternative Radio
(Producers: R&A&A Fennah/I Lewis)
PULSE
NUMB 6
7" Vinyl Single
1990

The Prisoner Original Soundtrack Music Volume Two (See section 5.0 for
track listing)
Ron Grainer, Albert Elms,Wilfred Josephs (Producers: Not known)
SILVASCREEN
FILMC(D) 084
CD/CassetteAlbum
1991

The Prisoner Original Soundtrack Music Volume Three (See section 5.0 for
track listing)
Original recordings (Producers: Not known)
SILVASCREEN
FILMC(D) 126
CD/CassetteAlbum
1992

The Prisoner Theme (RCA version)
Ron Grainer (Producer: Phil Smee)
BAMCARUSO
NRIC 112
3" CDMaxi-single
1993

Doctor Who And Other Classic Ron Grainer Themes
inc THE PRISONER THEME{RCA version)
Ron Grainer (Producer: Gareth Bramley)
PLAY IT AGAIN
PLAY 008
CDAlbum
1994

This Is Cult Fiction Royale
inc THE PRISONER THEME (original recording)
Original artistes inc Ron Grainer
(Producer: not known
VIRGIN
VTDCD151
CD Album compilation
1995

The Cult Files
inc THE PRISONER THEME (Main Titles)
(new recording)
by The London Philharmonic Orchestra
with Mo Foster (bass) and Paul Keogh (guitar) guesting on the prisoner
track
(Producer/Conductor : Kevin Townsend)
SILVA SCREEN
CD Album compilation
1996

A Prison For Oneself
a. Dance Of The Dead
b. Once Upon a Time
c. Untitled track on cassette
by Dream Into Dust
(Producer: Derek Rush
CHTHONIC STREAMS
myrk 6
2-track 7" Vinyl with 1-track cassette
1997

Note 1 - The Teenage Filmstars and The Times are one and the same, fronted
by Eddie Ball with his friend John East. He formed The Teenage Filmstars
while still at Art School. As "The Times" they later re-recorded "I Helped
Patrick McGoohan Escape" , issuing this on a single and maxi-single along
with the "Theme From Dangerman". The sleeve front featured Eddie in Number
Six blazer outside No 6's "Village home" at Portmeirion and a 16mm
promotional film was made with the help of Six Of One members.

Note 2 - As with most of the sampled/stuttered prisoner releases,
"The Prisoner" by F.A.B. is as unmemorable today as it was then except for
one interesting fact. McGoohan claims he nearly had a heart attack when he
heard it! When he was in the UK to help launch Caterham Cars'
"Prisoner Special" Caterham 7 (ie: their replica Lotus 7) he said that
he'd been sent a pre-release copy and was so angry he almost collapsed.
There's a totally out-of-place rap section in the middle (presumably by
MC No 6) which certainly has me reaching for the bucket. There were a load
of promotional copies on the Caterham stand which had to be hidden whenever

McGoohan was around. Mr F.A.B. was not a happy man on that day!

6.1 Prisoner References In Other Songs

A number of songs released over the years, while not specific to The
Prisoner, have had Prisoner references in them. All the ones currently
known are referenced below, please e-mail details of any others you know
of or come across.

"Bad Acid #9" by The House of God on Hangman. Serial number HG40
12" single 1988

"Death in June" by the 93 Dead Sunwheels on New Europ. Serial number
BADVC93.12" single

The Clash released a song called "The Prisoner" on the B side of "White Man

in Hammersmith Palais" (1978). The lyrics don't refer to the TV series
specifically, although one line goes "Don't wanna be ... the Pris-on-er.
Don't wanna be ... the Pris-on-er". Mick Jones on lead guitar also plays a
few bars
of "The Prisoner" theme during the instrumental break.

Mark Burgess, originally of The Chameleons, then of The Sun and
the Moon, and presently of Mark Burgess and the Sons of God, is a
big fan. Consequently, Prisoner references have crept into
several songs. The (rare) album "Tony Fletcher Walked on Water"
by The Chameleons includes a song called "Free for All". The
first album of The Sun and the Moon (self-titled) and their album
"Alive; Not Dead" include sound bites.

The album "Digital Dump" by The Jack Officers (1990 Rough Trade)
has a song called " Number 6" with sound samples from the series.

The album "The Prisoner" by Howard Jones (1989) included a
song called "The Portmeirion Mix". Jones actually comes from Criccieth,
a village just a few miles West of Portmeirion.

The music video for "See Those Eyes" by Scottish group Altered Images
(fronted by Claire Grogan, the original Christine Kotchansky in Red Dwarf,
now an MTV VJ) was filmed in Portmeirion and features Prisoner costumes,
Rover and other Prisoner props, as does 'I Should Coco' by Supergrass.

Fairport Convention's 'expletive delighted' CD has an instrumental song
entitled 'Portmeirion'.

Mike Simmons has released a CD/tape entitled 'Portmeirion'which features
music for which he is both the writer and performer. Pieces include
'Salutation', 'White Horses', 'The Pantheon', 'The Angel', 'Amis Reunis',
'The Campanile','Telford's Tower','Fountain', and 'The Woodlands'. These
are, of course, some of the buildings or areas to be found in or around
Portmeirion. (See feature below for more information)

The songs "Back in the Village" (on the album "Powerslave") and "The
Prisoner" (on the album "The Number of the Beast"), both by Iron
Maiden, have references to "The Prisoner" in the lyrics.

A Siouxsie and the Banshees video clip for their cover of "Passenger" is
entirely based on The Prisoner. This song also featured on a "The Tube"
TV Special in the UK. (The programme, now defunct, featured
just-off-mainstream
music and album track-type material. The host, Jules Holland, was a
long-term
Prisoner fan and they built a one-hour special round him being taken to The

Village, meeting semi-famous people in Prisoner-type cameos and tripping
over several musical acts performing vaguely prisoner-related songs.)

The song "Just Give 'Em Whiskey" (on the 1985 album of the same
name) by Colourbox includes clips from the series.

The Girl Who Was Death

Year of release : 1988
Label : Hurdy Gurdy
Order Code: HG 1

This is an album from Devil Doll, an Italian/ ex-Yugoslavian band.
Mr. Doctor, lead singer of the band and the mysterious man behind Devil
Doll
seems to work and live in Venice and Ljubljana. During the last 10 years he

has on a very small scale released his work on a small but incredible loyal

group of followers. They are unchanging album-concepts, a combination of
classical and symphonic oriented rock music. He is also responsible for the

art-work on the cover and in the small booklet with the CD's. Mr. Doctor
himself has ritually burnt a whole bunch of their (debut) LP, just to keep
the
stock small. It seems that he wants us to search for his CD's. Devil Doll's

work is almost impossible to get, except when you're lucky enough to know
some
obscure dark music stores which sell their CD's.

More information on the "Prisoner" connection can be found on their
official
fan website which says of this track ... "Pierwsza plyta The Girls Who Was
..
Death jest concept albumem bazujacym na popularnym w Wielkiej Brytani
serialu
The Prisoner , a dokladniej jednego epizodu tak wlasnie zatytulowanego."
Unfortunately I don't speak Polish but you can get the gist of it I'm sure.

Stefan Ulfberg writes that the album can be sourced online via the
following
companies :-

http://www.cranium.co.nz.html
http://www.delerium.co.uk

David Shea's "PRISONER"

PRISONER is a 54 minute (CD format only) assembly of music, samples, and
soundbites, by David Shea. This avant-garde 1994 U.S. release comes
from The Catalogue, a division of Sub Rosa Records and is available
on import (UK). RER may still carry the disc (cat #SR73) try them at:
74 Tulse Hill
London, SW2 2PT
ENGLAND
Tel (0181 671 5215), fax (0181 671 5169)

Mike Simmons and his album "Portmeirion"

"My music is a response to the environment in which I find myself. It's
warm,
textural music created with synthesisers and samplers. I build up layers of

natural and artificial sounds to produce an atmospheric pattern of slowly
interweaving textures. I use piano, flutes, strings, and other familiar
sounds
alongside the less familiar - sounds which can only be produced by
electronic
instruments. People use it for meditation, relaxation, massage, as
background
music, or simply to listen to. They do not, as far as intensive research
can
report, use it for dancing to!

Portmeirion has been a very special place to me for many years - I love
it's
humour and optimism. It would be impossible to talk about Portmeirion
without
at least mentioning The Prisoner, which must have been one of the most
challenging programmes ever to appear on television. I first visited the
village,
in the mid 70's, as a member of Six of One.

Portmeirion is a place of fascination. A lasting celebration of one man's
dreams,
it is a source of delight to all who visit it. This music was written for
the
village, and reflects it's enchantment.

Track titles -Salutation/Yr Hen Goethws,White Horses/Cesyg Gwynion,
The Pantheon/Y Gromen,The Angel/Yr Angel, Amis Reunis,The Campanile/Y Twr
Clychau,
Telford's Tower/Twr Telford, Fountain/Y Fynnon, The Woodlands/Y Gwyllt"

To listen to a sample of the album and perhaps place an order for it, visit
Mike's
website at http://www.musicmtn.demon.co.uk

6.2 Prisoner dialog sampled into techno music

Edward Robert Champion writes:

I got this information from the huge Sampling FAQ compiled by some folks on
the
alt.music.techno and alt.music.synthpop newsgroups. Thought it would help
you
out.

66. The Prisoner (TV Series) [16 points] (3 groups, 3 songs, 8 samples)

"'Number Please'
'Haven't got a number.'
'What is your number, sir?'
'Haven't got a number.'
'No number, no phone.'"
"Is your number six?"
"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, de-briefed, or
numbered!"
- D.H.S., Bad Acid #9, The House of God
(Note: From the first episode, "The Arrival")

"'I am glad you could you could come... where are you?'
'It won't make any difference'
'I want to see you! I've been dying to see you!'
'It doesn't matter'
'People who hide are a plague!'" *
"Society, listen, society is a place where people exist together. That
is civilization. A lone wolf belongs to the wilderness! You must not grow
up to be a lone wolf! You must conform!" **
"'I'm a rat!'
'No, sir, I'm a fool. Not a rat.'" **
"'I didn't know you existed.'
'It is often the case with very important people. Anonymity is the
best disguise'" *

- Death In June, She Said Destroy (1988 remix), 93 Dead Sunwheels
(Note: * = From the third episode, "A, B & C", ** = From the episode "Once
upon a time")

"'We want Information...Information...Information.'
'Who are you?'
'The new Number Two.'
'Who is Number One?'
'You are Number Six.'
'I am not a number - I am a free Man!'
[laughter]"
- Iron Maiden, The Prisoner, The Number of the Beast

6.3 Carmen Miranda and "I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi"

Exactly why this 1939 recording was chosen for "Fallout" remains a mystery.

The title of course echoes the nightmarish "I - I - I - I" which
accompanies the unmasking of Number One and it works surprisingly well as
the Rover "nest" shrivels up but it's a very odd thing to use, revealing
either a warped sense of humour or a touch of the surrealistic excess
which characterises this episode.

Carmen Miranda was born in 1909 in either Portugal or Brazil (accounts
differ)
and spent all her life as an entertainer. Her trademark was her extravagant

stage costumes which featured a turban bedecked with what appeared to be
the
entire contents of a fruit store. This, coupled with her distinctive thick
South American accent which not so much fractured but shattered any song
she did in English, made her one of the most impersonated stars of the
time.

The song "I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)" was recorded for the
film
"That Night In Rio" which still gets showings on TV today. The record was a
smash hit but was only one of a great number of songs she released over the
years.

Carmen Miranda died of a heart attack in 1955, some twelve years before the

Prisoner project started. She was an extrovert and unique performer with a
great sense of humour and I'm sure she would have enjoyed the song being
used
in this way.

6.4 DREAM INTO DUST and "A PRISON FOR ONESELF"

American dark music band DREAM INTO DUST is releasing "A Prison For
Oneself", a
special package inspired by the music and themes of THE PRISONER, as a
limited edition
of 500 copies direct metal mastered onto virgin vinyl, and black-shell
high-bias
cassette to be released on 29 sept 1997, the 30th anniversary of the first
airing
of the show.

The vinyl contains a:"Dance Of The Dead" b:"Once Upon A Time". The
package also includes
a separate cassette of bizarre music similar to the sounds that played in
the series
whenever someone was being hypnotised, drugged, or treated with electronic
devices. There
is also a custom numbered i.d. card, map of "your village", and text about
the series and
its relevance to the band. The music and overall design reflects that of
the show,
filtered through the vision of DREAM INTO DUST. No samples from the
original soundtrack
were used, although care was taken to choose similar instrumentation and
sounds.

The band, under an earlier incarnation as DECEMBER, were invited to be on a
CD compilation
of "Darkwave" bands covering television theme songs back in 1995. The main
title theme
of "The Prisoner" was submitted, and the CD has finally just been released.
In the interim,
the band became DREAM INTO DUST and their debut MCD came out earlier this
year, but it
was decided to release something special in tribute for The Prisoner's 30th
anniversary.

The title is of course part of one of the village maxims ("questions are a
burden to others,
answers a prison for oneself"). The songs composed use only
instrumentation that suited
both the original series and the somber style of the band. Bells,
vibraphone, flutes, muted
horns, odd percussion, bass and twangy guitars are combined in unusual
fashion to produce
a surreal overview of the show's musical interludes. The result, for
sharp-eared fans of the
show, should be a feeling of familiarity mixed with a sense of discovery.

The decision to include a separate cassette had two sources. First, the
otherworldly music
and sounds that are heard during the hypnotic/drug/torture sequences seems
completely
separate from the rest of the score, and indeed is not present on "the
prisoner" soundtrack CD
released by silva screen. Second, designating the sides by letter brought
the
episode "a,b, and c" came to mind, so there had to be a third piece
(without a title, since in
the episode, "c" is unknown.)

The members of the band are ever-changing with Derek Rush as the only
constant.

The "A Prison for Oneself" package is a 45-RPM 7" single (direct-metal
mastered onto
virgin vinyl for excellent sound quality) with two songs (sides a and b).
A third song
is on a black hi-bias cassette marked "c" (inspired by the episode). Inside
the sleeve is a
numbered i.d. card (out of 500 copies) with a mirror in the place of a
photograph. There is
also an insert with a customized map of hell labeled "your village", and an
essay about the
aspects of the series that the band sympathizes with. Everything comes in
a 7.5" plastic
bag.

For more about this and other DREAM INTO DUST releases, contact
CHTHONIC STREAMS, PO Box 7003, New York, NY 10116-7003 USA.
on the web: http://www.brainlink.com/~chthonic
email: chth...@brainlink.com

"A Prison For Oneself" can be obtained direct from the above address.
The cost is $6 USD in the USA and $8 outside the USA.

All prices include postage. Check or money order in USD only payable to
Derek Rush.
Cash is welcome but send at your own risk.

NEW YORK CITY AREA RESIDENTS:
The following locations are a good place to hunt for the band's material.
Not all them
may carry the Prisoner limited edition package, although they all carry the
MCD.

BLEECKER BOB'S 3rd st. btwn 6th ave & macdougal
GENERATION RECORDS thompson st. btwn bleecker & 3rd st
MINDWAVE 6th st. btwn bowery & 2nd av
MIDDLE PILLAR selling at various dark music shows

For a review of the record, see the Prisoner Music Site
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/4031

7.0 How do I buy the soundtrack recordings?

Most of the listed releases are long since deleted and the only way to
obtain copies is to search the many record fairs, second-hand record stores
and specialist record-collector publications. Expect to pay astronomical
sums from the specialists who will recognise a collectors item when they
see
it. The record fairs and second-hand stores are likely to be a lot cheaper
for the opposite reason.

Where the releases are, or thought to be, still available, this is
indicated
in the relevant section (eg) The "Dreams Into Dust" release is brand new
and
readily available from Chthonic Streams as indicated in section 6.4.

The "Cult Files" and "Cult Fiction Royale" compilations are still in the
shops. If you live in the UK, Andy's Records have them as a stock item.

The Silvascreen soundtrack albums are aging but still current and it should

be possible to order these through specialist dealers (and occasionally
pick
one up off the shelf).If not, you can order direct from the manufacturer,
Silva Productions, as below, or try online music stores like www.cdnow.com

7.1 Mail order direct from the manufacturer

If you are in Europe or simply want the most direct method, you can buy
them directly from the manufacturer. Please note that I have no
affiliation with this company. Overseas Air Mail (the only way) will
run about $10. Here is the current price sheet, subject to change.

PLEASE NOTE ALL PRICES ARE GIVEN IN BRITISH POUNDS (ú)!

IF YOU HAVE A VISA CARD: Don't worry, your VISA credit card will give
you an excellent exchange rate and you avoid foreign currency conversion
fees. For those who don't know, I generally figure ú1 U.K is about $1.50
(ú12.95 = $19). If you can, order by phone (ask your operator how to
dial long distance to the U.K.) number is 071 284 0525.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A VISA CARD: Don't expect a company in another
country to cash a personal check from a foreigner! A money-order is a
more sensible approach. Either you or they will have to pay the bank a
$10 charge to convert the money from $US to úU.K.

THE PRISONER, Cassette #7.95, CD #12.95
THE PRISONER Volume Two, Cassette #7.95, CD #12.95
THE PRISONER Volume One, Cassette #7.95, CD #12.95

Please make all cheques, postal orders, etc. payable to SILVA
PRODUCTIONS LTD. and send to:

Silva Productions, Mail Order dept.
Silva House
261 Royal College Street
London NW1 9LU U.K.

Phone: 071 284 0525
Fax: 071 482 2385

For overseas orders, postal rates will be given on application.

8.0 McGoohan and The Beatles

Arguably the two finest British exports of 1967 were The Prisoner and
the Beatles' famous "Sergeant Pepper" album. Of course, the two were in
fact linked by the use of their 1967 anthem "All You Need
Is Love" in "Fall Out". Patrick McGoohan spoke highly of the group,
during the same year in a T.V. World magazine interview:

''I think The Beatles are marvellous. They are
venturing into astonishing fields of music and are
really searching in their embryonic 'retirement' to
find new sounds. I am always listening to their
latest work and get something new out of it each time
I hear it. They epitomise the age. They parody all
the things we grown-ups pay lip service to, but don't
practise. In one of their latest numbers they sing
"All you Need Is Love" - just that, over and over
again. Afterwards you realize that love is the thing
that we have least of. They parody such ambiguities''.

Eric Mival, Music Editor on the Prisoner, recalled that the decision to
use "All You Need Is Love" on the Fall Out soundtrack cost the princely
sum of £48 (about $75 US). Commenting on the series generally, he says
there was the feeling that new ground was being broken and that the
principles by which McGoohan governed his life came through in the series.

Patrick Kilmer - pki...@leo.vsla.edu - writes:

"The offer was made to McGoohan [to direct their movie] after the
Beatles watched the last episode, in which they knew their song 'All You
Need is Love' was being used. They were impressed with McGoohan's
style, and with the debacle of self-directed Magical Mystery Tour fresh
on their minds, they were looking for a director with whom they felt in
sync but who would do a more professional job. Unfortunately, McGoohan
had already made his decision to move out of the country, so nothing
ever came of this missed opportunity; the Beatles lost interest in
active movie-making and only put in a token cameo at the end of Yellow
Submarine." (evidence for this appears in George Harrison's
autobiography)

In relation to the Beatles, a curious similarity exists between the
Beatle movie Help! (filmed in 1965) and The Girl Who was Death episode.
Help! features a pair of number twos Leo McKern (Fallout) and Patrick
Cargill (Hammer into Anvil) as the evil baddie and chief inspector
respectively. The plot of Help! involves a mad scientist trying to take
over the world and a mysterious beautiful girl who leads the heroes
onward.

9.0 Recording the Theme Music

The Prisoner series had been in production since the middle of 1966.
In the following months two attempts at a Prisoner Title Theme had been
made but rejected.

The first of these was the work of composer Robert Farnon. McGoohan had a
sked him for a theme along the lines of "The Big Country", meaning broad
and expansive. Farnon misinterpreted his instructions and came back with
a theme which was certainly broad and expansive but sounded exactly like a
movie cowboy theme. McGoohan reportedly went through the roof, tempers were

flaring by this time in the production.

Wilfred Josephs was then asked to provide an alternative. His subsequent
brash, driving piece was more along the lines of a spy thriller theme but
considered to be just too far over the top and was also discarded.
Many years later, the Josephs theme has become more widely appreciated.
However, the piece survived only in a calmed-down version, as incidental
music in Arrival. An extract of the theme is heard as No. 6 walks past the
swimming pool, on his way to the awaiting helicopter.

Next up was RonGrainer, possibly the best-known of all theme-writers.
McGoohan is said to have whistled a few bars of what he thought might be
a good "tune" and asked him to go away and expand it into the required
piece. Whatever he came back with met with approval and, on Sunday 5th
March 1967, Ron Grainer and session musicians recorded numerous takes of
the main theme from 2:00PM onwards at the Denham Studios, in Middlesex.

The orchestral Prisoner version was recorded at the RCA studios, at
Regent Sound, 104-106 Tottenham Court Road, London at 10:00AM on Friday
15th September 1967, barely a fortnight before the series was to debut
on U.K. television. A considerably changed arrangement made for a
rather jazzed up affair and a fairly raucous departure from the screen
theme. A somewhat obtrusive middle section also detracted from the
dominant melody.

Somewhere in the middle of these events is a "classical-style" harpsichord
version of the Prisoner theme. Nothing much is known about it and the
popular belief is that it's Ron Grainer's "demo tape" which Patrick
McGoohan
liked but requested a more up-beat arrangement of. It has come to be known
as 'The Age of Elegance' but this is probably just a convenient working
title. It might even be an pre-Prisoner piece which he dusted off and
upgraded for the series. This is extremely likely as Grainer was a prolific

composer and undoubtedly had lots of material stockpiled for future use and

it's a great way to beat deadlines. Another pointer is the title, why
"Elegance", not "Prisoner"? This is, of course, speculation and it might
even be his first attempt at the commercial recording for RCA.

9.1 How can I play the theme music myself?

Any reasonable musician can work an arrangement out. The theme has a
distinctive main melody carried on trumpets and the intermingling
counter melodies and "stabs" using trombones and horns can be
approximated on manuscript by the keen ear (you also need a hand and
a pen of course!). With midi-compatable keyboards widely available it's
then possible to translate it all into a "virtual band". Of course, the
only way to get a really authentic-sounding theme of your own is to lay
hands on a copy of the score and work from that.

9.2 Getting hold of the sheet music

The most authentic version of the theme would be achieved by using Ron
Grainer's original score which was hand-written and scored for
2 Trumpets, Piano, Drums, 2 Trombones, Organ, Timpani, 2 Flugelhorns
Bass Guitar, Percussion, 2 Bass Trombones, 2 Electric Guitars
and Acoustic Bass.

Unfortunately this document went missing after the Theme Music recording
session, was never registered and therefore never converted into a
reproducable and commercially available form. However, it does exist, and
for more details about it visit:-
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/4031/background.htm

After The Prisoner aired at the end of the 60's, New World Music released
a sheet music piano arrangement - "Theme from the ATV Network Presentation
the prisoner". This featured three photographs on the front cover
(McGoohan,
a helicopter and a motorboat, possibly stills from "Free For All"), while
the musical content ran to 4 pages. This could be purchased over the
counter of your friendly local music shop for the pricely sum of 3/-
(three shillings) which translates to 15p (fifteen pence) for those in the
UK born after decimalisation and about twenty one cents for the USA.

The arrangement was obviously done "by ear" as it contains many of the
elements of Ron Grainer's theme but doesn't really follow the structure,
the
left-hand bass part is particularly uninspiring. However, it's all that
there
was until Grainer decided to re-score and re-record the theme for
commercial
release. As is documented elsewhere in this FAQ, this version also strayed
disappointingly away from the original, however the score was registered
this time and became available from specialist music suppliers. As with
the piano arrangement, it's now out of print.

Six of One has in its archives a copy of the written manuscript for
the 'orchestral' theme, running to 27 A3 (8-1/2" by 11") pages.
Contrast this with the versions written for the television opening and
closing credit themes, which fill 13 and 9 A3 pages respectively.
Therefore along with the commercially released score, there are over
50 pages of music representing the TV and RCA Prisoner compositions.

Copyright for the orchestral version is held by ATV Music Limited, all
Rights controlled and adminstered by MCA Music Limited, under license
from ATV Music Limited.

A reproduction of this score was made available for a short time by Six
Of One but only to their members and is therefore still unobtainable to
amateur musicians unless they want to shell out a considerable membership
fee for the privilege. However, the London Philharmonic Orchestra
re-recorded
the theme in 1996 for a CD compilation called "Cult Files" and the
UK-published
magazine "Total Guitar" is about to publish a feature based around this
recording. As part of the feature they will be reproducing the score. See
the
article below for full details.

9.3 The Theme and "Total Guitar"

Total Guitar, as it name suggests, is a UK magazine which devotes itself
to guitar-based recordings, artistes and playing techniques. One of the
most popular features is where they take a well-known recording which
features a particularly memorable guitar "lick" (Eric Clapton's "Layla"
for example) which is dissected and converted to a score. Guitarists
can then learn from the technique and add to their playing experience
and skills.

The January 1998 issue (published the first week in December) will feature
an article on the Prisoner Theme and the cover-mounted CD will include a
re-recorded version by The London Philharmonic Orchestra (courtesy of
Silva Screen records). To accompany the article, the magazine will
print the full musical score from which this recording was made. Amateur
musicians and Prisoner enthusiasts world-wide will, at last, be able to
obtain the sheet music and play a reasonably faithful version of the
theme for themselves.

The Total Guitar website is attached to the Future Music site
http://www.futurenet.com/musiciansnet/
You might have to dig around for it but it's there.

The following text is reproduced with permission of Total Guitar.

*************************************************************************
Subject:
The Prisoner Theme in Total Guitar
Date:
Tue, 30 Sep 1997 18:06:12 +0100
From:
Joe Bennett <jben...@futurenet.co.uk>
Organization:
Future Publishing (Total Guitar magazine)

FAO Larry Hall,

I've finally finished the Prisoner feature. In the end the version of
the theme I used on our CD was taken from a 1996 Silva Screen version
called The Cult Files (arr Kevin Townend for the Royal Philharmonic),
which was fairly accurate, to my ears at least. I interviewed about
thirty people all in, and I've credited you in the article for the
assistance you gave me with tracking down the original musicians.

Thanks again for your help.

Best wishes,

Joe Bennett
Deputy Editor
Total Guitar
*************************

Here's the text in full;

*************************

The Prisoner
Ron Grainer

This 17-episode drama only ran for two years, yet its dark
spy theme remains a cult '60s TV classic. Joe Bennett talks to original
session guitarist Martin Kershaw.

The Prisoner was conceived in 1966 by actor Patrick McGoohan as a
paranoid allegory about state control and personal liberty. It's ironic,
then, that McGoohan himself took such control that he vetoed three
different pieces of music before settling on a theme. Ron Grainer was
the third composer commissioned, and even his first attempt was rejected
because McGoohan thought it 'too slow'. It has hastily re-scored with a
dashing brass and twin guitar theme, and on 5th March 1967 guitarists
Martin Kershaw and Vic Flick went into Anvil studios in Denham to play
Grainer's twin electric guitar parts.

We want... information

Martin recalls that the score he was shown was covered in crossings-out
and pencil markings; "That was how the session scene was, back then.
Parts were written in the back of taxis on the way to sessions –
sometimes the copyist would be working as you played a take."

Although the guitar part can be played as single part (as on our
version), Grainer wanted a twin lead sound, and because the studio had
no multi-track facilities, he hired two players. Martin; "Ron really
knew what he was doing with guitar scores. He understood what was
possible between strings, and all about the instrument's range. In The
Prisoner, he scored for two rhythm guitars, playing different positions
for a really big chord sound."

The band finished the track (and other music for the show) in that one
Sunday afternoon session, but this wasn't particularly unusual at the
time. Vic Flick; "There was no room for second-rate guitar playing –
although there was a lot of work around, it was incredibly competitive.
You would just sight-read what was in front of you and go home. To be
honest, I can't even remember the session"

The Prisoner, from the 1996 compilation The Cult Files (Silva Screen).
Arrangers Mike and Kevin Townend worked on the scores, and used the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, plus session players Mo Foster (bass) and
Paul Keogh (guitar). Mike felt that one player could achieve the sound
with double-stops; "It was arranged carefully so the rhythmic chops
weren't lost, while keeping that twangy lead sound."

Paul used a 1963 Fender Strat with a Boss CS-1 compressor and DD-3
delay, into a Boogie combo.

Session players rarely read from tablature. Both Grainer's original
pencil-written score and Kevin Townend's 1996 version were scored in
treble clef. Consequently the tab for our version is transcribed
directly from the track.

Thanks to martin kershaw, mike townend, paul keogh, mo foster, eric
tomlinson, vic flick, larry hall, john huckridge, roy willocks, clive
hicks and terry walsh for their help with researching this feature.
audio used by permission of Silva Screen records.

*********************************************************************

Of the above names, the following played on the original Ron Grainer
Denham recording of the theme

Martin Kershaw - Lead Guitar
Vic Flick - Lead Guitar
Terry Walsh - Electric bass
Roy Willocks - Woodwind

Eric Tomlinson was the sound mixer. He now works at Abbey Road studios
where "All You Need Is Love" was re-mixed.

Vic Flick was a very well-known guitarist in the 60's and 70's. Perhaps
he's best remembered for that equally distinctive "DANG-a, dang dang dang,
a-DANG-a dang dang" guitar part in the James Bond theme, recorded
coincidentally at CTS Studios, Wembley, where we re-mastered the Prisoner
Soundtrack album.

**********************************************************************

10.0 Are there any other unreleased tracks?

Not every track used in The Prisoner has been released, although most of
the readily identifiable ones have. Notable omissions include "September
Ballad" and "Rag March" which were heavily featured in the series,
particularly in "Fallout". These tracks were on the old Six Of One
maxi-single so somebody somewhere must have the tape, but alas it remains
hidden. There's also a lot of music from the Chappel's library which was
used as "spot" effects but these just aren't long enough to make any sense
on a CD.

Perhaps the richest remaining source of unreleased music is on the tapes
I used for the first LP. There was only room for so many tracks on that
album and a fair number of pieces had to be left un-transferred. The Robert

Farnon version of the theme, for example, would make a real collectors
item.
Also, the tapes contain "alternate" takes, particularly of the main theme
which, again, make fascinating listening.

One interesting fact has recently come to light courtesy of Chris Cambell
who writes :-

"A number of years ago you provided me with some
information on the Chappell's music used in "The Prisoner".
Just wanted to let you know that I tracked down a "missing"
tune that never showed up on either of the last two Six of
One CD's. The tune is called "Attente", by Camille Sauvage,
and (as you probably know) showed up in three separate episodes.
One of the notations in the music sheets that I got from you
indicates that the wrong piece was supplied by
Chappell's. I believe that the piece incorrectly supplied was
called "Attente-Trans-Europ Express", also by Sauvage and also
appearing on DMM 302. It looks like Chappell's packaged
several tunes per disc in this series (from their French
library), and probably the names were so close that they didn't
look closely when they pulled that piece."

Chris has also come up with another unreleased track which appears in
"Arrival". This is called "Industrial Vortex" by Robert Farnon. Like
"Attente" it comes from the Chappell's catalogue.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Larry Hall October 1997

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