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The Prisoner Music Archive
by Larry Hall
and other contributions as credited within the text
August 2009 - pause for thought ...
The last time I added anything to this section of the website was back in 2003. Since then there has theoretically been more information I could add, the occasional new "Prisoner"-inspired music track has appeared and, of course, the soundtrack recordings have been released and re-released several times in various formats and languages. Unfortunately interest on my part has declined and I really haven't been able to raise the enthusiasm to research and record these additions to the information store. Having said that, this is still the most comprehensive guide there is on the music used in the Prisoner and on the various spin-off musical projects.
Introduction
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 archive, to provide as much information and detail as possible on this facet of the series and provide a facility which both enthusiasts and Prisoner historians alike can use for reference and enjoyment.
Samples of certain rare tracks are provided within the archive as this might be the only way for fans of the series to hear them. They are intended for informational purposes only and, to protect the copyright holders, all samples are in commercially useless 'Lo-Fi' form.
Please note that we don't provide bootleg tapes, CD's or illegal MP3 files of any of the commercial tracks, nor provide links to sources of same. Where an official, legal commercial source of Prisoner music tracks is known, this is so indicated.
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
effects.
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