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Post by Kev Mulrenan on Apr 10, 2008 16:17:59 GMT
Anyone know anything about Bob Sharples?
He was an ABC man who had a little orchestra.
His name pops up on Op Knocks and Big Might Out.
I wonder did he mainly work at Didsbury? Maybe the orchstra broke up with the great 68 carve up.
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Post by Reg Long3 on Apr 10, 2008 18:38:14 GMT
Bob Sharples, did you know that when he wrote themes for young, 'with it' programmes like Special Branch and Man at the Top he would call himself Robert Earley.
..
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Post by lpmoderator on Apr 10, 2008 20:01:05 GMT
Was that him? That's something I didn't know! He wrote one of my favourite themes of all - Public Eye!
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Post by johnwhelan on Apr 15, 2008 16:02:12 GMT
I was a good friend of Bob Sharples for many years and also a member of his Orchestra and I am happy to answer any questions about him.
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Post by Stephen Doran on Apr 15, 2008 16:07:23 GMT
Never knew he wrote those themes have to agree Public Eye is a great theme tune as is all the others mentioned.
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Post by lpmoderator on Apr 15, 2008 16:24:47 GMT
Yes, "Robert Earley" wrote both Public Eye and the filmed Special Branch themes - it's just i'd never heard before now that Earley was actually Bob Sharples! Amazing!
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Post by Kev Mulrenan on Apr 15, 2008 18:08:57 GMT
I was a good friend of Bob Sharples for many years and also a member of his Orchestra and I am happy to answer any questions about him. Hi John! A potted history of the orchestra would be good! Was it mainly based in Manchester? Did the abc closure in Manchester result in a disbanding? Post 66 music seems to have taken a clobbering. Was this due to tv companies getting fed up of being held top ransom by the unions? |
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Post by johnwhelan on Apr 16, 2008 8:22:22 GMT
Hi Kevin
The orchestra was formed around 1962 by Bob Sharples who was the Musical Director for ABC TV based in the Didsbury studios in Manchester. It was put together by Johnny Roadhouse who was the lead sax with the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra, and we supplied the music for all the ABC shows at the time, including Opp Knocks, Big Night Out etc.,Bob also composed many of the TV themes for the company and for many other shows and films together with a number of very good records for Decca. When the big TV shake up came about '68 ABC was no longer and Opp Knocks was taken on by Thames TV at the Teddington studios, but still using Bob's band. Here it stayed until the show finished many years later. Bob did other work with the band, but as time went on big orchestras were no longer used by any of the TV companies, as you will know you never see a bib orchestra on TV these days. I went on to play with Jack Parnell's band at ATV Elstree for many years and I am still very active as a freelance session player. I hope this gives you an insight into Bob who was a highly talented musician a great composer and arranger, and someone I am very glad to call a great friend, I miss him very much.
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Post by Reg Long3 on Apr 16, 2008 9:16:33 GMT
Hi John. I remember a friendship and warmth on OP Knocks between Hughie Green and his 'Uncle Bob' was this true? as I see recently Mrs Sharples has come out in defence of Green's reputation following the HG drama. A classic Robert Earley theme youtube.com/watch?v=zeSgZnQ1zGMPlus John any anecdotes from your ATV days would be most welcome. . |
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Post by Stephen Doran on Apr 16, 2008 16:59:15 GMT
Special Branch theme reminded me of Theme One .
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Post by johnwhelan on Apr 17, 2008 9:07:11 GMT
Hi regulo
Of course Bob & Hughie were great friends, they enjoyed a friendly banter between them, as could be seen on most of the shows. Mrs Sharples ( who is also a very close friend of mine) was with Hughie until he died and as such should know the facts better than anyone else.
The ATV days were wonderful. We worked with the best in the world, making shows for America as well as the UK market ,this included the Muppet shows which were screened in 120 countries.
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Post by lpmoderator on Apr 17, 2008 9:34:05 GMT
Very many thanks for the fascinating info, John. Feel free to post more at any time. It's interesting to read anything about this classic period of TV!
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Post by lfbarfe on Apr 19, 2008 21:25:17 GMT
Good to have you contributing, John. So did the ABC Showband have a lot of members in common with the NDO, depending on availability? Jack's ATV band at Fort Knox was, in my opinion, the very best in the whole business. It couldn't fail with one of the other two Ronnies (Verrell or Stephenson) drumming, Lennie Bush on bass and Kenny Baker or Tom McQuater on lead trumpet. That must have been an amazing time to work through.
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Post by lfbarfe on Apr 19, 2008 21:27:25 GMT
Maybe not quite what you wanted to know, Kevin, but according to the late Ron Simmonds, another Parnell band alumnus, Bob Sharples was known among the irreverent as 'the Pre War Lesbian' because of his slicked-back hair and thick glasses. I believe Stan Roderick was responsible for the nickname.
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Post by johnwhelan on Apr 21, 2008 10:52:22 GMT
Hi Louis
Ths ABC Showband and the NDO were 2 separate orchestras. At that time the BBC contract would not allow their players to work for the ITV networks, so whilst a number of the ABC musicians including myself often worked with the NDO the reverse was not possible.
Indeed it was a pleasure and privilege to be a member of Jack's band. it was the best and I spent 14 wonderful years there.
Regarding Stan Roderick's name for Bob...he gave a name to many people in the business, what I think Stan never knew that his nickname was 'The Village Idiot' all these nick names were used with the greatest affection.......one of the great things about a band like that was that everyone had great respect for their colleagues. We all had something different to offer and when you put all of that talent together you finsh up with the great band that Jack's was.
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