Music + Micheal Reeves book


Hi, has anyone here read Benjamin Haligan's book on Michael Reeves - well worth tracking down if you haven't. Another good one is John Hamilton's Beasts in the Cellar about Tony Tenser.

As to the music, I met Nicky Hensen in the mid 1990's and he told me that some of the music had just been released on a CD containing Horror Themes, but I have never been able to track it down. I know the music was owned by De Woolf at one stage. It turns up in a number of Minder episodes as well as Monty Python & The Holy Grail and Adventures of a Private Eye. I don't know if Ferris sold the music to De Woolf or Tigon did? Although, it states on the IMDb, that in 1987 MGM/UA refused to pay royalties to Ferris for the video release of Witchfinder General (1968) and brought in Kendall Schmidt to re-score the movie on a lower budget. I can't remember if this is talked about in Haligan's book?

Ironic that Ferris died from a drug overdose just like Reeves. Reeves' death was listed as suicide just like Ferris's - but we now know Reeves' death was more than likely accidental. Also John Coquillon, who photographed Witchfinder, supposedly commited suicide. The curse of Matthew Hopkins??? An astute studio publicist would have a field day with this.

Chris

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[deleted]

That's interesting, as I have a recollection that Henson mentioned something about either both of them or Ferris having something to do with The Shadows. I thought there was a conection through the film Maroc 7, but I took a look and The Shadows don't seemed to have been involved? I actually interviewed Henson for a proposed book I was going to do on Reeves, but I was obviously beaten to the finishline by two other interested parties. I'll find the tape I made of the interview and see if he says anything about it.

Thanks for the info. I've been keen to get one of those singles but keep missing out on ebay.

Chris

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[deleted]

HI Whats the name of the music. its also in a film called how sleep the brave. a war film from 1981. itwas renamed combat zone

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[deleted]

the one that sounds like greensleaves. theres a really good war film called combat zone an everytime sumthing bad about to happen that music is played

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David,

Got the scans. Thank. Thought I replied. Do you have a copy of the book about Reeves?

Chris

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[deleted]

Hi David,

I didn't realise I had a message. Thanks for that anyway. My email address is [email protected] just in case you need it again. I noticed that you posted a couple of messages over at the Blood on Satan's Claw page where you talk about being a cinema projectionist. This was the first job I did with work experience back in the late seventies in Tasmania. I was sixteen and one of the films I got to see was Flesh Gordon - which was great! Anyway, thanks again for the message and I'll keep my eye peeled. I'm surprised no-one has actually obtained the rights to release the full score on CD?

Chris

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[deleted]

I don't know if The Shadows performed the Maroc 7 theme for the film but they certainly released a version of it.

Here's a couple of links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z_1O_XfpfQ
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Shadows/_/Maroc+7


Chris, if you feel like you aren't going to write the book now, perhaps you could post the interviews online. I am sure that plenty of people would be interested,
Regards
John

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