Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2010 February 10 • Wednesday

John Dankworth died on Saturday. I didn't know that he was married to Cleo Laine.

His music for the pre-Emma Peel Avengers was great, especially the theme. It's included in this recent compilation of Dankworth's film and television music.

That image on the cover is from The Avengers credits, in fact. The person is in the middle of the G in AVENGERS.

We recently noted here (last November) Dankworth's involvement in the movie All Night Long. On Saturday, the day of his death, I watched The Knack …and How To Get It and noticed a poster in the background of one scene, advertising a Johnny Dankworth concert with openers The Flee-Rekkers at the Royal Albert Hall.

I also like The Flee-Rekkers. They were recorded by Joe Meek and covered Barry Gray's theme to Fireball XL5.

I would rather have watched a film of that Dankworth/Flee-Rekkers concert than The Knack, though The Knack has some great music by John Barry.