The Three Ronnies

Martin Handley celebrates the talents of a trio of composers

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No, this isn’t about the comedians Barker, Corbett and O’Sullivan. Here, we’re concerned with musical textures from Messrs Goodwin, Grainer and Hazlehurst – composers and orchestra leaders all, whose theme tunes enhanced innumerable films and television shows during the 1960s and 1970s especially.

We’ll start with Ron Goodwin. Born in Plymouth, Devon in February 1925, Ron learned piano aged five and trumpet a few years later. He attended Pinner County Grammar School, Middlesex, performing with his first band, the Woodchoppers. To earn some money afterwards, Ron became an insurance clerk. In 1943, he joined the publishing firm Campbell, Connelly & Co as music copier. From these early forays, Ron became the arranger for Harry Gold and His Pieces of Eight. Among his contemporaries in this outfit were Norrie Paramor and Geoff Love.

In the late 1940s, and now employed by Bron Associated Publishers, Ron arranged pieces for the orchestras of Ted Heath and Geraldo, among others. This led to work on hit recordings by Petula Clark and Jimmy Young. Through this role, he came into the orbit of later Beatles producer George Martin at Parlophone Records. Ron’s arrangements featured on 300 recordings by more than 50 artists. These included Max Bygraves and the Peter Sellers/Sophia Loren duets in the late 1950s. In fact, Ron Goodwin has featured in some guise on more than 100 hit records in the UK.