Alan Hawkshaw
A prolific British composer, arranger, and session musician, Alan Hawkshaw created a widely-heard body of work without ever achieving any sort of celebrity, a situation which suited him just fine. Although he was a member of the Shadows, played keyboards with everyone from David Bowie to Donna Summer, and even scored a number one dance hit in the U.S., Hawkshaw's most enduring contributions were in the form of library music, which was licensed extensively across film and television from the late-1960s onward. By the time of his death in 2021, his theme songs to British programs like Countdown, Grange Hill, and the Channel 4 News remained intimately familiar to many.
Born in Leeds, Hawkshaw's professional music career began in the early-'60s when he joined the rock group Emile Ford and the Checkmates, playing on their hit single "Counting Teardrops." Eventually he immersed himself in the London music scene where he became a popular session musician, playing keys for artists like David Bowie and the Hollies and forming a short-lived studio band called the Mohawks whose 1968 song "The Champ" has been widely sampled, particularly in the hip-hop world. Heading into the '70s, Hawkshaw became a member of the Shadows and throughout the decade played on recordings by Serge Gainsbourg, Cliff Richard, Donna Summer, Olivia Newton-John, and many others. Despite his immense talent, he had no real desire for the spotlight and preferred to work in the background, composing music and playing a support role for other.
Although he appeared as a player on countless records, his real bread and butter came from composing and recording music for publisher Keith Prowse's KPM library. The wealth of instrumental music Hawkshaw made for KPM could be heard in a variety of facets from television programs like The Dave Allen Show and On the Move to American auteur Radley Metzger's late-'70s erotic films. Beginning in 1978, British soap opera Grange Hill adopted one of his library songs as its theme and a few years later, Channel 4 News did the same. The Channel 4 game show Countdown also used a Hawkshaw piece as its iconic "Chimes" jingle and he could be heard on hundreds of commercials as well. Hawkshaw even operated in the disco sphere where he managed to top the U.S. dance charts with 1979's "Here Comes That Sound Again" by his studio band Love De-Luxe.
He later formed the charitable organization the Alan Hawkshaw Foundation to support underprivileged music students. Just prior to his death from pneumonia in October 2021, Hawkshaw was awarded both a British Empire Medal and a Leeds fellowship.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo
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Kpm 1000 Series: Classical Synthesiser / Stained Glass Windows
Jazz - Released by KPM 1000 LP Series on 1 jan. 1977
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
27 Top TV Themes and Commercials
Pop - Released by Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company on 6 okt. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1980's Synth Dark Drama
Punk en New Wave - Released by UPPM Records on 8 sep. 2016
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Alan Hawkshaw's Orchestral Encounters
London Session Orchestra, Alan Hawkshaw
Klassiek - Released by Alan Hawkshaw on 16 nov. 2009
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Live Action
Geoffrey Bastow, Alan Hawkshaw
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Entertainment on 15 jan. 1989
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Epic
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Entertainment on 30 dec. 1998
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Kpm 1000 Series: The Rhythm of Modern Life / Vaudeville
David Lindup, Alan Parker, Alan Hawkshaw
Jazz - Released by KPM 1000 LP Series on 1 jan. 1972
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Contemporary Contrasts
Alan Parker, Alan Hawkshaw, Mike Moran
Rock - Released by Themes International Vinyl Series on 1 jan. 1977
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Living Orchestra
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Entertainment on 25 okt. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mystery & Imagination
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Atmosphere on 15 mrt. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
High Drama
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Drama on 19 jun. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Candid Camera
Alan Hawkshaw, James Clarke, Johnny Pearson
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Entertainment on 15 jul. 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rainbow Warrior
Trevor Bastow, Geoffrey Bastow, Alan Hawkshaw
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Industry on 15 nov. 1990
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Impressions
Alan Hawkshaw, Sheldon Hawkshaw, Ray Russell
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Atmosphere on 1 jan. 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Highlights
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Entertainment on 15 okt. 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jingles
Soundtracks - Released by Music House - Entertainment on 19 dec. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kpm 1000 Series: Power
Jazz - Released by KPM 1000 LP Series on 1 jan. 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo