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Another British morse code in music story: in the title theme of the 1980s sitcom "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em", the rhythm of the notes is a deliberate morse code

Another British morse code in music story: in the title theme of the 1980s sitcom "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em", the rhythm of the notes is a deliberate morse code which spells out the title of the show. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Mothers_Do_%27Ave_%27Em#Theme_tune https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Mothers_Do_%27Ave_%27Em#T... What the Wikipedia page doesn't mention this, but I read long ago that the composer of the tune received only a small one-time payment for it and no royalties, despite the popularity of the show.

xanderlewis 2y ago
See also the theme music of the television version of 'Inspector Morse', though perhaps that's not very surprising.
- Jordan_Pelt 2y ago
  ...and the opening of the Rush song YYZ.
- jdietrich 2y ago
  Offensively pedantic trivia: the theme is supposed to spell out "MORSE", but actually spells "TTORSE", due either to a slight timing error or artistic license.
  - xanderlewis 2y ago
    No — you're right!
- HelloUsername 2y ago
  Also the theme to Mission Impossible. The letters M (⸺ ⸺) and I (– –) in a 5/4 time signature (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission:_Impossible_(1966_TV_series)#Music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission:_Impossible_(1966_TV_s...)
flobosg 2y ago
A Canadian morse code in music: The intro of Rush’s “YYZ” – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YYZ_(song)#Title_and_composition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YYZ_(song)#Title_and_compositi...
yoz 2y ago
The composer you mention was the most prolific and talented creator of BBC TV show themes: Ronnie Hazlehurst. He usually did arrangement and production of the music as well. Other famous themes he created: Are You Being Served?; Last of the Summer Wine; The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin; To the Manor Born; Yes, Minister (and Yes, Prime Minister); Blankety Blank; and The Generation Game. See his Wikipedia page for the full list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Hazlehurst https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Hazlehurst AFAIK, the main reason that he received no royalties is because BBC programmes generated no income. The BBC's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, generates revenue through selling and licensing content, but that was created in the 1990s. I don't know whether the royalties situation has changed, but I doubt it. So Hazlehurst wasn't well paid, nor were the recordings well funded. This is another great example of constraints triggering innovation: the theme for Are You Being Served? memorably uses the sounds of coins and cash registers, which was Hazlehurst's solution to not being able to afford proper percussion. If you have two spare minutes now, watch Matt Berry's lovely tribute to Ronnie Hazlehurst, from Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ui1rdhQljU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ui1rdhQljU

xanderlewis 2y ago

See also the theme music of the television version of 'Inspector Morse', though perhaps that's not very surprising.

Jordan_Pelt 2y ago
...and the opening of the Rush song YYZ.
jdietrich 2y ago
Offensively pedantic trivia: the theme is supposed to spell out "MORSE", but actually spells "TTORSE", due either to a slight timing error or artistic license.
- xanderlewis 2y ago
  No — you're right!
HelloUsername 2y ago
Also the theme to Mission Impossible. The letters M (⸺ ⸺) and I (– –) in a 5/4 time signature (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission:_Impossible_(1966_TV_series)#Music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission:_Impossible_(1966_TV_s...)

flobosg 2y ago

A Canadian morse code in music: The intro of Rush’s “YYZ” – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YYZ_(song)#Title_and_composition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YYZ_(song)#Title_and_compositi...

yoz 2y ago

The composer you mention was the most prolific and talented creator of BBC TV show themes: Ronnie Hazlehurst. He usually did arrangement and production of the music as well. Other famous themes he created: Are You Being Served?; Last of the Summer Wine; The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin; To the Manor Born; Yes, Minister (and Yes, Prime Minister); Blankety Blank; and The Generation Game. See his Wikipedia page for the full list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Hazlehurst https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Hazlehurst AFAIK, the main reason that he received no royalties is because BBC programmes generated no income. The BBC's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, generates revenue through selling and licensing content, but that was created in the 1990s. I don't know whether the royalties situation has changed, but I doubt it. So Hazlehurst wasn't well paid, nor were the recordings well funded. This is another great example of constraints triggering innovation: the theme for Are You Being Served? memorably uses the sounds of coins and cash registers, which was Hazlehurst's solution to not being able to afford proper percussion. If you have two spare minutes now, watch Matt Berry's lovely tribute to Ronnie Hazlehurst, from Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ui1rdhQljU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ui1rdhQljU