RESEARCH AND LETTERS
This first letter was in reply to a request I made after hearing the opening titles music in a TV advert for Baked Beans where Robinson Crusoe was stranded on a desert island with tins and tins of Baked Beans. I think Frank Bruno, the boxer, was starrring in it! This music had been haunting me for many, many years and here it was again, in 1990, twenty-five years later!!
From:- HP Foods Ltd.
Leicestershire.29th. May 1990.
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your recent letter and enquiry regarding the theme music for our "Robinson Crusoe" commercial.
The title of the music is "Robinson Crusoe" written by G. P. Reverberi and Robert Mellin and produced by Franco London Music. It was published by EMI in the '60s. We understand that there is not a record available on general release but that there may be plans for one in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Senior Product Manager,
HP SAUCES.
I made lots and lots of enquiries after this and at the end of 1991 I located a tape in our local music library of the Theme Tune of Robinson Crusoe. It was by a group called "The Art of Noise" and was on their tape "The Ambient Collection." [LP: 843-403-1; Tape: 843-403-2; CD: 843-403-4; ©1990 China Records Ltd. Distributed by Polydor.] See below for details of this album.
So all I had was side 2, track 5, which was their rendition of the Main Theme and I really wanted the Opening and Closing Titles as well!Many people had their memories jogged by that Baked Beans advert and SILVA SCREEN RECORDS managed to track down the composer of the music in New York who had kept the original soundtracks. These tracks were in Italy and in the warm dry climate they had survived all those years. So "Silva Screen" put together a compilation CD of some of the music but all this was unknown to me at the time.
I remembered that the series was shown on BBC TV so I wrote them a letter and this was the reply:-
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your letter of 31st. December 1991 regarding the music for "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" [1965] and the HP advert [1990].
According to our records, the same music was used for both and was composed by Reverberi and Mellin. I think confusion has arisen from the "Art of Noise" album to which you were reffered.
There is a track on the album called "Robinson Crusoe" but by judging from its production date it must be a different work or at least a modern re-mix of the original.
However, the original soundtrack music does seem to be available on a cassette produced by Silva Screen and distributed by Conifer, cassette no. FILM C 705. If you still have problems obtaining this locally, I do know the Dean Street Records, who specialise in soundtracks, stock a cassette of the music. [58 Dean Street, London, W1, tel 0171 437 4500]
Alternatively you could try Silva Screen directly [261 Royal College Street, London, NW1 9LU, tel: 0171 284 0525].
I hope this will be the right music and will prove the end of your 27-year search!
Yours sincerely,
GLEN SHELDON,
BBC TV MUSIC LIBRARY.
...AND THE REST IS HISTORY!
[1997] I sincerely hope that if you are having the same problems and troubles that I had then this page will help you find the music that you have been dying to hear again. Your long wait is over! Please eMail me and let me know how you are getting on and if you do purchase the music please mention this page.
[1997]The original CD is replaced with a newer version [and a new cover] which includes nine new tracks, including a new "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe: Suite". Also, two tracks have new material added. Altogether there is 32 minutes of new material.
Apparently "Franco London Films" went into liquidation in the early 70's and there are many legal wranglings about rights etc. The BBC still have the whole series on tape but are not allowed to show it. Wouldn't it be great to have the series on VIDEO TAPE? I later found out that the BBC dumped the tapes in a skip during a clear-out years ago. An original tape has been found in France!!
[1999] The Video is now available on tape!!!
[March 2001] The Latest Rolo TV advert has, with no doubt, rekindled fond memories yet again of this memorable TV series.
[late 2002] The video is sold out and out of print! But a DVD Company has obtained a rather grotty original 16mm print with combined mag soundtrack from the distributor in France as it was the only English version in existence. Apparently the BBC failed to return the original 35mm. film to the distributors and threw it out in a skip along with other films. The 16mm. version is now being remastered for DVD so watch these pages in 2003!
[2003]There is no news about the remastered DVD from the 16mm print!
[February 2004] The information above was provided by a source at the BBC but at the present time I have heard nothing about a DVD!!! But there is a DVD on auction on eBay which is a copy of the black and white original video tapes that went on sale in 1999.
[Late 2004]The DVD's are not genuine but copies of the tapes, but better than nothing!!! There are always videos of the series for sale on eBay, but be careful, some of them are really copies and not the original videos!!!
[2006]I have added the Opening Theme from the serial to my main web site, www.davidsemporium.co.uk, to stimulate some more interest in this serial so that more people can access it, and then maybe encourage someone with the original tapes to produce a genuine DVD in responce to public demand!! (Or maybe show the serial again on the BBC???!!!)
[2007]I have changed the music to my main web site, www.davidsemporium.co.uk, because my site seems to have generated a lot of interest in the Robinson Crusoe TV series anyway. And guess what?? Amazon.co.uk are now selling DVD's of the series!!! So get your orders in quickly before they run out too!!
[2008] I think the BBC should re-run the series to reach a wider audience for the kids of today!! Then maybe that will result in more DVD sales [for the BBC?].
Front page.
Introduction.
Daniel Defoe and the origins of Robinson Crusoe.
The UK TV series schedule.
The 1990 CD tracks list and credits.
The 1997 CD tracks list and credits.
The UK TV series credits.
Ordering CD's, contacts and addresses.
Research, letters and e-mails.
More Robinson Crusoe information.
Robert Hoffman today.
Picture Library.
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