Lord David Dundas
Encyclopedia
Lord David Paul Nicholas Dundas (born 2 June 1945, Oxford
, England) is an English
musician known for his film and television scoring, having previously had chart success in the rock
genre.
, and was educated at Harrow
and the Central School of Speech and Drama
. His 1976 single "Jeans On
" reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart
, #17 on the US Billboard Hot 100
, and #1 in the German Singles Charts, where the song remained 19 weeks in the Top Ten. The song originally appeared as a television advertising jingle
for Brutus Jeans
(the words used in the jingle - "I pull my Brutus jeans on" - were replaced with "I pull my old blue jeans on" for the single release). The single was later sampled by Fatboy Slim
for his track "Sho Nuff" which was also used in an advert in 2006 for SEAT Ibiza
. Dundas' follow-up single, "Another Funny Honeymoon" was a medium-sized hit, reaching #29 in the UK. Dundas performed the song live on the BBC Television
show, Top of the Pops
, in 1977.
On 17 December 1971, Dundas married Corinna Maeve Wolfe Scott, and they had two children:
They divorced in 1995. Dundas then married Taina Bettina Breuckmann on 21 November 1997, and they have one son:
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician known for his film and television scoring, having previously had chart success in the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
genre.
Biography
Dundas is the son of the 3rd Marquess of ZetlandLawrence Dundas, 3rd Marquess of Zetland
Lawrence Aldred Mervyn Dundas, 3rd Marquess of Zetland was a lawn tennis player of some note in the 1940s, known before 1971 as the Earl of Ronaldshay....
, and was educated at Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
. His 1976 single "Jeans On
Jeans On
"Jeans On" is a song by British musician David Dundas from his 1977 self-titled debut album. Released as a single the previous year, it was first featured as an television advertising jingle for Brutus Jeans...
" reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, #17 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and #1 in the German Singles Charts, where the song remained 19 weeks in the Top Ten. The song originally appeared as a television advertising jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
for Brutus Jeans
Brutus Jeans
Brutus Jeans is a British clothing company founded in 1966 by brothers Keith and Alan Freedman, who were 18 and 17 years old at the time, respectively....
(the words used in the jingle - "I pull my Brutus jeans on" - were replaced with "I pull my old blue jeans on" for the single release). The single was later sampled by Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
for his track "Sho Nuff" which was also used in an advert in 2006 for SEAT Ibiza
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
. Dundas' follow-up single, "Another Funny Honeymoon" was a medium-sized hit, reaching #29 in the UK. Dundas performed the song live on the BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
show, Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, in 1977.
On 17 December 1971, Dundas married Corinna Maeve Wolfe Scott, and they had two children:
- Daisy Star (born 1975)
- Thomas Harry Django (born 1981)
They divorced in 1995. Dundas then married Taina Bettina Breuckmann on 21 November 1997, and they have one son:
- Finn Arthur Ebenezer (born 2000)
Film and television
- 1971 Private Road — co-wrote original score with Michael Feast and George FentonGeorge FentonGeorge Fenton is a British composer best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, although he also writes music for the theatre. His real name is George Howe but he is better known by his pseudonym of George Fenton.-Selected film and television credits:Fenton has composed...
. - 1982 FourscoreFourscoreFourscore was the signature tune used by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom for 10 years, from 1982 to 1992. It was composed by Lord David Dundas. Various short excerpts from the piece, which were the various orchestrations of the same four note melody, in the key of F Major, were used to accompany...
— music for the launch of Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, used for over ten years but no longer featured on the channel. - 1983 Daybreak — start up music for TV-amTV-amTV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
in its early years, also used as the theme to the hour-long early morning news programme of the same name (also on TV-am), initially presented by Robert KeeRobert KeeRobert Kee CBE is a British broadcaster, journalist and writer, known for his historical works on World War II and Ireland....
; - 1987 Withnail and IWithnail and IWithnail and I is a British black comedy made in 1986 by HandMade Films. It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” who live in a squalid flat in Camden in 1969 while...
, original score; - 1989 Get Ready — for the rebranding of ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
by English Markell Pockett (and later used in the idents for Border TelevisionBorder TelevisionBorder Television is the ITV franchise holder for the Border region, spanning the England/Scotland border and covering Dumfries & Galloway region, a small part of the south-west area of Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, parts of north and west Northumberland and the majority of Cumbria...
in the mid-1990s, it was also used for Tyne Tees TelevisionTyne Tees TelevisionTyne Tees Television is the ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. As of 2009, it forms part of a non-franchise ITV Tyne Tees & Border region, shared with the ITV Border region...
's non ITV generic idents from 1991–1992); - c. 1993 Television commercials for the Kraft General Foods, Inc. product, "Country Time Lemonade Drink Mix" featured a Dundas composition called "I Keep Your Picture" as background music.
- 1998 another ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
rebranding, under the title "Television from the Heart", for FutureBrand English & Pockett.