Theme from Z-Cars
Encyclopedia
Theme from Z-Cars was the theme tune to the long running BBC
television drama Z-Cars
.
Based on the traditional folk song Johnny Todd, which was in a collection of traditional tunes by Frank Kidson
dated 1891 called Traditional Tunes: A Collection of Ballad Airs. Kidson's notes for this song say: "Johnny Todd is a child's rhyme and game, heard and seen played by Liverpool children. The air is somewhat pleasing, and the words appear old, though some blanks caused by the reciter's memory have had to be filled up."
There is also what appears to be a version of the same song, mentioned in the first of the Para Handy
stories, written in Scotland in 1905, which claims that the tune was popular around 30 years earlier. The song also appears in the book Songs of Belfast edited by David Hammond (Cork: The Mercier Press, 1986), who heard it from a Mrs Walker of Salisbury Avenue, Belfast, who claimed it dates from around 1900.
The Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl
and performed by John Keating and his Orchestra
. The single reached #5 on the UK singles chart in April 1962.
It was soon adopted by fans of the Premier League football club Everton
, who are based in Liverpool
near to where the programme supposedly took place. To this day, the theme tune is still played as the team come out onto the pitch at the beginning of all their home matches and has become synonymous to the club. They also use the theme tune on their official podcasts, used at the beginning to introduce the podcast. Watford F.C.
are also known to play the theme when the players enter the field. http://www.watford.vitalfootball.co.uk/sitepage.asp?a=40114 Sunderland A.F.C.
were also known to have played the song as their players ran out to the field during their 1996-1997 Premiership season, which in turn was their final season playing at Roker Park.
The "Johnny Todd" is also the name of a pub in Kirkby
near Liverpool.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television drama Z-Cars
Z-Cars
Z-Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool in Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.-Origins:The series was developed by...
.
Based on the traditional folk song Johnny Todd, which was in a collection of traditional tunes by Frank Kidson
Frank Kidson
Frank Kidson was an English folksong collector and music scholar.He was born in Leeds, where he lived for most of his life. He worked briefly with his brother in an antique business, then turned to landscape painting, for which he travelled widely, which gave him the opportunity to get to know...
dated 1891 called Traditional Tunes: A Collection of Ballad Airs. Kidson's notes for this song say: "Johnny Todd is a child's rhyme and game, heard and seen played by Liverpool children. The air is somewhat pleasing, and the words appear old, though some blanks caused by the reciter's memory have had to be filled up."
There is also what appears to be a version of the same song, mentioned in the first of the Para Handy
Para Handy
Para Handy, the anglicized Gaelic nickname of the fictional character Peter Macfarlane, is a character created by the journalist and writer Neil Munro in a series of stories published in the Glasgow Evening News under the pen name of Hugh Foulis....
stories, written in Scotland in 1905, which claims that the tune was popular around 30 years earlier. The song also appears in the book Songs of Belfast edited by David Hammond (Cork: The Mercier Press, 1986), who heard it from a Mrs Walker of Salisbury Avenue, Belfast, who claimed it dates from around 1900.
The Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl
Fritz Spiegl
Fritz Spiegl was born at Zurndorf, Austria, the son of an agricultural merchant and his Jewish wife. He became a musician, journalist, broadcaster, humorist and collector who lived and worked in England from 1939....
and performed by John Keating and his Orchestra
John Keating (musician)
John Keating is a Scottish musician, songwriter and arranger.After studying piano and trombone, he taught himself how to arrange and compose in his teens. He went to work with British big band leader Ted Heath in 1952 as a trombone player, but within two years Heath asked him to become his...
. The single reached #5 on the UK singles chart in April 1962.
It was soon adopted by fans of the Premier League football club Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, who are based in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
near to where the programme supposedly took place. To this day, the theme tune is still played as the team come out onto the pitch at the beginning of all their home matches and has become synonymous to the club. They also use the theme tune on their official podcasts, used at the beginning to introduce the podcast. Watford F.C.
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
are also known to play the theme when the players enter the field. http://www.watford.vitalfootball.co.uk/sitepage.asp?a=40114 Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
were also known to have played the song as their players ran out to the field during their 1996-1997 Premiership season, which in turn was their final season playing at Roker Park.
The "Johnny Todd" is also the name of a pub in Kirkby
Kirkby
Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about...
near Liverpool.