The Road to Coronation Street

[Martin Payne]

So although I'm here in Canada, I'm still able to watch Brit TV programs thanks to my TV box. Last night, totally by accident, I happened on the start of a show on ITV1 "The Road to Coronation Street" which turned out to be pretty good I thought. But I was pleasantly surprised during an extended sequence that the accompanying music was The Shads "Frightened City" played in it's entirety, and up front, not buried in the background. A little later "FBI" followed but a shorter sequence so only about half of it was heard.

It seems the music never dies!

Martin

[Stratpicker]

Yes, it was well done. Good script, great casting and fab music! Great to hear Classic Shads used in correct time frame.
Ian

[keithmantle]

I've just watched Len Goodman's dancing feet, the British ballroom story , towards the end when 'new dance the twist' came in Victor Sylvester was teaching it to The Shads Apache !!.

[AC30Alan]

Hi Martin, I have , on occasion, heard Shadows music on "Heartbeat".
Set in the Northern UK during the 60's the soundtrack has used The Hollies, The Moodies, Hermans Hermits etc. and I heard F.B.I. Kon-Tiki, Peace Pipe and The Savage.
Cheers, Mate.
Alan.

[JimN]

The programme was made by ITV Studios, but was first shown by the BBC (who actually commissioned it).

The Frightened City was played anachronistically.

The entire action of the screenplay culminated in the first transmission of "Coronation Street" in December 1960. At that time, only four classic Shadows instrumentals (and four lesser Drifters/Shadows efforts) had been released. The Frightened City was not among them and would not be released for another four months (April 1961).

[Martin Payne]

Hi Jim...yes I was aware of Frightened City being out of time (with apologies to Chris Farlowe, another of my faves,) but I didn't care, I was just happy to hear it.Though I must admit I thought Man of Mystery might have been a better fit with the sequence.

Hey Alan...good to hear from you! I remember seeing a bit of a punch up in one scene of Heartbeat carried out to the strains of Shadoogie!

Martin

[GrahamH]

I was a huge fan of "Hi-de-Hi", which like other programmes set in the past, used background music in the "Laughing Cow" coffee bar to set the timeframe. I've heard Apache more than once in this setting, but "Theme for Young Lovers" was a bit of a howler for a programme set in 1959 and 1960! Still, good to hear.

Graham

[Airman]

Martin dear boy. Have you been there lately? As far as many are concerned 'Corporation' Street is now actually located in a Frightened City so the tune was appropriate for the times we live in lad! (With apologies to my Mancunian sister in law, family & friends!) The Heartbeat TV show should have played "The Rumble" for a staged 'punch up', not Shadoogie!