There was nothing on the TV worth watching last night. The radio was all crap. So I had this test card and music on from start to finish. Now feel totally relaxed. Thanks.
The trouble with telly these days is that there is so much on all the different channels that really there is nothing really much worth seeing. Same in a way goes for radio as well. Odd is it not?
Modern terrestrial TV is so bad, that even having a daytime or late evening occupied by a test card is better. Saying that, this is a nice piece with the music, quite entertaining. When I get my early 80's crt set up and running again, I'm looking forward to running this on it one evening while reading
This makes me smile and feel so happy as it takes me back to when Britain seemed a much happier place, and I repaired TV sets then in those days as most TV sets were wood cased ones, and I use to use the test card and its lovely music to make a TV feel happy again after I saved many TV's lives. That's when TV were TV. Today I've become a RU-vid freak as I watch everything on RU-vid, because there's nothing much on the TV now days.
And if you can't find the tracks by these names, hopefully this helps: 01 Heaven Makes You Happy --> Sweet Shangri-La --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 02 Late Reservations --> Last Minute --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 03 Parisienne Autumn --> Paris In Springtime --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 04 Don’t Take Chances --> Taking A Chance --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 05 Nightowls --> Minerva --> Retro Synth [FUN 1039] 06 Music Be Magic --> Illusions --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 07 Nydonoma --> Aroise --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 08 Seeing The Light --> Clear Vision --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 09 Donegal Lullaby --> Donegal Lullaby --> Contemporary Instrumentals 2 [FUN 1002] 10 Gotcha, Coming & Going --> Golden Gate --> Cheezy Muzak [FUN 1013] 11 Wild Flowers --> Time Away --> Easy Listening [FUN 1016] 12 By Now You Know --> You Heard About It --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 13 Nice To Know You --> You're For Me --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 14 Tally Ho --> Final Fantasy --> Retro Synth [FUN 1039] 15 Love Is A Wonderful Thing --> Affair Extraordinaire --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 16 My Love Will Never Be Blue --> Feelings Run Deep --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 17 Hotlips Reggae --> Hotlips Reggae --> Contemporary Instrumentals 1 [FUN 1001] 18 Central Park After Dark --> After Dark --> Contemporary Instrumentals 2 [FUN 1002] 19 Soul Pushing --> Wishful Spirit --> Retro Synth [FUN 1039] 20 Wouldn’t It Be Right To Love You --> Too Young For Love --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 21 Carol’s Theme --> Carla’s Place --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040] 22 Fiesta Nights --> Secret Affections --> Retro 80s [FUN 1040]
1 Heaven Makes You Happy 0:04 2 Late Reservations 2:30 3 Parisienne Autumn 5:14 4 Don’t Take Chances 7:24 5 Nightowls 10:03 6 Music Be Magic 12:52 7 Nydonoma 15:24 8 Seeing The Light 17:32 9 Donegal Lullaby 20:17 10 Gotcha, Coming & Going 22:48 11 Wild Flowers 25:41 12 By Now You Know 27:57 13 Nice To Know You 30:29 14 Tally Ho 32:55 15 Love Is A Wonderful Thing 35:14 16 My Love Will Never Be Blue 38:10 17 Hotlips Reggae 40:55 18 Central Park After Dark 43:27 19 Soul Pushing 46:15 20 Wouldn’t It Be Right To Love U 48:53 21 Carol’s Theme 52:01 22 Fiesta Nights 54:43 All tracks composed by Gossart/Burns/Williams.
I remember this from the first half of 1988, when heard during the school holidays. This is a brilliant compilation, and is up there at the top, along with Stratovarious on BBC 2, and Grooved Root on C4!
That first track, so smoooooooth! I'm almost tempted to sing the jingle of one of our old Detroit radio stations at the end of it. "Smoooooth jaaaaaazz, V ninety-eight point seveeeeeeennnn!!!!"
Surprising the ambitious and extravagant use of the Yahama CS-80 in these recordings, I thought for a moment I was listening to David Hentschel. The performance controls used such as pitch bending and portamento are all there. The recordings have a lot of reverb therein too characterising the period they were made.
Sorry for the late reply, I wouldn’t say that, I think the lush strings are the real deal for most of the tracks, I was trying to highlight those bright lead sounds etc that are so familiar, mind you there are other synths in there too.
The first ever Funtastik compilation! They were GBW music back then, a CD was briefly available through Teleplay Music in 2004. On the notes one of the session musicians, a mate of messers Grossart Burns and Williams got paid for their days work with a fish and chip supper!
As was so often the case the opening tracks were the most interesting. Then the sequence deteriorated in quality and became repetitive. The art of compilation had been lost. There were a few exceptions, namely Positron and Sweet Moods.
Michael D'Ambrogio 1 second ago This BBC TWO Ident has never been used on the Test Card F sorry incorrect and wrong ident. The BBC2 electronic generictic has always has been used since June 1984 until between September 1988 or February 1991 the three digits of BBC ident introduced in August 1988. Please go and correct change to the BBC2 ident has three digits has used from October 1988. Many Thanks Michael D'Ambrogio.
@ceefaxfreak09 Although it was labelled as GBW Music, wasn't it actually supplied to BBC through Fay Gibbs Music Services? (around the era of the Christopher Glassfield Ocean Blue & Studio 88 Bottoms Up tape). I presumed they then made a direct approach for the Funtastik tapes. Just listening to the 2 harp tracks about a quarter of an hour in.. so interesting to note how much melody they have in common.. minor & major key toplines respectively
Yes, you are quite right - just making the link that the "sound" started back then. Funtastik only directly started supplying tapes (and then Mini-discs) direct after the close of International Recordings in 1999 (then presentation had to arrange the supply of new compilations).
This BBC TWO Ident has never been used on the Test Card F sorry incorrect and wrong ident. The BBC2 electronic generictic has always has been used since June 1984 until between September 1988 or February 1991 the three digits of BBC ident introduced in August 1988. Please go and correct the BBC2 ident has three digits has used from October 1988. Many Thanks Michael D'Ambrogio.
How is it that a picture of a girl and a clown doll set to some 80s jazz is better music than 99% of the pish that dominates our charts today? Really hard to believe that music this good was just "stock music" with no commercial value! It may be "elevator jazz" but is not really a whole lot different from say the album Land of Cockayne by Soft Machine. Insomnia inspired rant over!
Here we are JFredUK - 01 Heaven Makes You Happy 02 Late Reservations 03 Parisienne Autumn 04 Don’t Take Chances 05 Nightowls 06 Music Be Magic 07 Nydonoma 08 Seeing The Light 09 Donegal Lullaby 10 Gotcha, Coming & Going 11 Wild Flowers 12 By Now You Know 13 Nice To Know You 14 Tally Ho 15 Love Is A Wonderful Thing
Thanks for the upload, there's some tracks here that I was hoping to find in full quality. I'm confused though - you've listed 30 track titles in the comments, but I only count 22 tracks in the video.
I remember in my late teens when I was supposed to be listening to The Smiths I'd get stoned when everyone else went to bed and lay back on the sofa and listen to this music just to hear the bass.
Thank You as a 49 year old man with Cerbrial Palsy since birth,was the music played by the BBC or was it bought in or stock test card music from around the world? Thanks again GOD BLESS I remeber this well!
Garry, though it's probably far too late to send you info', most of the music up to late sixties was sourced from continental Europe. However, one BBC radio producer was requested to spread the net globally, especially for vocal tracks, and this he succesfully did. UK composers were responsible for quite a few tracks and even more had UK musicians performing on them. But in non-Uk recording studios, beyond the grip of UK Musicians Union. Hope this so belatedly helps.
and here are the others - 16 My Love Will Never Be Blue 17 Hotlips Reggae 18 Central Park After Dark 19 Soul Pushing 20 Wouldn’t It Be Right To Love U 21 Carol’s Theme 22 Fiesta Nights
Although shown with the test card here, this tape was mostly played over Ceefax pages. It was in service for just under a year on BBC2, from November 1987 to November 1988. It did, however, return for a one-off play in the middle of the night in 2004!!
