That makes it as old as my friends Kate and Sarah - one born in March, the other in May. I am older than them both, as I was three back then and now 53!
They were studio musicians working for the BBC. I read that when the tune became a hit they had to find a band to play it. Don’t think they ever did a real live performance.
I love that a bunch of beige turtleneck wearing 40 something classic musicians made it to number on Top of the Pops in an era of Bowie, Elton John et al...
I think it was a really good tune. It’s the theme from Van Der Valk, the programme about the Dutch detective. Back in the day, all the young girls would be playing this on their recorders on the bus home after school. Well, that and Three Blind Mice, lmao!
In 1973 I was just three, so four years younger than you and watching Play School. Too young to understand or remember at that stage. It was a decade before I encountered Eye Level, at senior school, and I remember the tune well, because my musical memory is very good. Key of Eb major.
The fact that this incredible piece got to number one shows that teens of the time had a very mature musical appreciation which those of today seem to be sorely lacking.
erm...the recod buying piblic back was made of of a broad segment of society and ages...my mother would occasionally buy a single It wasn't just young people
I'm Dutch even for me this theme from Van der Valk brings back memory from old times. I remember this because in my early years I felt proud to have British actors acting in Amsterdam on locations I visited myself, but using Dutch names... I think it was on Sky Channel which in early 80's was also broadcasting as satellite channel in the Netherlands.
Fab Theme featured in Van Der Valk ❤️Gives whole new meaning to beautiful 🥺🎼🎶Miss Reruns of this so much ,R I P Barry Foster 1927-2002 who passed away at 74 ,He was great in this as Commisaris Piet Van Der Valk ❤️
A great tune for a great series!! Such a shame those days are gone!! These days it's all reality TV and game shows!!, nothing like the themes ie persuaders/the avengers that you could watch, listen too, and enjoy!!!.
I would have been just three and Play School age then, too young to understand or remember that period. The Van Der Valk tune I encountered a decade later, at senior school. My musical memory is very good and I have perfect pitch (tune is in Eb major).
+Mike Hudson "Mouldy old dough" was the second biggest selling single in 1972 with the Royal band of the Scots Dragoon guards doing a bagpipe very of "Amazing grace" at number one of that year - always tread carefully when handling nostalgia.
@@revol148 Quite right sir, I remember buying Mouldy old dough for 50p. I remember correctly did the lead singers mom play with them ..Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🤝
Putting music to memories. “EYE LEVEL” by The Simon Park Orchestra. One late afternoon in September, 1973, I left my home at 7, Trevor Drive, Caverswall, and, walking down Trevor Drive, turned right into School Lane and strolled towards the Auctioneer's Arms at Cookshill. A dark blue Beresford's double decker bus, on contract to Blythe Bridge High School, drove past me going in the same direction. In the late afternoon sunlight, the bus stopped opposite the Auctioneer's Arms. There was a warm, blue haze about the whole setting. It unloaded its contingent of school children, one of whom was our paper boy, 12 years old Bryan Garner, who crossed the road carrying his school satchel and headed up The Green to Roughcote Lane. If that scene had been filmed and music put to the images, then this would have been it. As long as this music is played, Bryan will always be getting off that school bus at Cookshill and it will forever be a late sunlit afternoon in September, 1973.
David! You CAN'T just introduce someone and not say exactly who-the-hell they were/ are to you!!! Who the flipping hell is/ was Bryan Garner?!! Put me out of my misery. Or...put me out of my misery.
Hats off to whoever organised the filming and editing of this number. The film focused on each of the instruments in turn, even showing a creative shot through the harp strings at one point. Beautiful rendition of a timeless classic.
I was 9 when this charted. I remember being at Ipswich when it was in the charts watching football against Lazio from Italy. They played this over the PA and a couple of Italian guys near us loved it. So weird the things that I remember after half a century...
I whistle this tune regularly it's a lovely tune . As a kid I used to watch this programme. My dad was particularly found of Holland. He was part of the liberating of Holland from the Nazis during the second world war. The Netherlands and England play tonight in the Euros good luck to both teams 2024 !
I heard a lovely old Guy, (JOHN) whistling this in Icelands today and I said I knew that tune and we got into a conversation. Music is a great thing to do this.
Thanks a lot for posting this !!!!!! When I was a child ages ago, this tune was played in a KLM airlines TV commercial whose images of Amsterdam made me fall in love with the Netherlands. Much later, when I first visited the country, the tune kept sounding in my ears! It is still in my heart, full of bitter sweet memories of vanished times.
This tune is a complex piece .. quite "gentle" to start...then up to "really forceful", then ... suddenly...gentle...only to "erupt" again at the end!! FABULOUS!!!!
I was only three - too young to understand or remember that period first time round. The tune I learned at senior school a decade later (now in my early fifties!)
Van Der Valk great show in its day. Everything stopped in our house when it was on back in 70s remember dad buying 45 of Eye Level. Still a great tune to this day :)
Wonderful memories and Van de Valk was a good programme with a great setting in Amsterdam! Good to see the program being re run on Talking Pictures UK channel
Dam , I was a 5 year old back then, born May 23rd 1968, from northern Ireland UK ♥️🇬🇧🤝 , remember this from back then,! Where has the years gone , just wish we could go back to then,! 😔
@@markfindlay8636 Hi Mark .Me too and reminds me of the time n Fab to be young and luvly memories of my parents too. Fab programme and track. Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🕊🤝
@@davidsherman1206 A "real musician," you say. A conductor doesn't have to be a "real" musician, nor know how to play any instrument. His main functions are to unify the various performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble, and control the interpretation and pacing of the music. I can think of many "real" well-known musicians that didn't ever pull mentally retarded faces, never needed to turn up a guitar amp to a really loud volume to make a hit record. The problem is, this ridiculous face-contorting behavior has become accepted by a small niche market of followers who too pull ridiculous faces either while listening to this noise or as normal daily routine. In the past, this behavior would have gotten you beaten or stoned to death in public as it still should.
I would have been just three and Play School age at the time of this footage, so too young to understand or remember that period. This theme tune to Van Der Valk is in Eb major, and I encountered it at senior school a decade later!
@@clarkedav1 I'm not sure about that, as I was just three and Play School age at the time of this footage, but could only go on second hand observations of the period. Too young to understand or remember directly in 1973!
One of My favorites, Was played in the US on easy listening stations during the 70s and 80s and I never knew the title till now.....thank God for YT!!!!
Memories of the school band come flooding back. A good Christian Brother coaxing actual music out of a bunch of 10 year olds playing hand me down instruments. Those were the days.
I remember my reaction to this when I was a child. I stared, and stared at the tv screen; hoping and wishing for the tune to come back!!!! ( It appears that some things never change! ). Why do I keep mourning for the Seventies sooo much these days??!!!
Oh god this brings back so many memories when I was at Berkeley Vale Public School. Our School Song is sung in tune to this musical piece. It brings a tear to my eye.
Yep. Jack Trombey wrote "Eye Level" for an album in the De Wolfe music library and Thames Television picked it up for use on "Van Der Valk" When they wanted to release it commercially after people were asking about it after the TV series went to air, Simon Park did an arrangement for the commercial release and conducted the orchestra in the recording session for that release. Trombey conducted in the original session recording for De Wolfe.
I've played this tune over and over recently in the background A reminder of my Nan I have not got bored of it it's off the playlist now though 80 odd times is enough!
Just out of curiosity i wanted to know what was top of the charts on my birthdate so here I am, I've actually heard this tune I'm sure it was on some football programme.
Marched onto every parade to this tune from the band at Strensall Barracks York, 1973/74 as a junior soldier, hey Scotty and Max, remember the clear nail varnish on the boots disaster, Hey Sergeant East, same too Christine from the NAAFI, And miss J Brayshaw from The Bop at Huntingdon. I miss you all. And Jamaica Joe the good guy from Jamaica and Manchester, hello Delaney from Moss Side.
