Tony Hatch's 80th Birthday
Ken Bruce presents a special concert to wish a very happy 80th birthday to one of the country鈥檚 greatest songwriters 鈥� Tony Hatch.
Join Ken Bruce as we wish a very happy 80th birthday to one of the country鈥檚 greatest songwriters 鈥� Tony Hatch.
The 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra and Capital Voices conducted by Richard Balcombe are joined by special guests Claire Sweeney, Jenna Russell, Michael Dore and Oliver Tompsett, to pay tribute to the man whose music-making career spans an incredible 70 years and whose songs provided a soundtrack of the sixties.
Close by the portals of the 麻豆社's Broadcasting Houses stands All Souls, Langham Place and it was here that the young Tony Hatch first made his treble voice heard as head chorister. Tony left school when he was just 15 and started his career as a tea boy in London鈥檚 Tin Pan Alley 鈥� Denmark Street. He'd brew the tea and do the filing, but he was sometimes asked to play piano for visiting artists. He once played at an audition for the "麻豆社's Talent Selection Group" for a new band called "The Lower Third". A member of the audition panel wrote 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they鈥檒l get better with more rehearsals鈥� - but their lead singer did; his name was David Bowie. Tony produced a number of early tracks by Bowie for Pye records before Bowie left Pye for Philips and released "Space Oddity". Tony meanwhile went on to become one of our top producers and songwriters.
He鈥檚 worked with the likes of Chubby Checker, Pat Boone, The Searchers, Adam Faith, Sasha Distel, Matt Monro, Bruce Forsyth, Frank Sinatra and of course, Petula Clark. For Petula he wrote "Downtown" and then with the song-writing partnership of Jackie Trent there came 鈥淒on鈥檛 Sleep in the Subway鈥�, 鈥淐olour My World鈥�, 鈥淚 Couldn鈥檛 Live Without Your Love鈥�; 鈥淭he Other Man鈥檚 Grass Is Always Greener鈥�, "Where Are You Now?" and "Who Am I?". For Scott Walker he wrote "Joanna" and for Morecambe and Wise - "Positive Thinking".
Tony's compositions are not confined to radio. Switch on the box and you are likely to hear a Tony Hatch signature tune. He is responsible for some of our best loved television themes including 鈥淐rossroads鈥�, 鈥淓mmerdale鈥�, 鈥淪portnight鈥�, 鈥淢r and Mrs鈥� and 鈥淣eighbours鈥�.
Tony's 80th birthday falls on 30th June. In this evening鈥檚 concert recorded at the Alexandra Palace Theatre 鈥� a venue steeped in television history - we鈥檒l hear a selection of Tony鈥檚 favourite themes, songs and archive clips from his long career.
Concert recorded at Ally Pally - 16th April 2019.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Music Played
-
![]()
麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
High Adventure (Friday Night Is Music Night Sig Tune)
-
![]()
麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
That's Entertainment
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney, Capital Voices & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Down Town
-
![]()
Josh MacRae
Messing ABout On The River
- Hello Children Everywhere: Volume 3.
- EMI.
- CDS 7 95569 2.
- 11.
-
![]()
Gerry Dorsey
Crazy Bells
- The Tony Hatch Songbook.
-
![]()
Michael Dore & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Joanna
-
![]()
Jenna Russell & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
I Couldn't Live Without Your Love
-
![]()
The Searchers
Sugar And Spice
- Call Me: The Songs Of Tony Hatch CD1.
- Castle Music.
- CMDD 536.
- 3.
-
![]()
David Bowie
Good Morning Girl
- Early On (1964-1966).
- Rhino Records.
- R2 70526.
- 15.
-
![]()
Oliver Tompsett & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
I Love The Little Things
-
![]()
Oliver Tompsett & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
If You Ever Leave Me
-
![]()
Petula Clark
Downtown
- Early On (1964-1966).
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
The Other Man's Grasss
-
![]()
Jenna Russell & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Don't Sleep In The Subway
-
![]()
Capital Voices & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Tony Hatch TV Medley
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Where Are You Now My Love
-
![]()
Jenna Russell & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
If Only (The Card)
-
![]()
Jenna Russell, Oliver Tompsett & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Opposite Your Smile (The Card)
-
![]()
麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Beautiful In The Rain
-
![]()
Michael Dore & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Who Am I?
-
![]()
Benny Hill
Harvest Of Love
- You Are Awful.. But We Like You!: Showbiz Comedy Titbits Of The '60s And '70s.
- Pye.
- 5.
-
![]()
Eric Morecambe & Ernie Wise
Positive Thinking
- Classic Morecambe And Wise Songs And Sketches.
- EMI.
- 528 6022.
- 15.
-
![]()
Oliver Tompsett & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Forget Him
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Colour My World
-
![]()
Michael Dore & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Call Me
-
![]()
Frank Sinatra
Downtown
- Strangers In The Night.
- Warner.
- 8.
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney, Jenna Russell, Oliver Tompsett, Michael Dore, Capital Voices & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Down Town
-
![]()
麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
High Adventure (Friday Night Is Music Night Sig Tune)
-
![]()
麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
That's Entertainment (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney, Capital Voices & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Down Town (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Josh MacRae
Messing About On The River
-
![]()
Gerry Dorsey
Crazy Bells
-
![]()
Michael Dore & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Joanna (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Jenna Russell & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
I Couldn't Live Without Your Love (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
The Searchers
Sugar and Spice
-
![]()
David Bowie
Good Morning Girl
-
![]()
Oliver Tompsett & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
I Love The Little Things (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Oliver Tompsett & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
If You Ever Leave Me (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Petula Clark
Downtown
- The Ivor Novello Winners.
- EMI.
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
The Other Man's Grass (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Jenna Russell & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Don't Sleep In The Subway (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Capital Voices & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Tony Hatch TV Medley (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Where Are You Now My Love (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Jenna Russell & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
If Only (The Card) (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Jenna Russell, Oliver Tompsett & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Opposite Your Smile (The Card) (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Beautiful In The Rain (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Michael Dore & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Who Am I? (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Eric Morecambe & Ernie Wise
Positive Thinking
-
![]()
Oliver Tompsett & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Forget Him (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Colour My World (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Michael Dore & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Call Me (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
Frank Sinatra
Downtown
-
![]()
Claire Sweeney, Jenna Russell, Oliver Tompsett, Michael Dore, Capital Voices & 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Down Town (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
Happy Birthday To You (Friday Night is Music Night)
-
![]()
麻豆社 Concert Orchestra
High Adventure (Friday Night Is Music Night Sig Tune)
Broadcasts
- Fri 17 May 2019 20:00麻豆社 Radio 2
- Fri 27 Dec 2019 20:00麻豆社 Radio 2