David Coleman
Pencil Portrait by Antonio Bosano.
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The quality of the prints are at a much higher level compared to the image shown on the left.
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A3 Pencil Print-Price £45.00-Purchase
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*Limited edition run of 250 prints only*
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Recommended listening
'Sportsnight' Theme (Tony Hatch)
There are those who may deride Hatch as a supercilious little prick, and the man did himself no favours with his weekly ‘hatchet’ like demolition of aspiring acts on the top rated 70’s ATV series ‘New Faces’. Thankfully, there was the avuncular Ted Ray to lift the distraught contestants’ spirits, after Tone had lit the litmus test paper for future panel terminators like Simon Cowell.
Nevertheless, whatever my own personal sentiments, and feelings amongst the many run high having inflicted the ‘Crossroads’ and ‘Emmerdale’ themes upon the unsuspecting public, Tony Hatch nonetheless wrote the superlative ‘Sportsnight’ theme for the BBC. Add to the mix some classic hits for Petula Clark and the 1965 British number one for his wife Jackie Trent “Where are you now, my love” and we must graciously award him some brownie points.
This theme remained unreleased until its inclusion on an album called ‘Hit The Road To Themeland’ in 1974, and resonates strongly for any child of the 70’s. Hearing it on wednesdays involved staying up late during the school week, a televisual moment to be enjoyed with dad whilst mum busied herself elsewhere.
The unfamiliar extended free-form jazz work out, featuring vibes and a break-neck walking bass line, is thrilling, whilst the hitherto mixed-down guitar riff, establishes a solid groove ‘from the off.’ Classic stuff and worthy of a prime time revival.
Comments
David Coleman, the renowned athletics commentator worked for the BBC for almost 50 years, covering 11 summer Olympic Games, a period that would culminate at the 2000 Sydney event.
He also covered six soccer World Cups and was the host of the long running ‘Question Of Sport’ television series for 18 years. In 1968, he was a big enough figure to be given his own midweek programme, ‘Sportsnight With Coleman’, which he fronted until 1972 when it became simply ‘Sportsnight’ and would run until 1997. Official recognition of his career would come with the award of an OBE in 1992, yet by 2000, this patriarch of sports broadcasting – uniquely identifiable for the intense cadence with which his voice urgently engaged sport aficionados for nearly half a century – was allowed to fade into retirement without even a whimper of official farewell, approbation or gratitude. Within the corridors of power at The Beeb, there were clearly individuals with whom he had crossed swords; time therefore, to investigate further.