Elms, his collaborator on MAN WITH A SUITCASE, became the series composer. He crafted underscores for eight epi- sodes—beginning with “De- gree Absolute” (retitled “Once Upon a Time”) and ending with “Fall Out”—recorded in four sessions from March to Octo- ber 1967 and featured on Discs Two (“Incidentally”) and Three (“Harmony”). Elms’ recordings then served as a series library that Mivall adapted for seven other episodes—including, at McGoohan’s request, a re-edit of “Arrival.” The only episode of THE PRISONER that lacks mu- sic recorded for the series by Elms, Farnon, or Josephs is “The Girl Who Was Death,” tracked solely with library mu- sic and other pre-existing tracks.
Bert Elms served the diverse demands of the series—and its passion for idiosyncracy—with style, delivering a dizzying array of source cues: marches for the Village band (including a zany adaptation of Bizet for “Ham- mer into Anvil”), atmospheres that ranged from playful to the apocalyptic, a faux Western score for “Living in Harmony,” and even an hommage to Ennio Morricone (“Walk Down French Street” for “Play in
Three Acts” aka “A, B, and C”). His signature cues include the “Speed Chimes” heard over the Village’s loudspeakers, his rendition of “Boys and Girls Come Out to Play,” the “Light Stings” de- noting Number One, and the brass coronation fanfare used in “Fall Out.”
Mivall and his predecessor Dearburg faith- fully documented all of the original recordings in a black exercise book that is reprinted in the set’s booklet. The Holy Grail of PRISONER mu- sic, however, is the series’ true “Music Bible,” whose scene-by-scene annotations identify the cues used in every scene of every episode—avail- able from Mivall in a private edition for £125 (its proceeds are devoted to children’s education). The reason is well known to aficionados. The original music, although essential to THE PRISONER, is only
half of the story: the series’ ambitious collision of musical styles was possible only through Mivall’s deft use of Chappell library cues. To make six into one—and to learn more about the contributions of the man who licensed the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” for a mere £68—listeners must consult another trio of discs, THE PRISONER FILES #1, #2, and #3. These discs, released individually by Silva Screen in 2002, are the focus of my next column. Until then: Be hearing you...
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douglasewinter.com. Review materials should be sent c/o Vale House, 2495 Oakton Hills Drive, Oakton VA 22124.
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