Last updated : 23rd October 2008


There have been quite a few versions of the main theme to the show released over the years, though never the original television session recording recorded by Laurie Johnson and his orchestra. This is near-impossible: due to the nature of the contracts, each individual musician in the orchestra would have to give his/her consent (and many of them have passed away now, anyway). So from a commercial point of view, it is too complicated and not financially viable to try to reach such an agreement. This is a shame as, I'm sure most would agree, this original recording is undoubtedly the best....

I recently received this message from fan Mark Kinvig, who had been in touch with Laurie:

"When I hear the 'Professionals' theme start to play, it is the same as hearing the opening titles of a Bond movie. Being confined to home, and restricted as to what I can, or can't do, 'The Professionals' have been, in many ways, a life-saver. Laurie's music is a major contribution to the show's success, and I wish to let other visitors to your wonderful website know how great this talented composer, and gentleman, is. I hope my opinion is of help in your endeavour to keep 'The Professionals' alive and immortal."

Laurie's own re-arrangements are usually quite faithful but most of the cover versions by other artists range from merely inferior to absolutely appalling!

Although most of these are long out-of-print, a good source for tracking them down is the GEMM website.

Artist Laurie Johnson
Title The Music of Laurie Johnson Volume 2 - The Professionals
Format 3-CD set
Date of release (UK) 2008
Record Label Edsel
Catalogue Number EDSD 2021
Comments

Well it only seems right to kick off with what, for the time being at least, is the definitive "document" of Laurie's work on the series, with fifty(!) incidental themes used in the show. It should be noted that only the first CD in the set covers The Professionals - but at almost 80 minutes, there is more than enough material to keep fans happy.... well, up to a point, anyway...

Let's get the negative points out of the way first. Every track - including the main title theme - is monophonic. It is uncertain whether they were originally recorded this way - after all the programme as transmitted had mono sound. Countering this, though, is the fact that most of the pieces are of high sound quality. OK, let's review each track in detail...

The main theme is, at last(!), the genuine TV version (actually, the second recording, which accompanied episodes from the second season onwards in original transmission. Tragically, having waited for over thirty years to hear this, the sound quality is mysteriously dire, with "squashed" audio dynamics one usually associates with old, cheap tape cassette. Indeed if you were to rip it from a DVD, you would get better results.

"Theme A" is the frantic, bouncy, jazzy version of the title theme heard in a few first season eps, usually to accompany a chase. From here on the audio is of a far more, ahem, professional sound quality.

"Theme B" was only used once in the show and is the slow, "sleazy jazz" version of the main theme used in the fourth season episode "It's Only a Beautiful Picture" when the lads are trawling around central London looking for the photographer.

"Sleuthing" is one of the classic "wah-wah" and brass themes used in first season eps such as "Everest was also Conquered" and "Stakeout".

"On the Trail" is an odd title for this bright, bouncy, brassy track used for "Off we go again!"-type scenes. Closer in the style to The New Avengers, really.

The next six tracks are taken from the third season episode Stopover and present a nice mix of "surveillance" and "frantic chase" styles.

Next up we have five pieces from the third season story "Fugitive". This suite is more varied, offering different flavours of surveillance, tailing and action styles.

The next couple of two tracks are marked as being from "Foxhole on the Roof", though the second of the two is actually from the episode "A Man Called Quinn". By 1980 synthesisers were becoming accepted in the mainstream. For the "Foxhole" track, however, they are employed to provide sustained-note backgrounds to the military-style brass and percussion. By the time of the "Quinn" episode, filmed the following year, Laurie has clearly become more comfortable with the electronic instruments as the strident "chase" theme here shows.

Overall this CD set is a must for even casual fans of the show - especially considering the ludicrously low price you can pick it up for! While it suffers two major disappointments, these are more than made up for by the choice of pieces. Most of the really memorable themes from the show are here (although inevitably there are a few greats that didn't make it - the unforgettable car chase theme from "Man without a Past" being the most obvious omission). What's interesting here is that although there is no mistaking that they were written as soundtrack music, they actually stand up in their own right - and it perhaps isn't until you hear these pieces in isolation that you really appreciate Laurie's ability as a composer. I guess the only reason why Laurie was never invited to score for other television shows during the 1970s and 80s was the industry became reliant on inexpensive "library" houses.

Overall I score the set 3 out of 5.

If sales are strong enough, we may get a second volume.



Artist Various
Title "TV Themes"
Other tracks ?
Format LP
Date of release (UK) 1978
Record Label Weekend Records
Catalogue Number DJM 22081
Comments

Contains an excellent version of the theme by the Laurie Holloway orchestra. It is a different arrangement from the original as the middle section uses the incidental music that accompanies the motorway chase sequence from 2nd season epsiode "Hunter/Hunted" (Thanks to Oliver Lomax)



Artist Laurie Johnson and the London Studio Orchestra
Title The Professionals Main Title
Other tracks On Target / The New Avengers Main Title
Format Single
Date of release (UK) October 1980 / Re-issued 1983
Record Label Unicorn-Kanchana
Catalogue Number CI5
Comments

This version comes closest to the original score. Well worth tracking down, then! Despite The Professionals theme being the A-side, the record's sleeve bears a picture from The New Avengers



Artist Laurie Johnson and the London Studio Orchestra
Title MUSIC FROM THE AVENGERS, NEW AVENGERS AND THE PROFESSIONALS
Other tracks The Avengers / Joker / Pandora / The New Avengers / Obsession / Cat amongst the pigeons / Tale of the big why / The Professionals / Sleuthing / On the scent / In Pursuit / Interlude / Waiting and ambush / On target.
Format LP /TD>
Date of release (UK) October 1980
Record Label KPM Records International
Catalogue Number KPM 7009
Comments Same versions as those above. Also includes rerecordings of incidental music featured in each series. The Professionals tracks are mainly from the third, fourth and fifth seasons.


Artist The Wright Orchestra
Title "Out Of The Box/Pacific Strip"
Other tracks See comments
Format Single
Date of release (UK) 1981
Record Label Polydor
Catalogue Number POSP 356
Comments

The Professioanls theme is on the "Out Of The Box" side. It is the shortest in a medley that also contains versions of TV themes such as "The New Avengers", "CHiPs" and "Hart To Hart", all set to a disco beat. (Thanks to Oliver Lomax)



Artist Laurie Johnson and the London Studio Orchestra
Title MUSIC FROM THE AVENGERS, NEW AVENGERS AND THE PROFESSIONALS
Other tracks The Avengers / Joker / Pandora / The New Avengers / Obsession / Cat amongst the pigeons / Tale of the big why / The Professionals / Sleuthing / On the scent / In Pursuit / Interlude / Waiting and ambush / On target.
Format CD
Date of release (UK) 1988
Record Label Varese Sarabande
Catalogue Number VCD 47270
Comments Hmmmm.... in fact this CD version of the 1980 KPM recording session may never have been actually released, as nobody can find it!


Artist Laurie Johnson and the London Studio Orchestra
Title MUSIC FROM THE AVENGERS, NEW AVENGERS AND THE PROFESSIONALS
Other tracks The Avengers / Joker / Pandora / The New Avengers / Obsession / Cat amongst the pigeons / Tale of the big why / The Professionals / Sleuthing / On the scent / In pursuit / Interlude / Waiting and ambush / On target.
Format LP / CD
Date of release (UK) 1980 / CD 1988 / re-released 1995
Record Label Varese Sarabande
Catalogue Number ASV 9500382 / VCD 47270
Comments American version of the above album. Note that re-issues of this album dropped The Professionals tracks and substituted music from Laurie's other films such as Captain Kronos, Dr Strangelove, First Men in the Moon, etc. This also applied to the American 1988 CD version which carries the same catalogue number as the previous entry (VCD 47270)


Artist Lewis Collins
Title 'Who needs The Mojos?!'When You Come Home Again
Other tracks Take it Out on Time
Format Single
Date of release (UK) 1982
Record Label Sour Grape
Catalogue Number SG111
Comments Thanks very much to Louise Tilley and Nicola Wood for drawing my attention to this one. The story behind it seems to be that record companies had been nagging Lewis to do something musical since the early days of The Professionals and, eventually, he gave in! That B-side track certainly sounds a bit, errr..... well, need I say more?! Muchos gracias to Barbara Johnson for the cover scan :-)


Artist Martin Shaw
Title Cross My Heart and Hope to Die

Other tracks I'll Come Alone
Format Single
Date of release (UK) 1984
Record Label Nouveau Music
Catalogue Number NMS 4
Comments

The following info and opinions were kindly submitted by Chris Drake. The A-side is something of a 'power ballad', whilst the B-side is just a ballad. Neither song is particularly good. Both songs were written by Shirlie Roden. Produced by Jon Miller and Published by D'Arc Music. They were both recorded at Redan Studios. The record was released on the Nouveau Music label. What is interesting is that there is no date anywhere on the record or packaging. What is quite bizarre is that, on the reverse, it says "Photography by courtesy of Wimpey Homes" (?!). There is also a free poster contained within the sleeve, which is just a blow-up of the photo.

Big thanks to Barbara Johnson and Chris Drake for cover scans.



Artist Laurie Johnson and the London Studio Orchestra
Title The Avengers / The New Avengers / The Professionals / The First Men on the Moon
Other tracks -
Format Extended play Flexi-disc single
Date of release (UK) February 1984
Record Label Eva-Tone
Catalogue Number 1111814
Comments Came free with Starlog magazine. I don't know about the nature of the recordings (possibly the same as the above-mentioned) and I doubt whether you'll find one of playable quality nowadays!


Artist Stanley Black and the London Symphony Orchestra
Title ITV Themes
Other tracks Thunderbirds / The Professionals / The Avengers / The New Avengers / Jewel In The Crown / Upstairs Downstairs / The Duchess of Duke Street / Black Beauty / Minder / The Two Of Us / Happy Days / Tales of the Unexpected / Coronation Street / The Sweeney / The Bill (Overkill) / Hannay / World Of Sport / Aztec Gold / Carmen To The Ring / Saint & Greavsie / Hill Street Blues / L.A. Law / Hooperman / The A-Team / This Is Your Life / Highway / Blockbusters
Format LP / Cassette / CD
Date of release (UK) November 1988
Record Label Pickwick International
Catalogue Number LP:SHM 3247 / CD: PWKS 516 Cassette:HSC 3247
Comments The Professionals attempt is good but lacks the raw 70's funkiness of the TV theme. It is played by the full orchestra (a much larger orchestra than Laurie Johnson used for the original) and so the brass and tubular bell opening bar (where the car smashes through the plate glass window) sounds awesome! (helped by the size of the hall where the recording took place!).


Artist The Power Pack Orchestra
Title A IS FOR ACTION
Other tracks Superman / Magnum / Knight Rider / The Professionals / Starsky & Hutch / Shoestring / Hawaii 5-0 / Hill Street Blues / Dempsey & Makepeace / Indiana Jones / T.J. Hooker / The James Bond Theme / Dukes Of Hazzard / The New Avengers / Rockford Files / Street Hawk / The Good, Bad, and the Ugly / Bergerac / The A-Team
Format LP / Cassette / CD (with some tracks substituted for more contemporary audience)
Date of release (UK) 1985
Record Label Music for Pleasure / EMI
Catalogue Number MFP 5705-1 (LP) / 41 5705-4 (cass)
Comments A very 80's release! Most tracks on this album are played with the same instruments which any musician will recognise as classic 80's sounds: The Yamaha DX-7 slap bass for the bass. Linn and Simmons SDS drumkits for the drum tracks and plenty of DX-7 Brass sounds for good measure. This is the only recording of THE PROFESSIONALS to get the waah-waah guitar anywhere near the TV version. Other good covers are a very authentic Starsky & Hutch (with the lead played on waah guitar instead of a lyricon as on the TV version), T.J. Hooker and Dempsey & Makepeace.


Artist Various
Title FAVOURITE TV THEMES
Other tracks Inspector Morse / Ruth Rendell Mysteries / Upstairs Downstairs / She / Poirot / A Woman of Substance / Tales of the Unexpected / The Professionals / The Match / The Avengers / Forever Green / New Adventures of Black Beauty / Chimera / London's Burning / Dr Who / The One Game / ITV World Cup 90 / A Hundred Acres / On The Line / Wish Me Luck / Summer's lease / ITV Athletics / The Good Guys / Classic Adventures
Format CD
Date of release (UK) June 1992
Record Label Music Club
Catalogue Number MCCD 069
Comments The cover of The Professionals theme here really is terrible, especially considering the fact that is was played by the South Bank Studio Orchestra! This does contain the middle sequence that is in the original sheet score for the TV theme, which you may recognise as the car chase incidental music from 'Hunter, Hunted'.


Artist Various
Title BEST OF THE TV DETECTIVES
Other tracks The Bill / Inspector Morse / Taggart / Between the Lines / Prime Suspect 3 / The Gentle Touch / Juliet Bravo / Chandler & Co / Miss Marple / Eye Level (Van Der Valk) / Poirot / Maigret / Bergerac / The Chief / Ruth Rendell Mysteries / Shoestring / The Professionals / Dempsey & Makepeace
Format CD
Date of release (UK) 1994
Record Label Soundtrack Music Records
Catalogue Number 7243 8 3149827
Comments The cover here is the worst ever! It is a synth version by Chris Cozens and is absolutely dire. The wrong notes, crap sounds, etc. Maybe it should be WORST OF THE TV DETECTIVES?!


Artist London Studio Symphony Orchestra.
Title THE ROSE AND THE GUN
Other tracks The Lady & The Highwayman / A Hazard of Hearts / A Duel of Heats / A Ghost In Monte Carlo / The Avengers / Tag Scene from The Avengers / The New Avengers / Tiger Bay / When the kissing had to stop / Caesar Smith / There is another song / This Time / Shirley's Theme / Rickshaw Ride / I Aim At The Stars / This Is your Life / Jason King / Romance - The First Men In The Moon / The Professionals
Format CD
Date of release (UK) 1992
Record Label Fly Records / Unicorn-Kanchana
Catalogue Number FLY CD103
Comments Tracks here include original themes of The Avengers, New Avengers, Jason King and Laurie's 1991 version of The Professionals theme (which is the one used in the Nissan Almera "UNPROFESSIONALS" Advert). Well worth searching out if you can find it!


Artist Various
Title THE A TO Z OF BRITISH TV THEMES VOLUME 3
Other tracks The Beiderbecke Connection / Blake´s 7/ Blott On The Landscape / Dangerfield / Dempsey and Makepeace / Doctor Finlay´s Casebook / Emergency Ward 10 / Hetty Wainthropp Investigates / International Detective / Just William/ Lovejoy/ Midweek / Nationwide / The Newcomers/ The One Game / Poirot / The Professionals / Ruth Rendell Mysteries / Sexton Blake / Shoestring / Ski Sunday / The Sweeney / Terry and June / This is Your Life / The Trials of Life / When the boat comes in / Wish Me Luck / Woof! / World Of Sport / Wycliffe
Format CD
Date of release (UK) 1996
Record Label Play it Again
Catalogue Number PLAY010
Comments

Despite the boast of 'Original Versions' on the cover, in fact this is the same mix as the one on FAVOURITE TV THEMES (see above) by the South Bank Orchestra. So, another one on the 'blacklist'!

You would think that record labels, especially one's like this who are supposedly "specialists" in TV themes, would have the research capability to simply dig the original KPM recording out and get it licensed for release on a compilation. Its so simple I cannot believe that no one has done it yet! Especially considering that KPM records are a huge TV music library as well! The same goes for the version of Dempsey & Makepeace that is on here. The original FED 9 release on Sierra Records was the original score and it is much better than the tacky synth version that is currently doing the rounds. The one redeeming feature of this album is the truly ORIGINAL recording of The Sweeney theme which is authentic!



Artist Various
Title THIS IS THE RETURN OF CULT FICTION
Other tracks The Professionals / Enter The Dragon / Starsky and Hutch / Six Million Dollar Man / Charlie´s Angels / WonderWoman / Dr Who (1980 edit) / Vision On (the chase) / The Two Ronnies / Magnum P.I. / Get Smart / Dave Allen / Kojak / Tales of the Unexpected / Taxi / Fly Me To The Moon / Vision On (Gallery) / Last Tango In Paris / Hill St. Blues / North By Northwest / Once Upon A Time In America/ Budgie / Taxi Driver / White Horses / Perry Mason / Return Of The Saint / I Dream Of Jeannie / Man About The House / On The Buses / World of Sport / Bewitched / Minder / Please Sir / Grange Hill (1978-88 theme - ´Chicken Man´) / Ski Sunday (´Pop Looks Bach´)/ Roobarb and Custard
Format CD
Date of release (UK) September 1996
Record Label Circa Records Ltd/ Virgin Records Ltd
Catalogue Number VTCD 112 7243 8 42166 2 7
Comments

An excellent compilation, features the version of the theme from THE ROSE & THE GUN which is the one used in the Nissan adverts. The whole CD seems to have been mastered with a bit more low end, which means the theme has more kick than on THE ROSE & THE GUN. Other rarities on here include Tom Scott´s original 1977 recording of STARSKY and HUTCH, which was only previously available on a 1987 US CD ´The Best of Tom Scott´; . Another gem is the original EMI recording of the theme to ´MINDER´ sung by Dennis Waterman, which is the first time this track has been released on CD and also only is second re-release since the 1980 EMI 5009 single.



Artist Laurie Johnson
Title LAURIE JOHNSON'S BIG BAND Volume 2
Tracks

Crazy for Gershwin, This is Your Life, Suddenly, Bolero, I Should Care, How Do You Keep The Music Playing?, The Avengers, I Love Paris, Where Do We Go From Here?, The Professionals, Mack The Knife, Coasting, The Glenn Miller Medley, Xylophobia, Why Do People Fall In Love?, The New Avengers, My Romance, Got To Get You Into My Life, Rhapsody In Blue, Soon

Format CD
Date of release (UK) 1996
Record Label Horatio Nelson Records
Catalogue Number CDSIV 6160
Comments This CD is interesting mainly for the TV tracks which include both Avengers themes and, of course, The Professionals. These are new recordings, not the same versions as released on Cult Fiction and Rose and The Gun. The orchestral arrangement of The Professionals is superb and Laurie is credited with the arrangement. The brass and strings are almost identically recorded as the original TV theme, with the a very punchy, "in your face" feel. What lets this recording down (like all the others) is the lack of a decent wah-guitar backing and a thin drum track. The tempo of the track is also wrong – it's like someone has turned the tape recorder to half speed! However, the overall effect ranks alongside the Pickwick ITV Themes recording of 1988 for sheer power! The two Avengers tracks are okay. The first one is more jazzy than that actual theme, but this is the nature of this particular CD which is very much aimed at a jazz / big band market. The New Avengers again is okay, but nothing special and pales into insignificance alongside the version that appears on The Rose and The Gun. This CD is fairly easily obtainable and is very cheaply priced (around the 7UKP mark) so it's worth adding to the collection.


Artist Various
Title Theme from The Professionals
Tracks

DISC 1: The Professionals (Blue Boy 7"Mix) / The Professionals (Galdez Ambrose Project Versatility Mix) / The Professionals Theme (Laurie Johnson) / You and Me (Alexia)

DISC 2: The Professionals (Blue Boy 7" Mix) / The Professonals (Galdez Ambrose Project Versatility Mix) / The Professionals (Blue Boy 12" Mix) / The Professionals (Galdez Ambrose Project Maximum Versatility Mix)

Format CD-single
Date of release (UK) April 1997
Record Label Virgin
Catalogue Number VSCDT 1643 / VSCDTX1643 (Alternate Mixes)
Comments

No, this is still not the original version – despite what Virgin told people at the time it was released – but simply the same as that included on the Return of Cult Fiction disc (above). The Blue Boy dance mix takes the same version and adds a typical dance beat, which predictably, sounds awful. The Galdez Ambrose (wasn't she an actress in Brookside?!) track is just bizarre! I won't even attempt to describe it except to say that it is in style called "jungle", apparently. However I do quite like the Alexia (whoever she is) track 'You and Me' which adds vocals to a laidback attempt at the theme. This really has a very 70's funk/soul sound - a joy for all us folk who remain happily trapped in 1977! Yes the lyrics are cheesy but it's still better than the Laurie Johnson version that appears here!



Artist Various
Title CULT THEMES FROM THE SEVENTIES
Other tracks UFO (The Bruce Li Organisation) / The Persuaders (Box Office Poison) / Get Carter (The Incredibly Strange Film Band) / Diamonds Are Forever (Lynus) / The Sweeney (The Sweeney) / Shaft (The Incredibly Strange Film Band featuring Misty Woods) / Superfly (Monkey) / Starsky and Hutch (The Lambrettas) / The Professionals (Earthling Scum) / Nobody Does it Better (Mouse) / 5:15 (Misty Woods) / Hawaii 5-0 (Ministry of Ska) / The Chase (Box Office Poison)
Format CD
Date of release (UK) September 1997
Record Label Future Legend Records Ltd
Catalogue Number FLEG 8 CD
Comments

An intriguing little compilation disc which features various, little-known bands. >Russell Writer at FLR was kind enough to send me a copy of this CD for review. It's a shame, then, that I can't honestly recommend it. On playing it through the hi-fi (as opposed to my twenty-quid PC speakers!) it becomes immediately apparent that all is not so hot on the sound quality front: there's very little lower-to-mid treble and the bass part of the sound spectrum is often 'muddy'. This happens on all of the tracks. The Professionals theme is a strange, bass guitar-led dirge and an absolute insult to Laurie's score. To be honest, though, I don't think Earthling Scum are expecting us to take it seriously, anyway. It seems more like a jokey warm-up session simply done for fun. In which case, it shouldn't really be released commericially. It's a great shame Future Legend didn't use the version by The Incrediby Strange Film Band because their recent rendition on UK TV was absolutely superb.

The disc opens with a dreadful rendition of UFO (the massively undervalued cult 1970 Gerry Anderson series starring Ed Bishop... and Gabrielle Drake in a purple wig!!) which is entirely devoid of the charm and jauntiness of the original.

The Persuaders theme suffers the same fault as well as sounding very dour – "pop noir" is the term used in the liner notes and is fitting, I think.

The Get Carter (cult 1971 Newcastle-based gangster film starring Michael Caine) theme grooves along quite nicely but lacks the sharp-edged "spine-tingliness" of the original.

However by the time of The Sweeney, things are definitely looking up with this faithful reproduction, though doesn't quite have the "bite" of Harry South's original, brilliant theme. But this version also includes the soulful end theme – yes, I enjoyed this one!

The Shaft and Starsky & Hutch themes are highly commendable, too, both being surprisingly faithful to the originals.

Mouse's version of Carly Simon's Nobody Does it Better (from the Bond film 'The Spy Who Loved Me') is excellent in this stripped-down form but the singer's voice (which is very good) is not allowed to "shine through" as it does with Carly's original. It seems to be "restrained" in the mix.

Predictably the attempt at Hawaii 5-0 has a very Two-Tone/Ska flavour to it and isn't bad but lacks the "energy" of the original.

FLR specialise in these types of compilations and currently have quite a number of similar discs available.



Artist Various
Title ACID JAZZ MOVIE AND TV THEMES
Other tracks The Professionals (Lovetrain), Dave Allen at Large (Kozmic Trooths), Mission: Impossible (James Taylor Quartet), Rollerball (Akimbo), The New Avengers (Snowboy), Countdown (Pippa and the Four from the Top), Love Boat (Spice), Angels (Van Groove), The Sweeney (Flying Squad), The Graduate (James Taylor Quartet), The Cricket (Sockadelic), Heist (Corduroy), Allegretto Per Signora (Wipeout), Dirty Harry (James Taylor Quartet), Snooker (The Hurricanes), Riot on 103rd Street (Mother Earth)
Format CD
Date of release (UK) October 1997
Record Label ?
Catalogue Number ?
Comments

Thanks to Matt Jeffery for notification of this disc. You can hear snippets of some of the tracks (including those from The Professionals and New Avengers) at Amazon. To be honest, like the disc above, this doesn't sound like a serious attempt at covers, though the tracks from the James Taylor Quartet may well be pretty good.

Here's what "The Minister" has to say:

"This CD is aimed a mass audience and as such does well. The various versions on the compilation are well produced in general. The Professionals is interesting and different from other cover versions. It's very hip and uses lots of synth brass (which is cheap and tacky sounding) but lacks anywhere near the raw funkiness of the original theme (surprise, surprise).

What anyone has YET to do is mix the best elements of a good orchestral arrangement (and Laurie's own brass arrangement on 1996's Laurie Johnson's Big Band double-CD from Horatio Records is pretty damn perfect – this CD to be reviewed soon) with a solid bass line and equally low end funk drumtrack with an excessive amount of wah guitar. Then we would have something close to the original TV theme. At least this ACID JAZZ CD has the main theme played on electric guitar which sounds quite good. The Sweeney theme is excellent and actually has more of a shuffle feel than the original. Fans of Laurie will enjoy the New Avengers re-recording by Snowboy which has really authentic sounding bass and drums , and recreates that 70's feel. It's quite a long mix and deservedly so. Alan Parker's Angels theme is brilliantly re-created and is almost indistinguishable from the original recording, but with the benefit of digital recording technology. Other notable tracks are The Countdown theme by Alan 'Grange Hill' Hawkshaw (very authentic) and The James Taylor Quartet's Dirty Harry theme which is an excellent reworking of Lalo Schifrin's original. Overall, this CD is a disappointment for Professionals fans looking for a close version of the theme, but enjoyable for fans of 70's wah-wah style music which nowadays is classified as Acid Jazz.



Artist Laurie Johnson
Title THE PROFESSIONAL - THE BEST OF LAURIE JOHNSON
Tracks The Avengers; The New Avengers; The Professionals; Theme from Doctor Strangelove: The Bomb Run; This Is Your Life; Jason King; When The Kissing Had To Stop; Tiger Bay; Shirley’s Theme (from Shirley’s World); Caesar Smith (from Hot Millions); The Lady and the Highwayman; A Hazard of Hearts; A Duel of Hearts; A Ghost in Monte Carlo; The First Men In The Moon: Romance; I Aim At The Stars; The Four Musketeers (Overture); Las Vegas (from Animal Magic); Private Eye (from The Freewheelers); Bolero; The Avengers Tag Scene.
Format CD
Date of release (UK) 2001
Record Label Redial (Polygram)
Catalogue Number CD 557 210-2
Comments

Many thanks to Dave Silk for this review:

Overall the disc is good if you like Laurie’s music (who doesn’t?) but the ‘The Professionals’ theme tune is very short with its mid section a little weak – almost like a fill in for the sake of of a fill in. The beginning is quite raunchy though and very similar to the TV version. The Avengers theme tunes are the best I’ve heard away from the programme itself, so if you like those the disc is worth buying for them alone. I think one of the best things for me about the disc is that it made me realise just how much of Laurie’s music we’ve been listening to over the years without realising that he was the man behind it.




Aware of any more releases? Then please e-mail Dave. Many thanks!