Animal Magic - Original Theme Tune

Lost 1960s TV and Radio

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3.7万回視聴・ 296いいね・ 2021/03/04

Animal Magic - Original Theme Tune - BBC TV 1960s

Animal Magic - the all-time favourite children's nature programme by a country mile.
Johnny Morris (yes, we all believed that he really was a zookeeper at Bristol Zoo) hosted the show and provided all sorts of comedic animal voices.
Johnny risked his dignity (and perhaps his life) by sharing the stage with wild animals, sometimes at Bristol Zoo and sometimes in the studio.
Animal Magic began on BBC TV in 1962 and continued on BBC1 until 1983. It will not come as any surprise to learn that the BBC junked most editions of Animal Magic since they were believed to be of no further use. Typical!
Johnny Morris was already known to children as he was the voice of the British version of Tales of the Riverbank featuring Hammy Hamster - a series that was first broadcast in 1960.
The jaunty Animal Magic theme tune is called 'Las Vegas'. It was written by Laurie Johnson and performed by the Group Forty Orchestra. It was used until the late seventies or early eighties when for no explicable reason it was replaced by an 'updated' (AKA not nearly as good) version.
Laurie Johnson (Lawrence Reginald Ward Johnson) was a prolific TV theme composer. As well as that of Animal Magic he is known for the theme tunes of: This Is Your Life; The Avengers; The Professionals; Jason King. He also wrote film scores for Dr Strangelove and First Men In The Moon.
In memoriam: Laurie Johnson 7th February 1927 – 16th January 2024

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Disclaimer: I do not claim any copyright in the broadcast, the images or the music composition or performance. This clip is uploaded purely for historic interest and should not be used commercially in part or in whole.