Spoke Records are proud to release this 4-track 7” EP on the 50th anniversary of one of the most loved UK library labels, Standard Music Library.
The company was formed as a collaboration between London Weekend Television (the ITV franchise for Greater London and Home Counties) and Bucks Music Group. The founding year was 1968 and coincidentally, Standard released 68 LPs before transferring product to digital formats. The extremely rare ‘Textures’ album by Brian Eno was the final vinyl release appearing in 1989.
MIDASIDE
It would be a huge disservice not to mention Harry Rabinowitz and Midas Touch when discussing this label. Harry Rabinowitz was integral to everything SML related. Conductor, arranger, composer and musician, Harry moved to the UK from Johannesburg, South Africa in 1946 at the age of 30. By 1968 he was Head of Music at LWT and a prime instigator for SML. He found wider fame conducting numerous scores for blockbuster movies including ‘Hanover Street’, ‘Chariots Of Fire’, ‘The English Patient’ and ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’. In 1977 he was awarded the MBE for services to the music industry. Harry played the piano every day until his passing in 2016 at the grand age of 100.
Midas Touch were pretty much the Standard house/studio band appearing on many recordings throughout the catalogue, also appearing on other library labels like Peer, JW, Programme and the obscure Music Masters owned Oak label. The core members were Harry Rabinowitz, Dave Richmond, Martin Kershaw and Harold Fisher.
o DAD’S A PEREGRINATOR – The sleeve notes describe this as a medium tempo ‘Shaft’ style theme but as the wordplay title suggests, this recording owes more to ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’. It found certain notoriety by appearing in the cult soft porn movie ‘Debbie Does Dallas’ alongside a few more tracks from ESL 128.
o HEAVY CONVOY – This heavy driving percussive piece is a fine example of how Midas Touch adapted to the demands of rock requirements towards the end of the decade.
HERBICIDE
As the heading suggests, this side revolves around music industry maverick Brian Keith Flowers AKA Herbie Flowers. Herbie found wide acclaim in the supergroups Blue Mink, Sky, CCS, T.Rex and also provided his services to the likes of David Bowie, Elton John, Harry Nilsson and Lou Reed (perhaps Herbie’s most memorable bass-line in pop culture is the opening bars to ‘Walk On The Wild Side’). A firm believer of being paid fairly for a day’s work and being publicly critical of the royalties system, the work of a jobbing sessionist fitted perfectly with such a mindset and his work can be found spread across many library houses. Best known for his original bass and double-bass workouts, Herbie is also a master of the tuba.
o EVIL FLOWER – Perhaps the most in-demand track on the label, this recording contains some of the wildest and most demented fuzz ever to be pressed onto vinyl.
o HARRY WHO? – With a title no doubt attributed to Harry Rabinowitz, this interesting groovy organ based recording sports quirky sound effects and sounds very similar to ‘Dum-Dum’ era John Fiddy.
With thanks to John Wraight, Library Manager, Standard Music Library.
ESL 101 French Music / Dance Music
ESL 102 Indian Music / Indian Music
ESL 103 Solo Guitar / Solo Guitar
ESL 104 Electronic / Electronic
ESL 105 Comedy / Children / Light Activity / Travel
ESL 106 Romantic / Nostalgic ESL 107 Dramatic / Eerie / Mysterious / Light / Heavy
ESL 108 Dramatic-Light / Heavy / Mysterious / Industrial
ESL 109 Dance & Jazz / Activity / Travel
ESL 110 Links & Bridges / Openings, Closings & Fanfares
ESL 111 Links & Bridges / Openings, Closings, Links & Bridges
ESL 112 National Balkan Ensemble / Comedy Links & Bridges
ESL 113 Activity / Travel
ESL 114 Romantic / Nostalgic / Sad / Comedy / Children
ESL 115 Activity / Travel ESL 116 Percussion
ESL 117 Guitar Music / Organ & Rhythm
ESL 118 Pop / Rock Sounds / Multi-Keyboard Sounds
ESL 119 Guitar / Small Group
ESL 120 Comedy / Romantic / Nostalgic / Sad
ESL 121 Period / Pastoral / Solo Instruments / Moog / Dramatic
ESL 122 Moog / Activity / Travel
ESL 123 Small Group Pop
ESL 124 Eastern Music / Activity / Travel
ESL 125 Christmas General / Christmas Traditional
ESL 126 Activity / Travel / Dramatic
ESL 127 Electronic Music
ESL 128 Heavy Group Activity / Light Group Activity
ESL 129 Small Group Pop / National / Solo Instruments
ESL 130 Brass Bands / Wind Bands / National / Dramatic
ESL 131 Activity / Travel / Comedy / Dance
ESL 132 Romantic Pastoral / Links & Bridges
ESL 133 Encore Electronic
ESL 134 Activity / Travel / Dramatic
ESL 135 Romantic / Activity / Music Box
ESL 136 Kaleidoscope Of Sounds
ESL 137 Mediaeval / Dramatic
ESL 138 Light & Bright
ESL 139 Tingling Jingles / Pop Pulsations
ESL 140 Twelve Great International Hits
ESL 141 Reflections Of A Romance
ESL 142 Dramatic
ESL 143 Pop Pulsations II
ESL 144 M.O.R. ESL 145 Fun & Games
ESL 146 Guitars
ESL 147 Nice ‘n’ Easy ESL
ESL 148 Industrial
ESL 149 Pastoral
ESL 150 Classical Piano
ESL 151 1900-1940 Four Decades Of Light Music
ESL 152 Activity
ESL 153 Through The Eyes Of A Tourist
ESL 154 Strings & Things
ESL 155 Scenic Thoughts
ESL 156 Contemporary Themes
ESL 157 Brass Band Music
ESL 158 Piano Music / Romantic / Pastoral
ESL 159 Contemporary Themes
ESL 160 Light & Bright
ESL 161 Christmas Spirit
ESL 162 Exotica
ESL 163 Links & Stings
ESL 164 Action
ESL 165 Scenes & Sentiments
ESL 166 Just For Fun
ESL 167 Mysterioso
ESL 168 Textures
