Musical Direction Tommy Tycho

Tommy Tycho was a well-known Hungarian-born pianist, conductor, composer and arranger, who specialised in television work, acting as the Seven network's music director for its first fifteen years, from 1956 to 1971. He has a wiki here. His own website became inactive after he suffered a stroke in 2008 at the age of 80.

Tycho's first feature film score was for the Seven-backed feature version of the television series You Can't See Around Corners in 1969, and after he left Seven, he could spread his wings a little further, working on the Ten-related Number 96, while also doing the score for David Waddington's Barney in 1976. However, most of Tycho's work remained light entertainment and television orientated, such as working on a number of Paul Hogan TV specials.

There is a transcript of an extended interview with him on the ABC's Talking Heads in 2005 here.

(Below: Tommy Tycho)

In the TV series, there was usually very little music, and no credit on offer for

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Tychohttp://www.abc.net.au/talkingheads/txt/s1445837.htm

the well-known theme music, titled Paperboy, used over head and tail credits.

The music is frequently attributed to composer Steve Grey, and it is also used at the top and tail of the feature film.

Because Tycho was the musical director for the feature, and composed new music for it, he is often credited in error as the composer of the Paperboy theme for the TV series.Tycho himself took credit for the theme in his biography available on his personal site until his stroke saw it disappear. It featured this claim:

1972• Leaves Channel 7 and the Chevron Hotel and records a new album called "Summer of 42". • Musical Director for the Paul Hogan TV Specials. • Composes the music score for the movie "No.96" and the theme from the television series of the same name.

It is unlikely Tycho would have accepted a situation where he didn't receive a credit on the series for creating a major television theme.

Surprisingly, given the propensity of Cash-Harmon to milk every dollar from their fans with spin-offs and ancillary goods, there is no record of an LP release featuring the film music or the main theme.

Number 96 fans therefore have to content themselves with other Cash-Harmon efforts, such as:

LP King Music Records ALP-001 1977 NUMBER 96 PARTY MUSIC

SIDE 1:Party Music v: Chelsea BrownShake Your Booty v: ExecutivesFalse Alarm v: Michael HowardAny Night’s Alright For Dancing v: KarmaLivin’ For The City v: ExecutivesCar Wash v: Taxi

SIDE 2:Love So Right v: Chelsea BrownNutbush City Limits v: KarmaYou’ve Got To Give Me All Your Lovin' v: Michael HowardMore, More, More v: KarmaEverything Is Beautiful v: TaxiDancin' v: Executives

Even more exotic is this offering:

LP Pumpkin 9299 215 (CA 7299 113) 1974 OLD FASHIONED WAYVocals: Ron Shand, Pat McDonald.Arranged and Directed by Laurie Lewis. Produced by Bob James.

SIDE 1:

The Old Fashioned Way (Garvarentz/Kasha/Hirschorn)(Chappell/BIEM).Sometimes I’m Happy (I. Caesar/C. Grey) (Chappell)I Want To Be Happy (Yeomans/Caesar) (Chappell)That Certain Party (Donaldson/Kahn) (Albert)Always (I. Berlin) (Albert)What’ll I Do (I. Berlin) (Albert)Play A Simple Melody (I. Berlin) (Davis)You, You, You (Olias - Mellin) (Albert)Side By Side (Woods) (Albert)

SIDE 2:When I’m 64 (Lennon - McCartney) (Northern)You’re Just In Love (I. Berlin) (Chappell)If I Had My Life To Live Over (Chappell) (Tobias/Vincent)If You Were The Only Girl In The World (C. Grey/N. Ayer) (Albert)When You’re Smiling (Fischer/Shay) (Albert)Smile (D. Heywood) (Albert)(There Are) Smiles (Roberts) (Allans)Two Sleepy People (Yeomans/Caesar) (Chappell)The Old Fashioned Way (Garvarentz/Kasha/Hirschorn) (Chappell/BIEM)

Abigail also enjoyed a spin off career as a recording artist, peddling feeble rip-offs such as:

Some reports suggest that this charted at number 24 in Brisbane, lasting three weeks in the top forty, and reached number 5 in Sydney and number 4 in South Australia.

It culminated with Abigail releasing an eponymous album.

At time of writing you could hear a couple of tracks from the LP here.

Joe Hasham, who played one of the first visible gays in soap television, also turned out a dreary album. It features Hasham's version of New World in The Morning, which was a minor hit for him:

http://stonefishmusic.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/abigail-je-taime.html

If you get through that, it might be time to get out theNumber 96 cook book and get the comfort food ready for thatfab party.