Alan Hawkshaw

Alan Hawkshaw is a composer and performer, particularly of themes for movies and television programmes. He is also the father of dance artist Kirsty Hawkshaw, who famously appeared on TV quiz Blockbusters before joining Opus III.

In the 1960s, he was a member of rock and roll group Emile Ford and the Checkmates. He also formed the Mohawks band and Rumplestiltskin with some session musicians. At that time Alan was the outstanding exponent of the Hammond Organ in the UK, heard to good effect in the Mohawks' music and also on the UK recording of the musical Hair. ["Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical", Saga Records 1969 EROS 8116]

In the 1970s, he played in The Shadows; he worked for Olivia Newton-John, Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg as a musical director, arranger and pianist; and he was a keyboard player for Cliff Richard. He wrote "Blarney Stoned", the theme tune for Dave Allen's television shows "The Dave Allen Show" and "Dave Allen At Large". [ [http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/features/tvthemes2.htm 'Off the telly' website] ] He composed all the music for the Mysterious World series by Arthur C. Clarke. Hawkshaw also composed 'Best Endeavours', which has been the theme for Channel 4 News since 1982, and "Chicken Man", which was used as the theme for "Grange Hill" from its start in 1978 until 1989, and revived for the final series of Grange Hill in 2008. Another recording of "Chicken Man" was used contemporaneously with the original Grange Hill version for the ITV quiz show Give Us A Clue. The Countdown "Chimes" jingle used on Channel 4's "Countdown" game show was also composed by Hawkshaw.

In the United States, he also scored a number 1 single on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with "Here Comes That Sound Again" as part of Love De-Luxe With Hawkshaw's Discophonia in 1979.

The Mohawks

The Mohawks were a band formed from session musicians and fronted by the undisputed king of Library music composers, Alan Hawkshaw. Possibly The Mohawks were never actually a 'touring' band, but rather it was just a clever idea of some guy at KPM music in the 60's who decided to release an LP of incredibly groovy and funky library music tracks and package it under the name "The Champ".

Track listing

1. The Champ
2. Hip Juggler
3. Sweet Soul Music
4. Dr Jekyll and Hyde Park
5. Señor Thump
6. Landscape
7. Baby Hold On
8. Funky Broadway
9. Rocky Mountain Roundabout
10. Sound of the Witchdoctors
11. Beat Me Til I'm Blue
12. Can You Hear Me?

Tracks 4, 5, 9 and 11 also appear on Alan Hawkshaw's album Mo'Hawk.

Samples

The title track ("The Champ") has been widely sampled and emulated in hip hop music, appearing, amongst other tracks, in:

* Onyx - Slam
* Maestro Fresh Wes - Let Your Backbone Slide (Symphony in Effect)
* Redman - Da Funk (Whut? Thee Album)
* Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President (Paid in Full)
* KRS-One - Step into A World (I Got Next)
* EPMD - The Big Payback (Unfinished Business)
* Cut Chemist & DJ Shadow - Mohawks Champ (Brainfreeze)
* Erick Sermon - Stay Real (No Pressure)
* Breakestra - Champ (The Live Mix, Part 2)
* Main Source - Large Professor (Breaking Atoms)
* Keith Murray - Get Lifted (The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World)
* King Tee - At Your Own Risk
* Ini Kamoze - Hotstepper
* De La Soul - Keepin' the Faith

References

External links

* [http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bigal/ The Music of Alan Hawkshaw]