Hi everyone,
This is a very obscure request, and I have tried time and time again to get an answer with no results, but I thought it was worth another try. You will probably need to be of a certain age to remember this one, if you do at all!
Back in the 1970s there was a BBC news magazine programme on BBC1 called Nationwide. One of its longterm presenters was Michael Barratt. In the summer of 1977 (when I was 15) he was about to leave the programme and for his last week the BBC gave him a send-off by giving him a train tour of Britain. There was a particular piece of music that was used as a sort of theme for these special programmes. It is hard to describe but had a beat that fitted train travel very well with a sort of syncopated rhythm matched with a tune played on possibly a harpsichord or similar-sounding keyboard/synthesizer. I liked it so much that I wrote to the BBC asking where the music was from. They replied saying it was taken from a library record that wasn't for sale generally. Once I had found out what a library record was it seemed impossible to get hold of it. However, I held on to the letter as it said the name of the library, the code/number and the artist/composer.
Unfortunately the letter got lost in a move many years ago and I tried to remember the details but the only thing I think I remember seeing was 'Bruton', which of course meant nothing to me at the time. Anyway, since the internet developed I have been trying to find this track which amazingly I can still hear in my head and would know straightaway.
If anyone reading this has any ideas please let me know. I have tried the BBC Archive but, although helpful, they didn't have a copy of my letter or response (not surprising given the length of time that had passed). The only other thing I can add is that it may be by Francis Monkman, as it seems similar to his style and also he used to play harpsichord, but none of his tracks I have heard so far are the right one.
Thanks for reading this and if anyone has any ideas whatsoever I would be very grateful to hear from you.
Steve
