Simon May (born 15 August 1944) is a British composer. He has composed many British television theme tunes, including '' EastEnders'' and '' Howards' Way'', and the music for the 1988 film '' The Dawning''.
Biography
Born in Devizes and a pupil of
Dauntsey's School
Dauntsey's School is a public school (independent boarding and day school) for pupils aged 11–18 in the village of West Lavington, Wiltshire, England. The school was founded in 1542, in accordance with the will of William Dauntesey, a maste ...
, May was a choral scholar at
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus"), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th century through to the early 19th centur ...
, where he graduated with a degree in modern languages in 1965. While teaching languages and music at Kingston Grammar School, he co-wrote a musical named '' Smike'' with a colleague, history teacher Clive Barnett and songwriting partner, Roger Holman. Following the publicity ''Smike'' attracted, May was contacted by the BBC, who televised the play in 1973, starring Beryl Reid and Andrew Keir. It also featured DJ Neil Fox, a pupil at Kingston Grammar, as one of the schoolboys.''PEBBLE MILL SPECIAL, SIMON MAY'', BBC1, 20 December 1994 The show has subsequently been staged many times by youth drama groups.
While working at
ATV
ATV may refer to:
Broadcasting
* Amateur television
*Analog television
Television stations and companies
* Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra
* ATV (Armenia)
* ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate
* ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourne
* ATV (Austria)
* AT ...
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in 1974 with the subsequent "Born With a Smile on My Face", which was used within a storyline on the show.Kate Robbins performed another of May's songs for ''Crossroads'': "More Than in Love," which was co-written by Barry Leng and got to number 2 in the UK in 1981.
He was one of the members of the vocal harmony group Rain, together with de Sykes, Alex Keenan and Chas Mill. The group recorded the theme song "Golden Day", penned by Lynsey de Paul and Barry Blue, for the TV programme " The Golden Shot" to co-incide with the return of Bob Monkhouse as its host. They also released an album produced by Len Beadle, with the title "Rain Featuring Stephanie De-Sykes" in 1974.
May himself performed "The Summer of My Life", which reached number seven in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in October 1976. The song originally appeared in ''Crossroads'', in a scene between Meg and Hugh. It was one of the best selling singles of the year, and was one of few songs to spend three weeks in a row at number seven in the UK Singles Chart. His follow-up single, "
We'll Gather Lilacs
We'll Gather Lilacs, also called We'll Gather Lilacs In The Spring, is a song by Welsh composer Ivor Novello which he wrote for the hit musical romance '' Perchance to Dream''. The stage musical opened at the Hippodrome Theatre in London's West E ...
- All My Loving (Medley)", flopped, reaching number 49 in May 1977. In 1986 he released an album called '' Simon's Way'', which included his themes to ''EastEnders'' and ''Howards' Way'', which peaked at number 59 in the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. In the same year his 'Holiday Suite' theme was used for the BBC Programme 'Holiday', and was released as a single. The theme has also been used by Video 125 for three of its railway drivers-eye-view productions.
He worked on his first feature film in 1988 - '' The Dawning''. Music from the film, together with various other TV themes (including ''The Olympic Track'' and ''People like You'') was released in 1989 on the Simon May Orchestra album ''Themes''.
He co-produced Amii Stewart's " Knock on Wood", which reached number-one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in April 1979.
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...
, "Glory Be", which was performed on '' Songs of Praise'' and released on single.
Another soap storyline gave May a hit in 1986. Nick Berry ( "Wicksy") topped the charts with " Every Loser Wins", which he co-wrote after plugging it in ''EastEnders'' (a storyline which Holland openly hated).
In 1993 the theme itself was given an unpopular 'jazzy' update, and an updated version of the original was introduced in 1994. With Johnny Griggs, he wrote another set of lyrics for the ''EastEnders'' theme. "I'll Always Believe in You" featured lead vocals by
Sharon Benson
Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname.
In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...
. which was based around the extended version of the 1993 theme. In 2009 he was asked to revamp the EastEnders theme again, to update the one running from 1994, making it lighter in tone and bringing back elements of the original theme missing in the previous version. However it is worth noting that one major element of all the previous themes (bar the jazzy version) is missing - the bells, which are mainly replaced with the piano.
Simon wrote "Peggy's Theme" for
Barbara Windsor
Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.iTunes on 4 September.
Post-''EastEnders''
Lyrics were also added to May's theme to ''Howards' Way''; Marti Webb reached number 13 with "Always There" in 1986, a year after the orchestral version of the theme (credited to May and Leslie Osborne) had reached number 21 in the same UK Singles Chart. This was the version played over the opening credits of all six series, and the second half of the closing credits of series 1. The first part of the theme was a faster, upbeat rendition (later extended and slightly updated for the season 3 credits) which merged into the more familiar version used in the opening credits. The Marti Webb version of the theme was only played over the closing credits of series 2, with an updated extended version of the first half of the original series 1 orchestral version, playing over new style credits from series 3 onwards.
Mike Read
Michael David Kenneth Read (born 1 March 1947) is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter. Read has been a broadcaster since 1976, best known for having been a DJ with BBC Radio 1, and television host for musi ...
wrote lyrics to May's '' Trainer'' theme. "More to Life" was performed by
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
. The theme won May his third TRIC award for Best TV Theme, after previous success with ''EastEnders'' and ''Howards' Way''.
Following their collaboration on ''EastEnders'', Julia Smith and Tony Holland commissioned May to write the theme tune for the new Eurosoap '' Eldorado''. May reworked a song called "When You Go Away" which he had written for his ill-fated musical ''Mefisto'', based on Goethe's ''Faust'', adding Spanish guitars to make it more relevant to the ''Eldorado'' project. An instrumental version of the theme was used for the opening and closing credits. However, the vocal version of the song was recorded by Johnny Griggs, and was used over the closing credits of the final episode.
In 1994, '' New Vintage: The Best of Simon May'', a compilation of some of May's work was released to coincide with his "A Night Away From The TV" UK tour. The tour was not a commercial success and some dates had to be cancelled. A '' Pebble Mill'' special documentary was produced by the BBC around this time discussing his career and the tour.
He has reached number one in Belgium with "Fragile Not Broken", sung by Natalia.
He worked with Simon Lockyer and John Brant on "Music on Screen", and worked as a music therapist at Unsted Park near Godalming, Surrey.
May recorded his latest album ''
The Simon May Collection
''The Simon May Collection'' is a 2010 compilation album of television and film music written by Simon May.
The album was released to coincide with the departure of the character Peggy Mitchell, played by Barbara Windsor, from the BBC soap opera ' ...
'' with his two co-writers/co-producers Simon Lockyer and John Brant. The album was released on 13 September 2010. "Peggy's Theme" was the lead track on the album.
In August 2015 Simon May released his autobiography 'Doof Doof: My Life in Music' through Austin Macauley Publishers. Two versions were released; one, a book-only version and also a CD-set, with a shorter printed autobiography.
May is visiting Professor at the Faculty of Media, Arts and Society, Southampton Solent University who in 2015 conferred on him the degree of Honorary Doctor of Music. He is also Patron of the Devizes Junior Eisteddfod, Vice President of the British Federation of Festivals and Patron of the
Swindon 105.5
Swindon 105.5 is a community radio, community non-for-profit radio station based in Swindon, England, launched in March 2008. The station manager is former BBC Wiltshire Sound, GWR FM and Swindon Viewpoint Presenter, Shirley Ludford. Aside from Sh ...
Community Radio Station.
May's work includes
Television
*''Adventures of Enid Blyton''
*''Animal SOS''
*''Brat Camp''
*''Body Spies''
*''Castaway 2000 / Castaway 2007''
*''City Hospital''
*''Dealing with Dickinson''
*''Don't Try This at Home''
*'' EastEnders''
*'' Eldorado''
*''Evacuation''
*''Food & Drink''
*''Great Estates''
*''Hampton Court''
*''Health Farm''
*''Holiday '86''
*'' Howards' Way''
*''Jobs for the Boys''
*'' Jobs for the Girls''
*'' Lakesiders''
*''Lion Country (end theme of 'Animal Park')''
*''1988 Olympics (ITV)''
*''Paramedics''
*''People''
*''Pet Rescue''
*''The Really Useful Show''
*''Russ Abbott Show''
*''Seaworld''
*''Secrets of Enid Blyton''
*''Smike'' lso a stage musical* '' Skorpion''
*''Swiss Family Robinson''
*''Testing Testing''
*''Trainer''
*'' The Tribe''
*''The Trial of James Earl Ray''
*''Turnstile''
*''TV Weekly''
*'' The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson''
*''The Vet''
*''
The Legend of William Tell
''The Legend of William Tell'' is a 16-part television fantasy/drama series produced in 1998
by Cloud 9 Productions in New Zealand. The basic premise of the series — a crossbow-wielding rebel defies a corrupt governor — and the name of t ...
''
*''You Know What You Ate Last Summer''
Films
*'' The Dawning'' (1988)
*'' HST West'' (1986) was done for Video 125. The theme 'The Holiday Suite' is the same as Holiday programme for the BBC. And the full version can heard on the DVD of HST West & Far West.
*'' HST Far West'' (1990)
*'' HST Great West'' (1993)
*The Fleet for The Northern Lights (1996)
*''Caught in the Act'' (2008)
*''House Husbands'' (2009)