Henry Macleod Robertson (sometimes credited as Harry Robinson) (19 November, 1932 — 17 January, 1996), son of Henry Robertson of Elgin, Morayshire, was a composer who wrote the music for a number of film and television productions. He was responsible for writing and producing the pop song Hoots mon (not so much a song, more an instrumental take on Coming through the Rye with spoken interjections in a mock-Jock accent by Lord Rockingham's XI - undoubtedly a response to the recent Bill Haley hit Rockin' Through the Rye, based on the same traditional Scottish ditty originally written by Rabbie Burns), which stayed at Number 1 on the Hit Parade for three weeks in 1958. He composed the then National Anthem of Zambia (basing it on The Bluebells of Scotland). He produced and composed the music of Hawk the Slayer (1980), Prisoners of the Lost Universe (1982) and Jane and the Lost City (1988)[1], co-writing the script of the first two. He wrote a number of film scripts, television series and books, including The Electric Eskimo, The Boy Who Never Was, Sammy's Super T-Shirt and others. He was a regular composer for Hammer Film Productions. He was composer and editor of The House in Nightmare Park (1973), Countess Dracula (1971), There goes the Bride, Demons of the Mind (1972), Twins of Evil, The Sky Bike, Fright, The Ghoul, The Battle of Billy's Pond, The Vampire Lovers, File of the Golden Goose, Terry on the fence, Operation Third Form, Why not Stay for Breakfast?, The Oblong Box and Lust for Vampire amongst others. He was musical director of the respected British television pop music programmes Six-Five Special (1957 BBC) and Oh Boy! (1959 ITV). He arranged and conducted the stage shows Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1960) and Maggie May (1964) and also co-wrote the West End hit musical Elvis. He also wrote highly acclaimed string arrangements for English folk singers such as Nick Drake, notably 'River Man' from Drake's Five Leaves Left. He married Ziki Arbuthnot who inherited the Wharton Barony in 1990, they had four children, the eldest of whom Myles is now the 12th Baron.
Notes
- ^ Cameo appearance: On the dance-floor
