Harry Robertson(1932-1996)

Henry MacLeod Robertson was born in Elgin, Scotland on 19 November 1932. His professional music career began in 1957 as composer and conductor for TV shows such as Six-Five Special and Oh Boy! Applying for membership of the Performing Right Society the following year, he registered the pseudonyms Henry MacLeod, Harry Robertson and Harry Robinson, the last-named of which became his usual credit. He also worked for record labels EMI and Decca, and was musical director for artists such as Craig Douglas. Robinson's own hit record Hoots Mon performed by Lord Rockingham's XI (actually Robinson and the studio band) topped the charts for three weeks in 1958. For the West End stage Robinson arranged and conducted the Lionel Bart musicals Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'be (1960) and Maggie May (1964), and he did television spectaculars for Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and The Beatles. His film music career began in 1966 with a series of features and serials for the Children's Film Foundation, but he is chiefly remembered for Hammer horror scores such as The Vampire Lovers (1970), Countess Dracula (1971) and Twins of Evil (1971). Confusingly for filmgoers, Robinson occasionally reverted to his alternate pseudonym Harry Robertson, notably for Hawk the Slayer (1980). He also scored commercials such as Barclaycard. Robinson's untimely death at 63 occurred in Wandsworth, London, on 17 January 1996, and the death was registered under his real name Henry MacLeod Robertson.