White Horses is one those TV series I remember from my childhood with enormous fondness. But now comes the news that its theme song by Jacky, which reached No. 10 in the UK charts in April 1968, has been voted the best theme ever in a poll to publicise a new edition of Penguin’s Television Companion (incidentally, I have yet to update my copy of this from the old Guinness version I have from some years ago. At least the new edition features Morecombe and Wise on the cover rather than the very “of the moment” Ricky Tomlinson from The Royale Family).
I find it hard to believe that it’s been voted number 1, and the statistician in me would like to see how that result was arrived at. In the first place, more recent themes tend to do better unless they fall into the “Cult” area. Of course, programmes that people in their thirties like me remember from their childhood are bound to be top of the list, and it’s notable that many of the themes in the top five feature on those wonderful Virgin “Cult Fiction” compilations of a few years ago. In particular, Cult Fiction Royale and This is Cult Fiction 2 (sadly neither are available via Amazon).
But even more surprising, and indeed shocking, is the fact that the BBC deleted the tapes they had of these series! So although the original film of the series, which was a Yugoslav/German co-production filmed in Slovenian, still exists, the English soundtrack is gone.
Now I’m well aware that many episodes of Dr Who, Dad’s Army and Hancock remain missing, but I’m amazed that something that I recall now is gone. It was a staple of holiday repeat showings – an early predecessor of the likes of Robinson Crusoe.
Of course I really remember White Horses because I had a crush on the blonde girl in it. I can’t remember a whole lot more (beyond the theme, which I do love, and is a personal favourite).