The musical soundscape created by Barry Gray for Fireball XL5 features a rich tapestry of themes and playful instrumentation. Much like his previous work for AP Films, Supercar, Barry Gray leans upon the Jazzy musical language of Hollywood to bring to life the vivid marionettes and miniature craft, with compositions ranging from brassy heroic percussion to playful humorous cues. The unique nature of the series’ otherworldly premise however allowed the composer to balance his silver screen classicism with a progressive use of electronically augmented instruments, namely the Ondes Martenot. Invented in the 1920s by French cellist Maurice Martenot, Barry Gary studied the keyboard-like instrument with its creator in Paris. The “wavering” sound the Ondes Martenot made was perfect for bringing to life the various alien and mysterious situations encountered by the World Space Patrol . These minimalist alien vignettes perfectly conveyed the emptiness of space and could be suitably unsettling when employed to set a scene of peril. This contrast of detached electronic music with the familiar anchor of Jazz served the series well. To further add warmth to proceedings, each episode would close with an undeniable pop song, in the charming Fireball. The gentle love song featured the dulcet croon of Don Spencer and would be one of Barry Gray’s finest pop moments – ensuring that the series lingered in viewers heads.
01. Fireball XL5 Main Theme
02. The Mystery of Planet 46 from Planet 46
03. Formula 5 from The Doomed Planet
04. Rogue Planet from The Doomed Planet
05. Exploring the Tanker from The Hypnotic Sphere
06. Hypnotised from The Hypnotic Sphere
07. Travelling Light from Space Vacation
08. Ninety’s Dream from A Day in the Life of a Space Genera
09. Zero G (Single version
10. The Cholorphon from Plant Man from Space
11. Spectre of Electon from Ghosts of Space
12. End Titles: Fireball
13. Circus Dreams from Flying Zodiac
14. Platonia Treachery from Planet of Platonia
15. Flat Jazz from Flight to Danger
16. Trapped from Space Monster
17. This is the Twist from Space Monster
18. Fireball End Titles: Instrumental from Space City Special
19. Ice Skating Waltz from Drama at Space City
20. Aphros Theme from Prisoner on the Lost Planet
21. Aquaphibian from XL5 to H2O
22. Foiled! from XL5 to H20
23. Back to the past from 1875
24. Fireball (Single version)
- Format
- CD
