Simon Templar “The Saint” is the character that made Roger Moore a household name after getting recognition playing the lead role in the “Ivanhoe” TV series, broadcast between 1958 and 1959. The original series was broadcast between 1962 and 1969, and British composer Edwin Astley wrote the three different themes used during the series’ run: The original version was used as the intro theme between 1962 and 1965, when the series was filmed in black and white. When color arrived to the series in 1966, a new, more uptempo version of the theme tune arrived as well. In 1968, Astley wrote a new theme based on Leslie Charteris’ own theme music, previously used on radio and in films (Charteris is the creator of the Simon Templar character and stories).

Here you can hear the second version of the theme tune, used for the first run of episodes in color. The record is a 7″ EP released for the Record Store Day 2013 containing the TV versions (not the re-recorded ones for commercial release) of the main theme tunes created for some popular shows produced by British company ITC Entertainment and first broadcast by British network ITV. Mono recording.

R.I.P. Roger Moore. He has been heavily criticized for making James Bond a “funny” character, but I’ve always considered him a terrific actor and one of the most elegant, classy and charismatic men ever seen on movies and TV. And for those who think that the only thing he could do really well was raising his eyebrows, check him in the 1970 film “The Man Who Haunted Himself” for something that may make you reconsider your thoughts.

Numark TTXUSB turntable – Nagaoka MP-500 phono cartridge – ART DJPRE II phono stage preamp – Vinyl record vinilo EP