Harry Robertson (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harry Robertson
Harry Robertson c.1959
Background information
Birth name	Henry MacLeod Robertson
Also known as	Lord Rockingham, Harry Robinson
Born	(1932-11-19)19 November 1932 Elgin, Moray, Scotland
Died	17 January 1996(1996-01-17) (aged 63) London, England
Occupation(s)	Musician, bandleader, music director, composer
Years active	1950s – 1990s
Associated acts	Lord Rockingham's XI

Henry MacLeod Robertson (born November 19, 1932 – died January 17, 1996) was a talented Scottish musician. He was also a bandleader, music director, and composer. Many people knew him as Harry Robinson. He worked on British TV shows in the 1950s and 1960s. He also created music for theater shows and movies. He was especially known for his work with Hammer Film Productions.

Early Life and Studies

Henry Robertson was born in Elgin, Moray, Scotland. He learned to play the piano. For a while, he wanted to be an archaeologist. This is someone who studies old things and ancient cultures. He studied it at university. But he stopped his studies because of poor health. After that, he became a music teacher in London.

Music Career and Achievements

He started working as an arranger for Decca Records. An arranger helps decide which instruments play what parts in a song. Later, he became the musical director for the famous singer Tommy Steele.

Why His Name Changed

In the late 1950s, Harry started using the name Robinson. He explained that a payment cheque from Decca Records was made out to "Harry Robinson" by mistake. It was easier to open a bank account with that name than to change the cheque. So, he became known as Harry Robinson in his professional life.

TV and Pop Music

Harry Robertson was the musical director for popular British TV music shows. These included Six-Five Special (1957) and Oh Boy! (1959). He helped create and produce the pop song "Hoots Mon". This song was an instrumental piece with funny Scottish-sounding spoken parts. It was performed by Lord Rockingham's XI. "Hoots Mon" was a huge hit, staying at Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in 1958.

Stage Shows and Eurovision

Harry also arranged and conducted music for many stage shows. These included Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1960) and Maggie May (1964). He also helped write the successful musical Elvis. In 1961, he was the conductor for the United Kingdom's entry in the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest.

Working with Folk Singers

He also wrote beautiful string arrangements for English folk singers. One famous example is "River Man" for Nick Drake. This song was on Drake's first album, Five Leaves Left. He also worked with Sandy Denny, creating the seven-minute song "All Our Days" for her 1977 album Rendezvous.

Film and TV Scores

In 1968, Harry wrote the theme music for a TV series called Journey to the Unknown. This show was produced by Hammer Film Productions. After that, he started writing music for many of Hammer's movies. He was a composer, arranger, or screenwriter for these films:

• The File of the Golden Goose (1969)
• The Oblong Box (1969)
• Arthur? Arthur! (1969)
• The Vampire Lovers (1970)
• Countess Dracula (1971)
• Fright (1971)
• Demons of the Mind (1972)
• Twins of Evil (1972)
• The Best Pair of Legs in the Business (1973)
• The House in Nightmare Park (1973)
• Legend of the Werewolf (1975)
• The Ghoul (1975)
• Not Now, Comrade (1976)
• There Goes the Bride (1980)

Harry Robertson also produced and composed music for other films. These included Hawk the Slayer (1980), Prisoners of the Lost Universe (1982), and Jane and the Lost City (1988). He even helped write the scripts for the first two. He wrote several film scripts, TV series, and books. Some of his books were The Electric Eskimo and The Boy Who Never Was. He also created and wrote the music for the TV series Virtual Murder.

Personal Life and Family

Harry Robertson married Ziki Arbuthnot. She inherited the Wharton Barony in 1990. They had four children together. Their oldest child, Myles, is now the 12th Baron.

Harry Robertson passed away in London in 1996.