Was all the background music Mike Perjanik's work?

[Luigi Severus Fletcher]

I'm writing this due to a lot of Aussie TV shows around the time often using APM/KPM Library music, whereas Home and Away used original underscores composed by Mike Perjanik... However, there was one time I knew Home and Away used an APM/KPM track and that was during a scene where Colleen was watching something on TV and was interrupted by Lance knocking on the door and introducing his latest fling. The music used was "Flashing Knives" composed by Steve Grey, which was used in Prisoner a few times. I'm not sure, but during the car accident caused by Tom's heart attack in 1990, there's what sounds like an APM/KPM track, it definitely sounds different from the wonderful compositions we know and love by the amazing Mike Perjanik. I can see that music being used during a scene in Prisoner.

Just a few thoughts I have had.

[Old H&A Fan]

With the help of the "Shazam" mobile app, I have made some pretty interesting discoveries about the underscores used in Home And Away. They don't seem to be Mushroom Records tracks played in the Diner, the Surf Club, on the radio etc., and they are not Mike Perjanik underscores.

In Episode 1145 (the final episode of 1992), when Blake Fin went scuba-diving, the following 4 tracks played:

• Mirage Ray Russell
• Alien Ray Russell
• Submariner Ray Russell
• Fantasy Island Ray Russell*

Note also: Fantasy Island also played in Episode 1683 when the recap from the end of 1682 played of Andrew telling Donna we have to talk, followed by Rob pulling up in his ute.

In Episode 1146 (the first episode back for 1993), when Fin ran out of air and was rescued from the shipwreck, a track called Undercurrent by Douglas Wood played.

Edited May 7 by Old H&A Fan

[Dan F]

4 hours ago, Old H&A Fan said:

With the help of the "Shazam" mobile app, I have made some pretty interesting discoveries about the underscores used in Home And Away. They don't seem to be Mushroom Records tracks played in the Diner, the Surf Club, on the radio etc., and they are not Mike Perjanik underscores.

In Episode 1145 (the final episode of 1992), when Blake Fin went scuba-diving, the following 4 tracks played:

• Mirage Ray Russell
• Alien Ray Russell
• Submariner Ray Russell
• Fantasy Island Ray Russell*

Note also: Fantasy Island also played in Episode 1683 when the recap from the end of 1682 played of Andrew telling Donna we have to talk, followed by Rob pulling up in his ute.

In Episode 1146 (the first episode back for 1993), when Fin ran out of air and was rescued from the shipwreck, a track called Undercurrent by Douglas Wood played.

Yes as Luigi pointed out these are also tracks that are from a production music library - even to this day H&A continues to use library music (both instrumental and vocal) alongside the commercial songs and the Perjanik underscores. There was a time when the individual library sites were the only place to find the tracks, making ID'ing them a lot trickier, but a lot are finding their way to Youtube now via automated processes.

[Luigi Severus Fletcher]

Wow, I never knew Home and Away borrowed from a production library... I guess the use of "Flashing Knives" should have been a sign. I was watching the 1988 episodes (as much as I could) and didn't recognize any others used in Prisoner yet. When and if they bring it back, I should keep an ear out.

If I'm not too mistaken, I think they even used "Dancing The Hula" a track often used in SpongeBob. This was in the 2006 season of Home and Away, though it could have always been a similar track.

Edited May 10 by Luigi Severus Fletcher