Eric Spear (18 April 1908 - 3 November 1966) was an English composer of film music. He was born in Croydon and died Southampton.

Spear is best known for composing the original theme tune for the UK's longest-running television soap opera, Coronation Street, for which he was paid £6. The cornet player Ronnie Hunt found the recording session frustrating, as Spear insisted on many takes before obtaining the sound that he wanted. For most of the programme's 50 year run since 1960, the theme tune has only been modified by converting it to stereo.^[1] Since May 31, 2010, a new version has replaced the original arrangement coinciding with the shift to HDTV with new opening titles. The new version has been criticised by many viewers as lacking the atmospheric quality of the original and changing the sting to the 'End of Part 1' card from the version used since the programme's launch. The new version also differs in being less strident than the original with a less orchestral sound and having a shorter closing section often 'squashed' by a voiceover announcing the upcoming programme menu across ITV's channels.

Spear participated in the 1953 film Streets of Shadow, which featured the German World War I spy Elsbeth Schragmüller.

His theme for the 1954 movie Meet Mister Callaghan was rendered as a best-selling record by Les Paul.

For a short time in the 1960s, Spear lived in Guernsey.

Selected filmography [link]

• No Way Back (1949)

See also [link]

• de:Elsbeth Schragmüller (German)

References [link]

External links [link]

• Eric Spear at the Internet Movie Database

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