theme music by John Martyn • Alan Stivell Roger Frampton and Nicholas Lyon • Andrew Wilson (sic, also Nicholas) musical director • dubbing editor Michael Norton

Musical Engineer Keith Walker

'The Dealer' 'Couldn't Love You More' 'Certain Surprise' Composed and Performed by John Martyn John Martyn appears by courtesy of Island Records

'Hard Road' Composed by Vanda and Young Performed by Stevie Wright Stevie Wright appears by courtesy of J. Albert & Son Pty. Ltd.

'The Man' Composed by Leslie Blackwood Performed by Stilletto (sic, also Stiletto) Published by Propaganda Publishing Pty. Ltd.

'Nights in Parlour' Composed by Andrew Bell and Kellie Howe Performed by Stilletto (sic, also Stiletto) Who appear by courtesy of Oz Records

'Bad Boy for Love' Composed by Rilan Performed by Rose Tattoo Who appear by courtesy of Albert Records

'Dreambuilder' Composed by Brewster, Neeson & Brewster Performed by Angels

'Am I ever going to see your face again' Composed by Brewster, Neeson & Brewster Performed by Angels Who appear by courtesy of J. Albert & Son Pty. Ltd.

'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' Composed by Young, Young & Scott Performed by ACDC

'Long Way to the Top' Composed by Young, Young & Scott Performed by ACDC Who appear by courtesy of J. Albert & Son Pty. Ltd.

All Albert's tracks produced by Harry Vanda & George Young

'Thakria' Composed and Performed by George Moudanidas

'Dealing With Love' Composed by Gauin (sic) Hamilton Performed by Pacific Breeze

'Sam's Dance' Composed by Gus Fenwick Performed by Pacific Breeze

The sound track is a relatively early revival example of using music as a compilation of pop and rock tracks. The compile s notable for scoring a couple of big names, most notably AC/DC (when they travelled in credits as ACDC), as produced by Vanda and Young, though there's no shame in terms of 1970s pop music trendiness to have a couple of tracks from pub rockers The Angels, Rose Tattoo, Stevie Wright (also by Vanda and Young), or a couple of tracks from "alternative/pseudo-feminist" band Stiletto, as Jane Clifton defines the group she belonged to in the late 1970s.

Throw an international credibility with British singer John Martyn singing the theme song over the opening titles, and throwing in a couple more tracks, and the score reflected the zeitgeist of sensitive folk rock through the banging pub rock.

John Martyn as a web site active as of November 2013, here. Others who contributed to the track are Alan Stivell, a Celtic harpist, wiki here, and Roger Frampton, wiki here.

Nicolas (credited as Nicholas) Lyon was the Australian connection for the theme song. Lyon is a UK born, then Australian based, musician, violinist and composer, who had a website active as of November 2013, here. The other Australian involved was Andrew Wilson, who has his career details recorded at the Australian Music Centre, here.

Writer-producer-director Esben Storm explained in a July 1977 interview in Cinema Papers how Celtic harpist Alan Stivell came into the mix: Alan Stivell who plays a Celtic harp was out here recently, and he recorded a lot of music for the film. We put him in a studio and he gave us an hour of music. He saw all the sequences that were to have music and we explained what sort of feeling we wanted. He was brilliant - the music gives the film a whole new feeling.

However after this beginning, the music score became much more ambitious, no doubt as a result of Storm's post-production fiddling with the cut, which took a good year after the shoot had finished.

Martyn's site shows the lyrics for the theme song, but the lines are out of order when compared to the way they are in the film, with a portion of the first verse transposed to the last, and with some deletions. Below are the lyrics as they appear over the opening titles, with brackets indicating deletions:

Remember how you cried when I bought a gun. Iʼve never been one to turn and run Everybodyʼs got to have a dream, To help them make it down the stream If they cannot chain or buy you, You know theyʼll try to crucify you Now Iʼm out here on the road, Thinking about my way back home. (Oh Anna, Oh Anna).

We had a dream that didnʼt last, Like a fly in amber, Iʼm trapped in the past Stay on your feet in this human race, You think about a lover or a special place Lost you somewhere down the road, Now I hear you singing when Iʼm all alone Youʼre the only one, makes me feel this way, Keep on searching for you every day. Oh, Anna, Oh Anna, Oh, Anna, (Oh Anna).

She came to me so young and free, And put her arms around (of) me She said that she would always stay, With me until my dying day (We grew up in a dirty town, Where they like to kick you when youʼre down If you show an easy side, They twist the knife and open you wide). Oh Anna, Oh Anna, Oh Anna …

This last verse is put first on Martyn's site.

In the film this last verse is reprised in full, with a few minor variations - 'of" in the second line, and a third "Oh Anna", finishing around the 07'45" mark.

The theme song was released on a 45: 45 stere Island K7450 1978 Production: Michael Norton Recorded 29th July, 1978 at United Sound Studio, Sydney, Australia Engineer: S. Lee Final Mix & Production March 1979 Engineer: P. Radcliffe 1978 Island Records Ltd., England.

Side A: In Search Of Anna (3'57").(John Martyn - Michael Norton) (Festival) vocal: John Martyn Martyn's website provides the following details about the 45:

Released in Australia only. The theme tune to the Australian film In Search Of Anna released in 1978 and directed by Esben Storm. The song was recorded on 29th July 1978 at United Sound Studios, Sydney, Australia with final mix and production in March 1979. The B side is a live recording of Certain Surprise recorded in Sydney during a tour in 1977.

This has not been released in any other format, on an album for example, however a live version (albeit very different from this single) has been released on Live At The Bottom Line, New York 1983 (Collectors Series Volume 3 by Voiceprint in 2001). A very rare single, if you ever see one buy it!

The song "Certain Surprise" runs over the film's end titles, performed by Martyn on guitar, in a laid back, mellow style.

Martyn's website provides this short biography for him:

A short biography to introduce you to Iain David McGeachy (aka John Martyn). In a world that lacks compassion, John Martyn and his music, is a breath of fresh air. John was an incurable romantic who sang from his heart; no other artist sang with such commitment and emotion. People have fallen in and out of love listening to the most enduring and magical songs of deep sensitivity that have been sung over his forty year plus career. A truly progressive artist John never stayed with a tried and trusted sound, preferring to explore, experiment and break new ground. His trade mark melodies and lyrics are in a class of their own and his voice which is steeped in pleasure and pain, joy and fear and love and hate, expresses emotion like no other and can reduce even the strongest of men to tears.

John Martyn was born Iain David McGeachy on 11th September 1948 in New Malden, Surrey, the only son of two light opera singers. Johnʼs parents separated and his early childhood was spent in Glasgow, John recalls, “you went out and kicked a few heads or you where looked on as a pansy.” John learnt to play the guitar at fifteen and on leaving school at seventeen he started playing in some of the local folk clubs under the wing of Hamish Imlach, who encouraged and John to play the guitar. John was influenced by many different music genres including Debussy and soon began to explore music on his guitar. Davey Graham was one of Johnʼs first heroes, as was Clive Palmer who founded the Incredible String Band and became a good friend. John and Clive lived together for a while in a shed near Alston in Cumbria. “Those were wild times, and Clive was a remarkable man, a great musician and down to earth, absolutely no bullshit, taught me lots of things to play.” With a growing reputation on the club circuit in the North John decided it was time to move on and he started playing in the clubs around London such as Les Cousins and the Kingston Folk Barge, and was soon signed by Chris Blackwellʼs Island Records.

Johnʼs debut album, London Conversation, was recorded in mono and released in October 1967. An album of innocent songs that won praise from the music press and launched a career that spanned five decades!

July 1968 saw John playing live for the BBCʼs Night Ride radio programme and he was soon to be featured again on the same programme with the release of his next album The Tumbler in December 1968. The jazz flautist, Harold McNair, who played on The Tumbler, joined John and he performed a number of songs including Dusty, Hello Train, Flying On Home, Seven Black Roses and The Easy Blues, which was to appear 5 years later on Solid Air. The Tumbler, was produced by Al Stewart and like London Conversation, was again in the folk tradition but early jazz influences were evident, as were beautifully simple and touching lyrics in love songs such as The River and Dusty that was inspired by Johnʼs happy memories of Hampton Court (where he stayed with his Aunt) and the annual Fair.

In 1969 John married Beverley Kutner, a singer from Coventry, who was recording at the time with producer Joe Boyd of Witchseason. John was originally hired to be Beverleyʼs backing guitarist for recording sessions but they were soon to record together and in Summer 1969 Stormbringer! was recorded at A & R Studios in New York and was released in February 1970. The album featured the Bandʼs Levon Helm on drums and other session men including the Mothers of Inventionʼs Billy Mundi. Would You Believe Me featured the introduction of the echoplex guitar technique that John pioneered, and which become a key part of his solo concert performances in the 1970s. John was inspired by the saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders and in particular his album Karma. “The only reason I bought the echoplex was to try and imitate Sandersʼ sustain on my guitar.”

Woodstock was a great experience for John, “Hendrix lived virtually next door. He used to arrive every Thursday in a purple helicopter, stay the weekend, and leave on the Monday. He was amazing…a good lad.” John felt that Stormbringer! was just a little bit ahead of its time, saying “…a whole lot came from that record…like people started using drum ideas and stuff, and nobody had really thought of using drums with acoustic instruments before. But itʼs difficult to say that sort of thing without being conceited.”

John and Beverleyʼs last album together was The Road To Ruin, which was released in November 1970. John had disagreements with Joe Boyd over the production of this album and, because of the numerous overdubs; John felt that the recording lacked spontaneity. The album featured the introduction of Danny Thompson who played double bass on the song New Day.

The Road to Ruin, John explained ” is really an adolescentsʼ views of mortality, you know the idea, isnʼt all fun, weʼre all doomed but we may as well enjoy it: weʼre all going one way, but we may as well get down to it while weʼre here.” The album was well received, “The Road To Ruin stands apart from other John Martyn albums…it enjoys distinctly jazz instrumentation in what is basically a rock format,” wrote Zig Zag Magazine.

John and Beverley moved from London to Old Town in Hastings, a seaside town “where you just canʼt get away from the weather”, and John adopted two year old Wesley, Beverleyʼs son by a previous relationship and soon became the father of My Baby Girl, Mhairi in February 1971.

(Below: John Martyn, the second as he looked c. 1974)