Harry Pitch | Official Website
Harry Pitch was a virtuoso harmonica player who enjoyed more than seven decades in music: from the dance hall to the recording studio; from broadcasting to movies; from jazz club to the concert stage. He will be remembered best for backing many hit records and his solo work on the long-running television series ‘Last of the Summer Wine’.
Early life:
The son of a Polish garment worker, Harold Cecil Pitch was born near Hull, Yorkshire on 9 May 1925. He grew up in a rented North London basement flat with his parents and six siblings. Although there was no music in the family he was attracted by the radio and record performances of the young harmonica prodigy, Larry Adler. When he left school at 14 Harry spent his first wage packet on an instrument, much to his parents’ displeasure. He taught himself to play and began performing with several harmonica ensembles. One of them won a prestigious competition whose prize was presented by Adler himself. The maestro remarked to Harry: ‘You remind me of me when I was your age’.
Developing career:
During WW2 Pitch was evacuated to Peterborough where he learned to play the trumpet and read music. Returning to London he became an engineering draughtsman but music remained his passion. He joined the brass sections of many dance bands, gaining in experience and confidence which rewarded him with several ‘Melody Maker’ awards. His developing fluent and melodic style echoed his heroes Harry James, Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke.
He also began playing in smaller jazz groups alongside such young hopefuls as Ronnie Scott and John Dankworth. But being a section player or sideman wasn't enough for Harry so, in the 1950s, he formed his own band playing popular standards and arrangements for dances and private functions.
Having his own ensemble enabled him to develop his improvising harmonica skills in the style of the Belgian maestro Toots Thielemans who he also admired. For many years Pitch’s band played for Saturday night hops at North London’s Hornsey Town Hall, being joined by aspiring artists like the young singer Matt Monro. There is also a poster for a 1963 St Valentine’s dance advertising ‘The Harry Pitch Band and his ”Electric Harmonica”’ with The Ray Davis Quartet (later the Kinks) appearing further down the billing.
The big break:
Harry’s big break came after a chance meeting with his old friend, the composer Ron Goodwin who encouraged him to join the boom in music for TV commercials. The harmonica was very much in vogue for advertising jingles in the late 1950s/early 1960s and Pitch subsequently played on countless sessions for products like Strand cigarettes (‘You’re never alone with a Strand’ 1959), Oxo cubes and Nestlé’s Milky Bar. At this time he was still working as a sales representative for large machine tools and precision measuring equipment. But with growing success he decided to make music his full-time career. Word of Harry’s skills soon spread to the world of pop and, over the next few years he featured on many famous hits including Petula Clark’s ‘Sailor’ (1961), Frank Ifield’s ‘I Remember You’ (1962), the Springfield’s ‘Island of Dreams’ (1962) and Val Doonican’s ‘Walk Tall’ (1964). His work in pop continued to include recordings with such diverse performers as Anita Harris’ ‘Just Loving You’ (1967), ‘Groovin’ with Mr Bloe’ (1970), Procul Harum’s ‘Your Own Choice’ (1970) and Level 42’s ‘It’s Over’ (1987).
Pitch had already been featured in the movie scores of ‘During One Night’ (Bill McGuffie 1960) and ‘The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone’ (Richard Addinsell 1961) but his friendship with Ron Goodwin opened another major door in his career. Goodwin called on him to play the cowboy theme for one of the main characters in his score for the 1965 movie ‘Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines’. The successful result led to many other soundtrack collaborations with composers such as John Barry, Henry Mancini, James Horner (‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids’ 1989) and Carl Davis (‘Widow’s Peak’ 1994).
Reputation grows:
At a time when pop groups performed live on TV shows like ‘Top of the Pops’, ‘Parkinson’ and ‘Wogan’ the original backing arrangements were still required to be played in the studio. Harry’s involvement enhanced his profile even more by accompanying such international stars as Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry. Meanwhile he’d contributed to many TV documentaries and dramas such as ‘The World About Us - The River of No Return’, ‘The Mind of Man’ (1970), ‘No Trams to Lime Street’ (Marty Wilde 1970), ‘Alastair Cooke’s America’ (1972) and being featured playing the title theme of ‘Shoestring’ (1979-80). He occasionally appeared on-screen as well, sometimes as a WW1 Tommy in the trenches recalling Remembrance Day or a street busker in ‘EastEnders’.
But his name is most indelibly linked to the well-loved TV series ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ (1973-2010). The music director Ronnie Hazelhurst wanted a reliable harmonica player who could sight-read many tricky cues in a single, time-critical recording session. Pitch was more than capable of the task and so joined the regular intimate group of studio players, working on the series for nearly three decades. Despite the passing of the years his inimitable rendition of the lyrical theme tune is still instantly recognisable. Indeed he later recalled one of his most memorable moments was to play that solo, spot-lit at the Royal Albert Hall Festival of Remembrance in the presence of the Queen and Royal Family.
Harry also performed in the concert hall with classical orchestras like the London Symphony and London Philharmonic in works featuring the harmonica. In addition, Pitch played in and appeared onstage at Sadler’s Wells and The Royal Opera House in two operas by Hans Werner Henze: ‘La Cubana’ (1974) and ‘We Come to the River’ (1976).
Having performed under the batons of such legends as Nelson Riddle, Henry Mancini and Don Sebesky, he was called again in 1987 by Carl Davis who was writing a score to accompany Buster Keaton’s classic silent 1926 movie ‘The General’. Davis was looking for a distinctive instrument for the main character’s leitmotif running throughout the film. He decided on the harmonica and Pitch was the obvious choice. The piece was later performed to picture with a full orchestra several times around the UK and in Europe.
By this time, Harry had recorded five albums under his own name (‘Harmonica Jewel Box’, ‘Bossa Meets Ballads’, ‘Harmonically Yours’, ‘The Lonely Harmonicas of Harry Pitch’ and ‘Harry Pitch with Strings’) and made numerous radio broadcasts with his quartet. In 2001 he was asked by the music director John Wilson to take part in the BBC’s 50th anniversary recreation of ‘The Goon Show’. He was to emulate the contribution that Dutch star Max Geldray made to that iconic series and Pitch duly performed ‘Crazy Rhythm’ with great gusto.
Return to roots:
By the 1980s the music scene was changing. Groups were no longer performing live on TV, digital recording techniques needed fewer musicians and discos were replacing bands at functions. So Harry returned to his roots. With leading accordion player Jack Emblow he formed ‘Rhythm and Reeds’, playing a repertoire based on songbook standards. The group included jazz luminaries Bill le Sage, Don Innes and Brian Dee (piano), Alan Ganley and Bobby Orr (drums) plus Peter Morgan (bass). Pitch also embarked on a quieter career performing in London venues like Langan’s Brasserie and Pizza Express in Dean Street andarry ret Hampstead.
It was at the latter he met his idol Larry Adler again. Adler had followed Pitch’s career, admired his playing and often came to hear him. Harry was immensely flattered by such attention and friendship from his childhood hero and was equally moved to be asked to play George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ at the great man’s funeral and memorial concert.
Pitch was an enthusiastic supporter of the National Harmonica League, making regular appearances at its annual conventions. Despite such a busy and fulfilled life, he also enjoyed many peaceful times cruising on the River Thames in his boat, appropriately named ‘Harmonica Harry’.
Personal life:
He was married to Ruby Pitch (née Symons) for 69 years. He has two children (Ian and Gillian) and five grandchildren. Harry died on 15 July 2015, aged 90 and is buried at Braywick Cemetery, Maidenhead, Berkshire.
The information on this website was gathered from personal recollections plus eighteen hours of video and audio interviews recorded by his children between February 2012 and July 2014. As such, it is the only true official record of Harry Pitch’s life and career.
