Theme from Z-Cars the 1960s. Sunderland A.F.C. were also known to have played the song as their players ran out to the field during their days playing at Roker Park. Theme from Z-Cars "Theme from "Z-Cars"" was the theme tune to the long-running BBC television drama "Z-Cars". Based on the traditional folk song "Johnny Todd", which was in a collection of traditional tunes by Frank Kidson dated 1891 called "Traditional Tunes: A Collection of Ballad Airs". Kidson's notes for this song say: "Johnny Todd is a child's rhyme and game, heard and seen played by Liverpool children. The air is somewhat pleasing, and
The Avengers (TV series) television theme was issued on Fontana in 1963. A very faithful cover version was released by Johnny Gregory. When Rigg joined the series in 1965, new theme music by Laurie Johnson was introduced. This was based on a previously released title, on LP called "The Shake" (which capitalised on "The Shake" dance craze of the 60s). For the colour series (1967), a percussion section was added to accompany the new teaser sequence at the start of each episode. Johnson re-scored the theme when Linda Thorson joined the series, adding a counter-melody on trumpet, based on the leitmotif for Tara King