The musical soundscape created by Barry Gray for Fireball XL5 features

a rich tapestry of themes and playful instrumentation. Much like his

previous work for AP Films, Supercar, Barry Gray leans upon the Jazzy

musical language of Hollywood to bring to life the vivid marionettes and

miniature craft, with compositions ranging from brassy heroic percussion

to playful humorous cues. The unique nature of the series’ otherworldly premise however allowed

the composer to balance his silver screen classicism with a progressive

use of electronically augmented instruments, namely the Ondes Martenot.

Invented in the 1920s by French cellist Maurice Martenot, Barry Gary

studied the keyboard-like instrument with its creator in Paris. The

“wavering” sound the Ondes Martenot made was perfect for bringing to

life the various alien and mysterious situations encountered by the World

Space Patrol . These minimalist alien vignettes perfectly conveyed the

emptiness of space and could be suitably unsettling when employed to set

a scene of peril. This contrast of detached electronic music with the familiar anchor of

Jazz served the series well. To further add warmth to proceedings, each

episode would close with an undeniable pop

song, in the charming Fireball. The gentle love song featured the dulcet croon of Don Spencer

and would be one of Barry Gray’s finest pop moments – ensuring that the series

lingered in viewers heads.

01. Fireball XL5 Main Theme

02. The Mystery of Planet 46 from Planet 46

03. Formula 5 from The Doomed Planet

04. Rogue Planet from The Doomed Planet

05. Exploring the Tanker from The Hypnotic Sphere

06. Hypnotised from The Hypnotic Sphere

07. Travelling Light from Space Vacation

08. Ninety’s Dream from A Day in the Life of a Space Genera

09. Zero G (Single version

10. The Cholorphon from Plant Man from Space

11. Spectre of Electon from Ghosts of Space

12. End Titles: Fireball

13. Circus Dreams from Flying Zodiac

14. Platonia Treachery from Planet of Platonia

15. Flat Jazz from Flight to Danger

16. Trapped from Space Monster

17. This is the Twist from Space Monster

18. Fireball End Titles: Instrumental from Space City Special

19. Ice Skating Waltz from Drama at Space City

20. Aphros Theme from Prisoner on the Lost Planet

21. Aquaphibian from XL5 to H2O

22. Foiled! from XL5 to H20

23. Back to the past from 1875

24. Fireball (Single version)