MusicNoel Quinlan

Theme songs

"Sky High"Performed by JigsawComposed by Scott and DyerArranged by Richard Hewson

"A Man Is A Man Is A Man"Sung by Deena GreeneComposed by Noel Quinlan

Music Recorded by The Production HouseHong Kong

1. Noel Quinlan:

One site dedicated to world fusion music provided this short CV of composer Noel Quinlan:

Noel Quinlan developed the unique sound of his incredible MIDDLE KINGDOM CD series to bridge the gap between East and West. The recordings combine fine Oriental musicians with the Western sensibilities of sound and harmony, and provide a new and intriguing look into different times and culture.

Noel Quinlan is an Australian composer who has lived for many years in the Orient, particularly in Hong Kong and China. He started Big Sky in the early 90s to help fill the gap between Eastern and Western music, and was one of the first composers to explore the World Fusion genre. His Middle Kingdom series of recordings remain a unique evergreen which has sold over 1,000,000 copies in Asia, and his music is heard world-wide in movies, documentaries, and TV series such as Yan Can Cook. He now divides his time between Australia and Hong Kong while he works on new projects and improving his golf game.

At time of writing, April 2013, he is on Facebook, here.

(Below: Noel Quinlan)

Another site provides this more detailed CV taking his career up to 2006:

Noel Quinlan was born in Sydney Australia. He attended Chevalier College and Goulburn Tech. He was a professional guitarist from the age of 15, and worked studio sessions. He worked the Mavis Bramston Show, The Tonight Show and Coogee Bay Hotel. He signed with CBS Records, worked with the Bee Gees, Rowan and Martin, Sean and Sonia, and Peter Allen He left Australia to the Hong Kong Hilton Den with the In People. He formed Quinlan Collection, touring South East Asia. He was MD at Godown Nightclub HK, then returned to the Hong Kong Hilton Den as Musical Director.

He formed Hong Kong's first jingle house, composing/producing thousands of tracks for advertising, film and record. He also created Asia's first multi-track recording studio, The Production House and House Records, HK's leading indie record company.

He participated in career development of popular Chinese recording artists Paula Tsui, Teresa Tang, Alex Tong, Roman Tam, Sandra Lang, Susanna Kwan, Frances Yip, Tony Orchez, Danny Summer and Teresa Carpio.

He signed local groups Jade and Willy & The City Band, each selling over 500,000 copies of Noel's songs "My Generation" (Levis) and "Yang Guang Kong Qi" (Towngas Song).

He pent two years studying film in Los Angeles, with three film scores for Ringo Lam and attended Grove School of Music, under Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle and Dick Grove.

Back in HK, he designed and built The Sound Department (HK) Ltd., a digital recording facility to compete with the world's best..Australian band INXS and Michael Hutchence chose Noel's studio to work on album, Kick.

Noel has composed the scores for over 40 feature film (Man From Hong Kong etc) and documentaries, together with orchestral works for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Cologne Radio Orchestra, and concert artists Tim Rice and Elaine Page.

He has acted as Musical Director for various live media events, including Hong Kong's "Metro Hit Awards". He is heard throughout Asia, including STAR-TV, MTV, and Metro Broadcast.

In February 1991 he released "Middle Kingdom", combining ancient Chinese melodies with modern technology and performed on computers and traditional instruments. This landmark CD was the first in the continuing series, with total sales now exceeding 1,000,000 CD's.

The unique style of the "Middle Kingdom" productions has greatly influenced modern Asian record production, and is used extensively in films and television series. Big Sky productions are featured in the TV series "For Love or Money", ICAC, and "Yan Can Cook", seen in over 50 countries. He recently completed 52 episodes for "Martin Yan's Chinatowns", with Middle Kingdom V released in early 2005.

In 2001 he appeared on the compilation CD "Voyage" in the company of Enya, Enigma, Deep Forest, Kitaro, Mike Oldfield et al.

His latest production is an original retro/lounge CD "Riverwind" with veteran performer Lucky Starr for release 2006.

Middle Kingdom Chillout Remix was released for Xmas 2006.

2. Sky High - Jigsaw:

The producers deliberately spent a considerable amount of money from the film's budget hoping to manufacture a hit pop song, and ended up with Leeds Music in London and the group Jigsaw. The strategy proved remarkably successful, and main title theme was released in Australia as a 45:

45 (Stereo) Private Stock PVT-10857 1975Produced by Chas Peate A Belsize Production Arranged by Richard Henson

Sky High (Scott-Dyer) (Leeds) Vocals: British Jigsaw

The song did well enough to have its own wiki here.

It reached #9 in the UK, #3 in the US and #1 in Japan, while reaching #3 in Australia (the wiki suggests #8 but it went higher on some charts). The song gave the movie exposure on chart shows such as the ABC's Countdown

The band was called British Jigsaw because of an Australian band called Jigsaw. They were also sometimes called a one hit wonder, but they did have several other minor hits, with Love Fire reaching #30 in the US in 1976 and If I Have To Go Away charting in the UK.

(Below: Splash UK version)

The single was later collected in a number of original hits compiles and a Channel Seven 1976 Telethon compile.

K-Tel released it as LP, with the theme on side 2 track 10 and a remixed version became a minor hit in 1989 in the United States:

45 Possum TDS 537 1989

Skyhigh Jigsaw Produced by Chase Peate & Pete Hammond

Mixed by Mixmaster Pete Hammond. Side Two Mixed by Dave Ford. Recorded and Mixed at PWL Studios 1 & 2, LondonKeyboards: Clive Scott. Bass & Drums: Pete Hammond Vocals & Percussion: Des Dyer© 1989 Libido Records UK.Side A: Skyhigh (Scott - Dyer) (MCA Music) Vocals: Jigsaw UK.

Side B: Skyhigh (Instrumental) (Track 2 on Side B:) (Scott - Dyer)(MCA Music) Jigsaw UK

Les "Mixdoctor" Adams of D.M.C. also had a go at it for Splash Records.

When British singer Newton recorded Sky High in the mid 1990s, produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken, it charted in the top ten in Australia.

CD Love This D 11953 1994Performed by Newton.

Track 1 mixed by Seth & Jess Thethub, mix engineer: Peter Day. Track 2 mixed by Mobius Loop. Track 3 mixed by The Red BaronTracks 1, 2 & 3 written by C. Scott & D. Dyer. Tracks 1, 2 & 3 published by MCA Music Ltd.Track 1 Sky High Radio Edit.Track 2 Sky High Hiza Kite Mix.

Track 3 Sky High Kaiser Height Mix.

The song has been covered by a number of other artists, and below, here a few of the many other editions. Various versions are also available on YouTube: