The prolific and skilful British film and TV composer Laurie Johnson has died. He was 96. You’ll know his music even if you don’t know his name.

Born in Hampstead, England in 1927, Johnson studied at the Royal College of Music under Herbert Howells and Ralph Vaughan Williams. After four years of military service in the band of the Coldstream Guards as a horn player, Johnson turned to the burgeoning post-war entertainment industry.

Aged 21, he started composing and arranging for the Ted Heath Band and later for many of Britain’s leafing dance bands and recording orchestras. One of his first major projects was as composer and music director for the musical Lock Up Your Daughters (1959). His score, with lyrics by Lionel Bart, won an Ivor Novello Award.

In 1961, Johnson had a UK Singles Chart hit with Sucu Sucu, the theme music from the TV series Top Secret. He went on to composed over 50 themes and scores including those for The Avengers, Animal Magic and The Professionals (which made the UK Singles Chart Top 40). Johnson’s film scores...