Burt Rhodes

Burt Rhodes (17 April 1923 – 21 June 2003) was one of Britain's most successful light entertainment musical directors and composers.

In 1958 he was the musical director for Wolf Mankowitz's Expresso Bongo which starred Paul Scofield and Millicent Martin. He followed this with Anthony Newley's Stop the World – I Want to Get Off and Lionel Bart's Blitz! of which Noël Coward said it was "noisier and longer than the real thing".

He was also a prolific composer and among his memorable credits was the theme tune for the critically acclaimed television sitcom The Good Life. Much appreciated by his peers for his professionalism and intelligence, he was often referred to as "the musicians' musician". He numbered among his many friends musicians such as Ronnie Hazlehurst, Monty Norman and Phil Phillips. He also orchestrated film scores, including the theme tune for the first James Bond film Dr No (1962). He died in 2003, aged 80. He is survived by his daughter Alison and his partner Rosalyn.