The composer, Bill McGuffie, was well-known jazz pianist and library writer at the time. He even had his own weekly 15 minute solo TV show on ITV (probably made by Rediffusion in London, but certainly seen in the north, on Granada). Although I already knew that Bill was the composer, I can vividly remember being surprised by his playing
Sweet September (the correct and proper title) on that TV show, probably some time in 1963.
I recall a 1962 interview with The Shadows in the New Musical Express, around the time that the EP "The Boys" was released. Bruce Welch was quoted as remarking during the conversation something along the lines that not all of the EP's contents were the Shads' own work, and that one of the tracks was a Bill McGuffie composition. He actually used Bill's name, an indication of the fact that Bill was so well-known that it would mean something to readers of a pop music weekly.
There is some indication online to the effect that
Sweet September was written a couple of years prior to the making of "the Boys". That is, it is said (on several websites, though apparently from a single source) that it won an Ivor Novello ward in 1960. But there is at least one website where the date is given as 1963 (which ties up more neatly with the film).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_McGuffiehttp://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/Bill%20McGuffie_1.htmhttp://www.millenniumeffect.co.uk/audio/tributes/index2.htmlIn my opinion, Sweet September (Dreams) is one of the two or three the most melodic pieces of music ever recorded by The Shadows. It is a wonderful composition especially in the almost imperceptible way it modulates between keys, and I'm glad that it still keeps Bill's name alive.
JN