Doctor Who theme added to national sound archive to honor innovation, longevity
- Reference: 1733898549
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/12/11/doctor_who_theme_added_to/
- Source link:
Wait? What? Why is music from the UK's most substantial contribution to broadcast sci-fi worthy of inclusion in an Australian archive?
Because, as [1]explained by the Archive (NFSA), it was written by an Aussie.
[2]
"While the theme for the long-running BBC series, with its otherworldly pulsing bassline, was recorded by English musician Delia Derbyshire, it was written by Australian composer Ron Grainer," the NFSA [3]explained , before going on to remind us all that the theme is thought to have been the first piece of electronic music used as a TV theme – and remains in use to this day, albeit modernized.
[4]
[5]
"Each note was painstakingly realized using musique concrète techniques – cutting, splicing, and manipulating analog tape recordings of white noise, a test-tone oscillator, and a single plucked string," NFSA noted in its account of the tune's creation.
That description accords with one The Register published [6]in 2010 , when we brought readers news that the BBC planned to air a previously un-aired interview with Delia Derbyshire.
[7]
That interview can be heard [8]here as part of a 58-minute BBC program celebrating her life and work.
[9]BBC exterminates AI experiments used to promote Doctor Who
[10]Surface Duo crashes the party as Doctor Who celebrates 60th birthday
[11]Machine-learning model creates creepiest Doctor Who images yet – by scanning the brain of a super fan
[12]BBC picks SiFive RISC-V chip for Doctor Who programming-for-kids kit – with Jodie Whittaker narrating
NFSA's [13]biography of Grainer explains that he was a musical prodigy who moved to London in 1952 and was once hit on the head by a grand piano lid – an incident that threw him into an orchestra pit.
He eventually found himself in the orbit of the BBC and in demand for his composing skills, which he used to create themes for classic programs Steptoe and Son and The Prisoner.
His [14]IMDB profile lists him as also contributing to many Doctor Who episodes, Charlton Heston flick The Omega Man, and a program featuring UK comic Benny Hill. That's an oeuvre surely worth archiving in some form! ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/asset/102424-doctor-who-theme-ron-grainer-composer-and-delia-derbyshire-musician
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z1lw1SqfLBQIO550D_9uagAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/asset/102424-doctor-who-theme-ron-grainer-composer-and-delia-derbyshire-musician
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z1lw1SqfLBQIO550D_9uagAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z1lw1SqfLBQIO550D_9uagAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2010/11/12/bbc_delia_derbyshire_doctor_who_interview/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z1lw1SqfLBQIO550D_9uagAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b00rl2ky
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/27/bbc_ends_doctor_who_ai_experiments/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/25/surface_duo_crashes_the_party/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/12/ai_dr_who/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/19/bbc_doctor_who_sifive/
[13] https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/ron-grainer-australian-doctor-who-theme-composer
[14] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006112/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: "once hit on the head by a grand piano lid"
We could do with some more brash young Aussies at the mo I think.
Although sadly the London such people would find has much less in the way of opportunity or cheap and interesting neighbourhoods to build a life in for a few years.
(Daphne Oram would be worth researching for those interested in electronic music, she wrote the actual book. Not to detract from DD and the other Radiophonic Workshop inmates).
Re: "once hit on the head by a grand piano lid"
The science museum in London had an interesting gallery on Oramics about 10 years ago, and still has her equipment in storage. Maybe it's time to bring it out again.
Prisoner Theme
In spite of it's snarkish nature the Vulture can be quite educational. I didn't know that Grainger was responsible for the 1967 [1]Prisoner Theme .
Listening to the music again it seems it shares some similarity with the music used in the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson productions but I imagine it was a small musical world and also reflected the spirit of the time.
Curiously the only DVDs I now possess are the Prisoner (1967) and Life on Mars (2006) (but no DVD player. ;)
[1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dWTdmwwK-ME
Re: Prisoner Theme
The Life on Mars DVD will prove to be useful if you ever get run over by a car and find yourself 30 years in the past.
Re: Gerry and Sylvia Anderson productions
That would be the late, great Barry Gray.
Man in a Suitcase
My favourite Ron Grainer theme, which I have as my phone ringtone.
Re: Man in a Suitcase
I think my favourite is "Maigret" - it perfectly encapsulated the style of the production. And while "Tales of the Unexpected" was rather insistent, it was unmistakable from the first note.
It's interesting how tastes (and technology) have changed. The early versions of the Doctor Who theme are quite spare. Since the reboot, the sound density (and volume) seems to have risen to sense-bludgeoning levels. I blame the youngsters and their popular beat combos.
wup wa wop, wup wa wop
It does have some didgeridoo undertones going on, I will admit.
Re: wup wa wop, wup wa wop
Maybe that should be wop wop wop waaaa, wup wup wup waaa .. you know how it goes.
Always interesting to see how it evolved over the years. The original theme must have seemed very out of this world back in the 60s....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNszKKAtEwU
Modernized
"the first piece of electronic music used as a TV theme – and remains in use to this day, albeit modernized"
I must say I do prefer the original version (find it quite ironic they keep tweaking the music when its a series where main protagonist can travel through time so no need for the music to be modernized)
We don't honor anyone
We honour them.
Re: We don't honor anyone
oh u!
Ron knew more than he was telling
We are told in the revived Dr Who that the da-da-da-dum is the sound of a Time Lord's heartbeat.
It wasn't until let in TOS that we learnt Time Lord's have two hearts (Pertwee, IIRC).
So clearly Mr Grainger was the right sort of person to write the theme on day one. Hmm, maybe getting clonked on the bonce was him trying to get into the wrong piano: his was larger on the inside.
<........"the theme is thought to have been the first piece of electronic music used as a TV theme – and remains in use to this day, albeit modernized"........>
Some might say that 'adulterated' might be a more accurate description of what has been done to it. Others may argue that the best word is mutilated.
The current version has certainly totally lost the hard other-worldly feel of the original which so gripped those of us who recall seeing the earlier series. Sadly, a similar loss of his other-worldly eccentricity seems to have befallen the character itself.
"once hit on the head by a grand piano lid"
Don't suppose anyone would want to repeat the experience.
I imagine many Brits would have been tempted if they were fortunate to be holding a piano lid when confronted by the hordes of brash young Aussies that infested post war London.