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back to article Beeb to show unseen interview with Dr Who theme creator

The BBC will next week air a previously unbroadcast interview with the late Delia Derbyshire, the synthesised music whiz who first realised composer Ron Grainer's famous Doctor Who score. The interview, originally recorded by a BBC Scotland reporter in the late 1990s, was made after Derbyshire's pioneering work - no synths in …

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  1. DuncanL

    Mark Ayers?

    <nerd hat> Ayres - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Ayres </nerd hat>

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    1. Znort666
      Reply Icon

      erm...

      http://markayres.rwsprojects.co.uk/drwho.htm

      The link above contains the following text...

      "If you've linked directly to this page from another site - welcome! Mark Ayres wrote the music for three Doctor Who stories ("The Greatest Show in the Galaxy", "Ghost Light", and "The Curse of Fenric") and other Doctor Who-related video productions."

      It does not make mention of him writing the original theme...

      Also for those on Sky you will be able to watch it via the regional channels. I believe they are 980 ish.

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      1. Tigra 07
        Reply Icon

        RE: Znort666

        Isn't Sky 900-999 all the porn channels?

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    3. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Headmaster

      Read!

      the story and the link to Marks own words here:

      http://markayres.rwsprojects.co.uk/DWTheme.htm

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Sculptress of Sound

    BBC Radio 4 featured Delia Derbyshire on archive on 4 a while back if you get the chance to listen again (its not on iplayer at present - perhaps apply an eye patch and parrot) I'd recommend it!

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rl2ky

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  3. Wize

    Its amazing what you can do with a key and a piano string.

    Its a sound that still makes the hairs on my neck stand up with excitement when I hear it on TV in another room.

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  4. Dave Walker
    Pint

    Parallel history: the theme from 'Forbidden Planet' interview

    For the pre-synth electronic music fans the article:

    The Barrons: Forgotten Pioneers of Electronic Music on National Public Radio; Susan Stone, 5 February, 2005

    Will be of interest as it details the creation of the first all electronic music sound-track.

    Available at www.NPR.org then search for 'Forbidden Planet' or use the following direct link

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4486840

    A .5 Litre? Because it goes well with electric music...

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      That's "electronic tonalities" to you

      *shakes fist at evil unions*

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  5. John Gamble

    Derbyshire Has Fans Outside The U.K.

    "The snag: it's only being shown in the West Midlands, but the rest of us will get to see it on BBC iPlayer shortly afterward..."

    Not reassuring for those of us outside the U.K. though. I did a search for how-to instructions for iPlayer for North American residents; the machinations one has to go through are a little off-putting.

    Which is a shame because I have the disc of Derbyshire's and other Radiophonic artists' recordings, and they range from interesting to very good. I would have liked to have seen her views of the techniques then and the equipment available now.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Septics

      If the septics were to pay a licence fee then maybe they could have iplayer?

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  6. Captain Hogwash
    Thumb Up

    ...will always be most fondly remembered for...

    White Noise - An Electric Storm

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  7. Paul Johnston

    More info for those interested!

    http://www.novars.manchester.ac.uk/research/delia/index.html

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  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Delia was a true original

    her work still sounds just as fresh today, and has a delightfully English quality to it that's hard to put into words.

    There was also a Radio 4 play about her a couple of years back entitled "Blue Veils and Golden Sands", which really brought her to life.

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  9. envmod
    Heart

    rephlex

    Delia Derbyshire is awesome and the defacto queen of early electronic music artists. Check out the album "Music From The BBC Radiophonic Workshop" on Rephlex records if you want to hear more from her and other early electronic pioneers.

    Also, check out this "throwaway" track produced early in her career - predated modern dance music by more than thirty years! It sounds so up to date and fresh, it's unbelievable to think how old it is... anyway, link below:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7512490.stm

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  10. Greencat
    Thumb Up

    Delia

    Delia was a musical genius who unfortunately was only just starting to get recognised again towards the end of her life. Only wish I'd had the chance to meet her as she always comes across as quirky and passionate in her interviews.

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  11. Cazzo Enorme

    @envmod

    Thanks for the link to "proto-dance track" - the links from that page were fascinating as well.

    Delia was working with Sonic Boom, the former lead singer of Spacemen 3 shortly before she died - a combination that made perfect sense if you've any familiarity with the experimental noise that both artists are known for.

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  12. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    To Delia (The Original Aphex Twin)

    We the hardcore raver and techno jogging fraternity salute you!

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  13. David Kelly 2

    Good Stuff!

    This is the kind of thing I come to The Register to find!

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  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    More Delia:

    On a fansite:

    http://www.delia-derbyshire.org/

    Also check out the BBC play "Blue Veils and Golden Sands" which is the touching story of how Peter Kember tracked her down.

    Available on CD:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-BBC-Plays-Audio/dp/1846070449

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  15. Stuart Halliday
    Thumb Up

    The Play

    I was please to be able to see the Theatrical play put on in Glasgow a few years ago which went over her remarkable life.

    Amazing to think that the Doctor Who theme was put together as hand-cut pieces of magnetic tape, held together with sticky tape and put in a plastic bucket!

    Sound Artists today using software like Audacity don't know they're born!

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  16. Mike Flugennock
    Pint

    Quite possibly...

    ...the greatest TV theme of all time -- even more than "Batman", or "Peter Gunn" or "Twilight Zone" or "The Saint" -- and that's saying something. So, will we ever get to see this interview on the BBC America satellite channel over here in the Colonies? Sounds like it should be fascinating; I've read about Derbyshire's original work at the Radiophonic Workshop, and how she built the tracks for the original Dr. Who theme, but I'd still love to hear her tell the story herself.

    Btw, one thing I've often wondered, given the number of generations of British youth who've grown up with The Doctor: are there any other old Pink Floyd freaks here -- especially you British fans -- who can hear little snatches of the Dr. Who theme in Rick Wright's synth break on "One Of These Days (I'm Going To Cut You Into Little Pieces)"? Really; if you're near your CD player or iPod, cue up that old copy of "Meddle" and hear what I'm talking about...

    (a posthumous pint poured onto the ground for Delia)

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