BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Encyclopedia
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effect
s units of the BBC
, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio
, and was closed in March 1998, although much of its traditional work had already been outsourced by 1995. It was based in the BBC's Maida Vale Studios
in Delaware Road, London
, growing outwards from the then-legendary Room 13. The innovative music and techniques used by the Workshop made it one of the most significant influences on electronic music
today.
, including Desmond Briscoe
and Daphne Oram
. For some time there had been much interest in producing innovative music and sounds to go with the pioneering programming of the era, in particular the dramatic output of the BBC Third Programme
. Often the sounds required for the atmosphere that programme makers wished to create were unavailable or non-existent through traditional sources and so some, such as the musically trained Oram, would look to new techniques to produce effects and music for their pieces. Much of this interest drew them to musique concrète
and tape manipulation techniques, since using these methods could allow them to create soundscapes suitable for the growing range of unconventional programming. When the BBC noticed the rising popularity of this method they established a Radiophonic Effects Committee, setting up the Workshop in rooms 13 & 14 of the BBC's Maida Vale studios with a budget of £2,000. The Workshop regularly released technical journals of their findings - leading to some of their techniques being borrowed by sixties producers and engineers such as Eddie Kramer
.
employed as a technical assistant. Much of The Radiophonic Workshop's early work was in effects for radio, in particular experimental drama and "radiophonic poems". Their significant early output included creating effects for the popular science-fiction serial Quatermass and the Pit
and memorable comedy sounds for The Goon Show
. In 1959, Daphne Oram left the workshop to set up her own studio, the Oramics Studios for Electronic Composition, where she eventually developed her "Oramics
" technique of electronic sound creation. That year Maddalena Fagandini
joined the workshop from the BBC's Italian Service.
From the early sixties the Workshop began creating television theme tunes and jingles, particularly for low budget schools programmes. The shift from the experimental nature of the late 50s dramas to theme tunes was noticeable enough for one radio presenter to have to remind listeners that the purpose of the Workshop was not pop music. In fact, in 1962 one of Fagandini's interval signals "Time Beat" was reworked with assistance from George Martin
(in his pre-Beatles
days) and commercially released as a single using the pseudonym Ray Cathode. During this early period the innovative electronic approaches to music in the Workshop began to attract some significant young talent including Delia Derbyshire
, Brian Hodgson
and John Baker
, who was in fact a jazz pianist with an interest in reverse tape effects. Later, in 1967. they were joined by David Cain
, a jazz bass player and mathematician.
In these early days, one criticism the Workshop attracted was its policy of not allowing musicians from outside the BBC to use its equipment, which was some of the most advanced in the country at that time not only because of its nature, but also because of the unique combinations and workflows which the Workshop afforded its composers. In later years this would become less important as more electronic equipment became readily available to a wider audience.
to record a theme tune for the upcoming BBC television series Doctor Who
. Presented with the task of "realising" Grainer's score, complete with its descriptions of "sweeps", "swoops", "wind clouds" and "wind bubbles", Delia Derbyshire
created a piece of musique concrète
which has become one of television's most recognisable themes. Over the next quarter-century the Workshop contributed greatly to the programme providing its vast range of unusual sound-effects, from the TARDIS
dematerialisation to the Sonic screwdriver
, as well as much of the programme's distinctive electronic incidental music, including every score from 1980 to 1985. Such is the relationship between the two that to many the phrase "Radiophonic Workshop" will always be associated with the programme, often to the detriment of the reputation of the Workshop's other output.
, Paddy Kingsland
, Roger Limb
and Peter Howell
. From the early days of a studio full of tape reels and electronic oscillator
s, the Workshop now found itself in possession of various synthesisers including the EMS VCS 3
and the EMS Synthi 100
nicknamed the "Delaware" by the members of the Workshop.
In 1977, Workshop co-founder Desmond Briscoe retired from organisational duties with Brian Hodgson, returning after a five-year gap away from the Workshop, taking over.
By this point the output of the Workshop was vast with high demand for complete scores for programmes as well as the themes and sound effects for which it had made its name. By the end of the decade the workshop was contributing to over 300 programmes a year from all departments of the BBC and had long since expanded from its early two room setup. Its contributions included material for programmes such as The Body in Question, Blue Peter
and Tomorrow's World
as well as sound effects for popular science fiction programmes Blake's 7
and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
(in both its radio
and television
forms) by Richard Yeoman-Clark
and Paddy Kingsland
respectively.
Since the closure many of the Radiophonic Workshops albums have been re-released on CD and some of the incidental scores for episodes of Doctor Who have been made available for the first time.
In October 2003, Alchemists of Sound, an hour-long television
documentary
about the Radiophonic Workshop, was broadcast on BBC Four
.
The Magnetic Fields
titled the first track of their album Holiday after the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
reunited with former BBC Radiophonic Workshop composers Roger Limb
, Paddy Kingsland
and Peter Howell
with archivist Mark Ayres
for a unique live concert at The Roundhouse
, Chalk Farm, London, performing as "The Radiophonic Workshop". The composers, backed by a small brass section and a live drummer, performed a large number of their BBC-commissioned musical works including sections of incidental music from The Hitch Hikers' Guide to the Galaxy and Doctor Who (including a medley of Mark Ayres's work) as well as some collaborative compositions written specifically for the Roundhouse concert.
The live performances were mixed in surround sound and interspersed with musical video montage tributes of deceased members of the Workshop including Daphne Oram
, Delia Derbyshire
and John Baker
. The two and a half hour event climaxed with live performances of the Derbyshire and Peter Howell arrangements of Doctor Who, segueing into a new Radiophonic version of the theme tune. Celebrated attendees included actor/writer/composer Peter Serafinowicz
and satirist/writer/broadcaster Victor Lewis-Smith
. Multiple cameras recorded the event but it has yet to be broadcast or released in any form, although amateur footage of the event can be seen on YouTube.
or equalisation. The most famous of the Workshop's creations using 'radiophonic' techniques include the Doctor Who theme music, which Delia Derbyshire
created using a plucked string, 12 oscillators and a lot of tape manipulation; and the sound of the TARDIS (the Doctor's
time machine
) materialising and dematerialising, which was created by Brian Hodgson running his keys along the rusty bass strings of a broken piano
, with the recording slowed down to make an even lower sound.
Much of the equipment used by the Workshop in the earlier years of its operation in the late 1950s was semi-professional and was passed down from other departments, though two giant professional tape-recorders (which appeared to lose all sound above 10 kHz) made an early centrepiece. Reverberation was obtained using an echo chamber
, a basement room with bare painted walls empty except for loudspeakers and microphones. Due to the considerable technical challenges faced by the Workshop and BBC traditions, staff initially worked in pairs with one person assigned to the technical aspects of the work and the other to the artistic direction.
, Jimmy Page
and Jimi Hendrix
. In 1997 the electronic dance music
magazine Mixmag
described the Workshop as, "the unsung heroes of British electronica
."
In 1994, BBC Enterprises
also licensed out material, by members of the Radiophonic Workshop, to the Cavendish Music Library for release on CD. Five themed compilations of material were released under the titles Poisoned Planet, Undersea World, Africa, Time And Space and Ethnic Impressions. They featured various works by Elizabeth Parker, Peter Howell, Roger Limb, Malcolm Clarke and Richard Attree.
theme music
was provided by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from 1963 to 1985. From 1986 to the programme's demise the theme was provided by freelance musicians. Between 1980 and 1985 the complete incidental scores for the programme were provided in-house by the Workshop. Below is a complete list of incidental music provided by the Radiophonic Workshop for the programme.
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s units of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, and was closed in March 1998, although much of its traditional work had already been outsourced by 1995. It was based in the BBC's Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
in Delaware Road, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, growing outwards from the then-legendary Room 13. The innovative music and techniques used by the Workshop made it one of the most significant influences on electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
today.
Creation
The Workshop was set up to satisfy the growing demand in the late 1950s for "radiophonic" sounds from a group of producers and studio managers at the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, including Desmond Briscoe
Desmond Briscoe
Harry Desmond Briscoe was an English composer, sound engineer and studio manager. He was the co-founder and original manager of the pioneering BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
and Daphne Oram
Daphne Oram
Daphne Oram was a British composer and electronic musician. She was the creator of the "Oramics" technique for creating electronic sounds....
. For some time there had been much interest in producing innovative music and sounds to go with the pioneering programming of the era, in particular the dramatic output of the BBC Third Programme
BBC Third Programme
The BBC Third Programme was a national radio network broadcast by the BBC. The network first went on air on 29 September 1946 and became one of the leading cultural and intellectual forces in Britain, playing a crucial role in disseminating the arts...
. Often the sounds required for the atmosphere that programme makers wished to create were unavailable or non-existent through traditional sources and so some, such as the musically trained Oram, would look to new techniques to produce effects and music for their pieces. Much of this interest drew them to musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
and tape manipulation techniques, since using these methods could allow them to create soundscapes suitable for the growing range of unconventional programming. When the BBC noticed the rising popularity of this method they established a Radiophonic Effects Committee, setting up the Workshop in rooms 13 & 14 of the BBC's Maida Vale studios with a budget of £2,000. The Workshop regularly released technical journals of their findings - leading to some of their techniques being borrowed by sixties producers and engineers such as Eddie Kramer
Eddie Kramer
Edwin H. Kramer is an audio engineer and producer who has worked with, among others, Led Zeppelin, Triumph, Kiss , Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Spooky Tooth, Peter Frampton, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, Anthrax, Carly Simon, Loudness, and Robin Trower.-1960s:Eddie...
.
Early days
In 1958, Desmond Briscoe was appointed the Senior Studio Manager with Dick MillsDick Mills
Dick Mills is a British sound engineer, specialising in electronic sound effects which he produced at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
employed as a technical assistant. Much of The Radiophonic Workshop's early work was in effects for radio, in particular experimental drama and "radiophonic poems". Their significant early output included creating effects for the popular science-fiction serial Quatermass and the Pit
Quatermass and the Pit
Quatermass and the Pit is a British television science-fiction serial, originally transmitted live by BBC Television in December 1958 and January 1959. It was the third and last of the BBC's Quatermass serials, although the character would reappear in a 1979 ITV production simply entitled Quatermass...
and memorable comedy sounds for The Goon Show
The Goon Show
The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...
. In 1959, Daphne Oram left the workshop to set up her own studio, the Oramics Studios for Electronic Composition, where she eventually developed her "Oramics
Oramics
Oramics is a drawn sound technique designed in 1957 by musician Daphne Oram. The machine was further developed in 1962 after receiving a grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation...
" technique of electronic sound creation. That year Maddalena Fagandini
Maddalena Fagandini
Maddalena Fagandini is an electronic musician and television producer. She was employed by the BBC in the early 50s as part of their Italian Service before becoming part of the pioneering BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1959. Her work with the Radiophonic Workshop involved creating jingles and interval...
joined the workshop from the BBC's Italian Service.
From the early sixties the Workshop began creating television theme tunes and jingles, particularly for low budget schools programmes. The shift from the experimental nature of the late 50s dramas to theme tunes was noticeable enough for one radio presenter to have to remind listeners that the purpose of the Workshop was not pop music. In fact, in 1962 one of Fagandini's interval signals "Time Beat" was reworked with assistance from George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
(in his pre-Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
days) and commercially released as a single using the pseudonym Ray Cathode. During this early period the innovative electronic approaches to music in the Workshop began to attract some significant young talent including Delia Derbyshire
Delia Derbyshire
Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
, Brian Hodgson
Brian Hodgson
Brian Hodgson is a British television composer and sound technician. Born in Liverpool in 1938, Hodgson joined the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1962 where he became the original sound effects creator for the science fiction programme Doctor Who...
and John Baker
John Baker (Radiophonic musician)
John Baker was a British musician and composer who worked in jazz and electronic music. He was educated at the Royal Academy of Music where he studied piano and composition. In 1960 he joined the BBC as a sound mixer, before transferring, in 1963, to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop where he remained...
, who was in fact a jazz pianist with an interest in reverse tape effects. Later, in 1967. they were joined by David Cain
David Cain (composer)
David Cain was a composer and technician for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He was educated at Imperial College London, where he earned a degree in mathematics. In 1963, he joined the BBC as a studio manager, specialising in radio drama...
, a jazz bass player and mathematician.
In these early days, one criticism the Workshop attracted was its policy of not allowing musicians from outside the BBC to use its equipment, which was some of the most advanced in the country at that time not only because of its nature, but also because of the unique combinations and workflows which the Workshop afforded its composers. In later years this would become less important as more electronic equipment became readily available to a wider audience.
Doctor Who
Perhaps the most significant recording in Radiophonic Workshop history came in 1963 when they were approached by composer Ron GrainerRon Grainer
Ronald Erle “Ron” Grainer was an Australian-born composer who worked for most of his professional career in the United Kingdom. He is mostly remembered for his film and television music.- Biography :...
to record a theme tune for the upcoming BBC television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. Presented with the task of "realising" Grainer's score, complete with its descriptions of "sweeps", "swoops", "wind clouds" and "wind bubbles", Delia Derbyshire
Delia Derbyshire
Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
created a piece of musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
which has become one of television's most recognisable themes. Over the next quarter-century the Workshop contributed greatly to the programme providing its vast range of unusual sound-effects, from the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
dematerialisation to the Sonic screwdriver
Sonic screwdriver
The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lockpick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans,...
, as well as much of the programme's distinctive electronic incidental music, including every score from 1980 to 1985. Such is the relationship between the two that to many the phrase "Radiophonic Workshop" will always be associated with the programme, often to the detriment of the reputation of the Workshop's other output.
Changes
As the sixties drew to a close many of the techniques used by the Workshop changed as more electronic music began to be produced by synthesisers. Many of the old members of the Workshop were reluctant to use the new instruments, often because of the limitations and unreliable nature of many of the early synthesisers but also, for some, because of a dislike of the sounds they created. This led to many leaving the workshop making way for a new generation of musicians in the early 1970s including Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke
Malcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
, Paddy Kingsland
Paddy Kingsland
Paddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
, Roger Limb
Roger Limb
Roger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
and Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Peter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
. From the early days of a studio full of tape reels and electronic oscillator
Electronic oscillator
An electronic oscillator is an electronic circuit that produces a repetitive electronic signal, often a sine wave or a square wave. They are widely used in innumerable electronic devices...
s, the Workshop now found itself in possession of various synthesisers including the EMS VCS 3
EMS VCS 3
The VCS 3 is a portable analog synthesiser with a flexible semi-modular voice architecture, by Electronic Music Studios Limited in 1969....
and the EMS Synthi 100
EMS Synthi 100
The EMS Synthi 100 was a large analogue synthesizer made by Electronic Music Studios Ltd. It was released in 1971 and cost £6,500. It is estimated that fewer than 40 units were built....
nicknamed the "Delaware" by the members of the Workshop.
In 1977, Workshop co-founder Desmond Briscoe retired from organisational duties with Brian Hodgson, returning after a five-year gap away from the Workshop, taking over.
By this point the output of the Workshop was vast with high demand for complete scores for programmes as well as the themes and sound effects for which it had made its name. By the end of the decade the workshop was contributing to over 300 programmes a year from all departments of the BBC and had long since expanded from its early two room setup. Its contributions included material for programmes such as The Body in Question, Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
and Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
as well as sound effects for popular science fiction programmes Blake's 7
Blake's 7
Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
(in both its radio
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Primary and Secondary Phases
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series written by Douglas Adams was first broadcast in 1978 and was the first incarnation of his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy franchise...
and television
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (TV series)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is a BBC television adaptation of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy broadcast in January and February 1981 on BBC Two...
forms) by Richard Yeoman-Clark
Richard Yeoman-Clark
Richard Yeoman-Clark is a British composer and sound engineer who worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from 1970 to 1978.He is most recognised for providing special sound for the first two seasons of the science fiction series Blake's 7....
and Paddy Kingsland
Paddy Kingsland
Paddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
respectively.
Latter days
By the early 1990s, BBC director John Birt decided that departments were to charge each other and bid against each other for services and to cut those which couldn't make enough revenue to cover their costs. In 1991 the Workshop was given five years in which to break even but the cost of keeping the department, which required a number of engineers as well as composers, proved too much and so they failed. Dick Mills, who had worked on Doctor Who since the very beginning, left in 1993, along with Ray White, Senior Engineer, and his assistant, Ray Riley. In 1995, despite being asked to continue, organiser Brian Hodgson left the Workshop, closely followed by Malcolm Clarke and Roger Limb. By the end, only one composer, Elizabeth Parker, remained and the Workshop closed in March 1998. Mark Ayres recalls the Workshop's tape archive being collected on April 1, exactly 40 years after the department had opened.Legacy
Whilst the decision to close the Radiophonic Workshop was both regrettable and difficult the BBC recognised its contribution and heritage and as such Mark Ayres and Brian Hodgson were commissioned to catalogue the extensive library of recordings by the workshop prior to placing it into the archive, thus preserving a considerable part of the workshop's work for posterity.Since the closure many of the Radiophonic Workshops albums have been re-released on CD and some of the incidental scores for episodes of Doctor Who have been made available for the first time.
In October 2003, Alchemists of Sound, an hour-long television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
documentary
Television documentary
Documentary television is a genre of television programming that broadcasts documentaries.* Documentary television series, a television series which is made up of documentary episodes....
about the Radiophonic Workshop, was broadcast on BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
.
The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields is the principal creative outlet of singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt...
titled the first track of their album Holiday after the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
Live reunion 2009
In May 2009, Dick MillsDick Mills
Dick Mills is a British sound engineer, specialising in electronic sound effects which he produced at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
reunited with former BBC Radiophonic Workshop composers Roger Limb
Roger Limb
Roger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
, Paddy Kingsland
Paddy Kingsland
Paddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
and Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Peter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
with archivist Mark Ayres
Mark Ayres
Mark Ayres is a television composer who is best known for his work on Doctor Who.Ayres's work on broadcast Doctor Who was during Sylvester McCoy's era as the Seventh Doctor, comprising The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Ghost Light, and The Curse of Fenric.Ayres was hired after he sent producer John...
for a unique live concert at The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
, Chalk Farm, London, performing as "The Radiophonic Workshop". The composers, backed by a small brass section and a live drummer, performed a large number of their BBC-commissioned musical works including sections of incidental music from The Hitch Hikers' Guide to the Galaxy and Doctor Who (including a medley of Mark Ayres's work) as well as some collaborative compositions written specifically for the Roundhouse concert.
The live performances were mixed in surround sound and interspersed with musical video montage tributes of deceased members of the Workshop including Daphne Oram
Daphne Oram
Daphne Oram was a British composer and electronic musician. She was the creator of the "Oramics" technique for creating electronic sounds....
, Delia Derbyshire
Delia Derbyshire
Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
and John Baker
John Baker (Radiophonic musician)
John Baker was a British musician and composer who worked in jazz and electronic music. He was educated at the Royal Academy of Music where he studied piano and composition. In 1960 he joined the BBC as a sound mixer, before transferring, in 1963, to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop where he remained...
. The two and a half hour event climaxed with live performances of the Derbyshire and Peter Howell arrangements of Doctor Who, segueing into a new Radiophonic version of the theme tune. Celebrated attendees included actor/writer/composer Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Szymon Serafinowicz is an English actor, comedian, writer, composer, voice artist and occasional director.-Early life:Serafinowicz was born in Liverpool, England. He attended Our Lady of the Assumption Roman Catholic Primary School and St Francis Xavier Secondary School...
and satirist/writer/broadcaster Victor Lewis-Smith
Victor Lewis-Smith
Victor Lewis-Smith is a British satirist, producer, critic and prankster. He is known for his sarcasm and biting criticism.-Radio and recordings:...
. Multiple cameras recorded the event but it has yet to be broadcast or released in any form, although amateur footage of the event can be seen on YouTube.
Techniques
The techniques initially used by the Radiophonic Workshop were closely related to those used in musique concrète; new sounds for programs were created by using recordings of everyday sounds such as voices, bells or gravel as raw material for "radiophonic" manipulations. In these manipulations, audio tape could be played back at different speeds (altering a sound's pitch), reversed, cut and joined, or processed using reverbReverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
or equalisation. The most famous of the Workshop's creations using 'radiophonic' techniques include the Doctor Who theme music, which Delia Derbyshire
Delia Derbyshire
Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
created using a plucked string, 12 oscillators and a lot of tape manipulation; and the sound of the TARDIS (the Doctor's
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
) materialising and dematerialising, which was created by Brian Hodgson running his keys along the rusty bass strings of a broken piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, with the recording slowed down to make an even lower sound.
Much of the equipment used by the Workshop in the earlier years of its operation in the late 1950s was semi-professional and was passed down from other departments, though two giant professional tape-recorders (which appeared to lose all sound above 10 kHz) made an early centrepiece. Reverberation was obtained using an echo chamber
Echo chamber
thumb|right|Echo chamber of the Dresden University of Technologythumb|right|Hamilton Mausoleum has a spectacularly long lasting unplanned echoAn echo chamber is a hollow enclosure used to produce echoing sounds, usually for recording purposes...
, a basement room with bare painted walls empty except for loudspeakers and microphones. Due to the considerable technical challenges faced by the Workshop and BBC traditions, staff initially worked in pairs with one person assigned to the technical aspects of the work and the other to the artistic direction.
Influence on popular music
The Radiophonic Workshop regularly released free journals of its experiments to the public, complete with instructions and wiring diagrams. Amongst those who studied the journals and learned from their techniques was sound engineer Roger Mayer, who supplied guitar pedals to Jeff BeckJeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
, Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
. In 1997 the electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
magazine Mixmag
Mixmag
Mixmag is a British dance music and clubbing magazine. It styles itself as "the world's biggest selling dance music magazine", with an Audit Bureau of Circulations audited circulation of approximately 21,250...
described the Workshop as, "the unsung heroes of British electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
."
Members of the Radiophonic Workshop
- Desmond BriscoeDesmond BriscoeHarry Desmond Briscoe was an English composer, sound engineer and studio manager. He was the co-founder and original manager of the pioneering BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
(1958–1983) - Daphne OramDaphne OramDaphne Oram was a British composer and electronic musician. She was the creator of the "Oramics" technique for creating electronic sounds....
(1958–1959) - Dick MillsDick MillsDick Mills is a British sound engineer, specialising in electronic sound effects which he produced at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
(1958–1993) - Maddalena FagandiniMaddalena FagandiniMaddalena Fagandini is an electronic musician and television producer. She was employed by the BBC in the early 50s as part of their Italian Service before becoming part of the pioneering BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1959. Her work with the Radiophonic Workshop involved creating jingles and interval...
(1959–1966) - Brian HodgsonBrian HodgsonBrian Hodgson is a British television composer and sound technician. Born in Liverpool in 1938, Hodgson joined the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1962 where he became the original sound effects creator for the science fiction programme Doctor Who...
(1962–1972), Organiser (1977–1995) - Delia DerbyshireDelia DerbyshireDelia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
(1962–1973) - John BakerJohn Baker (Radiophonic musician)John Baker was a British musician and composer who worked in jazz and electronic music. He was educated at the Royal Academy of Music where he studied piano and composition. In 1960 he joined the BBC as a sound mixer, before transferring, in 1963, to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop where he remained...
(1963–1974) - David CainDavid Cain (composer)David Cain was a composer and technician for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He was educated at Imperial College London, where he earned a degree in mathematics. In 1963, he joined the BBC as a studio manager, specialising in radio drama...
(1967–1973) - Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
(1969–1995) - Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
(1970–1981) - Richard Yeoman-ClarkRichard Yeoman-ClarkRichard Yeoman-Clark is a British composer and sound engineer who worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from 1970 to 1978.He is most recognised for providing special sound for the first two seasons of the science fiction series Blake's 7....
(1970–1978) - Roger LimbRoger LimbRoger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
(1972–1995) - Glynis JonesGlynis JonesGlynis Jones was a composer, musician and member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. She joined the Workshop in 1973. In 1976, she produced the album Out of This World, on which some of her material appears. Her compositions also feature on the album The Radiophonic Workshop.Currently living in West...
(1973–?) - Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
(1974–1997) - Elizabeth Parker (1978–1998)
- Jonathan GibbsJonathan Gibbs (composer)Jonathan Gibbs is a British composer. Between 1983 and 1985 he worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. His work at the workshop included providing the scores for the Doctor Who stories The King's Demons, Warriors of the Deep, Vengeance on Varos and The Mark of the Rani.-External links:...
(1983–1986) - Richard AttreeRichard AttreeRichard Attree is a British TV and Film composer. He attended Highgate School, and then studied electronic music at the Royal College of Music following a degree in computer science. Whilst completing these studies he played as a keyboard player with various bands...
(1987–1998) - Mark AyresMark AyresMark Ayres is a television composer who is best known for his work on Doctor Who.Ayres's work on broadcast Doctor Who was during Sylvester McCoy's era as the Seventh Doctor, comprising The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Ghost Light, and The Curse of Fenric.Ayres was hired after he sent producer John...
, now archivist of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop archive, and restoring some recordings.
Albums
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | BBC Radiophonic Music BBC Radiophonic Music BBC Radiophonic Music was the first compilation of music released by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. It featured music by three of the Workshop's most prominent composers, John Baker, David Cain, and Delia Derbyshire... |
LP, Mono/CD |
| 1973 | Fourth Dimension Fourth Dimension (Radiophonic album) Fourth Dimension was a 1973 compilation album by BBC Radiophonic Workshop composer Paddy Kingsland. Although it was credited to "The BBC Radiophonic Workshop" it was the work of Kingsland alone, and was the first album of Workshop music to feature only one artist. It features theme tunes that were... (Paddy Kingsland) |
LP |
| 1975 | The Radiophonic Workshop The Radiophonic Workshop The Radiophonic Workshop was a 1975 compilation album by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, similar in concept to the earlier BBC Radiophonic Music of 1971. The album featured a variety of work demonstrating many of the various techniques the Workshop used. Unlike its predecessor though, it was far more... |
LP/CD |
| 1976 | Out of This World Out of This World (Radiophonic album) Out of This World is a 1976 compilation of atmospheric sounds and effects from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. The album was divided into four sections , each representing a different theme: "Outer Space", "Magic and Fantasy", "Suspense and the Supernatural" and "The Elements".The album was produced... |
LP |
| 1978 | Through A Glass Darkly Through A Glass Darkly (album) Through A Glass Darkly was the 1978 album by Peter Howell and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. It featured six original instrumental compositions including "Through A Glass Darkly - A Lyrical Adventure", a 19 minute track which took up the whole of the first side of the record... (Peter Howell) |
LP |
| 1978 | BBC Sound Effects No. 19 - Doctor Who Sound Effects BBC Sound Effects No. 19 - Doctor Who Sound Effects BBC Sound Effects No. 19 - Doctor Who Sound Effects was a 1978 compilation of sound effects by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from the popular BBC science fiction series Doctor Who... |
LP, Mono |
| 1979 | BBC Radiophonic Workshop - 21 BBC Radiophonic Workshop - 21 BBC Radiophonic Workshop - 21 was a compilation by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to celebrate their 21st anniversary in 1979. It was compiled as an overview of their work both old and new, showcasing the changes in the Workshop as they developed from backroom sound effects suppliers for BBC Radio to... |
LP |
| 1981 | BBC Sound Effects No. 26 - Sci-Fi Sound Effects BBC Sound Effects No. 26 - Sci-Fi Sound Effects BBC Sound Effects No. 26 - Sci-Fi Sound Effects was a 1981 compilation of sound effects and atmospheres created by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. It was the second in the BBC Sound Effects series to be credited to the Workshop... |
LP, Mono |
| 1983 | Doctor Who - The Music Doctor Who - The Music Doctor Who – The Music was a 1983 compilation of music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop featuring incidental music from the popular science-fiction television series Doctor Who. The album was the first full-length to feature solely music from the programme. The collection was produced by Workshop... |
LP |
| 1983 | The Soundhouse The Soundhouse The Soundhouse was the 1983 compilation of music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. It featured music composed at the Workshop in the period since the previous compilation, BBC Radiophonic Workshop - 21... |
LP |
| 1985 | Doctor Who - The Music II Doctor Who - The Music II Doctor Who – The Music II was the follow-up to 1983's Doctor Who - The Music. Once again it featured a selection of BBC Radiophonic Workshop music from the popular series. The compilation was made up of material recorded since its predecessor, including music from Workshop newcomer Jonathan Gibbs... |
LP |
| 1988 | The Doctor Who 25th Anniversary Album The Doctor Who 25th Anniversary Album The Doctor Who 25th Anniversary Album was a 1988 compilation album of music from Doctor Who. Mainly consisting of selections of Keff McCulloch's incidental music, it also included versions of the Doctor Who Theme by Delia Derbyshire, Peter Howell, Dominic Glynn and McCulloch. It was subsequently... (Keff McCulloch) |
LP/CD |
| 1993 | Doctor Who: 30 Years at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Doctor Who: 30 Years at The BBC Radiophonic Workshop Doctor Who: 30 Years at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was a 1993 album celebrating the 30th anniversary of popular BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who, which had been taken off the air four years previous... |
CD |
| 2000 | Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 1: The Early Years 1963–1969 | CD |
| 2000 | Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 2: New Beginnings 1970–1980 | CD |
| 2002 | Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 3: The Leisure Hive Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 3: The Leisure Hive Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 3: The Leisure Hive was the third in a series of compilations showcasing the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's work on the science-fiction programme Doctor Who. The album focused mainly on the Peter Howell synthesiser score for the 1980 serial "The Leisure... |
CD |
| 2002 | Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 4: Meglos & Full Circle Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 4: Meglos & Full Circle Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 4: Meglos & Full Circle was the final installment in the Mark Ayres compiled series of releases of BBC Radiophonic Workshop music. It featured music, by Peter Howell and Paddy Kingsland, for the 1980 Doctor Who serials "Meglos" and "Full Circle"... |
CD |
| 2003 | Music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was a 2003 limited edition 4X10" vinyl compilation collecting and re-ordering the compilations BBC Radiophonic Music and The Radiophonic Workshop, including the bonus tracks from their 2002 CD re-releases. It featured the remasters provided by Mark Ayres for... |
LP 4x10" |
| 2008 | The John Baker Tapes - Volume One: BBC Radiophonics The John Baker Tapes - Volume One: BBC Radiophonics The John Baker Tapes - Volume One: BBC Radiophonics is a 2008 compilation of music and effects recorded by John Baker at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Track listing:#"Newstime BBC 1+2"#"Tros Y Gareg "#"Tros Y Gareg "... |
LP/CD |
| 2008 | BBC Radiophonic Workshop - A Retrospective BBC Radiophonic Workshop - A Retrospective BBC Radiophonic Workshop - A Retrospective is a 2008 compilation of music and effects from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. It was released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the workshop and includes material ranging from then to its closure... |
CD |
In 1994, BBC Enterprises
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. In the year to 31 March 2010 it made a profit of £145m on a turnover of £1.074bn. The company had made a profit of £106m...
also licensed out material, by members of the Radiophonic Workshop, to the Cavendish Music Library for release on CD. Five themed compilations of material were released under the titles Poisoned Planet, Undersea World, Africa, Time And Space and Ethnic Impressions. They featured various works by Elizabeth Parker, Peter Howell, Roger Limb, Malcolm Clarke and Richard Attree.
Singles
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Time Beat Time Beat "Time Beat" was the first commercial release from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. It was credited to the pseudonym "Ray Cathode", actually Maddalena Fagandini and future Beatles producer George Martin. The song was actually a reworking of an earlier interval signal created by Fagandini. The original... / Waltz in Orbit |
Ray Cathode (was actually a pseudonym used by Maddalena Fagandini and Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr... producer George Martin George Martin Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums... ) |
| 1964 | Doctor Who Doctor Who theme music The Doctor Who theme is a piece of music composed by Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Created in 1963, it was one of the first electronic music signature tunes for television and after nearly five decades remains one of the most easily... / This Can't Be Love |
Original Arrangement by Delia Derbyshire Delia Derbyshire Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early... / Brenda & Johnny |
| 1973 | Doctor Who Doctor Who theme music The Doctor Who theme is a piece of music composed by Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Created in 1963, it was one of the first electronic music signature tunes for television and after nearly five decades remains one of the most easily... / Reg |
New Arrangement by Delia Derbyshire Delia Derbyshire Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early... / Paddy Kingsland |
| 1978 | The Astronauts / Magenta Court | Peter Howell |
| 1980 | Doctor Who Doctor Who theme music The Doctor Who theme is a piece of music composed by Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Created in 1963, it was one of the first electronic music signature tunes for television and after nearly five decades remains one of the most easily... / The Astronauts |
Peter Howell |
| 1982 | K-9 & Company / Doctor Who Doctor Who theme music The Doctor Who theme is a piece of music composed by Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Created in 1963, it was one of the first electronic music signature tunes for television and after nearly five decades remains one of the most easily... |
Ian Levine and Fiachra Trench / Peter Howell |
Radio dramas
- The Foundation TrilogyThe Foundation Trilogy (BBC Radio)Isaac Asimov's The Foundation Trilogy was adapted in eight hour-long episodes by the BBC, first broadcast in 1973, and repeated in 1977 and 2002.-1: Psychohistory and Encyclopedia:...
(produced by David CainDavid Cain (composer)David Cain was a composer and technician for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He was educated at Imperial College London, where he earned a degree in mathematics. In 1963, he joined the BBC as a studio manager, specialising in radio drama...
) (1973) - A Wall Walks Slowly (produced by Desmond BriscoeDesmond BriscoeHarry Desmond Briscoe was an English composer, sound engineer and studio manager. He was the co-founder and original manager of the pioneering BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
with music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) (1977) - August 2026 (produced by Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
) (1977) - Notes from Janáček's Diary (produced by Maxwell Steer) (1991)
- This was the only production ever to be realised at the Radiophonic Workshop completely by an external composer.
Sound effects and music contributions
- Radio
- The Goon ShowThe Goon ShowThe Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...
- The HobbitThe Hobbit (1968 radio series)The Hobbit is a 1968 BBC Radio adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 children's fantasy novel of the same name.The series was adapted by Michael Kilgarriff and produced by John Powell in eight half-hour mono episodes for BBC Radio 4.-Story:...
(effects and music composed by David CainDavid Cain (composer)David Cain was a composer and technician for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He was educated at Imperial College London, where he earned a degree in mathematics. In 1963, he joined the BBC as a studio manager, specialising in radio drama...
) (1968) - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Primary and Secondary PhasesThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series written by Douglas Adams was first broadcast in 1978 and was the first incarnation of his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy franchise...
(effects by Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
with additional effects by Dick MillsDick MillsDick Mills is a British sound engineer, specialising in electronic sound effects which he produced at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
. Music (except theme music) for second series by Paddy Kingsland) - The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)In 1981 the UK radio station BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in 26 half-hour stereo instalments...
(effects by Elizabeth Parker) (1981)
- The Goon Show
- Television
- Quatermass and the PitQuatermass and the PitQuatermass and the Pit is a British television science-fiction serial, originally transmitted live by BBC Television in December 1958 and January 1959. It was the third and last of the BBC's Quatermass serials, although the character would reappear in a 1979 ITV production simply entitled Quatermass...
(effects by Desmond BriscoeDesmond BriscoeHarry Desmond Briscoe was an English composer, sound engineer and studio manager. He was the co-founder and original manager of the pioneering BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
& (uncredited) Dick MillsDick MillsDick Mills is a British sound engineer, specialising in electronic sound effects which he produced at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) (1958) - Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
(effects by Brian HodgsonBrian HodgsonBrian Hodgson is a British television composer and sound technician. Born in Liverpool in 1938, Hodgson joined the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1962 where he became the original sound effects creator for the science fiction programme Doctor Who...
(1963–1972) & Dick MillsDick MillsDick Mills is a British sound engineer, specialising in electronic sound effects which he produced at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
(1972–1989). Some additional effects provided by various Workshop members) - Penda's FenPenda's FenPenda's Fen is a British television play which was written by David Rudkin and directed by Alan Clarke. Commissioned by BBC producer David Rose, it was transmitted as part of the corporation's Play for Today series.-Plot summary:...
(Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
) (1974) - Blake's 7Blake's 7Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
(effects by Richard Yeoman-ClarkRichard Yeoman-ClarkRichard Yeoman-Clark is a British composer and sound engineer who worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from 1970 to 1978.He is most recognised for providing special sound for the first two seasons of the science fiction series Blake's 7....
& Elizabeth Parker) - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (TV series)The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is a BBC television adaptation of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy broadcast in January and February 1981 on BBC Two...
(music and effects by Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
except theme music)
- Quatermass and the Pit
Doctor Who incidental music
The Doctor WhoDoctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
theme music
Doctor Who theme music
The Doctor Who theme is a piece of music composed by Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Created in 1963, it was one of the first electronic music signature tunes for television and after nearly five decades remains one of the most easily...
was provided by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from 1963 to 1985. From 1986 to the programme's demise the theme was provided by freelance musicians. Between 1980 and 1985 the complete incidental scores for the programme were provided in-house by the Workshop. Below is a complete list of incidental music provided by the Radiophonic Workshop for the programme.
- 1968
- "The Wheel in SpaceThe Wheel in SpaceThe Wheel in Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from 27 April to 1 June 1968...
" (music by Brian HodgsonBrian HodgsonBrian Hodgson is a British television composer and sound technician. Born in Liverpool in 1938, Hodgson joined the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1962 where he became the original sound effects creator for the science fiction programme Doctor Who...
)
- "The Wheel in Space
- 1972
- "The Sea DevilsThe Sea DevilsThe Sea Devils is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from February 26 to April 1, 1972.-Synopsis:...
" (music by Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
)
- "The Sea Devils
- 1975
- "Revenge of the CybermenRevenge of the CybermenRevenge of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 19 April to 10 May 1975.-Synopsis:...
" (additional, uncredited music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
(main score by Carey BlytonCarey BlytonCarey Blyton was a British composer and writer best known for his song Bananas In Pyjamas which later became an Australian children's television series, and for his work on Doctor Who....
))
- "Revenge of the Cybermen
- 1980
- "The Leisure HiveThe Leisure HiveThe Leisure Hive is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 30 August to 20 September 1980.-Plot:...
" (music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) - "MeglosMeglos* Working titles for this story included The Golden Pentangle and The Last Zolfa-Thuran.* This is one of only two multi-part stories to feature all credited cast members in all episodes, the other being The Edge of Destruction....
" (music by Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
& Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) - "Full CircleFull Circle (Doctor Who)Full Circle is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 25 October to 15 November 1980...
" (music by Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
) - "State of DecayState of DecayState of Decay is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 22 November to 13 December 1980. The serial was the second of three loosely connected serials known as the E-Space trilogy...
" (music by Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
)
- "The Leisure Hive
- 1981
- "Warriors' GateWarriors' GateWarriors' Gate is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was written by the English author Stephen Gallagher and first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 January to 24 January 1981...
" (music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) - "The Keeper of TrakenThe Keeper of Traken-Cast notes:Denis Carey, who plays the Keeper, also played Professor Chronotis in the uncompleted Fourth Doctor serial Shada, and the Old Man in the Sixth Doctor story Timelash....
" (music by Roger LimbRoger LimbRoger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
) - "LogopolisLogopolisLogopolis is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 28 February to 21 March 1981. It was Tom Baker's last story as the Doctor and marks the first appearance of Peter Davison in the role...
" (music by Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
) - In 1981 Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
also supplied the incidental music for the spin-off K-9 and CompanyK-9 and CompanyK-9 and Company was a proposed television spin-off of the original programme run of Doctor Who . It was to feature former series regulars Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist played by Elisabeth Sladen, and K-9, a robotic dog. Both characters had been companions of the Fourth Doctor, but...
.
- "Warriors' Gate
- 1982
- "Castrovalva" (music by Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
) - "Four to DoomsdayFour to Doomsday*The working title for this story was Days Of Wrath.*Although Castrovalva was the first story aired which featured Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, this story was the first in the season to be produced....
" (music by Roger LimbRoger LimbRoger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
) - "KindaKinda (Doctor Who)Kinda is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 1 February to 9 February 1982.-Synopsis:...
" (music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) - "The Visitation" (music by Paddy KingslandPaddy KingslandPaddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to...
) - "Black OrchidBlack Orchid (Doctor Who)Black Orchid is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two parts on 1 March and 2 March 1982...
" (music by Roger LimbRoger LimbRoger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
) - "EarthshockEarthshockEarthshock is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 8 March to 16 March 1982...
" (music by Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
) - "Time-FlightTime-FlightTime-Flight is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 22 March to 30 March 1982...
" (music by Roger LimbRoger LimbRoger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
)
- "Castrovalva" (music by Paddy Kingsland
- 1983
- "Arc of InfinityArc of InfinityArc of Infinity is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 3 January to 12 January 1983...
" (music by Roger LimbRoger LimbRoger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
) - "SnakedanceSnakedance*In post-production, episode four of this story overran very badly. As a result, it had to be completely restructured. Originally the door for a third Mara adventure was to be left open, with closing scenes discussing the ultimate fate of the Great Crystal. Furthermore, a sequence in which the...
" (music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) - "TerminusTerminus (Doctor Who)Terminus is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 15 to 23 February 1983...
" (music by Roger LimbRoger LimbRoger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
) - "EnlightenmentEnlightenment (Doctor Who)Enlightenment is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from March 1 to March 9, 1983...
" (music by Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
) - "The King's DemonsThe King's DemonsThe King's Demons is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in two parts on March 15 and March 16, 1983...
" (music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
& Jonathan GibbsJonathan Gibbs (composer)Jonathan Gibbs is a British composer. Between 1983 and 1985 he worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. His work at the workshop included providing the scores for the Doctor Who stories The King's Demons, Warriors of the Deep, Vengeance on Varos and The Mark of the Rani.-External links:...
) - "The Five DoctorsThe Five DoctorsThe Five Doctors is a special feature-length episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced in celebration of the programme's twentieth anniversary. It had its world premiere in the United States, on the Chicago PBS station WTTW and various other PBS member stations...
" (music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
)
- "Arc of Infinity
- 1984
- "Warriors of the DeepWarriors of the DeepWarriors of the Deep is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 5 January to 13 January 1984...
" (music by Jonathan GibbsJonathan Gibbs (composer)Jonathan Gibbs is a British composer. Between 1983 and 1985 he worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. His work at the workshop included providing the scores for the Doctor Who stories The King's Demons, Warriors of the Deep, Vengeance on Varos and The Mark of the Rani.-External links:...
) - "The AwakeningThe Awakening (Doctor Who)The Awakening is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in two parts on 19 and 20 January 1984.-Synopsis:...
" (music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) - "Resurrection of the DaleksResurrection of the DaleksResurrection of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts between 8 February and 15 February 1984...
" (music by Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
) - "Planet of FirePlanet of FirePlanet of Fire is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 23 February to 2 March 1984...
" (music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) - "The Caves of AndrozaniThe Caves of AndrozaniThe Caves of Androzani is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 8–16 March 1984. It was Peter Davison's last regular appearance as the Doctor, and marks the first appearance of Colin Baker in the role...
" (music by Roger LimbRoger LimbRoger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
) - "The Twin DilemmaThe Twin DilemmaThe Twin Dilemma is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 22 March to 30 March 1984, the first to star Colin Baker in the title role.-Synopsis:...
" (music by Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
)
- "Warriors of the Deep
- 1985
- "Attack of the CybermenAttack of the CybermenAttack of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from 5 January to 12 January 1985. It opened Season 22 of the series...
" (music by Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
) - "Vengeance on VarosVengeance on VarosVengeance on Varos is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from 19–26 January 1985.-Synopsis:...
" (music by Jonathan GibbsJonathan Gibbs (composer)Jonathan Gibbs is a British composer. Between 1983 and 1985 he worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. His work at the workshop included providing the scores for the Doctor Who stories The King's Demons, Warriors of the Deep, Vengeance on Varos and The Mark of the Rani.-External links:...
) - "The Mark of the RaniThe Mark of the RaniThe Mark of The Rani is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from 2 February to 9 February 1985...
" (music by Jonathan GibbsJonathan Gibbs (composer)Jonathan Gibbs is a British composer. Between 1983 and 1985 he worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. His work at the workshop included providing the scores for the Doctor Who stories The King's Demons, Warriors of the Deep, Vengeance on Varos and The Mark of the Rani.-External links:...
) - "The Two DoctorsThe Two DoctorsThe Two Doctors is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from 16 February to 2 March 1985. It starred Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant as the Sixth Doctor and his companion Peri, respectively...
" (music by Peter HowellPeter HowellPeter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
) - "TimelashTimelashTimelash is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from 9–16 March 1985.-Synopsis:...
" (music by Elizabeth Parker (as "Liz Parker")) - "Revelation of the DaleksRevelation of the DaleksRevelation of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on 23 March and 30 March 1985...
" (music by Roger LimbRoger LimbRoger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to...
)
- "Attack of the Cybermen
- 1986
- "Terror of the VervoidsTerror of the VervoidsTerror of the Vervoids is the title commonly used for a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 1 November to 22 November 1986. It is part of the larger narrative known as The Trial of a Time Lord, emcompassing the...
(music by Malcolm ClarkeMalcolm ClarkeMalcolm Clarke was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by...
)
- "Terror of the Vervoids
Programmes about Radiophonic Workshop
- Radio
- The Sound Makers (1963)
- The Electric Tunesmiths (1971)
- Repeated as part of Selected Radiophonic Works in 2008.
- The Space Between (1973)
- Wee Have Also Sound-Houses (1979)
- The title to this programme is a reference to Francis BaconFrancis BaconFrancis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
's 1626 novel "New AtlantisNew AtlantisNew Atlantis and similar can mean:*New Atlantis, a novel by Sir Francis Bacon*The New Atlantis, founded in 2003, a journal about the social and political dimensions of science and technology...
".
- The title to this programme is a reference to Francis Bacon
- Sound in Mind (1979)
- Late Junction: 12 February 2008 - playlist: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/latejunction/pip/ldxy2/
- Sunday Feature: Wee Have Also Sound-Houses (2008) - reviews: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/aug/10/radio http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturereviews/3557893/On-radio-Alvin-Hall%27s-World-Of-Money.html
- Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone: 26 October 2008
- Selected Radiophonic Works (2008)
- Television
- The Same Trade as Mozart (1969)
- The New Sound of Music (1979)
- The Electric Music Machine, Five Days at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (1988)
- Alchemists of Sound (2003)
- What the Future Sounds Like (2009)
External links
- Background and Discography of the Radiophonic Workshop
- Radiophonic Workshop - An Engineering Perspective
- Radiophonic Workshop Gallery
- BBC Documentary on the Radiophonic Workshop
- Reviews of some Radiophonic Workshop recordings
- BBC Engineering Division Monograph #51 (November 1963) "Radiophonics in the BBC" (PDF)
- "Music Ex Machina" from Radio Times (19 March 1979)
- "Radiophonic Ladies", article about Daphne Oram, Maddalena Fagandini and Delia Derbyshire
- "Radiophonatron"
- Myspace tribute page
- Sound on Sound article 2008
- The Radiophonic Workshop live concert at The Roundhouse