BBC Radiophonic Workshop - 21
Encyclopedia
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 full-fledged in-house music composers for the whole of the corporation. It demonstrates the move from the musique concrète
and tape-manipulation techniques used in the early days, to the synthesiser works of the 1970s. The first side of the album consisted of material from 1958 to 1971, covering their early work creating jingles, sound-effects and some incidental music. This side includes the first material by Workshop founder Desmond Briscoe
to be commercially released, as well as sound effects from The Goon Show
, Maddalena Fagandini's interval signal
that later became "Time Beat
", some of Delia Derbyshire
's experimental work and the pilot episode
version of the Doctor Who theme music
. The second side of the record covered the period between 1971–1979, including Richard Yeoman-Clark
material from popular BBC series Blake's 7
and Peter Howell
's vocoder heavy "Greenwich Chorus" theme for The Body in Question.
BBC Radiophonic Workshop
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effects 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...
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
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...
Radio to full-fledged in-house music composers for the whole of the corporation. It demonstrates the move from the 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 used in the early days, to the synthesiser works of the 1970s. The first side of the album consisted of material from 1958 to 1971, covering their early work creating jingles, sound-effects and some incidental music. This side includes the first material by Workshop founder 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....
to be commercially released, as well as sound effects from 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...
, Maddalena Fagandini's interval signal
Interval signal
An interval signal, or tuning signal, is a characteristic sound or musical phrase used in international broadcasting and by some domestic broadcasters...
that later became "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...
", some of 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...
's experimental work and the pilot episode
An Unearthly Child
The serial that became An Unearthly Child was originally commissioned from writer Anthony Coburn in June 1963, when it was intended to run as the second Doctor Who serial. At this stage, it was planned that the series would open with a serial entitled The Giants, to be written by BBC staff...
version of the Doctor Who 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...
. The second side of the record covered the period between 1971–1979, including 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....
material from popular BBC series 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 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....
's vocoder heavy "Greenwich Chorus" theme for The Body in Question.
Side 1
- 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....
- "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...
" - Dick MillsDick MillsDick Mills is a British sound engineer, specialising in electronic sound effects which he produced at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
- "Major Bloodnock's Stomach" (from 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...
) - Desmond Briscoe - "Outside"
- Phil Young - "Science and Industry"
- Phil Young - "The Artist Speaks"
- Phil Young - "The Splendour That Was Rome"
- 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...
- "Interval Signal" - Desmond Briscoe - "Phra The Phoenician"
- Desmond Briscoe - "Stick Up"
- Maddalena Fagandini - "Interval Signal" (reworked as "Time BeatTime 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...
") - Maddalena Fagandini - "Ideal Home Exhibition"
- 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...
- "Time On Our Hands" - Delia Derbyshire - "Arabic Science and Industry"
- Maddalena Fagandini - "The Chem Lab Mystery"
- Delia Derbyshire - "Know Your Car"
- Delia Derbyshire - "Doctor WhoDoctor Who theme musicThe 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...
" - 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...
- "TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
" - 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...
- "Choice" - John Baker - "Hardluck Hall"
- Delia Derbyshire - "Talk Out"
- Delia Derbyshire - "Science and Health"
- Tony Askew - "Secrets of the Chasm"
- Keith Salmon - "Westminster At Work"
- Delia Derbyshire - "A New View Of Politics"
- Delia Derbyshire - "Environmental Studies"
- Delia Derbyshire - "Chronicle"
- Delia Derbyshire - "Great Zoos of the World"
- Dudley SimpsonDudley SimpsonDudley Simpson is an Australian television composer who is best known for his work on Doctor Who.Prior to leaving Australia, Simpson composed for the Borovansky Ballet Company, forerunner to the Australian Ballet. Among his early television work was the music for Moonstrike...
- "Minds Of Evil" (from "The Mind of EvilThe Mind of EvilThe Mind of Evil is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 30 January to 6 March 1971.-Plot:...
")
Side 2
- Dick Mills - "Fanfare"
- 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...
- "Broken Biscuit Club" - 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 Plunderers" - 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....
- "Mysterioso" (from 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...
) - 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....
- "Greenwich Chorus" - 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...
- "Hurdy Gurdy" - Dick Mills - "Martian March Past"
- Paddy Kingsland - "A Whisper From Space"
- Roger Limb - "Swirley"
- Peter Howell - "Merry Go Round"
- Malcolm Clarke - "BBC2BBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
Serial" - Roger Limb - "Quirky"
- Paddy Kingsland - "Newton"
- Peter Howell - "The Secret War"
- Dick Mills - "Thomas The Rhymer"
- Malcolm Clarke - "Contact"
- Roger Limb - "For Love Or Money"