Creating the Theme | Radiophonic Workshop | Doctor Who

[@glowfishin1]

That completely blows my mind. For years I assumed the theme was composed with synthesizers. This is incredible! Sticky tape and scissors? Amazing!

[@CricketEngland]

Watch this to find out all about it kzbin.info/www/bejne/pInRnoadlsp6d6s

[@theantipope4354]

Back then, synthesizers hadn't even been invented yet.

[@experi-mentalproductions5358]

@@theantipope4354 Actually synthesisers had been around since (at least) the 1930's, but had only become practical to use in the late 60's. A very early synthesiser (specifically the Novachord) can be heard on Vera Lynn's 'We'll meet again' (1939).

[@josebuenrostro5639]

@@experi-mentalproductions5358 i will take note of that fact. Thank you.

[@andrewmarsh8904]

Incredible, before synths..... Must have taken an age, or weeks to make

[@rawyld]

All hail the Queen of the Doctor Who theme tune.

[@bb001a]

All hail the great one

[@AndrewChapman]

And that's how you create an iconic theme tune for the world's longest-running science fiction television series. And even though there have been many different arrangements of the theme through Doctor Who's original run and current run, it still touches the public consciousness today. Rest in peace, Delia Derbyshire and Ron Grainer. And thank you for creating a theme tune that makes us feel like we've been taken out of reality and into a wonderful magical world.

[@morganfisherart]

It's an outrage that the BBC, the PRS, the MU never demanded that COMPOSERS (not sound designers or mere assistants, as they were designated) like Delia and others, never received the credit and the broadcasting royalties for their inestimable work. For shame!!! It took someone like George Martin in those days to stand up and denounce the system, and become independent and properly rewarded.

[@solitaryman777]

It's the same thing as corporations taking control of the patents of intellectual property that was invented/created on company time. What you're advocating is a relatively new concept, and is still being fought about in courts.

[@MrPatters]

I appreciate this theme even more now, just by looking at how hard it was to make.

[@CricketEngland]

Watch this to find out all about it kzbin.info/www/bejne/pInRnoadlsp6d6s

[@MisterWilliamss]

Delia seems like such a lovely, gentle person who’s blessed with a special kind of genius.

[@Insightfill]

I met Dick Mills at a Dr. Who convention once. I had brought my pre-teen daughter to the autograph line to ask him to sign an old Dr. Who LP. He stopped the line for five minutes to discuss the old show with us, and how much he loved the Chicago aquarium, and other things. He's written several books about the keeping of fish. The line kept building and I offered to step aside to let other people come forward, but he would have none of it. Dick Mills is a classy guy.

[@clashofguineaman1562]

Scott Garrett This might sound silly, but he's my grandad. Hehe

[@Codestud]

Fantastic to see Delia Derbyshire interviewed here, and to have her recognised. I've always been a fan of electronic music and the Doctor Who theme is a brilliant example of what was achievable using genuine creativity and resourcefulness that was necessary in the 1960s. The Peter Howell version was also a brilliant follow up. I had the pleasure a few years ago of attending a talk by former members of the Radiophonic Workshop at the Science Museum and I take my hat off to them for their pioneering work. If you have time, then go and see the Oramics exhibit at the Science Museum.

[@CricketEngland]

Watch this to find out all about it kzbin.info/www/bejne/pInRnoadlsp6d6s

[@ProducerCliff]

As a kid I always wanted to work for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, probably after hearing the Doctor Who theme. I did eventually work for the BBC, but in pictures, not sound!

[@suemoro]

"Wobbulator"... Sounds like something you'd find in the Tardis!

[@AnnBearForFreedom]

Sues BookNook It was, if I remember correctly. Some piece of something was referred to as a wobbulator. 11, I think. Or maybe the one with 5 and 10. Sounds familiar, anyway.

[@dlee645]

Yes, it must be next to the Wibbley Lever.

[@DarthTella]

Sues BookNook Perhaps it's the thing that makes time all Wibbly-Wobbly?

[@stephenmurphy2212]

There's was also mention of a "Wibbly lever" on the TARDIS! So imagine if we had a wobbulator on the TARDIS console along with the Wibbly lever... It's curious isn't it? Two TARDIS controls named after one of the Doctors phrases -- "Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey"!

[@DarthTella]

Angelo Basco " NO NOT THAT ONE! THAT'S THE ONE THAT MAKES THE UNIVERSE-- oh wait.. no that was the right one... well done."

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

Delia was such a strange but interesting person, not in a bad way but a unique way.

[@martylevente8742]

Yes a very unique woman Delia was, someone I could of fallen in love with. RIP Delia

[@FrankNFurter1000]

Tragically unsung, too. A hero and pioneer. I heard she recently received a posthumous PhD from the University of Coventry.

[@calach2924]

1st 'techno' record.

[@garyfrancis6193]

All great artists are unusual.

[@markdoherty152]

She was from my home town so she would have been strange

[@willmich1]

Yes. That is exactly how my pieces come together. Bass, melody, and the right twiddly bits on top.

[@gordonm7038]

The opening is so ominous and foreboding but it resolves to a Beethovian uplifting landscape - spacescape! It's a great composition and the electronic tomfoolery is of Divine Origin. Great piece of music when in comes in your ears...

[@maxasaurus3008]

Man it’s crazy hearing her voice, hasn’t changed a bit.

[@chadgrylls5264]

Everything else on the other hand... some things are better left unsaid 😞

[@TheFalconerNZ]

This theme is the incoming call on my cell phone - thank you Delia and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

[@DittoGTI]

Mine is the VOTD remix of theme (the one released under "Closing Credits" on the release of the season 4 soundtrack

[@phillipgathright8001]

The real testament to their work is that the theme is alive and well today and that people keep making new and different versions of it.

[@ceceproductions57]

These two are absolute legends.

[@Logan_Elkins]

All hail Queen Delia Derbyshire. Ron may have written it, but she made it how we know and love it!

[@benclasper4465]

My favourite bbc radiophonic workshop musical composers.

[@Kyosume]

This is pure brilliance and genius. I wish I could just sit and be there learning everything. I could listen to them talk about the creative process for hours.

[@walterevans2118]

This haunting music was a creation of GENIUS .....Delia was ONE OF A KIND ....As a musician composing creating my own music right now today listening to her creations & how she realized them is INSPIRING me to create today........ She took technology which by todays standards would be considered 'primitive' & she used it to create something utterly ICONIC and totally UNIQUE.....We miss her genius. We all miss her.

[@iansorlie]

Will eternally be burned in my brain and am glad I finally stumbled upon the inner workings of this spectacular composition.

[@KiddsockTV]

Amazing that today's computer technology and the representation of cutting pasting and splicing and sampling is not much different from how they did it back then, but with tape. So hard back then and they were figuring out how to do it! That's just incredible.

[@G6JPG]

If you think about the words, it's where they come from! "Cut", "paste", "tab", "[carriage] return", "shift" (and shift lock), all come from mechanical typewriters (and physically manipulating paper with scissors and glue!), and a lot of the sound ones - even the symbols for play and pause - come from tape recorders.

[@Deepakverma-yb5ro]

That's brilliantly done the theme tune has grown in me it used to make me cry, I'm used to it now. Dr who in the 1960s

[@Most0riginalUsername]

I like how she talks, reminds me of Florence Welch. Really soft, with a lot of mystery and an endless love and passion for music

[@THR33STEP]

The show is great but this original score is an absolute masterpiece painstakingly assembled by pure genius ahead of their time! To know what work was done to make this music makes me appreciate their efforts even more! Thank you for posting this video!!

[@Alpha_7227]

I always thought Paul McCartney was the first to slice up tape and put it back together to record a song. I am so glad for youtube to give you folk the recognition you so richly deserve. I love it, where two sticky tape joins weren't together that was the wrong note. Who needs computer software.

[@davidcarter5038]

Paul visited Delia and saw her shed full of gear. In a 2013 article he said "The Radiophonic Workshop, I loved all that, it fascinated me, and still does."

[@sidneybarrett8941]

I believe that the Beatles and George Martin were the first pop musicians to use that technique. It had been done for years in avant garde circles - Paul got the idea from reading about the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen.

[@Outdoorshuntingshooting]

yes, music concrete, i think it was called. as far back as ealry 1900's. edgar varairse (sp) is another user of tape splicing.

[@wfp9378]

One of the most iconic TV themes of all time. Glad to have had the earliest doctors as part of my childhood

[@hotdog1214]

I was just reading about this the other day and my mind was blown at how incredibly intricate and complex it was to create what is perhaps one of the most iconic theme tunes ever created. Such incredible creativity, nothing short of genius. We are forever grateful for giving us this gift. 🙏

[@jtsmith1817]

Just a little extra trivia, Ron Grainer wanted to credit both himself and Delia. But it was against BBC policy. That’s why Delia barely even gets credit for the song, even today

[@ethericlimerick2992]

Boo! Hisssss! Bad form BBC! What a load of dingo's kidneys!

[@gordonm7038]

Spine-tingling music. Transcendental. Beautiful.

[@Stephen_Lafferty]

Amazing innovation and creativity in the days before synthesisers and MIDI control surfaces - and it still stands as one of the best intros of all time!

[@AndrewChapman]

2:32 That swoop sounds a bit like a mobile phone on vibration.

[@theblue8048]

I saw that part right I saw this comment.

[@wanmilyas7665]

@@theblue8048 yeah that happens to me alot

[@kellymccartney659]

that was done by taking a key scratching a piano string repeatedly

[@jcrossan1351]

@@kellymccartney659 you’re thinking of how they made the Tardis dematerialisation noise

[@meatwoodflacmedia]

The fact that these people decided to record such a simple piece of music in the most excruciatingly tedious and difficult way to produce such a unique piece of music is the essence of Dr Who

[@lDrownded2]

I think the strength of any composition can be judged solely on the deft use of twiddly bits.

[@glowfishin1]

I concur.

[@bernardthedisappointedowl6938]

+Marc Norton An unusually wise youtube comment there Marc, ^oo^

[@redfog42]

+Marc Norton I like that!

[@brisklloydavator]

Marc Norton he litterally said it as I read it

[@calach2924]

the twiddly section is an important part of the ensemble

[@glanrichbex]

Amazing for the time, there's been so many remakes and copycat versions which only serve to dilute the magic of the original theme - this will always be the best version, no computers or synthesizers - just hours and hours of sticking hundreds of bits of magnetic tape together and imagination using naturally occurring sounds.

[@katherinewolfe]

What a wonderful explanation! Digital music before the synthesizer!

[@AjarnDeeTeesut]

Happy 80th Birthday Delia - forever remembered for taking that theme and turning it into something magical :)

[@G6JPG]

Apparently Ron Grainer on hearing it said something like "Did I write that?", and Delia replied something like "Yes - well, sort of".

[@zzottt]

I am absolutely smitten with Delia Derbyshire. An amazing trailblazer! May she rest in peace.

[@MikeUIibarri]

She is Amazing! She deserves more credit!!

[@G6JPG]

She's gradually getting it now, especially among those of us who know. But early developers of all sorts of technology - much of television itself - are undervalued: it's all so easy now, the original steps are forgotten. (Oh dear, I'm turning into a "it was hard in my day" bore - but I _like_ technical history, and Knowing How Things Work; a lot of it is before me (born 1960), but I still find it fascinating, how TV especially developed and works.)

[@tangerinedream7211]

In my design degree at N staffs poly in the seventies, I did an audio visual module. The head of AV was John Jordan, he'd been the sound engineer on Clockwork orange, Kubrick had wanted him to stay on for 2001, but he'd been offered the position of the course leader in the AV department.As well as learning Animation using an ex Granada TV rostrum camera, we learnt about sound mixing and editing from other sounds at different speeds, not too dissimilar to what happens hear. The project he set us was a 30 second tune using three sound sources, I chose a fire engine siren, the engine of my ford escort 1100, and one of the girls going up the stairs in high heel boots. Speeded up and slowed down then edited and looped it sounded great. We also had funding from West Midlands arts to make a documentary about a baker in Macclesfield who still baked in the old ovens and delivered by horse and cart. Didn't need any of this in my industrial design life or teaching life, but it was great fun and really interesting.

[@ethericlimerick2992]

Flashback to a pin hole camera I made for a college art class back in the mists of time and some of the surprisingly interesting images it took...

[@danielavaca4414]

Hearing Delia is an airfresh of calm

[@sheilawhite8314]

what an amazing thing to find out about the music Doctor Who brills

[@enoz.j3506]

The effort to produce this theme is incredible,just goes to show ,if you believe in something so much,put the effort in,never give up, and you will come out with something very rewarding.Today everything is handed to you on a plate,boy how things have changed.

[@southpark5555]

Wow ....... sound editing was definitely very challenging and time consuming back in those days. I can definitely appreciate the effort and time, expertise and patience etc that the people had back then.

[@ethericlimerick2992]

So what I seem to hear from various and varied sources is that the BBC can be quite "a load of Dingo's Kidneys". All the more credit then to the remarkable and awesome creative minds... the Delia's and the Adams and the Pythons and all of the rest who somehow manage to traverse the abysmal plains of mind numbing middle management to bring to life such works of timeless brilliance. Bravo!

[@thevellocet]

Delia's voice has such a gorgeous timbre.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was not just a workshop, it was a factory of awesomeness that could not be found elsewhere in that form. Similar maybe but not exactly like that.

[@G6JPG]

Yes. The Dr. Who theme is a bit of a millstone to them, as people say "ah, the Dr. Who theme" whenever they're mentioned; they produced much other wonderful material, and included several excellent conventional composers too (a few of their pieces are played on conventional instruments with little or no electronics). Like many such things, I was sad when the BBC closed it, even if the reasons were valid. "Wee have also sound-houses …" - a piece of text from Bacon, 16th century I think - very weirdly described the BBCRW almost exactly (I think it was stuck on one of their doors).

[@itsbronte8020]

That tune...never gets old ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 🎶

[@anthonyperkins7556]

Bassline - plucked bass string mounted on a wooden box recorded and sped up / slowed down and re-recorded several times to get the different pitches and notes combined with a valve oscillator (the swoops that follow the bass string rhythm), Melodyline - test tone generator mixed with 50's style rockabilly echo after the opening pre-melody opening bars swoops and hisses (oooooweeeeeeeooooooohhhhhh!) and this would also play throughout the theme (minus the echo) and is mixed with a high pitched gracenote produced by a mouth organ type instrument that the BBC RWS had, called a melodica (keyed instrument), Hisses - three pieces of white noise at different frequencies given drop off reverb and overlaid on backwards (when you reverse the white noise rhythm track - it appears to produce a ghostly sound), Dull low musical note - this appears just before the main melodyline kicks in, carries on through the middle eight section in various pitches and appears just before the main melody reprise at the end of the middle eight. Used as the pre-melodyline whoosh and on the middle eight.

[@johntate5050]

One of the most unsettling theme tunes ever.

[@ArgumentShow]

This for me is the best Dr Who theme.

[@josephberziga2865]

Masterpiece

[@symphantic4552]

Legends

[@MrSunlander]

BBC Radiophonic Workshop! What an invaluable bunch!

[@celiagonzalez7245]

This is amazing! I love this insight of the creation of the theme song I love most in the world so much! It's awesome! *^*

[@CountessMaryaZaleska]

I don't pretend to know the many reasons as to why Delia was never credited for her realisation of this theme. Of course Ron Grainer came up with the basic outline of the tune - but she was the one who turned it into what we love and recognise as the iconic Doctor Who theme, now enjoyed for decades. In short, without Delia - _there would be no_ Who theme as we currently know it from the programme's first creation. So - in the colossal amount of episodes broadcast over many decades - it's just something of a shame that her significant contribution was never acknowledged on screen at all (apart from one time at the end of _"The Day of the Doctor"_ ). And that, in the modern era also - Ron Grainer, who has nothing to do with Murray Gold's new re-orchestrations - is credited on every single episode ever, but that Delia, continues not to be, and is unlikely to ever be - duly credited along side him.

[@p0llenp0ny]

Must be the patriarchy. =P

[@jokkemursula8731]

I think I read somwhere, that Ron Grainer tried to get a credit for her, but the BBC wouldn't allow it.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

@Lady Snowblood: I know, and it pisses me off as well… She deserves ALL the recognition and crediting that has been held away from her for so long… Now she's dead but still treated like she was just a phantom or a nameless member of the BBC radiophonic workshop, like a nameless too. it was HER hands who put the strips of tape together, her mind who calculated the length of each strip, where cut cut, where to put them together and how to turn these numbers and values into something that makes sense to the ear and which even sounded beautiful and almost un-earthly. At least WE appreciate her and her works and effort the way she deserves.

[@sillygoose635]

@dread true No they didn't, lol.

[@sillygoose635]

@dread true They didn't, dude, lol, and meninazis love to play the victim card in order to discredit feminists

[@penelopemcconnell4231]

Its marvellous how in a time where symphosizer or how ever you spell them were non existent at the time. They still did it!

[@paulmarland]

It's not how it's spelt (synthesizer or synthesiser, depending on which side of the pond you're on) but it's a fantastic word you've come up with - Symphosizer - I love it

[@G6JPG]

As another has pointed out, the Novachord existed in 1939 (Vera Lynn's first recording of We'll Meet Again features it) - but certainly Delia and company didn't have any synthesi{s|z}ers, this piece was done entirely with test gear and recording tape.

[@wakkowarner7391]

Talk about the hard way to make music, talented bunch!

[@davidevans3227]

it has Not been improved upon over the years.. thankyou for sharing this 🙂

[@brucelamberton8819]

Such an iconic theme.

[@danthefryingpan963]

0:26 i swear it was john cleese for a sec!

[@ezion6032]

You had me at "twiddly bits."

[@ctfangirl]

It’s very timely whimey

[@QProJoeQGT]

That old guy really reminds me of Michael Caine at certain points in his vocal pattern.

[@Tardisius]

" It's a spaceship. Brilliant! I got a spaceship on my first go." Mickey Smith in 'The Girl in the Fireplace' May 2006 =))

[@Lexyvil]

William Roney It has to do with praising the show by reminiscing and displaying quotes, I believe~ Think of it as a commemoration.

[@livvy94]

Thank you so much for posting this!

[@ireneloli4075]

this voice ... I can listen to whatever she says..

[@ericmadsen7470]

If it wasn't for Ron and Deila and her team, there would be no Who theme and the may times it's been re-scored since '63 up until today.

[@MarkFrancis-xt7ni]

I LOVE this post. Massive thank you🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@AxelWerner]

Sequenced by copy, cut n paste magnetic tape and weird electronic oscillators. Amazing . And today they got cubase vst and doesn't get anything done with it. The best technology does not substitute for talent.

[@laabsenceofcol8079]

This is my all time fave theme song....maybe all time fave song fullstop...sorry Iron Maiden. It was the background music to my equally odd childhood. Had no idea how it was created til just now...wow.... i knew it had to be some rather unique process though. I have five children and we perform this accapella. Might name us the Wobbulators....or is that copyright? Adore it

[@southpark5555]

0:09 ----- 'on a piece of paper and then left us to it'. Does this mean that Ron handed over that piece of paper and then left them to it? And if that paper is still in the building, then it's time to find it heheh.

[@haydarbarazi4698]

That is very dedicated and creative work and it is still awesome and sounds great brilliant :)

[@jennymyers4507]

*Fun Fact: Delia Derby Shire was the first ever person to make electronic music in the 90s without instruments!*

[@NatrollJM]

KZbin fun facts😬😬 The score for Forbidden Planet, by Louis and Bebe Barron, was entirely composed using custom-built electronic circuits and tape recorders in 1956 (but no synthesizers in the modern sense of the word).

[@swedlepop7092]

These guys made the immortal theme

[@Kasterborus08]

To quote Delia , " They kept on tarting it up ,.out of insistance"

[@hollywoodghostbusters9869]

twiddly bits? love it!

[@tahutoa]

Delia's approach to musicality comes off very much the same as mine. I seriously don't know what I'm talking about when referring to what sounds actually are, but I can make stuff that sounds dope and that's good enough for me. It's crazy to think that, up until I looked up the making of the theme tune so as to better make a MIDI for it, I had no clue that anyone other than Ron Grainer was involved, and the fact that this sort of this isn't in the common knowledge makes me rather sad. 1:51 oh and apparently she was cute as a youngster too, on top of being an incredibly resourceful arranger, so there really is no excuse lol

[@benclasper4465]

Delia derbyshire, Dudley simpson, delia Derbyshire, peter Howell and paddy kingsland.

[@twistedworld635]

@2:53: That's one interpretation of multi-track recording...

[@LegendKiller1fan]

Everything they have said is exactly why Doctor Who should STILL be using the Original Theme. You cant beat a classic. It would fit Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor very nicely. Please Bring it Back for Season 9!

[@Lythgoemania]

LegendKiller1fan "You can't beat a classic"Unless it's the 1980-85 theme.

[@blozier2006]

LegendKiller1fan I'm partial to the Pertwee/T. Baker mix myself, but it's close enough you could practically call it "the original"

[@Durwood71]

The 1980-85 theme is a classic in its own right. Peter Howell set out with the goal of modernizing the theme but with the same ingenuity and creativity as the original version, and to this day, a lot of people still can't figure out exactly how he did it.

[@turquoisecapricorn]

A classic but the main theme is so easy that a kid of 8 years old could have written down these notes.

[@Pavel_M_Mihalik]

They brought it back for Series 11.

[@lightuser_92830]

The real Doctor Who

[@jmars309]

Bless you

[@kevdoherty2009]

This stuff is fascinating

[@willowbrooke1215]

Delia is so cool and will never know

[@mickram23]

Delia Derbyshire. My ideal woman. I am in awe of her. Please, all you feminists, all you women who think you are the pioneers, look back at the previous generations. Delia Derbyshire was a pioneer of all Electronic music we hear today for God's sake!

[@ajc4477]

Delia is responsible for more of the theme than Grainer is.

[@Spedupguy69]

yes indeed i became a THING to love🎶🎶❤❤

[@martiniv8924]

Legends 👌🏻😎

[@francys2franfran242]

Amo💙

[@SuperGiantGeckosLLC]

This is my crossing over theme❤️

[@NatrollJM]

delia was the genius we all know and love in the '65 video, whereas in this one she just sounds like a crazy old lady

[@chadgrylls5264]

She was an alcoholic, sadly. Alcohol ages the brain

[@DougMcDave]

Wob-u-lator? Sounds like one of those wibbly- wobbly, timey wimy things, hehe.

[@dylanakent]

"Don't ask me where it is! It's...somewhere". He knows exactly where the score is. Just don't ask him.

[@theremoteanater]

I still do like the seventh doctor theme,it's ok for fans to like something that the creator doesn't like.

[@jgmfuentes]

I loved this video.

[@benjaminclasper9355]

You know with the valve oscillators it says on the screen 5 swoops but only hear 3 sounds of the note are heard, does that mean that 3 sounds equals 5 swoops I’m assuming even though you don’t hear 5 sounds of the note being played because it goes with the swoops but then I guess it means that’s where you’d hear the 5 swoops played at the same time when hearing the theme.

[@luisreyes1963]

The Doctor Who theme is as iconic as the music from other Sci-fi series like Star Trek.

[@kevinsimmonds743]

Brillant

[@christophergeee]

Delia is even cute as a old lady 💖