TV-am Theme Music - Full Version (Good Morning Britain Mix)

Good morning, Britain. Cut & Thrust brings you a remix of the full version of Jeff Wayne’s theme music to TV-am.
On 1 February 1983, TV-am became the UK’s first commercial broadcaster of breakfast television, transmitting between 6am and 9.25am every weekday on ITV.
TV-am had its fair share of troubles throughout the 80s. The TV station faced huge financial difficulty, there was talk of treachery, boardroom coups and presenters who were sacked. Industrial action led to technicians being locked out of the building and later fired and speculation arose that the company could collapse at any second. Roland Rat (a puppet) is generally regarded as its saviour, being described as "the only rat to join a sinking ship”.
The composer of TV-am’s theme music, Jeff Wayne, is better known for his musical version of War of the Worlds and it was only recently that I discovered he was the talent behind this brilliant theme tune.
Viewers who remember the days before 24 hour TV will know that test cards and pages from Ceefax were the only images broadcast in the early hours of the morning. Ten minutes before the start of TV-am’s transmission, there would be a startup caption from the IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority) accompanied by Jeff Wayne’s unforgettable theme music - and it’s from an old mono VHS upload on KZbin that this full version is taken. Nearly 5 minutes of breakfast TV heaven!
No copyright infringement intended. This is a tribute remix born out of my love for the show and childhood memories. Copyright belongs to TV-am/Jeff Wayne/ITV.

[@bobbymaesteg]

I am walking down the beach in Gran Canaria listening to this, it brought tears to my eyes of the old wonderful days. Thank you so much!

[@Ricksta66]

How lovely 👍 😊

[@laurencekavanagh9074]

Me to😂

[@whyayetv]

Absolutely superb. Suddenly it’s February 1, 1983 again and it’s like I’m hearing it for the first time.

[@bmused55]

This is bringing back memories of a 5 and 6 year old between 1985 and 1986, waking up early to snuggle into the cushions on the living room sofa and watching this for its cartoons and Roland the Rat.

[@mjt8199]

And Wacaday/W.A.C.

[@sp610]

​@@mjt8199 Utterly brilliant!

[@clivewhalley4008]

The egg cups are still on the roof at Hawley Crescent in Camden Town. The front of the building has been completely redone. Now belongs to Viacom, home of Channel 5

[@mattcrooke8321]

Childhood activated!!!

[@braingers]

ohhhhh the days of waking up for school in front of the fire with a hot chocolate........ little did I know my life was less stressful then.

[@maxvideoentertainment8706]

You could edit this to great historical battles and be a winning combo.

[@user-mk2bd3rl8x]

This IS my childhood theme song! I woke up at 5am on 1984 morning- especially to get this full recording on my Granny's tape recorder. Drove my family MAD with it non stop and playing TV-AM in my bedroom ! I still have my egg cup and a mug, but sadly regret I no longer have my sweat shirt or T-shirt with the first original yummy Logo. I was mesmerised by it's colours and the effect. Didn't care much to the update. THANK YOU Cut & Thrust for this excellent remix!

[@DesiroDriver]

Great childhood memories. The last time I listened to this on KZbin the theme tune remained in my brain as an ear worm for almost a whole week! 😂

[@davrov8610]

Absolutely brilliant theme. Completely oustripped GMTV and new Good Morning Britain theme. Synth pan pipe sequence, so haunting and memorable. I worked for ITV for 30 years from 1980 and for me no theme tune can compete with this one.

[@SteveInScotland]

Back when orchestras made theme tunes!

[@jameskvo]

The theme to waking up in 1980s Britain

[@simonipswich]

Such an iconic theme - the TV-am start up and then Good Morning Britain. Such a shame that Studio A & B are no longer at Camden Lock, but the bulk of the building remains.

[@colwynboy7279]

Incredible nostalgia👌

[@martinryan3318]

Such nostalgia. Brings me back to 1984. I worked at the Irish Airline Aer Lingus and would have the opening sounds of tv-am in my ears as I left for the 7am shift at the airport.

[@culttelevision]

The best tune . I used to get up at 6am to record the full version. I did speak to Jeff Wayne about doing a collectors release about 20 years ago but I couldn't make it work financially at that time . The opening sunrise jingle is actually a separate track but it works in context. He uses the same synths and orchestra string section on this as for World of Sport, ITV World Cup '82 'Matador' and 1983's BBC Sixty Minutes. The full version (of which a stereo master does exist) was already pretty well mixed with the repeat arpeggios and the mellow out section, but you've applied some nice polish :)

[@80sandretrogubbins25]

Did you actually get info on what synths he used? I'm assuming the pan pipe sounds must have come from a Fairlight or Emulator?

[@davrov8610]

Brilliant music. SynthPan pipe times.

[@sg-zd8eb]

I remember this as a kid but I had no idea how good the full tune sounded. But then it was the era of great tunes, TV and music.

[@80sandretrogubbins25]

Theme tunes were often an event in themselves back then. I am convinced of that.

[@theaethelred3427]

The other thing to keep in mind is that you would have first heard this on a tinny TV speaker; even a cheap Bluetooth speaker gives much better quality so you can fully appreciate the music.

[@jono12121201]

Yep I know the feeling, poached eggs on toast , then a paper round then school… Fishguard

[@jameskvo]

I pity anyone who grew up on a diet of poached eggs on toast followed by a paper round in Fishguard.

[@bittabivvy]

❤ OMG my childhood

[@fd5927]

Mine, too ❤❤. Loved the theme tune even then as a kid. (BBC) Breakfast was really stayed and old-fashioned while ITV was a breath of fresh air. Zx Spectrum as a Christmas present, crumblely styrofoam packaging, TV-am, and Ronald Rat, don't forget Kevin the gerbil (who came in later). MEMORIES (Memorex the skeleton) Terrahawks. Ahhhh, how can such a theme tune bring back so many memories ????

[@Jon-bx1ij]

I remember the theme tune well. So much better than GMBS theme tune.

[@FromtheHerts81]

I remember seeing TV AM wrap up with this theme aged about 5. Then, to my amazement, I saw it wrap up in the same way aged around 11! They even had the eggs in the blue cups, just like before! How it delighted me!

[@thebadtemperedbrit]

Surely we've gotta have the original BBC Breakfast Time theme now, it was so lovely!

[@BBC600]

Yes, very much. 🙂

[@alexanderjames8176]

Yeah Cut and Thrust has been quiet lately. Project on the horizon for your fans please :)

[@grahamhenderson5609]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKq9q5qundCsjLc

[@fraserkatie]

Wow! I never knew Jeff Wayne had done this music until now! I once met Jeff at my previous workplace ages ago when he was a patron of it. Didnt know who he was until I got told and I had to make him a cup of tea. Such a sweet man very lovely in real life.

[@johnjtm1097]

I always think of this music every time anyone mentions Good Morning Britain, even the current ITV version. (2014 to present)

[@FastAsFunk]

Absolutely fantastic work...! Love it 😎👍🏻

[@adriangrace1111]

Saw anne diamond on gb news last week she looked good

[@clivewhalley4008]

Still have one of the TV-am Parker pens, boxed and in mint condition

[@alexanderjames8176]

This is Just TV-AM Brilliant and an accolade! To all the TV-AM staff past or present. Good Morning Britain! Salutes YOU!

[@alexanderjames8176]

London Tonight had a great theme tune also. Just keep up the good work Cut and Thrust. Your amazing work is so appreciated 💗

[@fatscottie1997]

PHENOMENAL MIX!!!!

[@spankysmp]

This is a stonking piece of music only bettered by your mix. Marvellous memories of the 80s. Bravo

[@garethsuddes5087]

Don't think I knew Jeff Wayne composed that. The things you learn.

[@WilliamMorris]

Awesome!! Thank you for the remix.

[@culttelevision]

for kids of the 80s TV-AM represented everything that was good of that era. Safe, convivial , familiar entertainment. No odd politics , fairly factual news and a variety of top drawer guests daily for a decade. It was up beat, fun and very British of the old school without being stuffy. We were lucky to grow up with Good Morning Britain. The new abomination with the pariah of that era Piers Morgan is similar in name only.

[@TyroneDaviesWELSHMAN]

Now these were the days! Well done on a corker of an update of a classic! Happy memories waking up at silly o'clock!

[@chinnyvision]

The lords work!

[@mrb3097]

This is another fantastic mix, bravo!

[@Ricksta66]

Awesome I've been waiting for this 😊👍 ❤️

[@bettyswunghole3310]

It suddenly becomes painfully apparent where the inspiration for Alan Partridge came from...

[@carrroad]

How could Partridge's inspiration have come from anyone or anywhere else?😂

[@Chetnik1978]

Amazing childhood memories and an amazing job with this theme (probs, alongside Mexico 86 my favs of your work). Keep them coming!

[@simonreeves828]

Sorry - must dash ....it’s 1985 ive got to do my paper-round...........😂👌✅✅🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@cardiffguy2007]

Fantastic mix!!

[@alexanderjames8176]

This is Genius Level 👏 Bravo!!

[@80ssynthfan48]

Always nice to hear this. Just one thing, Breakfast Time (17/1/83) beat TV-AM by a couple of weeks. Jeff also composed the 1983-85 World Of Sport theme which many people hate but I like.

[@fairlast9440]

This is brilliant!! Also love the x-flies vibes in the music!

[@martinfoster3150]

Absolutely Brilliant!

[@moojuiceuk]

Absolutely fantastic! I'm sure rat-fans everywhere will agree :)

[@mspencer2889]

Absolutely love it

[@mattcrooke8321]

This is just too damn good!!!!

[@TheEllawayShow]

Excellent work as always! It's a 10 from Ken

[@alexanderjames8176]

Awesome 🎉🎉🎉❤🌞

[@RetroReminiscing]

aww god those eggs, the music and roland rat! Ive just been appe back to early/ mid 80s....thankyou very much...wish i was back there for real..🥲🤗

[@mattcrooke8321]

The eggs got me too ❤️

[@RetroReminiscing]

@@mattcrooke8321 Oh yes the eggs!! ha ha ha

[@theedgeofcurrentunderstanding]

Masterpiece!

[@stumagoo2395]

Great rendition of another excellent Jeff Wayne theme. I remember one morning when an out of control Pamela Stephenson was a guest and she went for Nick Owen and ended up pulling down his trousers live. Rusty Lee's laugh is another fond memory as was having a boyhood crush on Jayne Irving.

[@80sandretrogubbins25]

Never got why everyone keeps going on about Jayne Irving. Not when there was Kathy Tayler.

[@sg-zd8eb]

You gotta see the clip of Rusty and Les Dawson, two of the funniest people ever on TV.

[@alexanderjames8176]

You should remix the Big Breakfast theme tune 😊

[@bletheringfool]

Amazing work. The effort that goes into these mixes is second to none. Of course you know what I'm going to ask next. How about the Wide Awake Club theme and Wacaday?

[@JimmySand9]

As an American, I've always been fascinated by the idea of an entire company dedicated solely to broadcasting in the morning; which is what TV-am, and later GMTV, was.

[@stickytapenrust6869]

It was because the regional ITV companies couldn’t agree on what form it should take when the idea was mooted by the IBA, so the ITV regulator (the Independent Broadcasting Authority) made the decision for them and made a new franchise.

[@alexanderjames8176]

I do believe the inspiration came from American breakfast tv.

[@80sandretrogubbins25]

I thought that's where they got the idea from.

[@stickytapenrust6869]

I recommend the 1982-86 version of the Number 73 theme. The “Hey you!” one!

[@lukesluman]

This is wonderful, brings back so many happy memories. How about a remix of the remix featuring quotes from R Rat Superstar himself - the Yeah Ratfans mix!

[@stickytapenrust6869]

My suggestion would be the It’ll Be Alright On The Night theme, the 90s version.

[@thetvexplorer]

That is pretty nice, do you have it as an MP3?

[@alexanderjames8176]

LWT had some great logo's as did Carlton television for London.

[@chrisdrennan9143]

The programme that introduced Roland Rat

[@teejayy2130]

Speaking from experience that first sofa was very very uncomforable

[@alexanderjames8176]

Hey Mr Cut & Thrust, what are you working on next? Looking forward to another amazing creation. Thanks for so many good tunes.

[@markc8956]

Now that you've done this,you've got to do Daybreak (not the pre-GMB,post GMTV Daybreak,the TV-am Daybreak theme!),GMTV and GMB!

[@leebarnard7843]

Here is a suggestion,.. another Jeff Wayne composition. The Esso Tiger Adver Music, now that would be a cracking tune.

[@CutThrust]

Thanks, Lee. Here it is… kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHjMYomJbbacm7s 😊

[@gavinmartin5151]

What was the Theme Music to Picture Box called which was use between 1989 till 1993 ?. It was a catchy tune

[@DADDELIVERS]

Hi Gavin and Cut & Thrust Picture Box is "MANÈGE" by Jacques Lasry Hope this helps and thanks for the TVam music. I went to the school round the corner from their studios when it started and it figured pretty huge in my little life then

[@gavinmartin5151]

@@DADDELIVERS no its not that one, its the one from 1989 till 1993 which had Roger McGough as host

[@ruairi_d]

This was class. TV-am was just before my time. I grew up with GMTV. That theme with the saxophone was amazing. Would love to see you do a mix of the GMTV theme. And, the This Morning theme too. Was it really the 90s without a hard core sax solo? 😅

[@stickytapenrust6869]

What about the jazzy EastEnders theme used from 1993-95?

[@ruairi_d]

@@stickytapenrust6869 Oh yeah I forgot about that too. I actually really preferred that to the regular one.

[@SirCliveCalculator]

At 2.47 you will hear a cheeky bit of War of the Worlds in the mix kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6CvYaF-hNOAp5I

[@CutThrust]

👍😉

[@chrispearson7653]

A nice nod to the composer! Love it.

[@oliverdale1027]

Any chance of a remix of the Good Morning With Anne & Nick theme?

[@jamesdelboy]

I liked TV-am I know a great deal about more from it's later years until GMTV took over

[@bobbymaesteg]

Hey Mister C&T - as our favourite remix DJ ever requests please!!! - how about the Jerry Springer Show (1990s version it’s on KZbin) and Ricki Lake Show (first season) - both fabulous tunes which deserve your remix treatment !!!!

[@CutThrust]

I’ll have a listen - I haven’t forgotten about Fast Friends btw (I made a start but it needs more work!) 😊

[@andromedaone3640]

Sounds better than today's, the egg cups in the background always reminded me of Gordon Honeycomb lol or Honycomb over as i would call him 😅

[@pj6641]

The Egg Cups remain on the old TV-am studio which is now owned by VIACOM

[@BBC600]

@@pj6641 Read in The Mirror that one of the eggs was found in a skip and ended up being rescued and showed on Antiques Road Show.

[@TheIdentGallery]

2'48" nice reference

[@CutThrust]

😉👍

[@Nige031077]

Has anyone asked about the thumbnail yet? I know the original Good Morning Britain was made by countless people forming the words, but I tried to work out how the added word mix was made, I figured how the M and I were done, how did you do the X ? I have been to Tendington Lock, near the studio, and at one time, a giant egg & cup could be seen on the rooftop, unless I am misremembering, but I haven't had the chance to revisit, does anyone know if anything from the days of TV-am still exist, it would be nice to find out.

[@CutThrust]

The ‘X’ in ‘Mix’ was created by copying/sampling parts of the existing letters and adding a drawn-in shadow 😊

[@Nige031077]

@@CutThrust Thanks for the reply

[@80ssynthfan48]

I believe the Teddington Lock building is now listed and that the eggs are still there, but I could be wrong.

[@GreatFindRewind]

It’s Camden Lock rather than Teddington Lock, there’s info on Wikipedia about it en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_Television_Centre?wprov=sfti1

[@80ssynthfan48]

@@GreatFindRewind Yes got mixed up. Camden.

[@diegoalbues2471]

O que é que o Xaropinho foi fazer na Inglaterra?

[@davidhammond3461]

I think he called this track "Daybreak" if I remember correctly.

[@mrb3097]

Daybreak was a separate TV-am production, the theme was written by David Dundas

[@80sandretrogubbins25]

Not sure this has another name, I just call it Good Morning Britain.

[@soupwithametalspoon5252]

Can I subscribe twice?

[@adamrj7286]

anyone remember "Love Hurts" from the early 1990's? I'd love to hear a remix of Love Hurts theme kzbin.info/www/bejne/javciaB6rs6qY7M it was sung by Peter Polycarpou

[@alexanderjames8176]

Also Wacaday theme would be also great

[@DustyCustard]

The TVam theme needs a full Kevin Sheilds style shoegaze remix.