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The Quest for BBC Space Themes
When I was eleven, I was bought (for Christmas, I think), a cassette called BBC Space Themes. I’ve still got it. It’s the one which, on the cover, has the Apollo Command Module, the starship Enterprise, the TARDIS and the Liberator from Blake’s 7 all floating in the same starless void. Which is kind of apt, because back then the BBC owned all of space. Patrick Moore, the Goodies and Terry Wogan, all living in TV Centre, would all talk about the NASA missions James Burke covered play by play, and Doctor Who, The Outer Limits and the aforementioned (and actually apostropheless, but I just can’t bring myself to do that) Seven played in the same future that Horizon speculated about. And of course I was fascinated by all of it, mentally thinking ahead to when Voyager would encounter Uranus, and when we’d see a total eclipse in Britain, and calculating how old I’d be then.
I remember my joyful thought that BBC Space Themes was actually too good, that here were too many delights in one place, that when I played it it surely wouldn’t contain everything the case promised.
Here’s the running order, as printed: Apollo; Moonbase 3; A for Andromeda; The Sky at Night; Apollo Soyuz; Journey Into Space; Space for Man and The Case of the Ancient Astronauts; Blake’s 7; Star Trek; Quatermass; Tomorrow’s World and Dr. Who.
Now I’m an adult, the future is here, and the cassette tape has been replaced by the ultramodern MP3 file. And I’d like to listen to this album that could now be called Chill Out With Womblike Childhood Sky Wonder on my computer. So I set about searching for the individual tracks. The TV Cream website swiftly provided me with Moonbase 3 and Blake’s 7. The former is a stonking Dudley Simpson/Dick Mills/BBC Radiophonic Workshop job that manages to say gritty, mysterious and romantic, with a middle eight that sums up the 1970s attitude that one day we’d all be living in jumpsuits in domes on the moon. None more spacey, that’s how much more spacey this could be. The latter is a stirring, now rather familiar march that ends on what my Mum called ‘my favourite bit’, the synthesizer ‘warp warpppppp’ as the episode title came up. That sound takes me straight back to that odd moment in a boy’s life where he starts to want a bit of scary and shooty in his spacey.
The Apollo/Soyuz link-up mission was majestically introduced by Aaron Copeland conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in his own ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’. And ITunes had exactly that, assuming Aaron only popped into town to do that the once. Amazingly, it also had what I thought would be the hardest track to find. BBC Space Themes includes not the original version of the Star Trek theme, but a mad, jazzy lounge version on strings and brass by Johnny Keating and his orchestra, dating from 1972. It makes the future sound very laid back until suddenly it goes all porno funk Theme From Shaft on our Klingon arses, then gets spikey and jittery with what sounds like a mouth harp solo. No, really, it’s lovely! I can only guess that the same copyright difficulties made the cassette and the online service choose the same option.
And that’s as far as I’ve got. I’m sure it’ll be fairly easy to get the original Delia Derbyshire version of the Doctor Who theme from somewhere, so I’m leaving that until last. For Quatermass, I have the London Symphony orchestra playing Holst’s ‘Mars, the Bringer of War’, but conducted by Sir Colin Davis rather than (of course) Andre Previn. And that would obviously make all the difference. As would anything other than Frank Chacksfield and his orchestra doing ‘At the Castle Gate’ for The Sky at Night. The Tomorrow’s World version I seek is Sir Johnny Dankworth’s bouncy jazz original. The Apollo mission BBC coverage used, rather obviously but wonderfully, 2001’s ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’, which I can’t get from ITunes in its Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Carl Bohm version unless I buy the whole album! It’s like they know about BBC Space Themes! (And about my love for the Geoffrey Palmer narrated version of ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’.)
The oddest aspect of this search so far is that Peter Howell, whose Case of the Ancient Astronauts (the theme to a Horizon documentary that scared the living daylights out of me as a Dannikenophobic youth) is incredibly radiophonically groovy, and who was quite a figure in prog rock, is mentioned only twice on the entire internet. He seems to have cast a druidic spell to vanish from the public consciousness. If you’re reading this, Peter, we all love you and we want you to come home. (And could I have a copy of that theme, please?)
Of course, I could just use a program to translate the cassette contents directly into MP3 files. But that would take away some of the boyish glee of discovery.
I remember my joyful thought that BBC Space Themes was actually too good, that here were too many delights in one place, that when I played it it surely wouldn’t contain everything the case promised.
Here’s the running order, as printed: Apollo; Moonbase 3; A for Andromeda; The Sky at Night; Apollo Soyuz; Journey Into Space; Space for Man and The Case of the Ancient Astronauts; Blake’s 7; Star Trek; Quatermass; Tomorrow’s World and Dr. Who.
Now I’m an adult, the future is here, and the cassette tape has been replaced by the ultramodern MP3 file. And I’d like to listen to this album that could now be called Chill Out With Womblike Childhood Sky Wonder on my computer. So I set about searching for the individual tracks. The TV Cream website swiftly provided me with Moonbase 3 and Blake’s 7. The former is a stonking Dudley Simpson/Dick Mills/BBC Radiophonic Workshop job that manages to say gritty, mysterious and romantic, with a middle eight that sums up the 1970s attitude that one day we’d all be living in jumpsuits in domes on the moon. None more spacey, that’s how much more spacey this could be. The latter is a stirring, now rather familiar march that ends on what my Mum called ‘my favourite bit’, the synthesizer ‘warp warpppppp’ as the episode title came up. That sound takes me straight back to that odd moment in a boy’s life where he starts to want a bit of scary and shooty in his spacey.
The Apollo/Soyuz link-up mission was majestically introduced by Aaron Copeland conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in his own ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’. And ITunes had exactly that, assuming Aaron only popped into town to do that the once. Amazingly, it also had what I thought would be the hardest track to find. BBC Space Themes includes not the original version of the Star Trek theme, but a mad, jazzy lounge version on strings and brass by Johnny Keating and his orchestra, dating from 1972. It makes the future sound very laid back until suddenly it goes all porno funk Theme From Shaft on our Klingon arses, then gets spikey and jittery with what sounds like a mouth harp solo. No, really, it’s lovely! I can only guess that the same copyright difficulties made the cassette and the online service choose the same option.
And that’s as far as I’ve got. I’m sure it’ll be fairly easy to get the original Delia Derbyshire version of the Doctor Who theme from somewhere, so I’m leaving that until last. For Quatermass, I have the London Symphony orchestra playing Holst’s ‘Mars, the Bringer of War’, but conducted by Sir Colin Davis rather than (of course) Andre Previn. And that would obviously make all the difference. As would anything other than Frank Chacksfield and his orchestra doing ‘At the Castle Gate’ for The Sky at Night. The Tomorrow’s World version I seek is Sir Johnny Dankworth’s bouncy jazz original. The Apollo mission BBC coverage used, rather obviously but wonderfully, 2001’s ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’, which I can’t get from ITunes in its Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Carl Bohm version unless I buy the whole album! It’s like they know about BBC Space Themes! (And about my love for the Geoffrey Palmer narrated version of ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’.)
The oddest aspect of this search so far is that Peter Howell, whose Case of the Ancient Astronauts (the theme to a Horizon documentary that scared the living daylights out of me as a Dannikenophobic youth) is incredibly radiophonically groovy, and who was quite a figure in prog rock, is mentioned only twice on the entire internet. He seems to have cast a druidic spell to vanish from the public consciousness. If you’re reading this, Peter, we all love you and we want you to come home. (And could I have a copy of that theme, please?)
Of course, I could just use a program to translate the cassette contents directly into MP3 files. But that would take away some of the boyish glee of discovery.
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Might I recommend the Eumir Deodato disco version of "Also sprach zarathustra"?
No really, it is fab. And features at the beginning of "Being There". Which I can lend if you don't know it. Because dammit you should.
There are disco versions of everything spacey from the Seventies. And they're sometimes French.
Have you noticed that the DVD box sets of Blake's 7 have the missing apostrophe sneakily inserted into the logo on the cover? Whoever designed the packaging clearly felt that it was high time the title was finally punctuated!
Really? Good for them!
I think I wore my album smooth with overplaying... I loved the cover as much as anything.
The Star Trek theme was quite bizzare but much better than the warbling TV original that made it on to the updated version that came out in the 1980s.
And this album probably got me into classical music too - an expensive habit that means I will never be out of debt...
I empathise on all three points. The cover is a magnificent statement: all your spaceships do belong to us! The next version, Space Invaded, I believe it was called, was like some terrible dayglo betrayal of innocence.
Best of luck with your search, Paul! The hairs on the back of my neck rose when I stumbled across this - it was the first LP I ever bought (back in a certain scary cavern in Blackpool). Without a record player these days, I've not heard it for ever such a long time… I remember being immensely excited by Moonbase Three many, many years before I saw any of it, and you’ve perfectly captured how it feels. Peter Howell’s piece is indeed “incredibly radiophonically groovy”, too. I feel an overwhelming desire to listen to it again – wasn’t there an extended version that sounded like a thrilling plunge from a great height on the B-side of one of the Doctor Who Theme singles? Hmm, one of the tracks on mine had a terrible scratch, but I can’t remember which. I could probably still switch between my two copies of the Genesis of the Daleks LP as automatically as I did when I was 8 to avoid the differently-placed scratches on each, though…
Ah, the pleasures of vinyl! I remember having to weight 12" singles with a certain number of coins to play them on Dad's, ahem, "radiogram"! I think that extended version is the normal version, because the Space Themes mix is pretty long.
I would just like to say that "Father's Day" was without doubt the best episode of the 2005 series of "Doctor Who." It's definitely my favourite of that season and I think the characterisation, the dialogue (oh, the wonderful dialogue, nearly had me in tears!) and the interaction between characters was superb, and it retained enough Who elements to intergrate itself seamlessly into the series' continuity. You're a man of great talent. I'm aspiring to be a scriptwriter myself and have even written a couple of scripts of my own, with plans to study Screenwriting at university from September this year. "Father's Day" for me is something of an inspiration to keep me heading (hopefully!) towards a career in scriptwriting. Thank you so much for writing such a brilliant episode and inspiring me to keep going as a scriptwriter.
That's very kind of you. Took me a while to find your message, tucked down here at the bottom of the page! Good luck with your work.
Thank you very much for the encouragement!
Case of the Ancient Astronauts ... would that be the same as The Astronauts, which was on the B side of the 1980-ish Peter Howell Doctor Who theme single? If so, I have it somewhere.
I've seen that title and wondered if it might be. I'd have to hear it to know! We're going to end up describing blurps and dang dang dang dangs to each other, aren't we?
I have both The Astronauts from the b-side of the Doctor Who single and Space for Man and the Case of the Ancient Astronauts from the BBC Space Themes LP and although i haven't listened to either of them for a while, they are basically the same, apart from the fact that the BBC Space Themes version has the Space for Man bit at the beginning
Thanks very much for letting me know. Now that I do, I'm afraid I thus need the full Space Themes version!
Peter Howell's Astronauts! The rolling kettle drums; the soaring synths; the notes pouring out like supersonic raindrops... a beautiful piece of music that should be made our new national anthem. Seem to remember it also being used as incidental music for the Red Arrows or some Harrier jump jet thingy on TV, with the track under a completely different title.
Come on, Paul. You've got the Dankworth 'Tomorrow's World' theme. Back in the dim, distant days when I was your request show gofer at Lancaster, you had the peerless BBC Records 'On The Air' compilation on vinyl. I only had it on cassette. Please don't tell me you've lost it or turned it into a pair of matching flowerpots. Of course, the version on that album is the 1973 stereo remake from Dankworth's 'Lifeline' LP. The version used on 'Tomorrow's World' was a 1965 recording, and was, to the best of my knowledge never commercially released. I've got it somewhere if you want it. The stereo has a flute solo by Stan Sulzmann, the original has a trumpet solo by Kenny Baker (so JD told me when I asked him) and a piano solo by Alan Branscombe. Glad to see you're thriving, old chap.
The Peter Howell track still pops up every now and then when anything spacey and vaguely threatening is required. Hello Louis! I see you're thriving too. Yes, I'd love the TW version, because while I still have that old vinyl LP (and used to play the Much Binding in the Marsh theme on my radio show, I was so down with the kids then), I don't have useful tech for transferring it to modern media. Ta!
Spooky Paul....I have just been ripping "The Case For Ancient Astronauts" to MP3 after cleaning up the BBC Space Themes Album !!
So near and yet so far. So an MP3 now exists, and you've got it. Okay. That's cool. I'm calm. Have you any idea how much Frank Chacksfield material is out on CD? Loads. Loads! But not his Sky at Night theme. And the online presence of Peter Howell? Non-existent! And could they put an isolated audio file of the theme on the A For Andromeda DVD? They could not! I wish you joy in your MP3. I really do. It must be nice to have it sitting there. On your computer. Legally and everything. Ho hum.
Paul, seeing your site made me dig out an old album from 1983 - Doctor Who The Music. There are several good incidental tracks plus the 1980 sig tune by Peter Howell. The best however still has to be "Tardis - The Doctor", Delia Derbyshire's original. If anyone is interested I'll post the track listing.
Can I ask a favour? I'm on a quest to find out who wrote and performed the original Horizon documentary theme tune. I suspect it was Dudley Simpson however I'm hoping someone out there can confirm.
Cheers,
J
I'm glad we had that effect on you, but I suspect it's only me who's monitoring such old posts. Why not pop up to the most recent post and ask again? Or the Audio section of the Outpost Gallifrey forums could probably help you out.
Spooky how things seem to coincide. I've been searching high and low for Howell's 'The Astronauts' for a dog's age and had largely given up hope when a search for O-rings on google brings up this blog (even the net is a critic it seems).
Hope is restored somewhat.
Ta-ta.
Sorry that we haven't found it either. You'd think that Howell had deliberately erased himself from the internet. And I can't find the Frank Chacksfield 'Sky at Night' either.
Space For Man!! That is an absolutely marvellous piece of electronica...like you, I've been looking to replace my copy of that album with new MP3s for a while now. I actually have a lovely little MP3 from vinyl which you are very welcome to, but if you ever find a source for a new copy I'd love to be pointed in that direction!
Thanks very much for the offer, and I will of course keep the blog updated with developments, but like you, I believe the hunt is all, and so I shall turn down your MP3 from vinyl, with many thanks. There are quite a few of us doing this, aren't there?
Ironically enough, this blog prompted me to actually write to Peter Howell - that insane I have become in this search.
He seemed rather amused, and held out some hope in that he seems to be wrestling with the Beeb for a re-release of "Through a Glass Darkly" - including 'The Astronauts' in the uncut form version.
Let's hope luck is with him on this.
That's good news. Please do let me know if that happens.
Right, we are getting somewhere - its not much, but it will do till an official CD release for Darkly.
The astronauts (single edition) and not a bad MP3 transfer considering the age of the single it came off. Not sure how to get it to you though Paul.
That's very kind of you, but as I said to the chap above, I'm interested in the hunt itself, and making MP3 files from vinyl, which I guess I could do myself if I got my act together, seems like cheating. Thanks very much for the offer, though. Please do let me know if you hear about a CD release.
For what it's worth, the Delia Derbyshire Dr Who theme is on the excellent Rough Trade compilation Electronic 01 (buy it cheap at Amazon marketplace or on ebay). This features loads of interesting electronica past and present and its only oversight would seem to be a lack of any Walter / Wendy Carlos compositions.
That sounds interesting, but I already have that one. It's the Peter Howell collection that I, and the world, need.
I know this is quite old but id be interested in an mp3 version of "The Astronauts" if anyone would kindly share. erm upload to a website and point me to it...ta
So say we all!
In the hope that someone picks this comment up, I would dearly love an mp3 of 'Space for Man' / 'Ancient Astronauts'. I had the cassette of the Space Themes album but it has long since disappeared. Thank you
This really is the thread that wouldn't die! I share your needs, and I think I shall find someone in the BBC to ask about all this. I'll blog about any news.
A chill went up my spine when I read this post.
As I type I'm listening to 'Space Invaded - BBC Space Themes', a cassette from 1982. I've had it for over ten years now and play it ritualistically whenever I have essays to write for various subjects and another. My pseudo-hypnotic reliance on this 'terrible dayglo betrayal of innocence' has got so bad that I can't write academic work without it, and have had to back the tape up for fear it will disintegrate and leave me bereft of inspiration for evermore!
Sadly, ever since I inherited the cassette it's been missing its sleeve and the label from the 'A' side. But the 'B' side listing is: 1. Tomorrow's World, 2. K-9 and Company, 3. Star Trek, 4. Doctor Who - The Leisure Hive, 5. The Comet is Coming, 6. The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'd love to know for certain what all the 'A' side tracks are (Who and Blake's 7 are in there) but have never got round to finding out. Maybe the mystery is better.
M
I got that one on vinyl. I have fond memories of The Comet is Coming.
Sorry to keep this one running, but I just recently stumbled across a copy of 'The Astronauts' and have been listening to it somewhat obsessively. Now here comes the conspiracy theory...
Listen to the first 15 seconds or so of 'The Astronauts', then dig out your DVD copy of 'Rose' from the new Doctor Who series. Does the incidental music sound familiar. Is it a coincidence?
This is the post that will not die! I'm sure Murray's influenced by previous SF music like everyone else in his business. Didn't notice it myself.
Hi Paul and co,
I've been clearing out my garage and I've found my original of BBC Space Themes! Luckily I still have a record player and an amp with a phono stage, and I've just travelled back 30 years - goose bumps all around.
Good luck with the hunt!
Paul H
Well done! I just found the Frank Chacksfield original of the Sky At Night theme.
Paul,
I have been searching for the b side of the Doctor Who 45 called "The Astronauts". I had it on record back in the 80's. I cannot find it anywhere. Can you help me. Email address is lfgranados@lycos.com.
Thanks.
Juan
I haven't found it, hence the quest! Do let us all know if you track it down.
Paul,
I found it. It took some time. I have a copy of the b side called the astronauts. If you have an interest in the mp3, I can share it. I also have found 5 versions of Peter Howell's Doctor Who theme. Interested parties let me know. Long live BBC space music!!!
I'd be interested in that, Juan, but we don't know how to contact you! Do you have a website, or some way we could do that that doesn't involve you giving out your e-mail address to the world?
Astronauts is included in the new CD release - BBC Radiophonic Workshop - A Retrospective
Excellent news. I shall go and find a copy. I finally found the Frank Chacksfield version of the 'Sky at Night' theme on his 'The Decca Years' CD.
Yeeessss!! I ordered a copy of the "Radiophonic Workshop - A Retrospective" CD and it arrived today - it's the full version of The Astronauts, at long last! Marvellous. Got mine from play.com, but it's also here...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Radiophonic-Workshop-Retrospective-Various-Artists/dp/B001GISONU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227820044&sr=8-1
I have it on order too. One more piece falls into place!
Howdy - I bought the BBC Space Themes LP on ebay and had it posted from the UK to Australia. As a testament to the complete failure of the postal system in Australia, the postman in Sydney FOLDED the package and slid it into my letterbox...
He may have been too young to remember vinyl. The horror!
Just came across this blog entry...
In 1983 I copied this from my cousin's LP to tape. But it was a new tape and so stiff and the Blakes 7 theme (the first thing I recorded) is a little warbled.
For the past 10 years I've been wishing this was re-released on CD. I guess I'm gonna be SOL.
I suppose I should transfer the tape to mp3, but this won't fix the warbling. Ah well...
I was told a long time ago that an indie company would be releasing a CD, but it seems to have been a long wait. I still have my original cassette.
Holy moly! This is it, isn't it?
http://video.google.com/videosearch?client=safari&rls=en&q=case+for+the+ancient+astronauts&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=llTzSu7pNIO-lAepqeypAw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=11&ved=0CC4QqwQwCg#
I had this album on vinyl and cassette. Marvellous stuff.
Matt Clifton
That's the one. Highly nostalgic for me, and still a lovely piece of music.
I loved this album as a kid. Really wish they would release a CD of it. Or just put it on iTunes.
Congrats on the Hugo nomination.
Thanks very much. Yeah, it'd be great if there could be a re-release, including those very low-fi notes on the inside of the cassette.
To All, I too have Genesis of the Daleks,Deodato's version of "Also Sprach Zarathustra"(5.06)/ "Spirit of Summer"(CT RECORDS 6114003)this version is truly 70's funk electro at it's best ( a must have ),also I have BBC Space Themes which I have recently played,I loved the Astronauts track ... so much so I decided to do a search on Peter Howell and accidentally landed on Paul's Website ;-)hi,and got reading the other post's, I then did another search for Astronaut's and found this free download mp3, however it sounds like it is taken from vinyl and is an edited version of the BBC space themes edition, probably the b-side to the 80's Dr Who Release, good luck to you all.
http://abmp3.com/download/1718128-astronauts.html
This thread really keeps on giving! Lets hope we get a modern edition soon. I may hold some sort of party.
Here to keep the thread going. The version of "The Astronauts" on the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Retrospecive release, is that exactly the one you've wanted? Is the slow intro the "Space for Man" segment?
I ask because I think that The Astronauts is indescribably excellent and I'm not sure I could bear knowing there was more to it that I would be unable to hear, at least not in good quality and without a hunt for the Space Themes album.
No, that's the whole thing, and very lovely it is too.
Ah yes, BBC Space Themes. I had that until I was burgled (swine!) I also had BBC Comedy and BBC Detective Themes, too, all vanished into the night. I still have the BBC Sporting Themes (quite worn, now, and starting to stretch)- it was in the car when I was burgled, luckily. I've spent 18 years trying to find replacement copies. Still trying. But I have the late 70s single of Dr Who, and hence The Astronauts. But where can I find "Stop, You're Killing Me"?
I think "Stop, You're Killing Me" used "The Detectives" by Alan Tew, also used in the film "Wanda Whips Wall Street" which is probably exactly what you think it is.
It has been released on compilations like This Is The Return Of Cult Fiction.
And, unless I'm wrong, should sound like THIS.
Any use?
Thanks Chris, for helping out Greg. People are now resulting to burglary to get copies of this record!
I just hope it was the tune he was after.
Is this the right thread to mention that I once thought about doing a personal musical retrospective session at a filkcon, and calling it "Down a Glass Quickly: My Life as a Pale Imitation of Peter Howell"...? =:o}
Yes, "The Case for the Ancient Astronauts" (the 2nd piece that went together with Space for Man to make the extended track) has always been a big favourite. I nearly wore out a perfectly good set of fingers trying to play those fast runs on the piano, before realising that Peter must have sequenced them and sped them up... And then, even at half speed I was still fumbling it!)
I *think* I first heard it on "Through a Glass Darkly", but I did also have the BBC Space Themes album. I do remember that when I heard the "wind chimes" in Kinda a couple of years later, I immediately thought "Ooh! He's recycling that lovely ethereal tinkly bit from TaGD!"
I'd hate to think of anyone trying to play that live!
New plan: 3 harpists. Because the tune modulates twice, standard harps can only play one of the three sections without, at the very list, flipping sharping levers on the fly... Which I wouldn't wish to impose on them. Three differently tuned harps can each handle a different section of the tune, thus giving each of the poor harpists a chance to rest their fingers every few bars.
There's also the option of simplifying the playing by using interleaved players, one playing the on-beats and one playing off-beats. But having 6 harpists to play one tune would just be silly... =8o]
Still, it's good to know my education in multi-tasking and multi-threading algorithms might come in useful for something at last...
Well, if it's ever filmed, send me a link!