Doctor Who Theme

Album: Doctor Who - The Music (1963)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Surprisingly, this piece of music has never been given a proper name, but it was impossible when it was composed in 1963 for anyone to realize the cultural significance of either the music itself or of the program for which it was written.

    The theme was written by the Australian composer Ron Grainer and arranged by Delia Derbyshire. Her input is significant enough for her to warrant a credit as co-composer, but the music was credited to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, which was founded in 1958 to produce music and sound effects for BBC radio and television programmes. Derbyshire joined the BBC in November 1960.
  • The first episode of Dr. Who was broadcast November 23, 1963 on BBC1 (at that time BBC, there being no other non-commercial TV station in the UK); on November 23, 2013, a special 50th anniversary program The Day Of The Doctors was broadcast in 94 countries.

    Although the theme music has remained the same throughout the long run of this cult TV series, it has been rearranged and heavily orchestrated, most significantly by Murray Gold, but the original - light on production - is generally considered the best, and when compared with the later more sophisticated music of Jean Michel Jarre and Gary Numan, it is clear it has stood the test of time. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2
  • British digital music pioneer Delia Derbyshire's original 1963 recording of the Doctor Who theme music is widely regarded as a significant and innovative piece of electronic music, recorded without musicians, instruments, synthesizers or even a two-track recorder. Derbyshire (assisted by Dick Mills) used painstaking tape manipulation techniques to realize Grainer's score.
  • In 1988 The Timelords had #1 UK hit with "Doctorin' The Tardis," which combined the theme music from Doctor Who, along with Gary Glitter's "Rock And Roll Part 2" and Sweet's "Blockbuster. " It was the only song released under the Timelords name; they later recorded as The KLF.

    "The Doctor Theme" in a more conventional setting was a #25 UK hit for studio group Mankind in 1978.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

90s Music Quiz 1

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Scott Stapp

Scott StappSongwriter Interviews

The Creed lead singer reveals the "ego and self-fulfillment" he now sees in one of the band's biggest hits.

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

Daniel Lanois

Daniel LanoisSongwriter Interviews

Daniel Lanois on his album Heavy Sun, and the inside stories of songs he produced for U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.