Peter Howell is a musician and composer best known for his work, as a membe… Read Full Bio ↴Peter Howell is a musician and composer best known for his work, as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, on Doctor Who. Howell's musical career began in the late 1960s working with John Ferdinando in various psych folk bands including Agincourt and Ithaca. His psych folk work also included a musical version of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass and a comedy musical entitled Tomorrow Come Someday. Together, Howell and Ferdinando recorded five albums before Howell became a member of the Radiophonic Workshop. In 1970 he became a studio manager at the BBC and in 1974 he joined the Radiophonic Workshop with which he would associated until 1997. His work on Doctor Who began in 1975 when he provided incidental music for Revenge of the Cybermen and special sound for Planet of Evil but it is for his re-working of the programme's distinctive theme tune that he is best known.

When John Nathan-Turner became producer of Doctor Who in 1980, he decided that the music needed to be updated and commissioned Howell to provide a new arrangement of the Doctor Who theme to accompany a new title sequence. Whereas the original arrangement of the theme (written by Ron Grainer) had been realised by Delia Derbyshire using musique concrète techniques, Howell arranged Grainer's theme on analogue synthesisers. The result was glossier and more dynamic but less mysterious than Derbyshire's arrangement. Howell's new arrangement first appeared in 1980 on The Leisure Hive, for which Howell had also recorded the incidental score, and was used throughout Tom Baker's final season on the programme as well as Peter Davison's tenure as the Doctor. For Colin Baker's first season in 1984, Howell altered the theme slightly in pitch and this version continued to be used until the 1985 Colin Baker story Revelation of the Daleks. Between 1980 and 1985 Howell also provided incidental music for ten Doctor Who stories. In 1986, Nathan-Turner commissioned a new theme arrangement by Dominic Glynn which ended Howell's association with Doctor Who on television, although he did provide music for the radio series The Paradise of Death and The Ghosts of N-Space as well as a new version of his theme for use in the Big Finish audio dramas.

Apart from his music for Doctor Who, Howell's Radiophonic Workshop work also included an album of original recordings in 1978 entitled Through A Glass Darkly (credited to Peter Howell & The Radiophonic Workshop) and "Greenwich Chorus", a piece which accompanied an episode of Jonathan Miller's popular The Body in Question which was controversial at the time for its use of the vocoder. Howell also composed the theme tunes to the popular Badger Girl and Spywatch series of the long-running BBC schools' programme Look and Read.

In recent years Howell's incidental music for the Doctor Who stories The Leisure Hive and Meglos has appeared on volumes 3 and 4 of the Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop compilation albums and much of his early folk material with John Ferdinando has also been re-released on CD.

Doctor Who
Peter Howell Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'Doctor Who' by these artists:

BBC National Orchestra of Wales When you're alone, silence is all you see When you're alone…
BBC Wales When you're alone, silence is all you see When you're alone…
Doctor Who Rest now my warrior Rest now, your hardship is over Live wak…
Doctor Who - 8th Doctor Rest now my warrior Rest now, your hardship is over Live wak…

Doctor Who - David Tennant Rest now my warrior Rest now, your hardship is over Live wak…
R.Grainer D.R. The Multi-talented Average niggas can't handle it I s…
Tardis HEERrwWwoooooSHHH HEERrwWwoooooSHHH HEERrwWwoooooSHHH HEERrw…

The Frenzy Of Tongs Doctor Who, last of the Time Lords, he was born…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS

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Comments from YouTube:

@RennieAsh

2y↑2.3K

"To make it more modern sounding"
People 40 years later : This vintage stuff is so cool!

@mariareed5238

2y↑57

I was young when it came out and I was rather stunned how different it was from the old version - I loved it.

@Legxnd

2y↑8

lmao exactly

@free-birdrocker8809

2y↑12

Without the past, you wouldn't exist...Food for thought.

@RennieAsh

2y↑8

@@free-birdrocker8809 same for the future.

@free-birdrocker8809

2y↑3

@@RennieAsh que?

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@meltedplasticarmyguy

2y↑59

6:00 "We never throw anything away"
The lost episodes have something to say

@Fcutdlady

6w↑3

There's a difference between the radiophonic workshop and the tv sectuon of The BBC

@rax816

@@Fcutdlady glad someone pointed that out. Clearly with a vast organisation like the Beeb was you have contradictory work practices lol.

@inaccuraterecords8477

1y↑129

They never throw anything away, except dozens of episodes.

@WimpyKelv12

22w↑4

Savage…

@paulashe61

Due to copyright running out and no one wants B&W 405 line grumpy images. The images even in the production office was grainy. Worse than video tape images. Computer imagining has cleared up the images that were never seen at the time

@yogibarista2818

2y↑1K

Delia Derbyshire's sheer genius in the original pre-synthesizer version still sets the standard.

@romper6698

2y↑5

Absolutely! You can see her talking about it here https://youtu.be/qsRuhCflRyg

@hjalfi

2y↑59

Anyone who hasn't heard her album is in for a treat. Search for An Electric Storm by White Noise.

@michaelbauers8800

2y↑36

I love her version best

@marzzz1

2y↑62

@@michaelbauers8800 Utterly agree. Too bad she didn't get credit until years later.

@TheFith67

2y↑14

Scared the crap out of me as a kid.😱

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@schubertuk

2y↑2.3K

I love this! I particularly like when Peter Howell points to an ENORMOUS box and says that is "the computer, and it is rather smaller than you might imagine..."

@kanedNunable

2y↑64

and its like a million times less powerful than your phone :D

@KAP01able

2y↑44

How about the fact that the computer synth cost almost as much as an average house back when it was new. Fairlight gotta have one ;-)

@schubertuk

2y↑28

@@KAP01able A good point, and perhaps one that points to money, no matter how much spent, is no guarantee of quality. I cherish Peter Howell's electronic version of the Doctor Who theme - still better than most if not all contemporary versions, but still prefer the cheaper, more home-made musique concrete version that Delia Derbyshire et al produced.

@sbaxter4207

2y↑10

@@schubertuk genetically modified people will think the same of our latest slim line smartphones in few generations with wifi interfaces embedded in their corporate controlled brains. Well, if they are lucky enough to be allowed to think, of course.

@schubertuk

2y↑9

@@sbaxter4207 I completely get this is a relative time pleasure. Although if you want dystopian futures, we will probably have wiped ourselves out long before genetic manipulation on any scale, indeed that might be preferable to us all ultimately aiming for exactly the same set of perfect (read: dull) genes...

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@konrad_m_rataj

22w↑29

That vocoder part tho! I've never realised that bit was actually sung. Amazing!

@woodybob01

2y↑410

The tardis sound... I can't believe it hasn't changed all these years. It is truly the most iconic part of the entire show.

@Alkaris

2y↑33

Oh it's changed over the years, they updated the sound with a cleaner sound of keys scraping on piano keys strings.

@woodybob01

2y↑16

@@Alkaris True, but the idea remains the same.

@DJ-Brownie-UK

2y↑2

did you know that it is derived from the sound of an old propeller aircraft engine starting up , you can reverse engineer the sound easily with simple free software

@domspeller6474

2y↑1

Scared the cr*p out of me!

@LEGOpachinko

1y↑5

@@DJ-Brownie-UK nope..."The vworp-vworp sound effect has been a staple of the Doctor Who franchise since its beginnings. It was created by a BBC Radiophonic Workshop sound designer named Brian Hodgson, who was also the mind behind dozens of other iconic sounds from the show, including the voices of the Daleks. Later in life, Hodgson wryly noted in an interview that he couldn't exactly look up the sound of a time machine in the effects library, so he struggled for some time to come up with ideas for the sound cue. Free experimentation led him to try running his mother's front door key along the bass string from a disassembled piano"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WzESKlFCt8

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@wakazuzu

2y↑33

5:21 how could he be so unimpressed by the epic vocoder-ness!

@JDeolumen

2y↑309

First used in Tom Baker's final season ['The Leisure Hive' 1980.. I was at school]. I asked in a record shop "Do you have the new Doctor Who single in?".. I was given 'Dr Hook' .. "Erm no, nearly right.. I mean the theme tune to the show with Tom Baker on the cover.".. She says "You're the first person to ask for this!".. I then fell in love with the b-side 'The Astronauts'.. Cheers

@robertstuart5260

2y↑27

I had exactly that experience a few years earlier in Preston, trying to buy the original version of the theme. I wonder how many Dr Hook singles have been bought by embarrassed youngsters, too shy to correct the shop assistant.

@LeShark75

2y↑13

My mother picked it up for me, I was 5 years old at the time. I still have it right here, and I too love The Astronauts, amazing bit of music.

@JDeolumen

2y↑2

@@LeShark75 Thanks for saying, that is superb.. I hope you went on to be a musician or 'creative' [or expressed the talent you have into reality].. All the best [in an uncertain world].. cheers

@JDeolumen

2y↑4

@@robertstuart5260 Hehe [I don't think you are old enough to buy the 1963 single, that my dad bought.. he collected records .. not knowing that his son would go on to work for the show.].. During John Devon Roland Pertwee's era a remaster of Delia Ann Derbyshire's was released .. memories .. all we have.. good ones.. Cheers

@Elwaves2925

2y↑11

My intro to Doctor Who was with the theme before this one, used for most of Tom Baker's era, but Howell's is definitely my favourite. I loved it from the moment I first heard it with the new titles. It has punch, all the pieces are in place and recognisable, plus a great middle 8, which is my favourite part. For me, I don't see it ever being topped.

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@NINETEEN8T0YS

2y↑803

Love this. In my opinion, the Peter Howell mix has been the best theme to date - even now in the year 2022.

@RideAcrossTheRiver

2y↑38

It sounds more modern than today!

@derekhart3308

2y↑6

@@RideAcrossTheRiver totally

@sbaxter4207

2y↑9

Was it not the same as the last of Tom Bakers? Or very similar?

@RideAcrossTheRiver

2y↑1

@@derekhart3308 Rap is conservative music to me.

@stephcrane

2y↑8

@@sbaxter4207 : Yes - this theme came in with the ascendancy of JNT in 1980.

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@James-ql9nl

1y↑78

Love how understated and humble he is. Just a straightforward guy enjoying his craft, loving the experimentation of it all.

@robambrose4199

19w

Spice craft.

@senianns9522

10w

BBC license payers paying for him to 'mess about' in this studio enjoying himself everyday? Accountability?

@midinotes

2y↑282

Peter didn’t realise then how famous that Yamaha CS80 analog synth would become now, not to mention used prices! Also nice to see the ARP Odyssey in action, as well as an early Roland vocoder. The Fairlight piece thrown in at the end was definitely a trip back to the 80s, the amazement on those kid’s faces when hearing a human voice being sampled!

@fuq3369

2y↑6

And now it can all be done in the palm of our hands......
That sounds wrong out loud

@lazzer408

I had a CS50. Oscillator ICs were damaged due to a regulator failure. Fixed the supply but the ICs are unobtainium. Parted it out. I would have loved to hear it.

@douro20

2y↑2

They are notoriously unstable. But one of the best sounding- and most versatile- analog synths ever built.

@Ndlanding

@@fuq3369 It doesn't even read too well. Maybe if you add "hairy".

@Durwood71

This stuff was like pure magic in the 1980s.

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@JimUK

2y↑483

Delia Derbyshire deserves a lot more recognition than she currently gets.

@AustenRedman

2y↑18

She got a drama made about her life.

@gravityissues5210

2y↑57

She gets plenty of recognition. She gets credited more than the actual composter. Just because she didn't get a shout-out in this video doesn't mean she gets no credit, or not enough. She's really not some "hidden figure" that needs white knighting.

@JimUK

2y↑21

@@gravityissues5210 Ask your average Joe and they won't have heard of her, credit for a lot of her work was taken from her by the BBC, pointing that out isn't white knighting.

@gravityissues5210

2y↑45

@@JimUK Ask your average Joe who wrote the theme to Dr. Who and they won't know, either. They probably also won't know Gershon Kingsley wrote Pop Corn or that he co-wrote the music used for the Main Street Electric Parade with Jean-Jacques Perrey, or who Robert Moog was, or even the proper way to pronounce his name, or that Wendy Carlos produced the best-selling classical album, or who Tomita was, or Larry Fast, or for that matter, Peter Howell. But the people who do know all that know who Delia Derbyshire is. So what exactly is it you want, for her to be a household name like, say, Mick Jagger? And as for the BBC, no one at the Radiophonic Workshop got much credit, by design, as it was supposed to be "anonymous"...yet everyone who cares knows who she is anyway. So....I'm still not getting the complaint that she somehow "deserves a lot more recognition."

@SM-dt1pr

2y↑19

@@JimUK Anyone who knows who Ron Grainer was also knows who Delia Derbyshire was.

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@lostboys_uk

2y↑59

As a music producer, this is beyond fascinating and educational

@Kryojenix

2y↑580

Wait - WHAT?! The "electric guitar" bit was actually Peter Howell howling?!??!?!?! 🤯

@MrEvers

2y↑202

Howelling

@DMB1138

2y↑25

No way. Had no idea

@al201103

2y↑20

@@MrEvers Nicely done!

@VJFranzK

2y↑37

7:15 Interesting! Not really "howling", but singing: "vowel-ing".

@thromboid

2y↑23

Amazing, huh? That sound has fascinated me for decades, and I was never 100% sure it was guitar..though it could easily pass for it.

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@nigelcarren

2y↑200

"Very modern, it plays eight notes at the same time!"

This is amazing, thank you 🇬🇧🎹🏆

@MrJordandurrant

2y↑2

The arp Odyssey retailed for about 750 dollars in 79. That's about $3000 today. Something of that complexity would cost 300-400 today and be a fraction of the size. The future is awesome.

@WarriorPoet01

2y↑1

I believe a Behringer is now producing copies for around $800? What’s old is what’s new, and newly affordable!

@intiorozco5063

2y↑5

The Yamaha CS-80 remains legendary. Vangelis built almost his whole discography around it.

@richc848

Looks like he's playing a Yamaha CS-80, famously used by Vangelis for Blade Runner and now one of the most sought-after synths in the world. They sell for about $150,000 these days. In the second part he's using a Fairlight CMI, which was one of the first commercial samplers.

@Beregorn88

2y↑30

"Peter Howell, one of the six composer, will now show how he made it. Or else."
I don't know what was better, his deadpan, threatening voice, or the horrified look in Peter's eyes

@dewey70

He was giving us Henry/One/Vecna vibes, surely.

@raksh9

2y↑80

When this new theme was introduced, it was utterly thrilling. As someone who was previously immersed in Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, the new theme was different and yet so much better. Incredible to see how this was created, decades and decades after.

@Cassp0nk

1y↑25

I love how detailed this is. These days they would never explain the effects and settings. Fantastic.

@ivorybow

1y↑50

I never cease to be moved and excited by the Dr. Who theme after all these decades. In the early days of electronic music there were thankfully some geniuses around who knew immediately how to maximize the medium. Thank goodness for Ron Grainer and those who followed. Dr. Who forever!

@euanreavie4899

2y↑8

"Rather a smaller box than you'd expect for a computer." Awesome.

@sixstanger00

2y↑17

"Over there is the computer section, which is actually a smaller box than you'd expect for a computer."

Golly, how times have changed. Today people carry supercomputers in their pockets.

@tabularasa0606

2y↑3

And most people don't even realize it.

@zanderman004

1y↑4

3:56 - absolutely beautiful, mate.

@Benjamoose

1y↑9

Fascinating video. I really wish television presenters were this calm and clinical today. I know some may find it boring, but it's so great just letting Peter talk instead of babying the audience and talking over/for him.

The only thing that was a bit of a cop out was at 7:00 when instead of actually letting Peter recreate the theme, they just played the "official" recording over the top. I would have loved to hear him do a quick recreation, even if it didn't sound as perfect as the first and final version.

@BM-jy6cb

20w↑1

Absolutely. And not a "WOW!" or "THAT'S AMAZZZING!" to be heard. Treating kids as intelligent individuals instead of infantilising them.

@Sean-me4fv

1y↑21

I don't know why but I absolutely adore the sounds that come out of synthesisers, especially when they are used so cleverly

@themusicboy9766

1y↑4

5:12 somthing about this just feels very magical to me and i dont know why

@Arthur_Hastings

2y↑6

3:07 “The bum bumbum sound.”
— Peter Howell

@NicholasHerriman

2y↑10

I was born in 1973. When this theme song came on telly, I would hide behind the armchair in our loungeroom. It sounded so scary to me, but I loved it at the same time.

@zafod101

2y↑7

The lovely Yamaha CS80... favourite synthesizer of Vangelis

@GregBreden

2y↑72

I was pleased to get a look around the Radiophonic workshop in the early 1990s and one of the guys I chatted to happened to create the controlled video feedback used in the original Doctor Who opening credits which gave that time tunnel effect. Another guy showed me how he was testing a system that put clock pulses onto audio tape so the non compatible electronically instruments could synchronise with tracks already recorded. Some of the things that are standard and the most simple now used to seem incredibly difficult particularly when you had a mix of old and new kit trying to work together. I remember having to sync a tape once by taking the back off the player and finding the variable resistor on the circuit board and tweaking it tiny amounts back and forth for the whole length of the recording. Something as simple as a pitch control being a standard on a DJ record deck was miraculous.

@deldridg

2y↑23

As a Cubase user, I think it's both a fascination and a good thing to be reminded of how much capability we have these days at our fingertips (and in my case, how little of it we utilise). This was an excellent journey and thank you for sharing! Cheers from Sydney - Dave

@Excellentness

Good one dingo dave

@caitlinomalley80

2y↑14

I'm surprised! I always thought the high-pitched section was a theramine in each version of the theme, to see it done with a synthesizer is impressive!

@jammin023

1y↑3

A theramin basically just produces a sine wave; its sound can easily be replicated on any synth with a sine oscillator shape and glide capability (or you could even do it without glide, by holding a single note and turning the tune knob of the oscillator, but it would be harder to get the exact right pitch at each stage).

@migueldoliveiracomposer

2y↑7

Peter is an incredibly nice chap. It was a priviledge to have him as teacher at the National Film and TV School 15 years ago.

@nik9737

2y↑150

Fabulous! Great to see all of the 'modern' equipment they were using. Would love that CS80 and arp! Well done BBC radiophonic workshop (shame they don't have it anymore) and Peter Howell :)

@patkelly8309

2y↑11

Crazy to look at my modern set-up of basically a laptop and synth emulations compared to what was happening back then. That cs80 is a beast!

@JellyMelodies

2y↑4

@@patkelly8309 closest I can get to it for now is a free cs-80 plugin lol

@notreallydavid

I think there's a New Radiophonic Workshop, Nick (haven't checked - slacking).

@ajs41

2y↑1

The Fairlight Computer produced some of the most interesting music ever in my opinion. I think that was what they were using here.

@DJ-Daz

2y↑42

I once had a recording of the Delia Derbyshire covers. Mind blowing stuff.

@toriawelsh7274

2y↑1

So?

@schubertuk

2y↑2

Please clarify; covers by Delia Derbyshire or covers of Delia Derbyshire? What was the album called?

@johnIZaUWL

Link please

@francessimmonds5784

2y↑10

Nice how her name wasn’t even mentioned when talking about the original theme. Another example of women not being recognised or given credit for their accomplishments.

@francessimmonds5784

2y↑3

DD was a genius of sound, very underrated. This, unused piece she created for “out of the unknown” tv series is far superior than the theme they eventually went with, imho.
https://youtu.be/o4YKgFiCB5k

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@minimoog4236

2y↑44

The computer is the CMI Fairlight - and its much bigger on the inside that it is on the outside.

@eccremocarpusscaber5159

😂

@almostfm

We might as well all go home-we're not going to top that.

@johntaylor6345

1y↑6

Peter Howell is a genius. I love his 80s version from season 18 to Season 22. Brilliant music. Great star field that makes up the Doctor's face. Tom,. Peter, and of course Colin. Great.

@bennicus4901

1y↑6

I love how that awesome vocoder sound comes out and his reaction is just "hm" 😄

@thegoodolddayz6183

2y↑55

Just goes to show how difficult it was back then to record something like this with the technology they had. Fast forward to now, it can be done a lot quicker and easier. Totally appreciate the work gone into this!

@JimUK

2y↑6

It was even harder in the early 60's, wave generators and splicing tape together to create loops was about all they had, it was a different world.

@christianrottler

2y↑3

No offense but back then you actually learnt your trade from the ground up. The first time I sat next to an 48-track tape machine and the mixing console feeding it it was awesome! Now everything I'd learnt in audio technology began to make sense 🤓

@dougle03

2y↑2

@@christianrottler You sure it wasn't a 24 track 2" tape machine? 48 Track 4" machines only ever got to prototype stage, the tape was too unstable to manage. Was more common to sync two 24 track machines together with the advent of SMPTE time code and machine control.

@christianrottler

@@dougle03 Ugh... of course you're correct, mate! Dunno how I got that mixed up but it was a 2 inch 24-track tape machine. Thanks for the correction 🤓!

@SaintKimbo

2y↑4

A lot quicker and easier but maybe not better, those old Master tapes are like gold nowadays, with specialist studios going back to recording that way and charging a premium for their product.

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@markstammers1923

2y↑18

All that time I thought there was electric guitar in the theme, and it turns out it's his voice.

@prototype9904

1y↑2

yeah, I'm a guitarist, I don't know why I just assumed it was an electric guitar with some complex stomp box routing all this time haha

@DoctorJjay

2y↑33

The first “verse” of the tune is the most iconic part (oo—wee-ooo) but what I enjoy the most when listening with different version of the song is the second “verse” that only plays during the end credits in the show

@sonicfan3230

2y↑7

That's called the Middle 8

@alexc8114

2y↑2

I always loved that bit as a kid watching the 2005 reboot!

@Big_Bad_Gammon

1y↑2

Its a shame that’s not present with Jodie’s theme :(

@thedoconscratch

@@Big_Bad_Gammon it is, actually. they added it back in s12

@morebasheder

2y↑62

Such a good piece of music. Even Orbital did a cover, which is fantastic as well

@2112jonr

2y↑2

Agreed, Orbital's version is cracking, and they still play it live from time to time. Including once at Glastonbury.

@morebasheder

2y↑1

@@2112jonr haha yup. I've seen them 26 times since 1991. Getting old... 🤔🙄🤣

@a.katherinesuetterlin3028

Ohh, I love what Orbital did with the Doctor Who theme! 😁😁

@terenceokane

2y↑1

the orbital cover was the first time i ever heard the theme! love it!

@albakes6128

2y↑8

Amazing version, stayed with all this time. This was the type of BBC i respected.

@redpillreloaded369

2y↑1

BBC today is in shambles along with everything else that used to be respected

@pauljoneseyboy9615

2y↑2

Love the interviewer genuinely interested in the subject

@rajgill7576

2y↑6

I love how his "audience" all stand there stoic at the end watching him demonstrate a computer to them but it's probably like watching witchcraft

@ajs41

2y↑4

They're stoical because they're British. I remember being exactly the same at the time when I was at school. People, including children, were like that until about 1995. Since then they've become the opposite of stoical.

@Durwood71

2y↑1

@@ajs41 The kids in this video are acting like kids did in the 80s. Today's kids are conditioned to perform when they're on camera due to the influence of things like YouTube and TikTok.

@Flashback_Jack

2y↑6

One of the greatest electronic tunes of all time.

@phillipdarlington

2y↑17

Peter Howell was also behind one of my favourite Children's/Schools themes - Merry-Go-Round from the mid-70s onwards. It's only 24 seconds long but it's a classic! (In fact RTP used in Portugal in the early 80s as well).

@Thunderpuddle

2y↑2

The best version of the theme. I have been lucky enough to see BBC Radiophonic Workshop live 3 times over the years, their montage and live playing of the Doctor Who themes throughout the classic years, just awesome.

@alancheatley4378

2y↑6

This is great bit of early synth and DR WHO, love that they use Vangelis Yamaha CS80 and the Fairlight

@GreatBallsOfAcid

2y↑5

I absolutely love the organic nature of the original. The melody is gorgeous, it seeks its own tempo and the buildup of each sound seems to dictate the movement. A perfect work contributing to the atmosphere of the show and a creative masterpiece.

@rebeccaschade3987

2y↑2

OMG. Yamaha CS-80. The ultimate synthesizer. Thank you for your service.

@MuzixMaker

The Analog King.

@SoNextJenn

2y↑5

It's great to finally see this in better quality. I watched the older video 50 times at this stage

@terrianne6077

2y↑4

Angelo looks so young here🤣Had a huge crush on Tim Whitnall when he played Angelo in Mike and Angelo😍

@DougMcDave

2y↑16

I still like this version of the Doctor Who theme. I found it fascinating to see how he did it.

@hugoelias1392

1y↑2

I still get shivers when I hear that tune played. It's timeless.

@TheSamtheman081

2y↑40

This is by far the best ever version of the DR Who theme tune.

@toriawelsh7274

2y↑1

Nah, it's pretty much pants

@TheNickofTime

2y↑1

My favorite (at least in the classic series) constantly fluctuates between this one and Glynn’s arrangement for Trial of a Time Lord.

@pSynrg303

2y↑5

Your favorite version, but nothing can touch the orignal from Delia Derbyshire & Ron Grainer.

@Silver-rx1mh

@@pSynrg303 Agreed.

@simonfernandes6809

Still prefer the 1974-1979 version. Still sends a chill up my spine.

3 More Replies...

@neilbowers6956

2y↑11

I absolutely loved this! Thank you for posting it as it's fascinating stuff.

@eldiablo8580

2y↑11

Amazing theme tune. The vocoded section of the theme tune just blew my mind to bits 💥

@eldiablo8580

2y↑3

Peter Howell deserves more credit for his interpretation. On Spotify the 1980 Who theme is still solely credited to Ron Grainer, whereas the 1963 theme is jointly credited to Grainer and Derbyshire.

@kek23k

Thanks for uploading, really enjoyed this.

@PigDan

2y↑2

This is AWESOME! Love archival footage.

@Bullet_Baxter

2y↑18

Brilliant. My second favourite DW theme, after the reworked original which started under Patrick Troughton.

@DistantCousin

2y↑5

The theme version I grew up with, and still my favourite! Absolutely thrilling!!!

@Speed-Of-Light-By-Meter

This really brings me back - thank you BBC Archive!

@Cu-Co

2y↑2

I always loved watching Mike and Angelo

@rexterrocks

2y↑5

They did a new 'synthesizer' theme tune previously in 1972 using a custom built EMS synth. The John Pertwee era used synthesizer sound effects which I think sound great.

@MePeterNicholls

2y↑4

Ah finally a higher quality version of this seminal segment!

@fuzzfactorytouring

Incredible footage
Thanks for uploading
Timeless tune

@l0riz624

I'm so glad, i found this video on YouTube! It's so interesting to see how Howell breaks down the Song using different Analog Synthesizers from that era.

@PsychedelicGoo

2y↑68

They can remix it all they like but they'll never beat the original

@DMSProduktions

2y↑1

Well, there was only 1 'Doctor': Number 4!

@kevinmichael2593

2y↑3

Agreed. Delia never liked the remixes either

@PsychedelicGoo

2y↑2

@@kevinmichael2593 Interesting. I don't know if they ever gave Delia the job of remixing it. If not, why not?! Her realisation and interpretation of that score, I think, was a defining moment in music history. Yet she didn't even get a credit.

@kevinmichael2593

2y↑3

@@PsychedelicGoo Delia dosny work with synthesizers particularly. She preferred her entire life to work with tape manipulation.

@jermaineinoue4919

@@kevinmichael2593 Link please .. Tnx

5 More Replies...

@Durwood71

2y↑3

My favorite version of the Doctor Who theme along with my favorite title sequence. I had no idea that Peter Howell had incorporated his own voice into it!

@jayadamone

Beautiful watch, what a lovely and talented guy Peter! I recall watching this years back. Peter and Roger Limb, two absolute legends.

@thekaniack

This is wonderful! The beginnings of electronic music were so complex, inspiring, and intriguing. Thank you for this, now I'm off to the studio to play...

@hughjarrse

2y↑4

I like the notion that the tune is inside the computer "waiting" for a sound 🙂

@ajs41

The Fairlight Computer had only been available for about 18 months at this time, and hardly anyone could afford to buy one because they cost tens of thousands of pounds to buy. People like Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Mike Oldfield, Trevor Horn (the producer) were the only ones who had them for a long time. Totally revolutionary sampling computer and keyboard. I love the magic pen they included. Even my laptop today doesn't do that.

@MikeyRussell88

2y↑4

Amazing today how all that synth hardware can now be combined and used within a computer programme, very similar to the early adaptations shown at the end only now so much more powerful.

@zz-nx6dy

2y↑2

" ... now so much more powerful" Dude, no. lol

@tomasenrique

50w

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

@daniellebrunel2960

2y↑2

Peter make's it look so easy, brilliant, love it.

@RichArd-vc5jp

2y↑12

The sound of the future...the best remake of the original ever!

@toriawelsh7274

Is it????

@RichArd-vc5jp

2y↑1

Yes

@francessimmonds5784

Nah, the original is far superior imho.

@markbrooks8623

2y↑6

Yamaha CS-80, huge, rare, very expensive. ARP Odyssey. These are vintage analog synths.

@michaelwilde2209

2y↑1

What a magical time that was ,,thanks for posting

@Retro_andy_1977

Absolutely amazing video.so good to hear the old theme again
One of the most recognised in bbc history.Bravo bbc radiophonic workshop!!!!!

@neilsg2001

2y↑3

The fairlight synth at the end was a formidable piece of kit from Australia with a vast library of samples including orchestral instrument samples, editor and sequencer. Used for Miami vice theme. Wikipedia says £18 -60k

@AutPen38

2y↑2

I was about the same age as the kids in this clip and I was fascinated by the early samplers. The Fairlight was like some alien technology that could perform actual magic. I remember being amazed by the price of it and how rare they were. I loved all the Trevor Horn and Art of Noise stuff, but perhaps the most famous user was Kate Bush. "Running Up That Hill" wouldn't exist in the form we know and love without the Fairlight.

@stevedickson5853

2y↑23

This version was definitely the best 80s version, but nothing will ever beat the original.

@Hens1123Minecraft

I like that the modern intros are themed more towards the early classic intros in the 60-70s. If you listen to the modern intro it sounds more like classic than the 80s intro LOL.

@DrWhoFanJ

@@Hens1123Minecraft Well, the current one literally contains the original version within it, with only the drumbeats and some light synth added.

@purefoldnz3070

2y↑2

its strange that 80's synth never feels dated.

@path1024

The KLF version was the best ;)

@Palooka37

2y↑1

This is amazing. I always loved Howell's version of the tune, and it's extra special seeing it being performed on an ARP and CS80. :)

@jamescpalmer

1y↑1

Still banging, use to listen to this on repeat when I was like 17. I'm 36!

@charliegreyfriars3691

2y↑6

I've always thought it's just as good as the Delia version. No need for favourites. Enjoy them all.

@RetroJack

Finally, someone gets it!

@Durwood71

I like Derbyshire's and Howell's arrangements, although Howell's is my favorite. I feel that all later arrangements pale in comparison to those two.

@tsrgoinc

2y↑4

This is my favourite version of the Dr Who theme, I remember when I first heard in the 80’s as kid, I was already in love with the program but this put the icing on! 🤣

@path1024

KLF version was best ;)

@TachyBunker

36w↑1

This is so good!

@bashsharif8272

great video and insight into how my favourite theme tune was remixed. As an 11 year old at the time, I even went out and bought a 7 inch, which I still have. Thanks for bringing this alive Peter...

@Kuyjac258

2y↑11

My absolute favourite version of the theme. The theme and incidental music in this era is probably the roots for my love of prog. I always thought it was discovering Mike Oldfield around the age of 13 but when watching this run I realised it went deeper than that and it was watching reruns on UK Gold with my dad.

@paulchoccyt1303

2y↑4

Always the best version of the theme.

@Feldspar__

2y↑1

Absolutely amazing seeing him with the CS80 and Odyssey making this track.

@StealthCloudchaser

1y↑1

Dankpods got me there and I couldn't be happier.

@autotoyexchangegarage7053

2y↑4

I went to a comic book store in the mid 80s & bought a 45rmp record of this theme music. I still have it & it is still as powerful now as it was then. Very neat to see how it was made. Lots of powerful memories.

@bmmaaate

As a DJ who plays at sci fi conventions I was overjoyed to find a copy with Peter Davidson on the cover in a charity shop. The B side is fantastic too.

@ariekanibalie

I waited by the TV with my mom's Sony Professional to record it from the speaker when the show aired. And I listened to it countless times, despite my babysitter saying 'Are you recording the TV?' in the background?

@TayoEXE

2y↑3

I love the sound of 80s synth.

@skyfall-uh7ut

23w↑1

I find all this frankly fascinating i have no experience with synthesizers so i wouldn’t know where to start with trying to get any useable tv show or movie quality music from one is amazing to me. Using one to make one of my favorite doctor who theme’s just shows the talent and skill of Peter Howell!

@MINIMOTOMADNESS

2y↑2

0.44 i think he was my music teacher at ashmead school.where Ricky Gervaise went.bloke was bloody epic....blew us all away

@fluffycritter

2y↑6

I love that these old synths have become very relevant for modern music production again.

@Blitterbug

2y↑124

As someone who spent decades worshipping Ron Grainer for this masterpiece, I can't watch this video without my blood boiling, as it predates the revelation that Delia Derbyshire actually wrote it and did all the effects. Sadly, in those days (as in university research depts), the boss gets the credit.

@duckbutcher2563

2y↑52

I mean, Grainer did write it. As in he gave Derbyshire some sheet music and said do what you like. Derbyshire arranged it, with all the effects and feedback and all the rest of it as you said, and legend has it that when grainer heard her arrangement he said “did I write that?!” But like you say the fact that her contribution was downplayed for years is criminal.

@Blitterbug

2y↑4

@@duckbutcher2563 Haha indeed!

@customsongmaker

2y↑5

Delia Derbyshire has been given credit for a man's work for far too long

@DJ-Brownie-UK

2y↑19

I would opine that it is highly likely that BOTH of them did not create the final piece but worked and COLLABORATED there ideas together and quite possible there were others too who deserve the actual credit (£) but fundamentally it was the Corporation (UK Gov) whom took the actual physical Credit (££)