BBC World Service idents over the years

[TheUgsmash]

the last one on the track is what i hear every hour at night while im sleeping, I like the radio on for background sound lol

[LeamingtonSteve]

The BBC is unfortunately ashamed to be British these days, so it wipes its history, and doesnt mention Britain unless it has to....

Someone told me its because it gets funding from the European Union so it has a defined mandate to destroy national identity......

[steverudland]

@LeamingtonSteve The BBC is funded by licence fees and sales of commercial programme rights overseas, as any fule kno

[LeamingtonSteve]

@steverudland you are correct but ALSO it gets EU funding for spreading its propaganda.

[Axmedkoole]

The last themes starting with the peep sounds are very familiar to me. Living in Kenyan refugee camp I can remember my dad listen to it.

[locyfelix]

The thing with "This is London" is that it might have invited envy from certain people who are not fans of Britain. "This is London" had heavy religious overtones, as it conjured up sort of imperial commanding of respect from wherever the service could be received. It was kind of mystical centralising of the spirit to that single place, and that is Britain. Also, the announcer left a few seconds' silence prior to saying that to heighten the devotional mood at the listeners' end. 

[locyfelix]

The announcer usually left a few seconds silence before announcing "This is London". It seems that this commands devotion most effectively, when compared with the war-time signal like "This is London calling". Liliburlero is definitely superior and 100 times more effective than the jingling carillon.

[locyfelix]

Hymn tune again for correction: smfmsmrdrldt, lssdrmrdt, smfmsmrdrldt, lsltdmrldtd.

That's St Clement.

[locyfelix]

dmfmsmrdrlfm, rddfslsfm: As o'er each continent and island The dawn leads on another day, The voice of prayer is never silent, Nor dies the strain of praise away. The sun that bids us rest is waking Our brethren 'neath the western sky, And hour by hour fresh lips are making Thy wondrous doings heard on high. So be it, Lord; thy throne shall never Like earth's proud empires, pass away; Thy Kingdom stands, and grows for ever, Till all thy creatures own thy sway.

[locyfelix]

Of course, the announcement of the hour in GMT is also very important -- many people are either busy with housework or laying in bed half-sleep when leaving the radio on. And they don't usually have a copy of the programme guide. Not knowing the hour could cause listeners to miss out on certain shows whose hours to be played have been announced in teasers, but they have lost track of time since.

[locyfelix]

Let's hope the BBC put the full version of the Liliburlero back every hour when many of its programming and news departments move to Broadcasting House in 2012.  And the terse "This is London" should be restored because it is more intimate and effective than the random picking of any four cities, particularly when people place their radio sets by their bed and leave it on overnight.

[locyfelix]

When people tuned to BBC World, the anticipation for quality shows was not any less than their expecting to hear Lilliburlero jingle each hour. When the BBC randomly names four cities of other countries in two modern versions of the jingle, compounding them with chopping out half the tune, the result is a mixture of condescension and patronising, as well as, needless to say, total abandonment of national pride. The upside is that the modern jingle is played more lively and less martial.

[rileykernaghan]

Nothing can compete with "This is London" and the Lilibulero theme

[NakyHD]

Thanks for this post. I remember listening to the BBC World Service (Lillibulero trumpet theme) on shortwave radio when working in Ethiopia in the 1980's. Even though I'm American, there was always something reassuring and familiar whenever this theme played...

[BigDon62]

Oh the memories, not heard The Bells of St. Clements for many a year, bloody marvelous !

[adheet2009]

Thanks for the upload. It is so nostalgic to listen to the news signature tune.

[elmad32]

i remember the ident that starts at 1:10 when i first started listening to the bbc. it came on at midnight in the states and i always made sure i was up to listen to it before going to bed. it's still my favourite and i wish they would bring it back.

[WCFL1000]

.As a boy I remember listening to my shortwave in America with my headphones, waiting to hear that majestic ID music (at 1:02 above)  from the BBC. -When my parents thought I was in bed sleeping! The news always sounded so much more important, as read by those crisp BBC announcers.

[pookerville]

Let's bring shortwave back to North America and Western Europe!

[callwithcurrentconti]

Oranges and Lemons bit is just sublime.

[truro007]

I remember the theme from 1.09 to 1.27 - this was probably the best known music to the time signal. It always started at precisely 59 minutes and 35 seconds past each hour. I can also remember the BBC Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis presenting his programme called 'A Jolly Good Show' back in the 1970s/early 1980s. A wonderful service when the BBC was probably at its finest.

[Neandertron]

Grew up overseas listening to the world service, woke up every morning to the pips and lillibullero. The new ident just isn't the same (but it's still my alarm in the morning!)

[jbjindra]

Gotta love England. British culture is great, don't let it die!

[MrNepal977]

"This is London" It's what I remember of my schooldays. London Calling BBC's monthly magazine at local british Council! Really Awesome ! And Lillibulero playing in full and the Big Ben!!!

I do really appreciate this.

[andygin]

This is London calling should be brought back definately cos that is what it is !

[k9rzz]

If you start with idents from the radio, then keep on with idents off the radio, not the internet!

[shriramvenu]

@k9rzz huh? what are you talking about??

[heezabirddog]

@k9rzz you on drugs orsomething???

[brainman214]

What remains of the Beeb today is anyones guess.I had listened to them right up until they gradully gave up on Shortwave after the start of the 2000's,but,thanks to WRMI here,we can at least try for them on 9955 khz via the WRN relay they carry.

You'll laugh at the tstcard bloiopers they put on youtube.Brainman media

[tenorismo]

1:10 is the one I remember so well.

[basstrom188]

It's all been Blairised

[JohnnyNorfolk]

Its rubbish now. no style.

[eddiewillers1]

Sheesh! What has happened to national pride?

This is the BBC in Beijing...in Kampala...WTF?

Whatever happened to "This is the British Broadcasting Corporation from London. It is now 12 hours Greenwich Mean Time."

[shriramvenu]

@eddiewillers1 they still say "BBC news from London" (or something like that). gotta understand though the BBC world service has a special place in the heart for many people around the world. i guess the new approach is to embrace the international nature of the channel - bbc world service belongs to the whole world not just britain :)

[charade97]

@eddiewillers1 Yes, yes-I know exactly what you mean!!!!

[SvalbardJanMayen1976]

@eddiewillers1 well, they've got to have someone to report on the poison baby food killings, Islamic bombings, American wars, etc. 

[cityviagranville]

@eddiewillers1

If national pride is your thing - think - The Beeb plays possibly the single most important part in maintaining any sense of what little remains of the imperial and artistic might of Britain.

Britain, through the Beeb is on the ground and has influence in nations across the globe. The fact that they can say "This is the BBC in Beijing...in Kampala.." ought to say enough about this.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

@eddiewillers1

Well arguably that IS patriotic... in the sense that, as the world's largest broadcaster, the BBC and by extension the United Kingdom, continues to leave our mark around the world

[HERALDHERALD]

@eddiewillers1 you should celebrate that the world welcomes and enjoys the last vestiges of the British Empire

[ekksmann]

@eddiewillers1 BBC World service- very different from the BBC Home Service- "This is the British Broadcasting Corporation from London. It is now 12 hours Greenwich Mean Time." - what happened is its now history and appears as a nostalgia post on YouTube- Just like the shellack disc made the wax cylinder history, the vinyl LP made shellack history, compact cassettes made vinyl history, CDs made cassettes history, digital files made cds and dvds history and all this change in my lifetime.!!WOW

[moboutmen]

1:06 is the definative open for this listener, using an old Crosley radio on shortwave.

[Portlaoise50]

i have to admit i loved listening to the BBC on shortwave. the fading in and out added to it. i would have been so isolted in Saudie Arabia without it.

[pookerville]

Bring back the BBC on Shortwave to North America! Maybe we can get some live shortwave coverage of the English Football Leagues!

[shriramvenu]

short wave is a dying medium in the developed world - low quality has driven down popularity in favour of newer mediums. BBC is available on Sirrus XM and the internet :)

[potatoradio]

I miss the lilliburlero heck I am even catholic, course I AM a yank so I like even yankee doodle... I donno it just made things sound important, different then the current song which sounds like something that should played infront of a tv station bragging about its newsdominatior chopper and weatherorama radar like the new one.

[acintoli]

just in case we did not get it, we are with the BBC. I so miss the BBC World Service and the commanding style of the news broadcasts.

[epmorris]

Would be great to add the haunting sound of the timpany drum sounding out the call signal , dot dot dot dash .

[shriramvenu]

unfortunately that would mean id have to stay up late at night to record that!...if anyone else would be so kind to do so ill be happy to put it on

[epmorris]

Hi - I'm amazed as I thought the timpany drum had stopped years ago .

[TheLordCurzon]

I agree. The British Empire was a great institution!!

[thatcher88]

It opressed millions!

[shriramvenu]

how very true

[eddiewillers1]

Dammit! As with everything, they have removed all references to what the BBC is, where it is from and what it stands for.

Whatever happened to "This is London"...

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

@eddiewillers1

Everyone in the world knows the BBC is British and it remains the world's biggest broadcaster

[TheLordCurzon]

Absolutely magnificent!

Helps one to imagine a wonderful life in the colonies....wonderful! :D

Particuarly liked the famous "London Calling" and the "Oranges and Lemons!

Thanks for posting this!

[anstonian]

Wonderful stuff. Thanks so much for posting. There is a BBC in Barnsley uk. The Barnsley bathroom company. LOL .

[shriramvenu]

lol putting hygene first?