Doctor Who (1963) - Original Theme music video

From "Doctor Who - The Beginning Collection (1963)" Disc 1

The original full-length theme music, with original 1963 title sequence visual elements.

Composed by Ron Grainer, realized by Delia Derbyshire of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• doctorwho
• doctor
• who
• tardis
• william
• hartnell
• theme
• music
• 1963

[fakeo]

any1 know da instruments dey were playing?

[unstrungzero]

@fakeo As the most recent comment references, there WERE no instruments as such. From Wikipedia: It was the first TV theme entirely realised through electronic means. [...] The various parts were built up by creating tape loops of an individually struck piano string and individual test oscillators and filters.

[fakeo]

@unstrungzero arent u forgetting the theremin... hmmm?

[unstrungzero]

@fakeo lol I know it sounds like it, but there was no theremin used on this original version. If you go to Wikipedia's "Doctor Who theme music" entry, it's really fascinating stuff. It was literally made note by note electronically and taped together.

[lothartheterrible]

I still find it fascinating that Delia Derbyshire accomplished this without a synthesizer. The sheer patience it took to splice all those individual pieces of tape and run them through analog oscillators is something that I know I do not possess. Timeless magic.

[unstrungzero]

@lothartheterrible Absolutely agree with everything you said. Times like those I think having OCD would be an advantage. LOL

[greattools]

I could listen to this all day and all night.

[Jarren202]

Eternal respect to Delia Derbyshire!

[Yetaxa]

No instruments, no computers, no synthesisers, made purely by messing around electronically with the sound of a single plucked string. Masterful.

[wild14me]

In 1969 I was 4 years old. My older brother put me in front of the TV and raised the volume, when this was on. The flashing lights caused me to convulse and pass out. The Doctors prescribed Phenobarbital, which is a Barbiturate. It caused me to have the most hallucinogenic nightmares for 4 year old. Now when I hear and see this video, chills run down my spine.

[reidrules45]

Well, who ever disliked this video is OBVIOUSLY a Dalek!

[reidrules45]

@fakeo No instruments. This was one of the first things to be made using completely computers.

[XxShadowvalkyriexX]

@fakeo mostly MIDI audio synthetic files.. like the bottom comment, most music around this era was wholly generated by MIDI Synthesizers.

[elppa284]

I like how you can hear the drums even in this.

[RepublicOfAntartica]

A dalek must have watched this...

[diogeneslaertius666]

@diogeneslaertius666 and perhaps that day has even arrived or is closer than one might think!

[diogeneslaertius666]

one day, such songs will be a war-cry and battle hymn

[diogeneslaertius666]

such transgression against my children will not be tolerated #NWO