The Doctor Who Theme - classic rock version

*Please note! No tab or mp3* Yes, I was brought up on Dr Who. Very scary stuff, not least the theme tune, written by Ron Grainer and recorded by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic workshops. This was in the days well before synthesisers and multi-tracking, so a very laborious method of creating the sounds was used in which each sound was individually produced and individually edited in sequence (using sticky tape). To make the three components of the track, the bass, the treble and the white noise, each had to go on a separate tape recorder (because no multi-tracking!), and all three machines then played and mixed down to the final product.
Well, you have to choose which part of the sound to focus on for the tune, and there are other ways of doing it than I used here, it just seemed the best way for my purposes. Anyway, in fact it was amusing to find that the tune is largely E minor pentatonic in essence - very rock and roll!
The second half of the video has the lower guitar part on its own so you can play the top part along with it.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Dr Who Doctor theme tune

[sykeassai]

I've just found this and i think what you've done certainly in the first half of the video captured the near enough the "exact" sound in the way that Dr Who fans actually hear in their own heads when they hear the theme. I'm not sure which version of the theme you are replicating but i'm suspecting given your explanation that it's a version from the 1970's episodes?

[JacarandaRock]

@sykeassai thanks, that's an interesting thought. To be honest though I think it would have been the original version of the theme that I took this from, which was then performed as you hear it here, rather than keeping to a decade-specific style.

[TheCrapocalypse]

did they use a theremin on the original? or a singing saw? I always thought it was a saw, but now i'm not so sure.

[JacarandaRock]

@TheCrapocalypse the Delia Derbyshire video is very interesting, though it doesn't address the details of how she worked. I discuss it a bit in the description to my effort but I'm not sure its clear precisely how each element of the finished product was originally generated, though I think you'd find that as it was not recorded in real time no actual 'normal' instruments were involved. May well be wrong though!

[boupbinkproductions]

@JacarandaRock is it okay if i use this?

[JacarandaRock]

@boupbinkproductions what would you be using it for, and how? Best make a direct message...

[TehOrkyMan]

My speakers just exploded from awesomeness

[JacarandaRock]

@DickLodge68 thanks for your counter-blast to the majority view (!) If I'd gone for a Satch/Vai style it would hardly have been a 'classic rock' version. And for your info, the trem arm is locking so even if you don't use it the tuning is more stable and you can palm mute without it changing the pitch.

I look forward to your livened up version. Really!

[boupbinkproductions]

@JacarandaRock oh srry i wanna use this for my lego doctor who series and mabey for some music for a trailer, is that ok?

[turtaleater]

7 daleks watched this.



[akashashen]

@TheCrapocalypse "No actual 'normal' instruments were involved," would be an accurate description, but wikipedia has a very detailed description of constructing what constitutes to the first commercial electronica by some standards. Recordings on tape were literally spliced together (cut into pieces, one note-equivelant in size each) and mixed together for the theme. If it wasn't for YT's anti-link scripting, I'd drop it here, but it's not hard to find and a recommended read.

[neuroticnikki]

Oh. My. Gosh. This is the greatest thing I have discovered on YouTube in ages. My ears would like to thank you for this amazingness

[ThrashinYorkie]

Well done!

[borgduck]

@joebionekenobi Slight typo. 1963.

[joebionekenobi]

dr who kicks ass seen every episode since the very first doctor from the 50s waiting for season 7