1 Scene & Heard (2.13) 7 Fourth Dimension (2.20) Bonus Tracks: 2 Just Love (1.42) 8 Colour Radio (2.30) 13 Rugby Special (1.40)* 3 Vespucci (3.17) 9 Take Another Look (2.21) 14 Willie Banks and The Administrative Machine (2.23)* 4 Reg (2.07) 10 Kaleidoscope (1.17) 15 The Ramsbottom File (2.02)* 5 Tamariu (2.45) 11 The Space Between (3.10) 6 One Eighty-One (1.54) 12 Flashback (2.52) * Previously Unreleased Music heard on radio and television (including Test Card Transmissions) Composed and Realised by Paddy Kingsland, BBC Radiophonic Workshop (BBC Music) Original Record Produced by Desmond Briscoe Original Record Co-ordinated by Jack Aistrop Produced and Remastered by Mark Ayres Sleeve Design and Photography by Andrew Prewett All titles published by Paddy Kingsland (PRS) Executive Producers for Silva Screen Records Ltd: Reynold D’Silva and David Stoner Digital Manager James Borrer Layout by Stuart Ford Notes by Desmond Briscoe The synthesisers used on this disc are both television drama, documentaries and children’s British, and both made by E.M.S. of London. programmes, to drama and schools programmes One aspect of the work of the BBC Radiophonic They are the VCS3, an amazingly versatile on radio and to many local radio stations. In all, Workshop is the composition and realisation of miniature synthesiser, and its big brother, the more that 200 different commitments a year are signature tunes and incidental music for BBC Synthi ‘100’, known within the Radiophonic undertaken. Radio and Television programmes. Programme Workshop as ‘The Delaware’, after the address producers come to the Workshop with varying of the Workshop. This machine incorporates a The Workshop, at the BBC Music Studios in requests – it must be ‘bright’, ‘catchy’, ‘sinister’, digital memory that can be programmed via a Maida Vale, London, is equipped with tape ‘modest’, ‘supernatural’, ‘funny’, and so on but, conventional keyboard, and can store 256 events recording machines and other electronic most important, it must be unique in terms of on 3 layers in any one ‘run’. In combination with equipment for generating, manipulating and sound qualities. the multi-track tape recorder, it provides all synthesising sound. The composition and the facilities of an electronic music studio, its realisation of this music and sound is done by a The composer then sets to work to create the range being limited only by the imagination of small number of specialised creative staff. tune using natural sounds, which have been the person using it. manipulated in some way and cut together on tape, or electronic sources, such as the voltage The specially created stereo is not an attempt controlled synthesiser. at realism, but is used as a sound object in its own right. Several such signature tunes are included on this record, composed by Paddy Kingsland, The BBC Radiophonic Workshop provides who joined the creative staff of the Workshop a creative service, varying from complete in 1970. Before this, he worked as a tape editor, background scores of electronic music for radio then studio manager, chiefly for Radio One. and television productions, through sound for He is a firm believer that instrumental sound poetry and science fiction, to signature tunes combined with electronic and treated sound is and experiments in stylised stereophonic sound. essential for this type of work. The tracks on this record include compositions for Radio 1, 3, Apart from the electronic music for ‘Dr. Who’, 4, Local Radio and Television programmes. the Workshop makes major contributions to Notes by Paddy Kingsland whole album. The “test card” idea went away and an essential tool for many years. I wish I had because my material consisted of previously one now! In the early 1970s there were rules about the used theme tunes. And so the title was changed material BBC Records were permitted to release. to Fourth Dimension, with a sleeve to match All of the other tracks were extended versions Existing theme tunes and music composed for designed by Andrew Prewett. (A footnote: one of existing theme tunes. Once again Bryant drama productions were acceptable, but new of John’s proposed tracks for the “Test Card Marriott provided drum tracks. I played most compositions which had not been broadcast as Music” album was entitled Accentric. It was of the other parts using the newly acquired part of a programme were a no-no. Commercial eventually released on the CD reissue of BBC Delaware and ARP Odyssey synths, plus guitars record companies were uneasy about the BBC Radiophonic Music.) and bass. And at last we had a brand new Studer having a record company, fearing that they 8-track tape machine for recording multiple would favour their own product over others in I had recorded a theme tune for Scene And parts. The synthesisers were monophic - only playlists. Heard, a Radio One pop magazine programme. capable of playing single notes, not chords - This was the first track on the album; the and so polyphonic parts had to be built up line- Fourth Dimension was originally planned by backing track featured Bryant Marriott on drums by-line on separate tracks. BBC records as an album to be used as test-card and Nick Gomm on bass. I played guitar and music. This kind of got around the restrictions all of the synthesiser parts using overdubbed Just Love came from a BBC Schools TV drama; and there is an artwork proof in existence of the quarter-inch tapes, as this was before the first Vespucci was the title music for an episode original album sleeve with a picture of the famous multitrack machines arrived at the Workshop. of USA 72, a documentary on Italian explorer 70’s colour test card. BBC Records wanted the We were a bit behind commercial recording Amerigo Vespucci for BBC Schools. The Radiophonic Workshop to provide the music, studios in that respect. keyboard solo in the middle was played by John having already released the “Pink Album” in 1968 Baker. to mark the Workshop’s 10th anniversary. John The synth parts were all done on the EMS Baker and I were asked to provide tracks for the VCS3, a slightly frustrating process because Reg was originally written for the BBC’s African album and I made expanded versions of theme that particular synth was designed to make raw Service; the producer had asked for a reggae tunes that I had written for radio and TV shows. sounds for use in electro compositions rather flavour. Tamariu also came from the Just John Baker made a start on some material but than as a keyboard instrument, therefore tuning Love programme. One Eighty-One was used was suffering with extended illness and so as was a bit tricky. Having said that, the VCS3 was in a sports programme. Fourth Dimension the deadline approached, I was asked to do the a wonderful instrument for its intended purpose was the theme for a Saturday afternoon Radio Four programme for children. Colour Radio to tight deadlines; we always said that projects Images below: came from a local radio theme tune; Take were never finished, but simply abandoned. But Artwork proof of the original album sleeve Another Look was a TV documentary dealing for all its faults it still brings back memories of for “Test Card Music” with detailed photography of everyday objects. happy times at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Kaleidoscope was written for a Radio 4 arts programme. The Space Between was a Radiophonic Workshop production for Radio 3 and everyone at the Workshop contributed items. Mine was a Grimms’ fairy tale and used this music. Flashback was made for a TV sports theme tune. It also got used for Newsday on BBC2 - that version had trumpets playing the tune. The bonus tracks (not on the original album) are Rugby Special for BBC TV, Willie Banks and The Administrative Machine (a BBC Radio 4 comedy play), and The Ramsbottom File for BBC Schools Radio. I notice that the CR78 drum box has appeared on this one. Also I had clearly been listening to American detective shows! As always it’s hard to listen to these tracks so many years later. Much of it has a fragile feel (another way of saying that there are dodgy bits of tuning and timing!). It’s no good blaming the equipment, I was learning to use it and we worked SILED1543 Ⓟ & © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. Under exclusive licence to Silva Screen Records Ltd. All rights reserved. Other BBC Radiophonic Workshop Titles Available The Radiophonic Workshop BBC Radiophonic Music The Changes https://geo.itunes.apple.com/ https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/album/bbc- https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/ gb/album/the-radiophonic- radiophonic-music/1455153999?app=itunes album/the-changes-original-television- workshop/1459670846?app=itunes soundtrack/1370839244?app=itunes The Living Planet The Box of Delights The Soundhouse BBC Radiophonic Workshop - 21 https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the- https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/album/ https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/ https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/ living-planet-music-from-the-bbc-tv-series/11 the-box-of-delights-original-television- album/bbc-radiophonic-workshop-the- album/bbc-radiophonic-workshop- 38396972?mt=1&app=itunes soundtrack/1444708569?app=itunes soundhouse/1153053190?app=itunes 21/1093269086?app=itunes.