The alchemists of sound Tonight BBC2 11.20pm

[amc]

A look back at the amazing BBC radiophonic workshop

Watched it a while back on BBC4 and its a good little rundown from the time they started in 1958 until it pretty much shut up shop a few years back.

They did some amazing pioneering things with sound(all tapes and spoons etc)

Worth it for the Doctor Who theme alone.

[JohnC]

Sounds interesting. Setting it to record.

[cassidy]

Sounds interesting. Setting it to record.

This is indeed a great documentary. I think I'll rewatch it. Delia Derbyshire is amazing.

[Eats hoops and leaves]

What the fuck is with that bearded guy showing up in the background of every clip?!

[cassidy]

What the fuck is with that bearded guy showing up in the background of every clip?!

No clue, he looks a bit like a alchemist maybe?

Everytime I watch it, I see more evidence as to why Dance music took off when it did. We'd been prepped through the BBC's schools programming and sci-fi telly

John Bakers stuff is amazing the track that can be played backwards and forwards is genius. Basically their all geniuses, except Pam Ayres son. Who whilst doing amazing things for Doctor Who on DVD just annoys me.

edit: Here's what Outpost Gallifrey has to say about bearded bloke

I think somebody said it was a mate of Victor Lewis-Smith, who was involved in the production - apparently he has featured in other shows that Lewis-Smith was involved with.

[Eats hoops and leaves]

Heh. We theorised that it was a last-day-at-work producer.

[noizu]

That robotic chant Delia Derbyshire came up with - Ziw Zih Ziw Zih Oo oo oo - is fantastic. Been stuck in my head since I heard it, won't be able to sleep now

[Eats hoops and leaves]

That robotic chant Delia Derbyshire came up with - Ziw Zih Ziw Zih Oo oo oo - is fantastic. Been stuck in my head since I heard it, won't be able to sleep now

I didn't know about Delia Derbyshire before. I've been looking her up all night. I think I might have a new obsession!

[FishyFish]

I didn't know about Delia Derbyshire before. I've been looking her up all night. I think I might have a new obsession!

Didn't she help out Pink floyd with their electronic sounds in the early days too?

[Eats hoops and leaves]

Well, according to her she just paid for their taxi

[Gique]

please, if anyone has this available as a torrent let me know ASAP... PLEASE!!!

this sounds utterly fantastic.. been a huge BBCRW fan for years...

[SeanR]

back in the 80's this girl at school had some BBC RW vinyl with soundeffects and stuff on them...

[amc]

I didn't know about Delia Derbyshire before. I've been looking her up all night. I think I might have a new obsession!

I think the title of the documentary title fitted her perfectly 'alchemist of sound'.

Toataly agree with cassidy, we were pre trained in schools T.V etc for 'TEH FUTURE'.

Brilliant!

[Gique]

back in the 80's this girl at school had some BBC RW vinyl with soundeffects and stuff on them...

ahh yes, great stuff - they released a fair few..

[JohnC]

Only got around to watching it now. Fantastic work.

That beardy guy was weird, and the clock showing 7:58 too.

[Bleep]

It was a great little program.

Annoyingly, I don't think there's any footage on the 3 other purely electronic studios that were set up a little earlier in Cologne, Milan and Tokyo (Notice they were all defeated Axis countries). The one at Nordwestdeutscherundfunk (NWDR) was set up in 1951, and by 1955 Karl-Heinz Stockhausen was broadcasting his "Telemusik" live on the airwaves during weekday evenings on a program called "Music of Our Time". I'm not sure if the BBC did anything quite so groundbreaking.

[bcass]

I think the Radiophonic Workshop helped pipe electronic music into the public conscience more than Stockhausen. Well, in this country at least. This program was actually made by Victor-Lewis Smiths production company.