In 1958 the BBC Radiophonic Workshop opened with the aim to enhance the main drama output on the Third Programme (now Radio 3) following the development of new electronic music techniques emanating from Europe. The department became a home to a maverick group of experimental composers, sound engineers and musical innovators who broke boundaries and pushed forward technology. Their work expanded across the BBC to take in TV drama (especially sci-fi), schools programmes and themes, the latter being their most celebrated and well known work, Delia Derbyshire's treatment of Ron Grainer's theme for Doctor Who. For the last forty years the influence of the Radiophonic Workshop on popular music and culture proved to be profound and enduring...

This collection, originally released by BBC Records in 1979 to celebrate 21 years of the workshop appears for the first time in its full original form on CD and as a digital album.

From The Goons ('Bloodnocks Stomach') to the Interval Signal to Doctor Who and Great Zoos Of The World this is a fascinating chronicle of some of the most innovative music ever made. The album also features Madeleine Fagandini’s 'Time Beat', a version of which was released as a single on the Parlophone label in 1962.

For me this is an essential addition to my personal collection as back in the '80s I collected a couple of Radiophonic Workshop LPs full of sound effects. I was intrigued by the quirkiness and sheer other worldly sound that the artists from the Radiophonic Workshop came up with. The album is part electronic themes, part sound effects.

While to many this will be a rather painful listening experience, if you're a fan of the their output you'll totally enjoy this release.

Track listing:

01. Quatermass And The Pit - Desmond Briscoe
02. Bloodnock’s Stomach – Dick Mills/Jimmy Burnett
03. Outside – Desmond Briscoe
04. Science And Industry – Phil Young
05. The Artist Speaks – Phil Young
06. The Splendour That Was Rome – Phil Young
07. Interval Signal – Maddalena Fagandini
08. Phra The Phoenician – Desmond Briscoe
09. Stick Up – Desmond Briscoe
10. Time Beat - Maddalena Fagandini
11. Ideal Home Exhibition - Maddalena Fagandini
12. Time On Our Hands – Delia Derbyshire
13. Arabic Science And Industry – Delia Derbyshire
14. The Chem Lab Mystery - Maddalena Fagandini
15. Know Your Car – Delia Derbyshire
16. Dr. Who – Delia Derbyshire
17. Tardis – Brian Hodgson
18. Choice – John Baker
19. Hardluck Hall – John Baker
20. Talk Out – Delia Derbyshire
21. Science And Health (Mike’s Choice) – Delia Derbyshire
22. Secrets Of The Chasm – Tony Askew
23. Westminster At Work – Keith Salmon
24. A New View Of Politics – Delia Derbyshire
25. Environmental Studies – Delia Derbyshire
26. Chronicle – Delia Derbyshire
27. Great Zoos Of The World – Delia Derbyshire
28. Minds Of Evil – Dudley Simpson
29. Fanfare – Dick Mills
30. Broken Biscuit Club – Paddy Kingsland
31. The Plunderers – Roger Limb
32. Mysterioso (Blake’s Seven) – Richard Yeoman-Clark
33. Greenwich Chorus – Peter Howell
34. Hurdy Gurdy – Malcolm Clarke
35. Martian March Past – Dick Mills
36. A Whisper From Space – Paddy Kingsland
37. Swirley – Roger Limb
38. Merry-Go-Round – Peter Howell
39. BBC2 Serial – Malcolm Clarke
40. Quirky – Roger Limb
41. Newton – Paddy Kingsland
42. The Secret War – Peter Howell
43. Thomas The Rhymer – Dick Mills
44. Contact – Malcolm Clarke
45. For Love Or Money – Roger Limb

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Darren Rea