TME > Audio > Tributes Discography

Promotional-Only Releases

1990 - Doctor Who Magazine flexi disc

Mark Ayres / Dominic Glynn / The Slaves of Kane: Untitled flexi disc
Promotional 7" flexi disc, November 1990
Free with Doctor Who Magazine #167 (Metro Music DWM-1)

1. Terror In Totters Lane Mark Ayres
2. The Trial (Excerpt) Dominic Glynn
3. The Theme from Abslom Daak - Dalek Killer The Slaves of Kane

Produced for Doctor Who Magazine by Metro Music International Special Products
Executive Producer: Andy Grant

A floppy piece of vinyl that could be understood by only the sturdiest of record players, this marvellous flexi disc came free with Doctor Who Magazine. Track 1 was taken from the recently released (and soon to be re-issued) Myths and Other Legends LP; track 2, a remix of one of Dominic Glynn's incidental music cues from The Trial of a Time Lord, was to have hailed from Black Light II - The Remixes, a proposed Silva Screen CD which was to feature re-recorded soundtrack music from Glynn's Doctor Who stories (previously released independently by the Doctor Who Appreciation Society), though various problems meant that nothing more was recorded.

Track 3 was the reason behind the disc: a theme for the DWM cartoon character Abslom Daak, recorded by Dominic Glynn and featuring the guitar riff from the Strangler's Peaches (which got them into quite a bit of trouble some time later). It was released as a single in its own right the following month on Xenon records, as The Theme from Abslom Daak - Dalek Killer.

With their 250th issue, DWM fondly remembered the flexi disc in a run-down of their prominent moments.

1990 - The Tardis (Chappell Music Library)



All titles composed by Dominic Glynn
Produced by Martin Smith
Dominic Glynn: Night at the Movies
Music library CD, 1990
Not available for sale (Chappell Recorded Music Library CHAP 146)

1.
The Good, The Bad (a)
2.44
Spaghetti western theme
2.
The Good, The Bad (b)
2.39
Underscore to above
3.
The Good, The Bad (c)
0.04
End link
4.
The Good, The Bad (d)
0.10
Alternative end link
5.
Dambreaker (a)
2.32
Heroic, patriotic war theme
6
Dambreaker (b)
0.35
Rolling snare drum
7.
Dambreaker (c)
0.32
Snare and bass drum
8.
Dambreaker (d)
0.36
Snare, bass drum, whistle
9.
Superhero
2.15
Heroic adventure theme
10.
Star Voyager
2.18
Lively, space adventure theme
11.
Arabian Mysteries (a)
3.01
Panoramic, orchestral theme
12.
Arabian Mysteries (b)
3.02
Underscore to above
13.
Arabian Mysteries (c)
0.40
Middle section of main theme
14.
Thunder People (a)
2.14
Exciting adventure theme
15.
Thunder People (b)
0.25
Intro to above
16.
Space Odyssey (a)
2.06
Broad, suspended atmospheric theme
17.
Space Odyssey (b)
0.26
Intro to above
18.
Space Odyssey (c)
0.42
Choir link
19.
Starbattle (a)
2.28
Broad, adventure theme
20.
Starbattle (b)
2.19
Underscore to above
21.
Gotham City Hero (a)
2.12
60's exciting cartoon strip
22.
Gotham City Hero (b)
0.05
Intro to above
23.
Gotham City Hero (c)
0.05
Intro to above [alternative version]
24.
Gotham City Hero (d)
0.05
Vocal ident
25.
House of Horror (a)
2.30
Dramatic, suspense, tension
26.
House of Horror (b)
1.23
Underscore to above
27.
House of Horror (c)
1.03
Alternative underscore
28.
The Tardis
2.14
60's cult science fiction theme
29.
Shark (a)
1.56
Dramatic, suspense, tension
30.
Shark (b)
1.17
Underscore to above
31.
Bond Is Back (a)
3.04
Spy, thriller theme
32.
Bond Is Back (b)
0.04
End link
33.
Bond Is Back (c)
0.05
Alternative end link

JINGLES

34.
The Good, The Bad (a)
0.59
35.
The Good, The Bad (b)
0.59
36.
Dambreaker
0.59
37.
Superhero
0.59
38.
Star Voyager
0.59
39.
Arabian Mysteries
0.59
40.
Thunder People
0.59
41.
Space Odyssey
0.59
42.
Star Battle [sic]
0.59
43.
Gotham City Hero
0.59
44.
House Of Horror
0.59
45.
The Tardis
0.59
46.
Shark
0.59
47.
Bond Is Back
0.59

48.
The Good, The Bad (a)
0.29
49.
The Good, The Bad (b)
0.29
50.
Dambreaker
0.29
51.
Superhero
0.29
52.
Star Voyager
0.29
53.
Arabian Mysteries
0.29
54.
Thunder People
0.29
55.
Space Odyssey
0.29
56.
Star Battle [sic]
0.29
57.
Gotham City Hero
0.29
58.
House Of Horror
0.29
59.
The Tardis
0.29
60.
Shark
0.29
61.
Bond Is Back
0.29

Chappell Music regularly produce CDs for use in television, radio and advertising, which are sent free of charge to relevant media and production companies. The music - often untitled pieces, suitable for background noise, ambience or incidental music - is copyrighted to Chappell, not the composers or performers, and licenses to use the music can easily be obtained from the MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society), providing profit for the library companies who produce the discs. Stock music has been used in television, film and radio for over 70 years, including early Doctor Who episodes where the budget would not extend to hiring a composer (or the director simply favoured stock music). In recent years, music libraries such as Chappell have also produced sound-alike CDs, mimicking pop songs or classical pieces without directly copying them, thereby creating music that will be recognisable without necessitating copyright fees to the original composers. These tracks have proven useful for use in advertising and television, where particular impressions can be made with sound-a-like music, and cheap versions of popular TV and film themes are becoming increasingly popular with the media.

Recognising this gap in the market, Chappell commissioned Dominic Glynn, arranger of the 1986 Doctor Who theme and composer of it's incidental music between 1986-89, to record sound-a-likes of 13 easily recognisable TV and film themes. Taking only the most recognisable parts of each theme, Glynn re-wrote the melodies of each track and produced energetic fresh recordings of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly; The Dam Busters; Superman; Star Trek; Arabian Nights; Thunderbirds; 2001: A Space Odyssey; Star Trek: Voyager; Batman; Hammer's House of Horror; Doctor Who; Jaws; and James Bond, with 60 and 30 second versions of each track as well as full-length versions with and without their main melodies. They have been used to represent their namesake themes in many television and radio programmes since 1990, with the Doctor Who theme spotted in the following programmes: "Night At The Movies was my first commission from Chappells," Glynn explained in June 2001. "I have recorded around 15 CDs for Chappells in total. And yes, the album has been one of the most successful CD releases ever for Chappells, with use in TV advertising, drama, children's TV and much more!". The Tardis - Chappell's stock version of Ron Grainer's Doctor Who theme - re-creates elements of Peter Howell's, Keff McCulloch's and Dominic Glynn's own televised arrangements, with heavy bass, twinkly melodies and continuous wobbly sound effects. The full-length version begins with a long sound effect reminiscent of the opening starburst of Howell's 1980 arrangement, leading into 4 bars of a bass intro, 2 renditions of the main theme, a middle section, a long bass solo (akin to the middle of Glynn's 1986 TV theme single), another middle section, the main melody (twice) and four renditions of the coda. The 60 second version opens with a shortened sound effect, a 2 bar intro, 2 main themes, 1 middle section, 1 further main theme and 1 coda, while the 30 second version uses the full-length sound effect before skipping the bass intro for 2 main themes and 1 coda.

1993 - Return of the Doctor

Boomtown Productions: Return of the Doctor
Promotional 12" vinyl single, Deja Vu branded sleeve (not shown), 1993
Distributed among DJs, availabile in specialist shops (Deja Vu DJV020)

During the early 90s, Deja Vu Recordings released this promo-only 12" that cut up TARDIS - Doctor Who and added an amusing break beat and anthology of vocal samples (none, sadly, from Doctor Who). The track was mentioned on BBC2's DEF II programme 'Dance Energy' in mid-2000, even though it was the BBC who reportedly refused permission for the track's commercial release. The chap who released the promo now lives in America, while Boomtown Productions moved initially into the accessories business (as Tape City) before closing completely.

1993 - Red Dwarf Daleks



Lyrics by Rob Grant, Doug Naylor and Howard Goodall
Music by Howard Goodall
Cover illustration by Colin Howard
The Cat: Tongue Tied
CD, 1993
Free gift upon joining the Official Danny John-Jules Fan Club

1. Tongue Tied
2. Tongue Tied Tabby Ranks Edit
3. Tongue Tied Kateoki Mix
4. Tongue Tied Pussy Mix
5. Tongue Tied Purrfect Mix
6. Tongue Tied Meeow Mix
7. Tongue Tied Paws Mix
8. Tongue Tied Radio Edit
9. Tongue Tied Instrumstral
10. Red Dwarf Daleks

The song Tongue Tied, featured in a Red Dwarf episode back in 1989, was dusted off and re-recorded for commercial release in 1993, with a number of remixes as collectable B-sides. The 7", 12" and cassette versions all included the Red Dwarf theme (written by the Grant/Naylor/Goodall team that had created the Number One hit 'Chicken Song' the previous decade), an atmospheric and pumping rendition of the show's closing titles sung by Danny Jon Jules (also star of the A-side, in character as The Cat). The commercially available CD single (pictured above, CDEM286) featured 7 versions of the title track, whilst an exclusive (sleeveless) 10-track CD was posted to new members of the Danny John-Jules Fan Club, including an alternative version of the Red Dwarf theme where the lead vocals had been removed, and the distortion guitar and backing vocals passed through a ring modulator. Its new title - Red Dwarf Daleks - is in recognition of the ring modulator, the same instrument used to distort the voices of the Daleks.

This was not the Daleks' first involvement with Red Dwarf. In early 1993, one of the show's creators started a rumour that the Daleks would be making a guest appearance in the new series - a throwaway comment which he knew would be eagerly awaited. Fans even linked it to a report that Red Dwarf would be missing in the new season: surely the Daleks' fault! Even the sci-fi press were swept along, with Starburst devoting a two-page article to the idea, though DWM remained duly sceptical, pointing out that if Doctor Who couldn't obtain Dalek rights from Terry Nation (permission had apparently been refused for their planned appearance in Dimensions in Time), another series had no chance! Naturally the rumour turned out to be entirely false, but the Daleks finally saluted the series on BBC2's Red Dwarf Night, even appearing in the trailer, revealing that all Earth literature was merely Dalek propaganda but that even they rather liked the lightbulb gag from season five.

1997 - Tracks for Anoraks

Ian Hu & Mark Lambert: Tracks for Anoraks
CD, 1997
Sold exclusively at Manopticon 5

1.
Red Dwarf
2.
U.F.O.
3.
Doctor Who Theme Variation
4.
The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
5.
Mission: Impossible The Plot
6.
Mission: Impossible
7.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
8.
Doctor Who Manopticon Version
9.
Return of the Saint
10.
Joe 90
11.
Doctor Who Spoons Version
12.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
13.
Doctor Who Theme Variation
14.
Red Dwarf Main Theme

Ian Hu and Mark Lambert - whose pop arrangements of the Doctor Who theme were released on The Worlds of Doctor Who CD in 1995 - also prepared a 14-track CD to back their appearance at the Manopticon 5 convention in 1997. Sold during and after the event, it includes the two theme arrangements from the Worlds CD alongside two new variations on the melody, both simply titled 'Theme Variation' - one of which was used as theme music during the weekend, alongside the work of Dijitaal Lair. Both new arrangements turn the theme into pop music, with various new orchestra hits and crescendos.

1999 - Pyramids of Mars

Reverend Bizarre: Slice of Doom
Promotional CD-R, Finland 1999
Sent to reviewers and promoters, limited mail order sales directly from the band

1. Pyramids Of Mars
2. In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend
3. Strange Horizon
4. Fu**ing Wizard
5. Doomsower (Live) / Hidden Track

Albert Witchfinder – Bass & Vocals
Peter Vicar – Guitars
Earl Of Void – Drums


Hailing from the industrial town of Lohja, the Finnish Reverend Bizarre have preached their unholy doom since the mid-90s. Founded by vocalist and bassist Albert Witchfinder, all it took to make this act complete was one guitarist and a drummer. The guitar was taken over by Peter Vicar and the drums found their voice first through the hands of Juippi and later through Earl of Void who joined the Reverend in 1998. Their combination of painfully slow, ultra heavy riffage and the clean vocals of Albert Witchfinder was a long-awaited treat for fans of old and new Doom alike, making Reverend Bizarre's success inevitable. (at least, the band's official biography thinks so).

This promotional CD-R was recorded over 3 days in August 1999, and included Pyramids of Mars - a slow, grunge rock arrangement of the Doctor Who theme. After initial copies sold out (having apparently been available after shows and via mail-order contact with the band), a black-and-white sleeved version was released with different intro and outro sequences, an alternative Hidden Track, and no Pyramids of Mars. The Doctor Who-inspired first edition is therefore (frustratingly!) the rarer of the two, and quickly became almost impossible to obtain. However, in 2003 Alfred Witchfinder announced a special commercial release of Slice of Doom. This would weave together both versions of the demo, including the original version of Pyramids of Mars, and include bonus tracks in the shape of recordings made for commercial compilations, many of which had ultimately gone unreleased. This album - known as Slice of Doom Revisited - was released in Finland in 2004, and the track was later recorded again for a Sci-Fi compilation album; further details can be found here.

1999 - The Darleks

Dr. Who: The Darleks
Promotional 12" vinyl single, October 1999
Distributed among DJs, availabile in specialist shops (DR001)

A. The Darleks Vocal Mix
B. [unknown]

Frustratingly little is known about this release, and it's brother, November's Part 2 12", though both appeared for sale at eBay in 2004. The 12"s were DJ-only/promotional issues and are thus difficult to obtain; it is probable however that they sampled some aspect of the Doctor Who theme or dialogue from the series and matched them to a dance beat. Nothing is known about the artist or label.

1999 - Part 2

Dr. Who: Part 2
Promotional 12" vinyl single, November 1999
Distributed among DJs, availabile in specialist shops (DR002)

A. Let Me Get On Floor Mix
B. Dub 2 Mix

Often misreferenced as "Dr. Who Part 2", this release was briefly adopted by BBC Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq during early 2000. Although little information is known about the artist or label, Part 2 is known to have featured the 'Let Me Get On Floor Mix' b/w the 'Dub 2 Mix', and to have sampled the Delia Derbyshire arrangement of the Doctor Who theme, presumeably matched with a dance beat.

2000 - Doctor Who (The Slaves of Kane)

The Slaves of Kane: Doctor Who
Promotional CD single, 2000
Review copies and private distribution (Xenon Records)

1. Doctor Who
2. Doctor Who
3. Timelord Transdimensional Mix

In January 2001, Doctor Who Magazine reviewed a 3-track CD by The Slaves of Kane, aka Andy Grant (formerly of Metro Music). The Xenon Records single, Doctor Who, was a promo-only pressing for review purposes, featuring two dance arrangements of the Doctor Who theme plus 'Timelord - Transdimensional Mix', reportedly taken from the outfit’s forthcoming album ‘Welcome to the Joy of Sex’. Vanessa Bishop described the disc as "a full-throttle, temple-thumping, Ibiza nightmare... Each track hammers its dance beat hard into your gut... combining monotony with the absurd and baffling lyric 'We are the zee-zee-zizzers'..." Grant was unable to find a label interested in releasing either the album or the single, and only a limited number of promotional CDs were pressed. The promo misleadingly appears in Howe's Transcendental Toybox as a commercial release.

2003 - Resistance is Futile

Resistance is Futile: Doctor Who Remixed
Promotional CD, November 2003
Free copies handed out at Panopticon

1. The Theme from Panopticon Forty Years of a Timelord
2. There, There My Brigadier St Etienne
3. The Master 808 State

Sampler CD promoting the Doctor Who Remixed album, which had originally been planned for release in early 2003 but was continually delayed; it was on target for a summer 2004 release at the time of the sampler disc, though it was eventually abandoned completely in the light of the 2005 series.

The opening track begins with a large TARDIS-like thump, an energetic bass line and a dance beat, and seemingly borrows the Doctor Who theme from Keff McCulloch’s ‘Latin Version’ (the tune is as wildly off-the-mark as the loosest renditions on Variations on a Theme), throwing in a new middle-eight that sounds more like the Pet Shop Boys than science-fiction. The TARDIS is sampled throughout the 4-minute track, stuttering in places and sounding quite trendy, but the track doesn’t really go anywhere: this is clearly just a one-man dance version of the title music, prepared to accompany a clips-compilation at a fan convention, and as the (inappropriately jolly) melodies swell it is in serious danger of turning into Paul Brooks’ oh-so-funky pop.

The remaining tracks were actually lifted from the proposed album, and must, therefore, have been considered among the best tracks from the disc. Saint Etienne – the trio of songwriters Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs and vocalist Sarah Cracknell, whose conceptual mission had been to fuse the 1960s pop sound with the acid style of the early 1990s – were well-renowned for their love of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and musique-concrete, and their contribution to Doctor Who Remixed is nicely focused. A dance beat and a pulsing bass provide the backbone of the track, whilst the sounds are nicely Radiophonic and the melody could easily have come from a Peter Howell or Paddy Kingsland soundtrack; the eerie sounds and atmosphere are reminiscent of Blur’s Doctor Who-related B-side, ‘Beagle 2’.

808 State were another high-profile electronic group who had been producing futuristic break beats since 1988, often imitating the sounds of the original electronic pioneers. This track suggests that the artists were actually invited to sample elements of Doctor Who’s rich library of incidental music and special sounds, for, once again, the TARDIS take-off is sampled and the break beat/bass background is built around a section of Dudley Simpson’s ‘Master Theme’, which repeats in-full several times. They provide their own organ middle-section, which acts as a harmony to the Simpson melody and is nicely evocative of the creepy, synthesised burblings of the Pertwee era; yet, once again, it’s a style that tribute-spotters will have heard before, on Orbital’s famous B-side, ‘Doctor Look Out’, as well as Cybertech’s two 1990s albums, Cybertech and Pharos.

In short, none of the tracks were particularly interesting or new, and the sampler sounded a little like a selection of cover-versions of earlier tributes – and second-rate tributes, at that. The fact that the full album has yet to receive a commercial release suggests that BBC Music saw the error of their bizarre commission as soon as the mixes were delivered; but since the sampler was free, and now changes hands on eBay for small change, we probably shouldn't grumble.

2005 - Woofed & Warped

Woofed & Warped: Music From The 'Doctor Who' Fringe
Promotional CD-R, March 2005
Free with Cloister Bell #16, mail-order magazine

1. Your Show (Full-length Version) TMEAudio
2. Calling Dr Who (mp3.com Mix) Raindancer
3. The Seeker (Non-Commercial Mix) The Empire of Glass
4. Dr. Who Theme (1964 Sheet Music Arrangement)

£2.50 (including UK p&P) from 34 Etsome Terrace, Somerton, Somerset
Cheques payable to Terry Francis

--> Lyrics ("Your Show")

Cloister Bell, the fanzine for the West Country Doctor Who Appreciation Society group of the same name, had previously featured lengthy essays and pull-out guides to Doctor Who on audio, including a lengthy article on tribute records written by TME. We first approached the magazine's editor Terry Francis shortly after the release of our mini-album Return to Kendal, suggesting a give-away CD featuring tracks from R2K for his next issue. With his approval we began writing a new song exclusively for the release, and invited Australia-based musician and long-time TME contributor Matt Jeffery to flesh out the track with keyboard and MIDI parts to compliment our own acoustic recordings.

The song was 'Your Show', a lengthy narrative about a man who adored Doctor Who during his childhood and student years, lost interest during the 80s and had his love rekindled by the "regeneration" promotions following the 1996 TV Movie - and who can't wait to introduce Christopher Eccleston to his own kids. Loosely based on our own 'Guide to Fandom' feature from years ago, the song appeared uncut (over 5 minutes long) on CD, with an edited version (3'50") available to download from www.returntokendal.co.uk.

The planned promotion for Return to Kendal was ultimately shelved, however, in favour of a multi-artist compilation celebrating Doctor Who and the creativity born from love of the show, prompted by the issue's planned release date - mere days before the 2005 series began on BBC1. Various artists were contacted and invited to contribute exclusive tracks to the CD; those who responded to the call in time included Swedish electro pop duo Raindancer, whose first commercial album was on the verge of release in the USA, and The Empire of Glass, who was in the process of completing and promoting several exciting new film projects.

The CD was completed with Matt Jeffery's performance of the original 1964 Chappell Sheet Music; with the new version by Murray Gold still unheard at this point, it provided a timely reminder of the show's roots and old-fashioned beginnings. The disc's title, although grammatically suspect, attempted to echo this: the phrase (more properly 'warp and woof') refers to an underlying structure (e.g., Doctor Who's past) and particularly the change of such foundations; it is also a musical term for the transposition of a piece of music to an instrument unable to play the full range of notes or chords, for instance the adaptation of a piano piece to a single flute. It also sounds suspiciously like the TARDIS take-off sound, as written phonetically in the DWM comic strips! All apt, we felt, for the introduction of a splendid new series of Doctor Who and a celebration of tributes past and present!