Malcolm Lockyer and Bill McGuffieDr. Who and The DaleksReview

There are essentially two classic forms of Dr Who music. The first is the original pioneering hide-behind-the-sofa electronic wobbling experiments of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop that became known as the classic Who signature. The second is the more recent drama-laden stringfest of Murray Gold, which has come to signify the rebirth of the show, and is due to be tinkered with again when current GP David Tennant regenerates into Matt Smith next year – there are variations in each theme that indicate the various doctors. However, in 1965, when the show was in its infancy, two spin off films were made – Dr Who and the Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 AD – and it was deemed appropriate to apply a bit of big-screen grandeur.

This being the early 60s, the music from Dr Who and the Daleks has the Ealing drama style with elements of mild peril suggested by the use of ominous strings and suspended spookiness with scene-setting glissandos and swells. You find yourself almost wishing some sort of mental space noise to plunge through proceedings to indicate some actual space-age time travel happenings, as Daleks invading Earth would require something a little more dramatic. There’s nary an element of Exterminate or death rays to be found in the antiquated brassiness. Smash and Grab, the main theme from Invasion Earth, has a certain Bach’s Toccata refrain to it, with sound effects of police whistles and alarm bells ringing over tension-building pianos, before introducing more other-worldly sounds with Tardis effects (here as a dripping tap of mild electronics rather than the usual wheezing whoosh). The main thing is that 2150 AD really doesn’t differ from 1965, and any amount of frantic bongo-ing won’t help transport anyone past anywhere other than jazzin’ Soho be-bop

However, this has long been out of print, and for Who fans it’s something magnificent to be collected and filed among all the other bits and bobs that makes up their obsession. Things, it would seem, were very different then. The thought of alien invasion seems almost quaint. By all means purchase if that’s your bag. For anyone who just wants far-out Dalek music, look elsewhere.