Friday 24 December 2010

BBC Space Themes (1978)




















Thirty-two years ago tonight my late Mother put this record under the Christmas tree for me, along with Parallel Lines, Another Music In A Different Kitchen by the Buzzcocks and The Man Machine.  She always knew the records I wanted.

However, this record was a surprise as I hadn't asked for it (or knew it existed).  She said she got it as she knew I loved Blake's Seven.  I've not listened to this album for years and only recently dug it back out of the loft due to positive comments received for its sister BBC album, Sporting Themes.

So, three decades later this is a Christmas present for you lot now.  I hope you and yours have a good one.

9 comments:

Ian G said...

Ditto! Parellel lives here! I also got this for xmas around 30 or so yrs ago. Also had the others you mentioned. Also loved B7, Dr. Who etc... Sweet innocence just prior to full on teenage hormone explosion! Yule!

Ken Mac said...

thanks for all the fabulous work you're doing here. I've been looking for a certain Phase 4 for years, it's a soundtrack collection with sound effects between each track. Railroad sounds, racing cars, thunderstorms, rain. Mid 70s, Theme from Le Mans, the sandpipers, can't remember the rest. A reddish jacket. If you come across would love to see it here, and again, thanks for this fantastic site!!

Fabien said...

Thank you so much, again, you rule the web!

Have the Merriest of Christmases.

All the best for you and your close ones.

Take care.

Lacey said...

When worlds collide.

My father got this album 30 years ago also.
It was bought at a little British Culture shop that small towns seem to have. You know the type; they sell English biscuits, tea, flags, ets.

He was a BIG Dr. Who fan so that is why Grandma got it for him.

Thank you for the post.

the saucer people said...

Strange isn't it how those early records bought when you were ten to fifteen are never really surpassed...though maybe like yourself as a child of the late seventies/early 80s we were lucky to have such amazing music around us...I thought by the time I reached my 40s I would not understand young people's music because it was too 'avant-garde' for my tastes, I never imagined it would be because its too banal, insipid,redundant and commercial!

Anyway, huge thanks for posting the BBC Space Themes album, Cosmobells posted a 192 rip of this a couple of years ago but this is far better quality imo...if you are a fan of obscure 70s/80s UK electronica it does not get much better than this album.

Now for someone to post the BBC "Space Invaded" album from 1982!

the saucer people said...

Just in case anyone gets the impression that the entire album is 'electronic' I should have qualified my last comment as its only Dr Who and the Peter Howell "Space For Man And The Case Of The Ancient Astronauts" which he did with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop that are really the electronic tracks (the rest are more orchestral) and its the latter track that is worth getting the whole album just to listen to as its the Radiophonic at its finest..gives 70s Vangelis a run for his money!

Fabien said...

Have a very Merry 2011!!!

Any middle-aged German Witch in Amerika said...

On to a very merry 2011, indeed!
Thank you for this wonderful blog!

I hope you had a nice and calm and happy holiday time and did get a good slide into the new year.

I-FE said...

Thanks for all the comments, guys.

@ Ian. I know what you mean, I think a year or so later and I would have been disappointed in getting this as I was full into Kraftwerk, the original Human League, Can, etc by then.

@ Ken. Yes, I do have that one somewhere, though not sure how good the condition is. I'll try and dig it out.

@ Fabien. My pleasure, as always.

@ Lacey. I'm intrigued by the idea of a "British Culture Shop". Were they successful? Then again, we had American ones popping up at that time...McDonalds, etc!

@ Saucer. A man after my own heart! I think we were really lucky at the end of the 70s/80s that there was so much fantastic music around. I remember being into New Musik in a big way and still play their stuff now. Also I still love Bill Nelson and all the stuff he did around that time. As you say the Peter Howell track is worth the price of admission alone.

I still love all the John Carpenter soundtracks too. I was listening to the Assault In Precinct 13 OST today, try and get hold of a copy if you can. 26 minutes of bliss.

@ Sparks. Thanks, I'll check it out.

@ Witch. Again, my pleasure, I hope you keep enjoying the music.