TME > Audio > Tributes Discography

Sampled tracks

Music that samples Doctor Who, with everything else about the music/release being unrelated to the programme. Includes tracks specifically meant to be Doctor Who tributes (such as Orbital's Doctor Look Out) and those completely unconcerned/unaware of the connection (such as... most of the rest!)

1988 - You Have the Right to Remain Silent

Pseudonym: You Have The Right To Remain Silent
7" and 12" vinyl single, white-label or with Saturday sticker, 1988
PRT/Saturday 7SDY-5

A. You Have the Right to Remain Silent *
B. You Have the Right to Remain Silent Instrumental *

* Edited version on 7", extended version on 12".

Alternative 12" vinyl single (possibly European release), picture sleeve, 1988
PRT/Saturday SDY-5

A. You Have the Right to Remain Silent
B. You Have the Right to Remain Silent Loadsadubvipermix
(The Loadsadubvipermix is another instrumental version, minus the sung chorus.)

Produced by Carlos Delandra & Stefano Milan for Oaks Parkway Productions
Arranged by Abe Christian
Engineered by Nomad Soul
"An Evil Annie Mix"
Backing Vocals by The Viper-ettes
Impressions & V.T. Vox by Vera Vod
Mix engineered by Roberto Cellere

Saturday (a sub-label of PRT Records) released this interesting single around about the time of The Timelords' Doctorin' the Tardis, using several Doctor Who quotes in a lengthly track that matched a house beat with over 50 TV samples. The Doctor Who clips are both vintage: a Dalek saying "One Dalek is capable of exterminating all" (and the accompanying sting, from The Daleks' Master Plan, 1966) and the Doctor saying "We'll show him whether this is a time machine or not" (The Time Meddler, 1965). Other samples include The Prisoner, Robocop, Star Trek, Fawlty Towers, Thunderbirds, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, The Muppets, The Flintstones, The Twilight Zone, Happy Days, The Munsters, Bugs Bunny and Mission: Impossible - with dozens more that we can't identify! There's also a female vocalist, who sings a chorus of "Arrest me 'cos I'm guilty / Arrest me, don't set me free", referring back to the title quote from Robocop.

This is a fantastic track, guaranteed to raise a smile; and taking William Hartnell and a 60s Dalek out of context and making them sound intelligent and frightening respectively has gained our eternal respect. What amuses us most is that the band must have been quite well connected, as these episodes had only been returned to the BBC archives 3-4 years previously and had yet to be broadcast or released on video!

Entertainingly, the cover features a variety of copyright-avoiding characters, including a robot with the bumps, headlights and arms of a Dalek, and a gentleman with the face of Jon Pertwee, hair of William Hartnell, coat of Peter Davison and trousers of Patrick Troughton! What a combination!

1990 - Holgertron



[Holgertron:] Mixed by Holger Hiller
Engineered by Serge Glanzberg
Post production by Holger Hiller & RSW
Renegade Soundwave: In Dub
Double 12" vinyl LP, CD and cassette, October 1990
UK: Mute Records CD STUMM 85
US: MUTE 9 61006-2

1.
Thunder
2.
Bacteria
3.
Deadly
4.
Transition
5.
Pocket Porn Dub
6.
Women Respond To Bass
7.
Holgertron
8.
Recognise And Respond
9.
Transworld Siren
10.
Black Eye Boy
11.
The Phantom (Remix) *
12.
Ozone Breakdown 90 (Uprising Mix) *

* US edition only


Formed in London during the late 80s, Renegade Soundwave applied the punk and industrial ethic to dub and dancefloor electronica. The trio of Gary Asquith, Danny Briottet and Carl Bonnie debuted on Rhythm King with the 1987 single "Kray Twins", and moved to Mute one year later for an EP, "Biting My Nails". The group then spent two years recording material for an album, then releasing "Soundclash" and "In Dub" within six months of each other. The group's only hit, "Probably a Robbery" (from Soundclash), made the UK Top 40 early in 1990.

Holgertron opens with a warped and looped sample of the TARDIS effect before launching into a series of fast-paced break beats and vocal loops, with occasional doses of distorted guitar and weird sound effects. Later there is a half second sample from the original version of the Doctor Who theme - the warble just before the start of the 'eee-ooo' melody. It's a bit rubbish.

1991 - Exterminate

D-M-S: Exterminate
12" Vinyl Single, 1991
Production House PNT 032

A. Exterminate Day of the Hardcore
AA. Exterminate Rush Mix

Produced & Mixed by Dice & DJ D-M-S
Written by F. Dyce/D. Pereira
Published by FJR/Handle Music Ltd.


This was one of those records that music-journalist types were complaining about back during the time it was released: disposable techno that consisted of little more than samples thrown on top of looped, sped-up breakbeats with production quality that wasn't exactly excellent. This one, by DJ D-M-S, takes a piano sample from Strings of Life by Rhythim is Rhythim, some female vocals from Vamp by Outlander, and two Dalek quotes ("Exterminate them at zero range!" and "Ex - ter - min - ate!") from The Dalek Invasion of Earth episode six (then recently available on BBC Home Video...)

Music reviewers who poo-pooed this type of record at the time are now falling over themselves to praise their wit and arthouse charm, but to be completely honest with you, reader, it's not a great record. The dance beat is admittedly not as hard and thumping as later trance records would become, and the samples are played well enough, but the Dalek connection is strictly limited to the same two quotes on both sides, and they quickly become tiring. It does, however, seem to have been widely heard, and is fondly remembered by clubbers and DJs of the day. In fact "exterminate them at zero range" has become a favourite quote of many. So there you go.

1991 - Asylum

Sub Bass: Disintergrate
12" vinyl, 1991
Hardware Records HW 005

Originally released on white-label 12", titled "Disintegrate" [with only 1 'r']


A. Disintergrate
AA. Asylum

Openshaw/Thompson


Asylum starts with a sample taken from Genesis of the Daleks (part of Davros's speech). Further details to come! Sub Bass released one other record, Burn Out b/w Disintegrate 2, on Strangeway Records in 1992. Their original white-label of Disintegrate has "SUB-BASS IN YER FACE!!" etched into the vinyl of side AA.

1992 - Dr. Rush

New Sonic Power: Dr. Rush
12" Vinyl Single, 1992
Schoolhouse Records SHV 123

A1. Dr. Rush Radio Mix
A2. Dr. Rush Instrumental Mix
AA1. Dr. Rush Extended Club Mix

Lyrics: Paul Newell
Music: New Sonic Power, Richard Green & Ron Grainer
All tracks produced & mixed by New Sonic Power/Richard Green
Recorded at Schoolhouse Studios London
Published by Westbury Music/Boiling Music


Vocal samples of a man whispering "Time... time..." and someone else chanting "I'm in a rush, I'm in a rush!" are mixed with a funky dance beat and the Delia Derbyshire version of the Doctor Who theme, whose bass line has been cut up expertly so that it stutters slightly whilst still playing in real time, creating a really rather good dance mash-up. Other samples appear during the longer mix - including "This is suicide!" and "Once again power 3 - you are our only hope!", which sound like a typical Doctor Who quotes, only we can't spot the sources.

1996 - Theme from Dr. Who (Coldcut)


Mixed by Mantronix, Blood Brothers, Dwayne Sumal, The Funky Ginger, Jon Tye & Daniel Pemberton
Remixed by Wagon Christ, Dillinja & Jon Tye
Engineered by Lee Hamblin & Jono Podmore
Mastered by David Turner
Arranged by Funki Porcini
Edited by Chep Nunez
Produced by Mantronix, Coldcut, Blood Brothers, R. Brown, Jimi Cauty, Lee Hamblim, Dwayne Sumal, The Funky Ginger, Tony Thorpe, Bob Holroyd, Wagon Christ, Air Liquide, Funky Porcini, Bedouin Ascent, Dillinja, Red Snapper, Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez, Jon Tye, Cold, Remi Adelaja, Joe Webb & A. Maddocks
Coldcut: Journeys by DJ - 70 Minutes of Madness
CD, 1996: Journeys by DJ / Music Unites Ltd JDJ CD8
CD re-issue, 2002: Journeys by DJ Ltd JDJCDS004

1.
Bola Philorene
2.
Street Beats Vol. 2 Truper
3.
One Blood Junior Reid
4.
Jam on Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song) Newcleus
5.
Extreme Possibilities Two Player
6.
King Ashabanapal Funki Porcini
7.
Noddy Holder Jedi Knights
8.
Fuk Plastic Man
9.
Mo Beats Coldcut
10.
Manganese in Deep Violet Bedouin Ascent
11.
African Drug Bob Holroyd
12.
If There Was No Gravity Air Liquide
13.
Beats and Pieces Coldcut
14.
Greedy Beat Coldcut
15.
Find a Way Coldcut
16.
King of the Beats Mantronix
17.
Mag Gescom
18.
Blood Vibes Masters @ Work
19.
Trumpet Riff Raphael Corderdos
20.
Grace Luke Slater's 7th Plain
21.
First Time I Ever Saw Your Face Joanna Law
22.
Balthus Bemused by Color Harold Budd
23.
Into the 90's Photek
24.
Bridge Is Over BDP
25.
Nu Blud DJ Food
26.
Friendly Pressure Jhelisa
27.
Freshmess Hookian Minds
28.
Message from Our Sponsor Jello Biafra
29.
Unify Pressure Drop
30.
Again Son Tim Lee
31.
Hot Flush Red Snapper
32.
Theme from Dr. Who Ron Granier
33.
Free Moody Boys
34.
Dusk DJ Food

--> Additional Releases

Musical duo Jonathan More and Matt Black are thought by many to be the pioneers of digital sampling. Their 1987 single "Say Kids What Time Is It?" was the first UK release to be composed entirely of samples, and their "Journeys By DJs" album became a classic remix compilation.

This album included a lengthy sample of Delia Derbyshire's original Doctor Who theme, emerging from track 31 ("Hot Flush" by Red Snapper) and continuing into track 33 ("Free" by Moody Boys), whose operatic vocal samples many believed to be taken from the surviving episode of The Space Pirates (despite sounding nothing like Dudley Simpson's incidental music). This rumour - which asserted that Coldcut took inspiration from the BBC Video The Troughton Years (featuring the Space Pirates episode and, of course, the Doctor Who theme) - seems to be false, but it was undeniably nice to see an up-and-coming modern outfit paying homage to the show. The theme tune itself is paired with a rather nasty beat, and seems to have been slightly sped up.

1997 - Dalek Tune (Da Lick)

Various Artists: Militant Science
CD, March 1997
Botchit and Scarper BOSLP 001

1.
Imaginary World Raw Deal
2.
The Ladder Purple Kola
3.
Headless Horseman Raw Deal
4.
Renegade (Purple Kola Remix) Tonic
5.
Mindset Native Bass
6.
Pornografika Glowball
7.
Smash & Grab the Flowers ADF Sound System vs. Native Bass
8.
Delta Science Purple Kola
9.
Dub Teacher ADF Soundsystem
10.
Tabstramental (B.L.I.M. Remix) Native Bass
11.
P.K.N.B. (B.L.I.M. vs Freq Nasty) Asian Dub Foundation
12.
Dalek Tune (Da Lick) (Elementz of Noize vs Davros Mix) Hempolics
13.
Militant Scientist ADF Soundsystem vs. Ramjac Corporation
14.
Death Is Coming Jamie Todd

A pretty boring series of breakbeats and bass sounds are set to looped and echoing samples from Dr. Who and the Daleks, the wonderful 60s movie starring Peter Cushing as the first Technicolor Doctor. Among the samples used are echoes of Dalek voices, sound effects from Cushing's computer-packed TARDIS, sections of Malcolm Lockyer's incidental music, the whirs of Dalek city doors, and dialogue from Susan ("Who are you? What do you want?"), Barbara ("They're all dead..."), a Thal ("I'm sorry, I tried to find you in the forest"), the Doctor ("Oh!") and a Dalek ("Ye - es?"). The entire 5 minute track is driven by these samples, with some (especially the TARDIS background effect) seeming to run throughout. It's quite a celebration of the film; if only the original music and beats were as good!

Quite what happened to the original track (which we reasonably assume preceeded this remix) is not clear; we have been unable to find any releases of the song credited solely to Hempolics. This mix is credited to Elementz of Noize (aka Alan Clark & Justin Maughan, a pair of Newcastle DJs who produced acclaimed sets and a variety of high-profile remixes during the mid-late 90s) and Davros, though we suspect this was a throwaway pseudonym.

1998 - Being a Girl



Paul Draper (Lead vocals and rhythm guitar)
Dominic Chadd (Lead guitar and backing vocals)
Stove King (Bass)
Andie Rathbone (Drums)

Produced by: Paul Draper & Mark 'spike' Stent

Cover paintings: Max Schindler
Design and Art Direction: Stylorouge
Mansun: Six
CD, September 1998
EMI/Parlophone 7243 4 96723 2 1

(PART ONE)

1. Six
2. Negative
3. Shotgun
4. Inverse Minds
5. Anti Everything
6. Fall Out
7. Serotonin
8. Cancer

(INTERLUDE)

9. Witness to a Murder (Part Two)

(PART TWO)

10. Television
11. Special/Blown It (Delete as Appropriate)
12. Shotgun
13. Being a Girl

Mansun were a very highly regarded indie/rock act when Six, their second album, was released. It didn't match the commercial success of their 1997 debut, 'Attack of the Grey Lantern', but it was an undeniably ambitious maverick rock album, featuring 7-minute tracks, atmospheric linking material and catchy tunes, too; not to mention a vocal cameo by Tom Baker (on 'Witness to a Murder (Part Two)', where he narrates a verse), numerous references to cult TV on the cover (click here for further details), and a sample of the TARDIS take-off effect on the final track, 'Being a Girl'.

The album was structured into two Parts with an Interlude between them, and although it is not listed as such, the final seconds of the closing track are clearly intended to be an epilogue - they are not part of the song, at any rate, and simply feature a young girl singing Buckingham Palace by A. A. Milne to the sounds of (in order) the TARDIS, a military drum, a school playground, a seaside, the wind, and a marching army, all set to a spooky harpsichord tune. It's like a 90s version of the end of Pet Sounds!

1999 - Stranger Things



Produced by Bookworm (M. Chillak)
Executive Producers: D. Israeliavitch, M. Chillak
Sprawlic Stream: Rites of Passage
Canadian CD, 1999
Elasticslapfacto Recordings SPS-01

1.
Intro
2.
Rites of Passage
3.
Those Few That Live feat. J-StaRRRrrr!!!
4.
Trickherhappy
5.
Ice-sosCloses feat. Asix
6.
Feverish
7.
Flubug
8.
Newsflash
9.
Xetrov feat. Snidley Whiplash
10.
Mandate of Heaven
11.
Tubetied feat. Psy
12.
Descriptive Sense
13.
Metric System
14.
Stranger Things feat. Kamau
15.
Omnipotent Stratus
16.
Unsure Tomorrows
17.
Outro

BONUS MINI EP

18.
[4 seconds silence]
19.
[10 seconds silence]
20.
BonusIntro
21.
Atlantis
22.
The Piper
23.
Fourwords View
24.
BonusOutro

Sprawlic Stream was one in a series of "Oddities" albums, apparently showcasing the MC talent of Canada - and Toronto in particular - on CD and at www.oddlyenough.com, where a twice-weekly radio show was also presented for streaming. Despite being promoted as an Oddities LP, however, this album is rather more a solo album for one of their MCs, Bookworm, featuring cameos from other long-standing members of the Oddities crew. J-StaRRRrrr!!!, Snidley Whiplash, Psy, Kamau and Syr Syntax are the Oddities favourites who contribute guest vocals to the disc, along with Cryptic Souls crew member Asix. The album relies heavily on samples and riffs, embracing a variety of sounds from plaintive keyboard motifs to answerphone messages and sound effects.

Bookworm's collaboration with Kamau is based on samples and loops from the 1980 single version of Peter Howell's Doctor Who theme. The two MCs rap over the top in a fairly incoherent manner, discussing their superiority to other artists who appear insincere in their lyrics but still achieve popularity. 'Stranger things have happened', they decide. The Doctor Who link is not emphasised in the lyrics, but reviewers of the album seemed particularly impressed with the sampling. One unsigned online review gushed that "... the most enjoyable moment on Sprawlic Streams is 'Stranger Things', the track not produced by Bookworm. Jumping behind the sampler, Bounca gets the best sound out of the Dr. Who theme song since the KLF. Kamau also drops by to add some guest vocals. 'Stranger Things' is one of those rare tracks that are both catchy and skilfully crafted. Released as a single, this song could get some serious play. For that one track alone this is a must own album ..." The sleeve does not acknowledge the sampling, and neither Ron Grainer, Chappell Music (who own the copyright) nor the BBC are credited.

This is one of those unusual tributes that grow on you, rewarding a second brave spin with a hidden charm. The sampling is actually very well done - unlike those dreadful internet downloads which lamely plop a 4/4 beat on top of the entire single with no attempt to match the original tempo or rhythm - Sprawlic and his guest producer adding layers of break beats that manage to enhance, not ruin, the BBC Radiophonic synths. The 80s single (including the classic key change) is looped and cut with great skill, barely 10 seconds playing without some kind of edit or jump, ultimately leaving an artistically disjointed version of the theme. It's rather enlightening, actually, and much better than the same year's Return of the Doctor UK white label, which did almost the same thing with the original theme, though without the added humour of two MCs taking it all too seriously. Although not essential listening, this is worth hearing should the CD ever pass your way. Provided you hear it twice.

2000 - Doctor Look Out

Orbital & Angelo Badalamenti: Beached
12" vinyl and CD single, March 2000
London Records 90 FCD377

1. Beached/Radio Version
2. Beached/Long Version
3. Doctor Look Out

Written and produced by P&P Hartnoll


--> Compilation releases

Named after Greater London's own circular autobahn, the M25, Orbital are brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. From infectious Pop-Dance tunes to film & TV scores and beyond, Orbital have crafted some of the most innovative yet accessible electronic music since their inception in 1989. In the period 1990-1991 the UK dance scene was still very much perceived as a short-lived phenomena with limited crossover potential, and the very idea of a dance artist producing an album as opposed to an endless stream of 12" cuts for club consumption was still a relatively uncommon occurrence. Yet when Orbital released their untitled debut long player, or 'green' album, it was to unanimous critical approval and was early proof that dance music could after all produce albums that would have to be taken seriously.

The pre-release rumour was that this single would feature Orbital's arrangement of the Doctor Who theme, as played live during their 1999 tour and recorded for the BBC2 Doctor Who Night in November. The B-side was, however, a track which the official BBC website claimed to be unrelated to Who, though the lack of Doctors in the film "The Beach" (for which the A-side is a tie-in) and the band's known affection for Doctor Who left us thinking that Doctor Look Out was probably a subtle nod to the show after all. And indeed, there is a reinacted sample of Jo Grant's "Doctor, look out!" from the cliffhanger of The Sea Devils Episode 5, and the following few bars of Malcolm Clake's incidental music from the beginning of Episode 6. There is also a sample of a man screaming, which sounds uncannily like the Castalan's death cry in The Five Doctors.

Following the release of Orbital's Doctor Who theme in April 2001, Paul Hartnoll spoke to David Bailey for Doctor Who Magazine (Issue 309, September/October 2001), making mention of Doctor Look Out: "Give an idle listen to any Orbital track, and you'll soon be spotting some familiar noises. Perhaps no more so than on Doctor Look Out, an extra track released with their hit Beached from last year. The track features some samples of Jo Grant from The Sea Devils, and "one little sound, like a sort of horror sting..." Hartnoll emits a crackling plane-crash screech. "It's a sort of 'zoom-in-on-a-Sea-Devil' noise. But all the rest of it is original stuff." (The full interview can be read elsewhere in the discography)

2000 - Klingons Vs. Daleks

The Phantom Surfers: A Decade Of Quality Control 1988-1999
US 12" LP / CD, 1999
V8 Records/Secret Recipe

1.
Phantom Surfers Quality Statement
2.
The Hearse / El Aguila Paradise Cove
3.
Skating Red Square
4.
Six Pack
5.
Gypsy Surfer
6.
Lafayette
7.
Klingons Vs. Daleks
8.
Surfari
9.
Move It
10.
Besame Mucho
11.
Playa Raton
12.
Flutterfoot
13.
Shaving Cream
14.
Poison Clam
15.
Tie Me Kangaroo Down

The Phantom Surfers have being paying homage to Los Angeles surf music and North West garage-rock since 1991. Formed in the San Francisco Bay area and led by guitarists Johnny “Big Hand” Bartlett and Mel “Frostbite” Bergman, they debuted with the EP Banzai Washout (Estrus, 1991) and have recorded many singles and albums in the 16 years since. A Decade of Quality Control collected together all their early singles and B-sides, which by then had become very rare and hard to find, along with some unreleased material - which is what Klingons Vs Daleks appears to be.

The track opens with a distorted grunge guitar rolling slowly into a bassline similar to the Doctor Who theme, fed through a cheap echo filter that gives it a crackly, Dalek-like quality. A mournful electric guitar strikes some minor chords, evocative of an old Western 'high noon' melody, over which a voice states: "We Klingons are thirsty! You Daleks, fetch us some root-beer!" The answer is a sample from Genesis of the Daleks: "We obey no-one. We are the superior beings!" Later, the voice says "We are going to get angry with you!", to which "Exterminate!" is the inevitable reply. The samples are drenched in echo and sound as though they were recorded via microphone from the other side of the room, but it's a funny little track (clocking in at under 2 minutes) and we do wonder whether it's also supposed to be the Doctor Who theme, minus the actual melody.