Friday 19th February 2010
Top 25 musical EastEnders Facts
This year marks the 25th anniversary of EastEnders since it first aired in 1985. To celebrate the landmark and in honour of the live episode airing tonight, PRS for Music has looked into some top musical facts about one of our favourite soaps of all time…
Simon May composed the EastEnders theme music. He also wrote Nick Berry's (Simon Wicks) hit number 'Every Loser Wins'.
- The theme tune airs for 24 seconds (48 seconds per episode). Played back to back since the programme first aired (3,940 episodes) it would play consecutively for 18.76 days.
- PRS for Music has 99 different recordings of the EastEnders theme tune registered on its system, featuring a diverse collection of artistes: From steel bands to marching bands and Richard Clayderman to comedians Leigh Francis, Harry Hill and Bill Bailey. There's even a Welsh language version by Clychau called Lleisiau’r Gweunyd.
- The 9 ‘duff duff’ drum beats have become an iconic part of the programme. Simon May’s brief was for something distinctive and melodic. ‘They wanted something with a hook so that if people heard the theme tune when they were out in the garden, they'd come into the house to watch the show.’
- Three singles have been released off the back of the theme tune:
- “Anyone Can Fall in Love" recorded in 1986 by EastEnders cast member Anita Dobson (Angie Watts), and produced by her husband, Queen guitarist Brian May. It reached number four in the charts.
- "Glory Be" a hymn performed on the BBC's Songs of Praise in 1988
- "I'll Always Believe in You" another vocal version released by Sharon Benson in 1993.
- The theme tune has been remixed twice from the original version.
- 1993, a jazzed up version was aired which proved unpopular with viewers and was replaced with the original version just 11 months later.
- From 7 September 2009, the theme tune was rescored by Simon May to include stronger drum beats and more background percussion
- In 2008, a survey by PRS for Music in conjunction with Saros Research, revealed that the EastEnders theme was more recognisable than the national anthem "God Save the Queen”
- The theme tune was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award in 1985 for Best TV Theme and in 1987 it won the Television and Radio Industries Club Award for Best TV Theme Music
- EastEnders has been regularly broadcast in up to 73 countries around the world including Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada, South Korea and South Africa. EastEnders is also shown on the British Forces Broadcasting Service's main TV channel taking it to places like Afghanistan, Belize and on board HMS ships across the world.
- Eastenders has spurred a host of musical stars. Some of the cast that have made the leap from soap star to pop star include:
- Nick Berry
Played: Simon Wicks 1985-1990
Biggest hit: Every Loser Wins (No 1 in 1986)
- Anita Dobson
Played: Angie Watts 1985-1988
Biggest hit: Anyone can fall in love (No 4 in 1986)
- Aidan Brosnan
Played: Sean Maguire 1993
Biggest hit: Good Day (No 12 in 1996)
- Martine McCutcheon
Played: Tiffany Mitchell 1995-1998
Biggest hit: Perfect Moment (No 1 in 1999)
- Michele Gayle
Played: Hattie Tavernier 1990-1993
Biggest hit: "Sweetness" (Number 4, September 1994)
The chords used are diatonic, with no chromatic alterations. The main melody is scored for a piano, which has been described as having a "pub sing-a-long feel" to it.
The tune is also doubled by a whistle, and there are two rhythmic permeations, a dotted crotchet-quaver moving the music forward, and a two-quaver hand-clap on the fourth beat of every other bar. In the remixed version it was rescored to include stronger drum beats and more background percussion.
Simon May says of the piece ‘Initially I wrote something I thought would match the programme. The producers hated every aspect of it, but that made it easy, because all I had to do was the polar opposite of what I'd written before.’
Effort number two hit the spot, with the composer tapping into the cosmopolitan mix of the show's characters to write an upbeat theme to balance the gritty story lines.
‘I subliminally put in a sitar and gave it a bit of a West Indian feel,’ he reveals. ‘You won't hear that now, but it was there. Then there's the whistle at the end that encapsulates the warmth of the Cockney characters that we all meet in life.’
For more information, get in touch:
Nicola Formoy, Public Relations Manager:
nicola.formoy@prsformusic.com
02073064229 / 07539 837436
Votive Communications, Andrew Fyffe:
020 7353 9304
PRS for Music:
PRS for Music represents 70,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK. As a not-for-profit organisation it ensures creators are paid whenever their music is played, performed or reproduced; championing the importance of copyright to protect and support the UK music industry. The UK has a proud tradition of creating wonderful music that is enjoyed the world over and PRS for Music has been supporting the creators of that music since 1914.
PRS for Music provides business and community groups with easy access to over 10m songs through its music licences. In an industry worth £3.9bn PRS for Music is uniquely placed to be a voice for music and can provide data and comment for all aspects of the business: live, broadcast, sales, online, touring and music creation and up to date analysis, research and trends about the industry.
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