The Planet Skaro Incidental Music Poll: Round 1

[SiHart]

Hello!
Welcome to PS's new poll!

Over the years we've had more than a few people writing the scores for Doctor Who- some good, some bad, some excellent, some very poor indeed. Some of us are huge fans of the music we've had, some of us aren't... but I hope you'll all join in, comment and make this poll fun.

What I want to know is who is Planet Skaro's top Doctor Who composer? Will we favour Dudley and his mini-orchestra, the radiophonic goodies of Howell, Keff's drum machine, Murray's ringing bell for extra excitement? Who can say? What style best suits Who, and who provides it? You tell us!

Along the way I hope you'll share with us what you love and hate about Doctor Who incidental music and I'm seriously hoping that I'm not the only obsessive one here!

Round 1 is the Radiophonic Years 1980-86
Your Candidates are:
Peter Howell: Theme arrangement and scores for The Leisure Hive, Meglos (2-4), Warrior's Gate, Kinda, Snakedance, The Five Doctors,The Awakening, Planet of Fire and The Two Doctors.

Paddy Kingsland: Meglos (1), Full Circle, State of Decay, Logopolis, Castrovalva, The Visitation, Mawdryn Undead and Frontios

Roger Limb: Keeper of Traken, Four to Doomsday, Black Orchid, Time-Flight, Arc of Infinity, Terminus, Caves of Androzani and Revelation of the Daleks

Malcolm Clarke: Earthshock, Enlightenment, Resurrection of the Daleks, The Twin Dilemma, Attack of the Cybermen and Trial pts 9-12

Jonathan Gibbs: The Kings Demons, Warriors of the Deep, Vengeance on Varos and Mark of the Rani

Liz Parker: Timlash

Vote now and don't forget to tell us why you love the music you love!

[Dirk Gently]

I've gone for Peter Howell. Because I REALLY love the Meglos music & The Five Doctors music. I'm not really a person who can sit down & watch an episode of Doctor Who & concentrate on the music. But when I listen to my Doctor Who music CD's I recognise Meglos & 5 Doc's instantly, (usually).

[Pip Madeley]

I nearly went with Howell (I love the Leisure Hive music), but I decided to go out on a Limb instead

You love it.

[Si Hunt]

I voted for Paddy Kingsland on behalf of my beloved "Mawdryn Undead" score, and because Paddy is quite a cool name.

Looking forward to stirring up an anti-Dudley lobby in later rounds and annoying the purists.

Si.

[SiHart]

For me, this was between 2- Peter Howell and Paddy Kingsland. Both were superb giving us some of the most distinctive scores the series ever had. Peter Howell's The Five Doctors and The Leisure Hive are two of the finest scores the series had... but... in the end I had to vote for Paddy, for his hummable, electric guitar, OTT maybe scores. Just remembering how good it was hear the Full Circle, Mawdryn Undead and Logopolis scores without all that intrusive dialogue getting in the way means he gets my vote!

Si xx

[Phillip Culley]

Difficult one, as to me all the 80's Radiophonic soundtracks all blend into one.

However, I really like the Full Circle and Castrovalva ones (and Logopolis has very good bits as well), so Paddy wins.

[Andrew Curnow]

I have to go with Si on this - Paddy Kingsland's stuff is head and shoulders above the others here. Whether it's right or wrong, my preference is for music that has a bit of tune to it, so some of the moody, 'sound' stuff (eg, Revelation of the Daleks) doesn't really do it for me. The score to "Full Circle" is a very impressive debut, but for me PK's real triumphs are "Logopolis" and "Mawdryn Undead" both of which tick all the boxes in that they accompany the action, set the mood, etc, but also use themes for certain key characters and really have a genuine power to them. The little snatch in "Logopolis" that accompanies the Watcher still sends shivers up my spine to this day (even just thinking about it now) and the little 'tune' that accompanies the Brigadier in "Mawdryn Undead" is similarly emotive.

[Andrew Curnow]

Timlash

Any comment from Tim, or is he too busy being lashed?

[Dirk Gently]

Any comment from Tim, or is he too busy being lashed?

I don't know, how good looking is Liz?

[Andrew Curnow]

I've heard that people depart into her boudoir, with a scream. But that may not be true.

[Dirk Gently]

If this is her then I've seen worse.

[Larry]

I voted for Peter Howell..

[Nathan]

Malcolm Clarke.

Clarke and Howell are head and shoulders above the others, but Clarke has that slightly disturbing edge.

[Nathan]

I voted for Paddy Kingsland on behalf of my beloved "Mawdryn Undead" score..".

It's just a jazzed up Sally and Jake!

Looking forward to stirring up an anti-Dudley lobby in later rounds and annoying the purists.

They aren't purists - merely deluded

[Andrew Curnow]

Genuinely curious now - who voted for "Timelash"?

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

It's Paddy Kingsland for me.
I do like Peter Howell too but it's that distinctive Kingsland sound that does it for me - also as has been said already on here I like the melodies that he puts in.
Roger Limb is good too (at incidental music and jazz piano/double bass)!!!

[SiHart]

I'm feeling sorry for Peter Howell now. He should be doing better!

Anyway, I have to say i'm not a big fan of Roger Limb's early scores. They're just not all that memravle. I think he finally hit his stride with his last two stories though, which were highly atmospheric.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

Is Paddy Kingsland a man or a woman? I've always assumed her to be a woman, but Andrew's post above makes me wonder whether I've been entirely wrong for the past 25 years or so...

[SiHart]

He's very definitely a he, Andrew.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

Is there a "D'oh!" emoticon anywhere? It just never occurred to me, somehow, that Paddy could be a bloke.

I'm afraid to ask, but... Paddy Russell is female, isn't she?

[Nathan]

Yes.

Paddy (Kingsland the bloke) is interviewed on The Visitation DVD.

[Carol Baynes]

Kingsland for the build up to the "Full circle" cliffhangers. years since I've heard them but they go somehtinglike "Dowwndowwndowwn-downdowdowDOW!DOW!DOW! DOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssssssssssssss hhhhhhdundedumdumdedumdooodoodooooooooo(I'm onto the theme music now so I'll leave it there. )

Thanks for your time!

[Nathan]

Doesn't Meglos have its episodes done alternately by Howell and Kingsland?

[SiHart]

Part One of Meglos was scored by Kingsland while Howell was off with the flu or something. Howell recovered enough to score the rest of the episodes.

Si xx

[Milky Tears]

Howell and Limb were great, but Paddy Is The Daddy!