"EastEnders" Song from the album Simon's Way; New Vintage: The Best of Simon May Genre Theme tune Composer Simon May and Leslie Osborne "EastEnders theme" Beginning of the theme. Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The EastEnders theme tune was composed by Simon May in 1984. He was assisted by Leslie Osborne.

The theme is largely based upon percussion, strings and the piano, it is widely known for its dramatic use of sound, particularly the drums that begin at the end of an episode — increasing in tempo — which adds a sense of importance, suspense and drama to the cliff-hanger. This in itself, has been parodied and used by television shows since, such as in a Friends spoof that featured on SMTV Live.

The theme has become widely recognised. A 2008 poll by the Performing Right Society cited it as the most recognisable piece of music in the UK, beating the national anthem "God Save the Queen".^[1]

The theme tune was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award in 1985 for Best TV Theme^[2] and in 1987 it won the Television and Radio Industries Club Award for Best TV Theme Music.^[3]

Contents 1 Inception 2 Remixes and remakes 3 Julia's theme 3.1 Events where Julia's theme has been used 4 Alternative endings 5 Legacy 6 References

[edit] Inception

The co-creator of EastEnders, Tony Holland, had been impressed with composer Simon May and graphic-designer Alan Jeapes for their work on the titles and music for the spy thriller Cold Warrior. May's initial proposal was rejected, but he shortly offered an attempt that conveyed everything about the East-end that the producers wanted; "bells, whistles, hand-claps, sitars, steel-drums and an underlying feel of being on a merry-go round."^[4]

All of the chords used in the piece of music are diatonic, with no chromatic alterations; it has been said that this "adds to the directness of the music".^[5] 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.^[5]

[edit] Remixes and remakes

Due to its popularity, the tune was turned into a song, titled "Anyone Can Fall in Love". The lyrics were created by Don Black, and it was recorded in 1986 by EastEnders cast member Anita Dobson who portrayed Angie Watts in the show, and produced by her husband, Queen guitarist Brian May. It reached number four in the charts, and Dobson appeared on Top of the Pops. In 1988, the tune was transformed again, this time becoming a hymn called "Glory Be", which was performed on the BBC's Songs of Praise.

In 1993, Simon May was asked to produce a jazzed up version of the EastEnders theme, which spawned yet another vocal version (Sharon Benson's "I'll Always Believe in You").^[6] The new theme tune proved somewhat unpopular with the viewers and was replaced with the original theme. Many of the synthesized sounds which always proved popular in music and on TV in the 1980s were taken out to fit in with the acoustic sound that became popular again in the 1990s. This was only 11 months later, from 11 April 1994. From 7 September 2009, the theme tune was rescored by May to include stronger drum beats and more background percussion.^[7]

The theme has also been remixed into a much slower and less dramatic version for use with EastEnders Revealed and a rock version for use with EastEnders Xtra. Subsequent spin-offs, Ricky & Bianca and EastEnders: Slaters in Detention, have used the softer guitar version. The 2010 Internet spin-off, EastEnders: E20, will feature a new remix of the theme tune, which was chosen by the show's producer, Deborah Sathe, executive producer, Diederick Santer, Simon May, director Michael Keillor and BBC Radio 1Xtra's DJ Ace from entries in a competition launched on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show.^[8] The winner was announced on 4 December 2009 as Carl Darling.^[9]

DJ Osymyso—known for remixing popular culture—produced a mashed-up version of the theme, which turned the infamous fight between Peggy Mitchell and Pat Butcher into a breakbeat dance track. The theme was part of a routine by stand-up comic Bill Bailey during his Bewilderness shows. Bailey describes how depressing he finds the theme and imagines lyrics he feels are fitting: "Everyone is going to die/We're all gonna die/In a variety of different ways". He then proceeds to supply an alternative version of the theme which he feels is more appropriate, embodying the multicultural nature of the East End of London by using Eastern modes, sitar and tabla. The theme has also been remixed by the somewhat famous remix group encompassing Jason Dunne, Leo Corcoran, and, although added to the group after this remix was compiled, Nathan Sweeney. This remix alternates between the theme tune and the song "Wake Up" by Rage Against the Machine. In 2009, American alternative metal band Faith No More performed the theme tune at the Reading Festival.^[10]

[edit] Julia's theme

	"Julia's theme" "Julia's theme", an occasionally used introduction to the main theme.
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"Julia's theme" refers to an alternative version of the usual theme, which was named after one of the show's creators, Julia Smith. It has now been used in place of the regular theme 37 times (as of 27 August 2009) and on average every 103.7 episodes.

The full version of the theme was included on the compilation album Simon's Way.

This theme sees a change from the drums that are usually featured instantly at the end. Julia's theme ends an episode with a slow buildup played on piano, usually after the departure of a character or a particularly emotional event. Simon May's 1984 memo to the producers giving a breakdown of the various versions of the theme he had prepared refers to this as the "romantic pre-empt".^[4]

[edit] Events where Julia's theme has been used

No	Date	Circumstances
1	11 April 1985	Ian Beale was seen crying into the arms of his grandmother Lou after a heart-to-heart, because Ian's father Pete disapproved of Ian becoming a chef.
2	20 June 1985	Sue Osman tells her husband Ali that she has a lump in her throat and can't cry for her recently deceased baby, Hassan.
3	1 August 1985	In order to make a despondent Sue Osman acknowledge her grief, Dr. Legg forced her to hold baby Annie. As she comforted the crying baby, she broke down in tears.
4	3 October 1985	Michelle Fowler had met Den Watts at the canal to tell him that she was pregnant with his baby.
5	2 January 1986	Pauline Fowler has a heart-to-heart with her son Mark on Southend beach.
6	6 February 1986	Lofty Holloway asked a pregnant Michelle Fowler to marry him.
7	8 April 1986	Michelle Fowler agrees to marry Lofty Holloway.
8	17 April 1986	Whilst alone in the bar at the Queen Vic, Lofty and Michelle shared a kiss before she left.
9	22 July 1986	Sue Osman told Michelle Fowler that she had a phantom pregnancy.
10	23 September 1986	On the night before Michelle Fowler's wedding to Lofty Holloway, the father of her child, Den Watts, said "Good luck, good health and everything you've ever wished yourself".
11	2 July 1987	Dot Cotton and Ethel Skinner reminisced about life in the war in a two-hander episode.
12	20 August 1987	Magda Czajkowski asked Simon Wicks to move in with her.
13	20 August 1992	Arthur Fowler reluctantly turned down Christine Hewitt's advances, but he kissed her passionately before he left.
14	25 December 1992	Mark Fowler rescued Mandy Salter from her mother's abusive boyfriend and took her back to Walford, where they hugged under the Christmas tree in Albert Square.
15	18 February 1993	Pauline Fowler and Pat Butcher had a heart-to-heart after Pat ran over and killed a girl.
16	22 June 1995	Nigel Bates told his stepdaughter Clare that her mother Debbie had died in a hit-and-run accident.
17	20 June 1996	Arthur Fowler's funeral.
18	17 October 1996	Cindy Beale ran away with her sons Steven and Peter to start a new life in France.
19	10 April 1998	Kathy Beale left Walford with her son Ben to start a new life in South Africa.
20	30 April 1998	Nigel Bates, Clare Tyler, Julie Haye and Josh Saunders left Walford for a new life in Scotland.
21	4 February 1999	Grant, Peggy and Courtney Mitchell scattered Tiffany's ashes at Peacehaven.
22	10 September 1999	Bianca Butcher left Walford with her son Liam to start a new life in Manchester.
23	28 November 2000	Sonia Jackson broke down after giving Chloe up for adoption.
24	21 December 2001	Jim Branning proposed to Dot Cotton on the London Eye.
25	1 February 2002	Peggy Mitchell said farewell to Frank Butcher in Spain.
26	6 May 2002	Sonia Jackson and Jamie Mitchell decided to end their relationship.
27	21 June 2002	Anthony Trueman proposed to Zoe Slater.
28	16 August 2002	Little Mo returns from prison.
29	14 February 2003	Mark Fowler left Walford to end his days travelling the world.
30	14 November 2003	Alfie Moon interrupted the wedding of Andy Hunter and Kat Slater to declare his love for Kat. Alfie and Kat decided to get together, and Kat jilted Andy.
31	24 June 2005	Zoe Slater left Walford to start a new life in Ibiza.
32	9 December 2005	Pat Evans, Jake Moon and Stacey Slater returned to Walford after an emotionally-charged week involving Frank Butcher's return for Janine's murder trial, Chrissie Watts admitting to the murder of Den, and Jean Slater's attempted suicide, all outside Walford.
33	16 December 2005	Nana Moon died in Alfie's arms.
34	9 June 2006	Grant and Courtney Mitchell left Walford to start a new life in Portugal.
35	2 February 2007	Martin and Sonia Fowler left Walford with their daughter Rebecca to start a new life in Manchester.
36	1 April 2008	Frank Butcher's funeral.
37	27 August 2009	Garry Hobbs and Dawn Swann leaving together on a boat.

[edit] Alternative endings

Occasionally, singular episodes of EastEnders have used a different theme tune for the closing credits.

Date	Circumstances
8 May 1995	The square celebrated VE Day. The theme tune was replaced with a wartime waltz.
31 December 1999	When Mel Beale left her husband Ian on the strike of midnight on millennium eve, the regular closing drum beats were replaced by the tune of Auld Lang Syne.
7 September 2000	The song "Guilty" was used over the end credits instead of the programme's usual title music to signify the final appearance of character Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) who had persauded her friend Dot Cotton (June Brown) to help her die.[11]
23 November 2000	When Ian Beale was declared bankrupt, a sinister piano theme preceded the drums as Ian was driven round the Square, looking at his former business empire.
31 January 2008	This single hander episode featuring Dot Branning used the song "Pretty Baby" over the closing credits.

[edit] Legacy

It is recognised as an iconic piece of music, largely establishing itself based upon shocking and surprising cliff-hangers that have featured dominantly throughout the years. A 2000 UK poll named it as the sixth most popular TV theme of all time.^[12] In a 2008 poll by the Performing Right Society, the EastEnders theme was the most recognisable piece of music in the UK, beating the national anthem "God Save the Queen" as well as the theme tunes for Match of the Day and Coronation Street. Composer Simon May commented: "When EastEnders first appeared in 1985 it was such a great buzz walking down the street or being in a supermarket hearing people whistling or humming the theme. I've been amazingly lucky that thanks to the huge success of the show the theme is still popular and in the national psyche."^[1][13]

[edit] References

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