0bvious things you’ve only just realised (2019 edition)

[paruses]

Mothercare shops (or stores as shops in the UK now seem to be called) still exist (depending on how long it takes me to press post).

Thought they went about the same time as Woolies

[Ferris]

The theme music for the radio versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an actual song by the Eagles. I thought it was specially-crafted ludicrous BBC space banjo music.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wZdZKolMIl0

20 years of nerdery and I never realized. For shame.

[Darles Chickens]

Loads of Beeb shows back in those days just used actual commercial music (presumably an option due to the unique way the BBC is funded!)

As a kid, I never realised any of these were just actual songs:

Wildtrack: something or other from Midnight Cowboy
The Really Wild Show: Tony Sherman - ELLOVEE-EE
Take Two: Shakatak - Livin' in the U.K.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Loads of Beeb shows back in those days just used actual commercial music (presumably an option due to the unique way the BBC is funded!)

The Beeb have/had a blanket deal for a lot of music. There's a bit where Brooker illustrates it in (I think) Screenwipe, where he plays something off of Sgt Pepper, and pulls the album cover out of a brown envelope, which had to be pixellated because they'd not paid for the image rights.

[Replies From View]

The Beeb have/had a blanket deal for a lot of music. There's a bit where Brooker illustrates it in (I think) Screenwipe, where he plays something off of Sgt Pepper, and pulls the album cover out of a brown envelope, which had to be pixellated because they'd not paid for the image rights.

The image rights for a brown envelope?

[Bennett Brauer]

The theme music for the radio versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an actual song by the Eagles. I thought it was specially-crafted ludicrous BBC space banjo music.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wZdZKolMIl0

20 years of nerdery and I never realized. For shame.

RIP Oscillations.  https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,65433.msg3401246.html#msg3401246

[Replies From View]

The later radio series used a cover of the Eagles song rather than the original, and if I'm not mistaken all the newest releases of the Primary and Secondary Phases now use the cover as well.  Which I think is a great shame, as the Eagles original was always a crucial part of the fabric of those series for me.

The LP re-recording and the TV series use cover versions too, though I'm not sure whether they are all different recordings or the same one.

[olliebean]

The later radio series used a cover of the Eagles song rather than the original, and if I'm not mistaken all the newest releases of the Primary and Secondary Phases now use the cover as well.  Which I think is a great shame, as the Eagles original was always a crucial part of the fabric of those series for me.

This is because the BBC's blanket deal only covers broadcast music. They had to cut the line about Marvin humming like Pink Floyd from the CD releases too, for the same reason.

[Replies From View]

This is because the BBC's blanket deal only covers broadcast music. They had to cut the line about Marvin humming like Pink Floyd from the CD releases too, for the same reason.

The original Eagles version is on all the original CD releases of Hitchhiker's though.  It's only since the 'special editions' of 2008 that you get the cover version of the theme applied to the earlier 'phases' to match them up with the later radio series, and this was so that they'd be suitable for a worldwide release.  Part of the reason these sound 'off' is that John Marsh also had to re-record his announcements.

This is from the wikipedia page:

Special editions

Special editions of the Primary and Secondary Phases were released in November 2008. These have, according to the BBC, been given "a thorough clean-up and remaster" by Dirk Maggs. This includes using the new Philip Pope signature tune, so the material can be released worldwide, which has required John Marsh to re-record his announcements so they could be mixed in. Cleaning up the recordings aims to reduce the hiss produced by the overdubbing in the original and also re-levelling the episodes to produce a greater clarity in the sound.

According to the inlay which comes with the Special Edition, all previous CD editions of the Primary & Secondary Phases played back slightly fast due to capstan wear on the mastering tape machine, with the result that the audio was pitch-shifted up by half a semitone. That was corrected for the special editions and has the effect of making the episodes nearly a minute longer.

[Ambient Sheep]

Great, so one of the most famous radio series in history, yet there's no official version that plays at both the correct speed AND has the original music on it.

It's enough to make you wonder if you're on the right planet.

[petril]

think that's absolutely perfect for ver 'Guide, though

[touchingcloth]

This is like when the Peep Show theme changed and altered the whole tone of the thing.

[Replies From View]

This is like when the Peep Show theme changed and altered the whole tone of the thing.

I'd say the decision to replace all the practical effects with CGI may have had more of an impact!!!!

[touchingcloth]

I'd say the decision to replace all the practical effects with CGI may have had more of an impact!!!!

Yes, it was very distracting when they replaced the Big Suze actor with animatronics halfway through series 2.

[Replies From View]

Yes, it was very distracting when they replaced the Big Suze actor with animatronics halfway through series 2.

I thought the animatronics version was wonderful.  But the test audiences complained that it looked "too 1980s" so it was covered over with cheap CGI.  :(

[NJ Uncut]

I much prefer the original version of Big Suze that was entirely practical effects. Some of that puppetry was dazzling, and clever lighting amongst other smoke and mirrors really brought "her" to life.

[Replies From View]

I much prefer the original version of Big Suze that was entirely practical effects. Some of that puppetry was dazzling, and clever lighting amongst other smoke and mirrors really brought "her" to life.

I completely agree.

[studpuppet]

Loads of Beeb shows back in those days just used actual commercial music (presumably an option due to the unique way the BBC is funded!)

As a kid, I never realised any of these were just actual songs:

Wildtrack: something or other from Midnight Cowboy
The Really Wild Show: Tony Sherman - ELLOVEE-EE
Take Two: Shakatak - Livin' in the U.K.

Likewise a 70s drama series about young gymnasts called Out Of Bounds, which had a bouncy, trampoline-y sounding theme that went 'BOW-BOW, TSCH-TSCH TSCH-TSCH'

[Ferris]

That girl in the shit office I worked in back in 2011 that kept trying to talk to me about Fifty Shades of Grey was trying to flirt with me.

Might have missed the boat on that one.

[NJ Uncut]

That girl in the shit office I worked in back in 2011 that kept trying to talk to me about Fifty Shades of Grey was trying to flirt with me.

Might have missed the boat on that one.

You could have had a film night date, stuck on Secretary and... Well, it's mind blowing if you like that Fifty Shades crap.

[imitationleather]

That girl in the shit office I worked in back in 2011 that kept trying to talk to me about Fifty Shades of Grey was trying to flirt with me.

Might have missed the boat on that one.

A girl tried to talk to me about Fifty Shades of Grey once. Was she trying to flirt with me? Ooh, I hope so. She was pretty!

[Ferris]

You could have had a film night date, stuck on Secretary and... Well, it's mind blowing if you like that Fifty Shades crap.

Alas that I've left that job, worked 2 more since, forgotten her name, moved to a different continent, got married and had a child. Could have been quids in for mediocre bondage sex or whatever the book is about.

[NJ Uncut]

Alas that I've left that job, worked 2 more since, forgotten her name, moved to a different continent, got married and had a child.

Good points one and all. Ah, but are you truly over her??

Could have been quids in for mediocre bondage sex or whatever the book is about.

Yes, basically. Yes you are!

[NJ Uncut]

I'm either still too weak to post here taking everything on the fucking chin every day while I exhaust myself fighting ethical fights, or too many people genuinely don't have sympathy for my sense of humour, me as a person and my battle through universal credit to find work. Again, those who care which is the majority but can't stop the minority, THANK YOU.

Bye, off to... I dunno at this point, I just don't, I've been insulted for everything, I hate it making me angry, I'm probably better keeping everything private. I'm always happier when I'm not on CaB, three times is enough to find out.

[madhair60]

There goes the greatest son of a bitch Cookdandbombd will ever see.

[Twed]

I'm either still too weak to post here taking everything on the fucking chin every day while I exhaust myself fighting ethical fights, or too many people genuinely don't have sympathy for my sense of humour, me as a person and my battle through universal credit to find work. Again, those who care which is the majority but can't stop the minority, THANK YOU.

Bye, off to... I dunno at this point, I just don't, I've been insulted for everything, I hate it making me angry, I'm probably better keeping everything private. I'm always happier when I'm not on CaB, three times is enough to find out.

lol don't be a tit, just stay instead of going

[chveik]

jamais deux sans trois

[Icehaven]

Lived in this flat since February and since day one the doorstop for the kitchen door has been a bit shit and not worked very well, kept meaning to get a new one but forgetting. Anyway tonight Mr. Haven turned it upside down and it works perfectly.10 months.

[Twed]

You should check it's not your doors that are upside down.

[touchingcloth]

Check that it's not you and Mr Haven that are upside down.