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Post by edhipkiss on Dec 14, 2013 20:33:10 GMT
I'm interested in whether David Holman or Graham Strong have ever been interviewed about their off-air recordings of missing episodes and their subsequent use on audio CDs (and to patch up duff soundtracks on surviving episodes). Does anyone know if they have?
Whenever a missing episode is recovered there is (quite rightly) much coverage about who found them and how, and often a brief or lengthy interview about the find. However I cannot recall ever seeing anything from these guys, other than the bare facts of which episodes they recorded and (in Graham Strong's case) how. Certainly I've read DWM religiously since 1993 and I cannot recall a feature on either on these wonderful gents, without whom we wouldn't even be able to hear many of the missing episodes. I'd love to know how they knew they were sat on something so valuable (were they still fans, or had they forgotten about Who) and how they managed to get the BBC interested. I can remember complaints about the audio tapes issued in the early 90s and how there were allegedly better quality sound copies traded amongst fans, so clearly at some point someone at the BBC listened.
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Post by Philip C Huish on Dec 14, 2013 20:39:28 GMT
I remember seeing a special feature on one of the hartnell or troughton DVDs (sorry, I can't remember which it was) about the off air recordings. I'm pretty sure they were included.
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Post by James Mcgrath on Dec 14, 2013 20:43:52 GMT
That was a feature called 'Love off Air' on The Invasion DVD.
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Post by Richard Tipple on Dec 14, 2013 21:04:31 GMT
Are they both based in England? Didn't some of the offair audio come from further afield?
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Post by edhipkiss on Dec 14, 2013 21:30:23 GMT
That was a feature called 'Love off Air' on The Invasion DVD. Thanks James - I'll dig that out later! |
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Post by Richard Bignell on Dec 14, 2013 21:55:52 GMT
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Post by jcoleman on Dec 15, 2013 0:09:49 GMT
You might also like to check out the old Change of Identity/Disused Yeti newsletters online. Issue 6 includes an interview with Graham Strong. Issue 10 includes an interview with David Holman and David Butler. |
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Post by edhipkiss on Dec 15, 2013 0:42:08 GMT
If that was the one that was shown the day after the Enemy / Web announcement I saw that. However I obviously wasn't paying attention as I hadn't realised it was Graham! Will give it another viewing - thanks for the link Richard. |
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Post by brianfretwell on Dec 15, 2013 11:59:45 GMT
It looks like he had the same microphone that came with my '60's tape recorder, a crystal type that wouldn't have picked up the hum and buzzes from the TV scan ccts that a moving coil one would. Thank goodness for that or there would have been even more problems de-noising them. |
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Post by Hugh Pearson on Dec 15, 2013 12:14:15 GMT
For more details about the fans & their recordings of DW audio of the missing episodes (and other stories), get a copy of Nothing at the End of the Lane - Issue #1 (July 1999) and read the article “Audio Dramas” by Bruce Robinson. see - www.endofthelane.co.uk/omnibus.html |
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Post by edhipkiss on Dec 15, 2013 13:10:21 GMT
For more details about the fans & their recordings of DW audio of the missing episodes (and other stories), get a copy of Nothing at the End of the Lane - Issue #1 (July 1999) and read the article “Audio Dramas” by Bruce Robinson. see - www.endofthelane.co.uk/omnibus.htmlI bought the original issues actually! I'll have to dig them out over Christmas. Unfortunately most of my magazines are still in boxes since the house move. |
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Post by Hugh Pearson on Dec 15, 2013 23:40:40 GMT
A correction to some of the information provided in 'Change of Identity' - Issue 6 was made in Issue 7: "AUDIO ARTICLE CORRECTIONS Last issue, a short article was published on the Doctor Who audios. Unfortunately, a couple of errors crept in - apologies to Graham Strong. Firstly, Graham's audio recordings were only passed on to the BBC in 1994. They have never been used for any of the official audio releases. The BBC used copies provided by James Russell and Richard Landen. Secondly, Graham points out that the reason he doesn't have copies of the audios pre-Master Plan is simply because he wiped all his old tapes for re-use. So these stories were definitely recorded by Graham, it's just that the copies no longer exist." More info for Richard Landen - Disused Yeti - Issue 15 |
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Post by Stephen Cranford on Dec 16, 2013 6:55:27 GMT
I am a friend of Graham Strong and "discovered" his recordings in the early 90s and was instrumental in getting them handed in. To clarify a few points, he kept a few odd episodes from Keys on Marinus onwards, but wiped most of them. He started and retained his proper line (non microphone) recordings from masterplan 8 onwards, and only missed a few (masterplan 11) . There were other serials he recorded but then wiped because he didn't like the story (Celestial Toymaker and Gunfighters) and the last serial he recorded was the Dominators. (having recorded all of the Evil repeat so we have both part 1s)
He used to record the opening and closing theme episode until the occasion where one of the tapes ran out missing the end (Tenth Planet 4), thankfully just at the point the Blue Peter excerpt started! From Power 1 onwards he chopped of the closing music.
His recordings have been released on CD - i think most of the commercial releases use his as a master as they are so clear!
I have repeatedly told him how amazing it was that he did what he did - and how much I appreciate them! In my view I would rather have all of his recordings than any 16mm film print.
He lives in West Sussex, but he lived in Devon in the 60s when they were recorded. His season 5 recordings were from an early version of cable tv (reduffusion) which is why they are so clear. His soundtracks have been used to patch or even replace the soundtrack of surviving eps, Web 5 and 6 for example are Phil Morris's pictures and Graham Strong's audio!
Another interesting fact: He moved to Sussex in the 1980s and he tells me he *nearly* binned all his old tapes. Phew!
And if you're interested, he does still watch Dr Who, but his favourite era is still the 60s!
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Post by edhipkiss on Dec 16, 2013 7:42:21 GMT
Wow! Thank you for taking the time to write all of that Stephen and for recognising the rarity and quality of Graham's recordings. I'm sure I speak for everyone on these boards when I say thanks for all the enjoyment these recordings have given me over the years - enabling me to hear Doctor Who stories that were recorded before I was born and which (sadly), in most cases, I may never get to see. Also lovely to know he lived down my way when he recorded all the shows  |
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Post by Rob Moss on Dec 16, 2013 10:15:35 GMT
Another interesting fact: He moved to Sussex in the 1980s and he tells me he *nearly* binned all his old tapes. Phew! That's quite horrifying! |
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