Simon May faces the glare of the Spotlight

When Simon May was commissioned to create a theme tune for a new BBC soap opera set in the East End of London, little did he know the music he composed would still be playing into viewers’ living rooms more than 25 years later! In the latest addition to our Spotlight series, Simon talks to Ellie about those iconic "doof doof"s, his favourite Julia’s theme ending, and more...

Who originally approached you with the idea of composing the theme music for this new BBC soap opera? Did they have a brief outline of what they wanted?

I worked for Tony Holland (co-creator of EastEnders) who was script editor on another BBC Drama Series (Cold Warrior starring Michael Denison). Happily for me, he liked my music and invited me to meet him and Julia Smith (the Executive Producer) when the show was in its early pre-production stages.

Their first brief was very general like "You’ve seen pics of the cast, you’ve seen the miniature set designed by Keith Harris, go off and write something." After my first disastrous pitch, which they rejected, they then said "It’s got to be more ear-catching; something to bring viewers in from the garden or kitchen, and more colourful." So I tried to write something more tuneful with a Cockney whistle and ethnic sounds like steel drums and sitar to show the diversity of everyone living in Albert Square.

Can you tell us more about the composition of the theme tune? What effects/instruments are used to achieve the title music we all know and love?

Piano, bass, drums, various keyboard samples, real strings…the whistle is partly synthetic/partly human.

The doof doofs you hear at the end of each episode are almost as iconic as the show itself. Where did the idea for those come from?

Every time I write a TV theme, I always compose the long 3-minute version first, because that gives freedom to experiment and take risks. The full length commercial recording of EastEnders was written in 3 sections: The Opening Titles, then a fun development section (Cockney piano feel), then the last End Titles which returns to the Main Theme section.

I always knew that there would have to be a dramatic drum fill to segue from the Cockney ’feel’ and take us back to section 3. If you think about it the (now called) "doof doof" is a rhythmic reflection of the last triplet pay-off line of the EastEnders theme, which is why I think the drum distraction is compatible and works.

It was only when we were mixing, that we tried taciting the whole track except for the simmons drum fill into the End Titles section and realized that this could be an exciting start to the end of the programme. We offered this mix to Julia and Tony and they loved it for the End Titles. Thank you, Graham, for performing it so stunningly.

It’s quite an achievement to be responsible for a theme tune that has aired in millions of viewers’ homes for over 25 years. Did you have any idea how iconic the music would become?

When I was writing it I knew it felt special, because I got goose bumps and a surge going up to my heart! But "iconic"? It’s kind of you to use that word but there’s loads of other more substantial music that are more deserving of that description.

Did the longevity and success of EastEnders itself surprise you?

If you want to make God have a laugh, tell him your plans for the next 25 years. I never dreamt for a moment that EastEnders would be so successful until its first screening.

Can you tell us a bit about Julia’s Theme and where the idea came from? Do you have any favourite moments when it was used?

It’s funny you ask that, because on our website, www.simonmay.co.uk, we get more positive comments from EastEnders fans about Julia’s Theme than anything else. I always love to write variations on every theme I/we write and Julia’s Theme was my way of thanking the late and dear Julia Smith for having faith in me and giving me a second chance.

The best ever usage for me was Michelle and Den under the canal bridge. Wow!

We have to mention the unsuccessful jazz version of the theme tune from the mid 1990s. Why do you feel that version of the theme tune proved unpopular? Perhaps it strayed too much from the original theme?

No we don’t [have to mention it]! Ok well, I guess it’s one of those "If it aint broke…" scenarios.

Were you surprised when the idea originally came up to release a version with lyrics sung by Anita Dobson who played Angie Watts?

Not really because it was more or less my idea! At the time, I received literally hundreds of inspirational letters from viewers and lyricists suggesting that we put vocals to the tune.

A very commercial idea, but to be honest the theme isn’t really an ideal top line for a song. So, a big thank you and well done, Don Black, who also wrote the ’Always There’ lyric for my Howard’s Way theme.

I was also co-responsible for the Sharon Benson ’I’ll Always Believe In You’ cut and also produced the EastEnders Hymn ’Glory Be To God On High’ performed by over 200 choristers! Such good fun!

Last year, the show approached you about updating the theme. How long did it take you to come up with the end result and what exactly was changed?

I always work with my two other music-on-screen writers, Simon Lockyer and John Brant, and when Executive Producer Diederick Santer approached me with the request to update the theme our mission from Diederick was "Evolution not revolution". Sounds a bit pretentious but it’s a bit like restoring an old oil painting, or to give it another visual analogy; to give the theme a high definition upgrade.

Actually, it took ages. Simon and John painstakingly transferred the analogue tracks into a new digital software programme, which meant they had to ’sync’ everything manually to the new Logic version. This gave us the freedom to explore new sounds and add new colours in an albeit subtle way without changing the exact original interpretation and feel. Some viewers might think "It hasn’t changed much" but to the discerning ear there is a difference!

You mentioned around the time of the anniversary that you don’t like continuity announcers speaking over the theme tune. Do you feel this damages the integrity of the music?

Thank you so much for asking this question! It’s like you are in a restaurant and just as you are finishing the last mouthful of your main course the waiter comes up, snatches your plate away and thrusts the desert menu in your face. When you have just finished watching your favourite programme and are digesting it and chatting about it to someone else, do you really need presentation yakking on about the next programme because they are running scared you are going to hit your remote button and go to the adverts on ITV?

Come on, Beeb. Have faith in your unique identity and branding. And you guys who are reading this, please phone them every time presentation squashes the credits and disses the music by talking over it! Please tell them what you feel if you agree with me! Thanks for letting me get that one off my chest!

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Simon!