Space: 1999 – but what about the music for this scifi TV series? (video).

Space:1999 has gained a devoted following as a classic piece of science fiction television, not least due to its compelling soundtrack. Barry Gray lent his unique musical sensibility to the score of the show’s first year, while the second year featured the distinct composition of Derek Wadsworth.

This video invites you on a journey behind the scenes of this beloved Gerry Anderson creation, unveiling the innovative techniques and unforeseen complications that went into crafting its iconic score. Barry Gray, a long-standing collaborator with Anderson, created an enthralling fanfare for the opening credits of the first series of “Space:1999″.

This contribution marked his last musical composition for an Anderson production. Gray graced five episodes —”Breakaway”, “Matter of Life and Death”, “Black Sun”, “Another Time, Another Place”, and “The Full Circle” — with his unique scoring. Vic Elmes stepped in to give “Ring Around the Moon” an entirely electronic score, while “The Troubled Spirit” was enriched by Big Jim Sullivan’s one-off sitar composition. To supplement Gray’s five scores, library music, classical pieces, and score extracts from past Anderson productions were used, contributing to a rich and diverse musical panorama.

When the second series of the show rolled around, jazz musician and composer Derek Wadsworth was called upon to create the score. American producer Fred Freiberger, seeking a more intense and impactful soundtrack to suit the revamped action-adventure format, appreciated Wadsworth’s approach.

In addition to a more synthesised theme than the one used in Year One, Wadsworth also composed original scores for episodes including “The Metamorph”, “The Exiles”, “One Moment of Humanity”, “The Taybor”, and “Space Warp”. Many of these pieces found their way into other episodes, creating a distinctive auditory backdrop for the series.