Perhaps Bernie will let the Beeb put some earlier stuff (early to mid 80s etc) up on their website?

Seems like "The Chain" debate has spread over to Roger's blog:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/20...html#comment112

112. At 4:59pm on 12 Jan 2009, Roger Mosey - Director of BBC Sport wrote:

I'm keeping out of The Chain debate for now. All will be revealed in the coming weeks..

Lol, half the board here seems to give verdicts without explanations.

I dont know, commentating and wether someone likes it or not seems very personal. I just dont like Brundle. I think his grid walks are annoying and embarrassing. I think his co-ships with Allen was self-righteous and arrogant. I think hes rather full of himself. I also think being DC's manager he is bound to give coloured views on DC and/or Mclaren. Wich is also being widely discussed. He displays an intelligence similar to his driving: occasionally bright but on the whole pretty average. Maybe thats what appeals Joe Bloke. Together with Onslow Blundell

Hawkeye might have helped us to see exactly how badly treated Seabass was last year after Massa collided with him...

sometime I wish I could do that with my students

A bit of news from jb:

*Press conference will be next month announcing plans for the coverage (red button confirminations etc...)
*The Chain = No Debate; It is being used.
*The format in your EPG listings will appear as 'F1 Grand Prix: Australia'...and so on.
*All BBC Sport graphics will be allowed to use the official F1 logo.

great news if that bit about The Chain is true (sorry but it has to be said that every sport on the BBC has its own iconic theme tune,The Chain is F1's

any chance you can elaborate on the EPG listings bit,as not really understanding that means it sounds confusing to me

Do you have Sky or Virgin Media?

Say for instance when you press "TV Guide" button on you're remote control you look for a certain programme. The programme name will come up as "F1 Grand Prix: Australia" compared to "F1: Australian Grand Prix Live" when it was on ITV last year.

REVOLUTIONARY!

That's good news regarding the Chain, obviously the only choice they could have considered to keep the tradition running. Otherwise, I find it interesting how they are only announcing this next month and haven't done so sooner - I wonder if they are changing their mind on the BBCi functions, like the onboard feed, live timing feed etc mentioned earlier in this thread. I only hope that they decide to keep it as otherwise we will be missing out on some interesting stuff.

My guess is that it's support content that's pushing back the announcement and stuff.....

I just hope we get all the features you presented to us earlier. I don't care about the website, I barely touched the ITV one because my practice feeds kept breaking halfway through, but I am really hoping the onboard feeds gets through. I would definitely watch that, probably on two seperate screens side to side. What fun!

While it's the most meaningless part of the broadcast, that song is a dirge: would it have killed them to use a song with even a tiny bit of excitement in it?

You realise they use the part AFTER the vocals don't you? It's like a completely different tune...

Excitement, I hope your being sarcastic.

since when were songs meant to have excitement in them?

Since it's being used to promote the excitement of the sport it is leading into - using The Chain to promote F1 says: "ho hum, here's ... something or other, maybe a sport I think, but I'm off for a nap."

Since they played it at SPOTY to introduce Hamilton I have a feeling they're bringing it back.

The actual "song" part of The Chain is about as exciting as dishwater, agreed - but that's not what we're talking about. The "outro" that they use for the intro is for me about as exciting as a tune can get - probably because of my Pavlovian association of it with F1. Bring it on.

I know what bit of the song was used, but I fail to see how anyone other than the old fellows could get excited by it: as you state, it's a Pavlovian response from back in the day, but you're going to watch it anyway, and the BBC want to bring in a new generation of viewers who would all think 'what's that dreary noise?'

With an endless selection of brilliant bands that have come along since then, why should the BBC keep giving royalties to Fleetwood bloody Mac? Hell, anyone from Muse to Foals would be an exponential improvement.

It's the perfect tune, the suspenseful bass line, the surging drums and finally the wild guitar tie in perfectly with the feelings you get waiting for the starting light sequence to complete. There's no need to try to improve on a classic, and when people do we invariable end up with something along the lines of "Lift me up! Higher and higher!" - ugh! *disgusted shiver*

The only possible replacement would be Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)

As much as I love The Chain there is something a bit off-putting about picking music from the Seventies, its my favourite era for music but I mean what's the point ? They came up with that music at the time by choosing it from the current genre, I think they should do the same. They want an all modern presentation if they want to improve the show. They only way to help them with the debate over which song though is to write a new one but not a load of crap like the ITV came up with.

As much as I like Muse, when they're used for MotoGP it just sounds akward...

The Chain works, if it aint broke....

I'm with Orin, I see what you're saying Jackman but I guess it boils down to that most pointless of arguments: musical taste. There's no right or wrong, except that I'm right.

Definition of middle age - I'm an old fellow in RC and a young man in TNF. :\

The BBC should ask to see the short season review videos FOM put together for GP2: they have some of the best racing / music combinations I've ever seen. And I've seen my fair share.

If they are going to change it, they need something that is better than the Chain. If they pick something just because it is modern and it doesn't work as well, then why bother changing it at all?

The Chain is iconic and if you have an iconic brand then why not reap its benefits?

the Chain. Replace it with Highway to Hell and be done with it.

The only problem with that is that no one under 40 has heard it.

Er, it was last used in the 1996 season, 13 years ago, so I think quite a few under 40s have heard it.

I'm 21, I have that song, I know lot's of people who've heard it. Everyone I know associates F1 with it.

Exactly. It's reached the point where more people know it as "That F1 tune" than by its real name!

Anyone familiar with Formula One pre-1997 will have heard it.

And don't forget that BBC's signature Grand Prix music, is in fact not really 'The Chain' at all, just a proggy bass guitar interlude that, by Fleetwood Mac's own admission, couldn't be properly worked into any of their songs. Like the groundbreaking German/Italian national anthem medley, it's far more associated with Formula One than its original context.

Given the choice I'd definitely pick Big Black's 'Kerosene', however.

I say keep The Chain as the intro music. I think trying to attract a new audience with a newer song is a silly idea. You arent going to get many new Formula 1 fans just because of an intro song. They have to be interested in Formula 1 in the first place. If they dont like The Chain but like the Grand Prix then they're still gonna watch. If a newer more recognisable song is chosen, the chances are people have already heard it and aren't gonna tune in to f1 on the BBC just to hear it again.

im 22,and have heard it

agree 100%,theyre hardly going to put bbc1 on to hear the theme tune and then think 'nah,dont like it,i'll watch something else because this theme tune isnt very good' because they wouldnt even put it on that channel at that time unless they were already interested in F1.

Hearing it on a link from this BB to youtube hardly counts. But anyway, as I said before it's hardly the most important argument given that it's about a sting before a broadcast. Besides, motorsport fans are hardly known for their musical taste, as has been proven on this thread

Speak for yourself!
I'm still under 40, wife still under 30 and she's looking forward to the Chain's return. Most of those too young to remember it will likely be watching with Dad, who will be playing air guitar.

Well at least you guys aren't aiming too high in your expectations.

I only want two things.

- No adverts
- No James Allen

These I am definitely going to get. Having the Chain back as well would be the icing on the cake but it doesn't really bother me if it doesn't happen.

Don't feel too bad: most of the drivers have awful taste in music too. Although to be fair, they at least of the excuse of being put away in a flight case between races and don't have exposure to things like music stores, so they have to make do with what the mechanics give them...

You're expecting us, come March 29th, to be bashing BBC's coverage left, right and center, aren't you?

Id take adverts every 5 minutes and watch replays and highlights alone if that was the trade to get a better on track product. It's not like these are thrilling contests being spoiled by sponsor messages interrupting all the excitement.

Wow!

Seriously though, for those of us with Freeview, do you know if we will be told what feed will be on which of the red button channels? eg 301, 302.

So what is the mechanic's excuse for liking Tina Turner and Phil Collins?
I have no need to feel bad, my musical taste is fine, if eclectic. If we had to have something other then the Chain, "Primemover" by Zodiac Mindwarp would have to be high on my list.

I like The Chain but could also like some more powerfull tracks like Cannibal Corpse - Frantic disembowelment

But I dont see the BBC board approving such.

It still cracks me up though, when Jim Carrey plays it for his love interest Renee Zellweger in me, myself & Irene.

They're mechanics: it's self-evident.

Too true!

Erm, I don't know TBH. My guess is that the main feed would be 301, with onboard 302 for practice sessions; and for the race live timing on 301 and onboard 302.

You could see what was going to be on each for the Olympics, it even appeared on the information thingy rather than the usual 'no information available'. They may do it again for the GP coverage, but they don't for other sports, its a matter of going to 301/2 or choosing what you want from the red button.

Thanks, but what I am getting is whether these details will be published. I rarely get the chance to watch the races live so onboard and live timing etc is not an issue for me - I will record the BBC1 feed and watch it later. However if there is going to be an F1 Extra type programme on the red button, which is being suggested, I would want to record that too. The problem here is that the BBC never usually publishes listings for the red button. Take Moto GP Extra, for example - one has to take pot luck on whether it is on 301 or 302. The BBC even had the effrontery to claim, on its website, that was not allowed to publish red button listings although full details were made available for the Olympics, giving the lie to that assertion!!