55 replies to this topic

[D.M.N.]

I personally think the 2000 to 2002 version is the best one. IMO, for me it just sounds better than the rest. I didn't really like 2003 to 2005 version, and the current version I just really hate TBH.

Version 1 (1997 to 1999) :
Version 2 (2000 to 2002) :
Version 3 (2003 to 2005) :
Version 4 (2006 to 2008) : (2006); (2007);

Woops, I've named the poll #3 + #4 wrong, the last two are meant to be "Version 3" and "Version 4" respectively.

[Risil]

Originally posted by D.M.N.

Version 4 (2006 to 2008) : (2006); (2007);

AND THEN THE CAR COMES OUT OF THE HELMET. When I first saw this one I laughed so hard that my nose expelled a variety of fluids. Thankfully the season didn't start in Australia that year, or it might've been difficult to explain exactly why I woke everyone up at 2am.

I will miss the borderline-insane ITV coverage sometimes.

[undersquare]

Rather than "best" it should be "least crappy" . The current one is the worst of the worst, I agree

I'm abstaining, looking forward to next year .

[Slartibartfast]

Originally posted by undersquare
Rather than "best" it should be "least crappy" . The current one is the worst of the worst, I agree

I'm abstaining, looking forward to next year .

Or back...

[Ross Stonefeld]

I don't want to hear Fleetwood Mac or see Murray Walker. It's going to be 2009. F1 is a constantly developing sport. There is a place for history, but they shouldn't dwell in nostalgia.

[harrows]

Didn't ITV use this song in 2005? http://uk.youtube.co...h?v=jFszsAFwh-0

Thought it was much better than their current intro..

[D.M.N.]

Originally posted by harrows
Didn't ITV use this song in 2005? http://uk.youtube.co...h?v=jFszsAFwh-0

Thought it was much better than their current intro..

They used this from '03 to '05:

From '00 to '02, they used:

[undersquare]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
I don't want to hear Fleetwood Mac or see Murray Walker. It's going to be 2009. F1 is a constantly developing sport. There is a place for history, but they shouldn't dwell in nostalgia.

I'd agree if they find something better. But as things stand I still feel a thrill of anticipation when The Chain gets into the instrumental part.

I suppose the BBC have a good record of music with Top Gear.

But the risk is that because somebody dislikes every possible genre, we'll end up with something inoffensive and insipid, computer-generated, and crap, like ITV's.

This , for example, would do me, but not everyone I suspect

[djellison]

Take the current Top Gear theme (which is already sounding quite dated, I'll grant you) ...think how different it is to this

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

You can start with something that sounds like it's from the 17th century, and still come out with something that sounds modern.

Give The Chain to some young musical wizard and they could pull a brilliant intro out of the bag.

I liked versions 1 and 2 of the ITV intro (didn't Jay Kay do the first one?) - 3 and 4 are a bit, er, dreadfull.

To be honest, just take a box full of tapes of the last 10 years of F1, go to the editors of Top Gear, and say "make me a 30 second intro". Say what you want about the presenters and so on, but the editing, cinematography and sound production of Top Gear is second to none. You would get something amazing.

Doug

[naiboz]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
I don't want to hear Fleetwood Mac or see Murray Walker. It's going to be 2009. F1 is a constantly developing sport. There is a place for history, but they shouldn't dwell in nostalgia.

I agree, whats been has been, move on and hopefully find something iconic for the next chapter of F1 broadcasting.

ps I think the current titles are the best of the 4 options above

[Buttoneer]

Originally posted by djellison

Give The Chain to some young musical wizard and they could pull a brilliant intro out of the bag.

But then it would just be a shit re-working of a classic that was 'perfect already' and denounced by 99.999999% of the posters here and 'why can't they do something new' instead of 'ruining a classic' etc etc.

I can hear it all now and it hurts.

Lets just have a brand spanking new soundtrack by the Blue Man Group playing carbon fibre drums and oopah-ing through exhaust pipes and bashing brake-duct cymbals please.

Nostalgia is overrated.

We've done this discussion before haven't we?

[damon_hill_fan2007]

It needs to be the original version of the chain, it is iconic and fits the sport like a glove. Nothing else will do

'nuff said

[sterling49]

Originally posted by djellison
Take the current Top Gear theme (which is already sounding quite dated, I'll grant you) ...think how different it is to this

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related
Give The Chain to some young musical wizard and they could pull a brilliant intro out of the bag.

Doug

Leave the Chain as it is, a great link to all of the great GPs and drivers that have gone before.

That would get my vote.

[tidytracks]

The beeb has its theme tunes, and it tends to stick to them.

Case in point - Match of the Day. BBC lost the Premiership for a few years to ITV, but when they got it back they had the same old music as always. The beeb has always used the same music for Wimbledon...

The credits have changed, the graphics and identity, too... but the music has remained and for some reason never seems to date. Perhaps, thats because they havent tried to update it.

The Bachman Turner Overdrive thing was just awful on ITV, I forgot quite how bad that was...

The thing is, play Fleetwood Mac now during quali, or just during some youtube F1 action, and I swear it still sounds good.

I think the key will be to just keep the music simple, and let the sport speak for itself.

ITV have managed to prove with those four efforts (only the second of which I find even vaguely watchable) that it's easy to cock it up.

[pRy]

I dunno about anyone else but that woman from the far east really annoys me.

[EVO2]

I've just listened to all of them on U Tube and have to go with the Fleetwood Mac.


The original does a brilliant job by raising the tension starting from the very first beat but the "updated unofficial 2009 version" on U Tube completely misses the point.

Although the original maybe needs to be digitally remastered to match the quality of our TV sound systems, it really has never been bettered.

Also, much as I admire and support Lewis Hamilton, F1 is about all the drivers.

Lewis certainly is the story of the moment but we need coverage that's a lot less fauning than ITV in 2008. That applies to the Intro as well.

[Orin]

Originally posted by pRy
I dunno about anyone else but that woman from the far east really annoys me.

Woman?

I've always thought it reminiscent of Fernando Alonso!

The latest credits are dire, that horrible theme tune. I hope the Beeb return with The Chain, it's the perfect soundtrack to F1. As for the ITV credits, the first three incarnations are all OK, after that the quality plummets.

[LostProphet]

Version 2 was my favourite. Apollo 440 all the way!;)
(The track is called Blackbeat, if anyone is interested )
Version 3 was pretty good too.

There again, I am quite the fan of the 'electronic' genre (amongst many others)

I love Moby, and the album version of 'Lift Me Up' is a great song, but I don't like what they've done with it for ITV, and I dislike the sting that they use going in and out of each ad break even more.

[EDIT]
The graphics were best in Version 3 - drivers, car, and technology all equally shared, as it should be.

[Youichi]

I vote for secret option 5 - none of them

Although I have to say, I don´t recall ever actually seeing any of them, the ITV drivel before the races is so poor, I never tune in for the build-up.

I for one hope the BBC stick with the Chain, everytime I hear it, I think of the old Grandprix titles, even now.

Just remake this with modern cars/clips.

[LostProphet]

I like The Chain, but they'd better do it right (i.e. accompanying graphics)
Otherwise they may as well do something entirely new - not a cheesy rehash of an otherwise good song (ala ITV with 'Lift Me Up' but a commissioned, bespoke piece of music.

[stevvy1986]

Originally posted by damon_hill_fan2007
It needs to be the original version of the chain, it is iconic and fits the sport like a glove. Nothing else will do

'nuff said

agreed,needs to be the original version of the chain,anything else is just wrong,and if they do a modern version of it,you can guarantee that it'll be crap compared to the original

[undersquare]

Originally posted by stevvy1986


agreed,needs to be the original version of the chain,anything else is just wrong,and if they do a modern version of it,you can guarantee that it'll be crap compared to the original

QED

[sterling49]

Next!

[stevvy1986]

Originally posted by undersquare


QED

2 things wrong with that-1,sorry,but if you're going to use "the chain" it has to be the original version,and 2,all the 'cuts' to the next bit of footage in it are basically the same,ie squares flyin at ya,ya need variety

[Ferrim]

Wow, I don't like any of them. I prefer any of the ones Tele5 has been doing here in Spain since 2004. The Chain is better though.

[undersquare]

Originally posted by stevvy1986


2 things wrong with that-1,sorry,but if you're going to use "the chain" it has to be the original version,and 2,all the 'cuts' to the next bit of footage in it are basically the same,ie squares flyin at ya,ya need variety

Hey I was agreeing with you QED= an example (of why it has to be the original).

On the video I'd have only cars in motion, not drivers, and have them from each design era since the '50s, coming up to date. And simple transitions, fades, leaving the emphasis on the content.

[le chat noir]

Originally posted by undersquare


Hey I was agreeing with you QED= an example (of why it has to be the original).

On the video I'd have only cars in motion, not drivers, and have them from each design era since the '50s, coming up to date. And simple transitions, fades, leaving the emphasis on the content.

do it like those honda ads for transitions, following something akin to youichi's example. its quite obvious in the tune when to jump from one era to another. go sterling, clark, hill, hunt, mansell, hill, lewis if wanting to get all team gb about it all, or fangio, clark, lauda, senna, schumacher if you want to be sensible. few shots of jackie stewarts wife with a stopwatch, and a quick glimpse of erja or now a pussycat doll and job done.

[pingu666]

they could do several intro's

maybe a mashup music if its decent
http://www.boototom.info/withboots/ < itll make u smile

http://www.bootlegisresistance.com/

[SevenTwoSeven]

Id be happy with the chain, although as an alternative, how about kenny loggins/logins/whatever 'Danger Zone' or, i forget the group, but 'My Favorite game', cardigans was it?

ITV's first stuff i thought was pretty good. Was that JK, him with the big hat?

Hate Moby, hate the current Intro. Does my head in.

[pingu666]

i think it was JK

[pingu666]

maybe some underworld stuff would work
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

i think this might work pretty well, got some intensity and angar going on

i quite like push upstairs too

[naiboz]

This is pretty close to the mark for a fan attempt


http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

I feel a Linkin Park remix comin on though maybe faint or numb

[Mika Mika]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
I don't want to hear Fleetwood Mac or see Murray Walker. It's going to be 2009. F1 is a constantly developing sport. There is a place for history, but they shouldn't dwell in nostalgia.

Thats your opinion I think a bit of Nostalgia is good sometimes. There are good examples of this in plenty of other forms of entertainment.

[Will]

For me the Apollo one is the best of a not too great lot.

My recommendation for a new track would be Eye of the Tiger- it has a 50 second intro, which is very useful...

[panzani]

The other day I saw one with a casino roulette -- didn't get it at all, unless they think FI can win a race...;)

[ehagar]

The pre 2006 ones are pretty boring TBH.

I like an intro that gives a sense of ocassion. The Speed TV intros with Sam Posey giving a monologue before the music were quite nice.

[Kop Alonso]

I think this would make a great intro to F1 2009.......especially where the guitar kicks in towards the end after the 2 min mark.....

[Damon_rules]

Does anyone remember when Swiftcover sponsored F1 on ITV and before every show there would be the adverts with the chickens sat on the pit wall? That was a strange period for ITV's F1 coverage.

Regarding the BBC and themes, I'd expect it would be The Chain, they still use the old test match cricket music whenever they have cricket and the MOTD music never went away even when the show left for 4 years. The only risk is that the try to modernise it.

[stevvy1986]

that'd be a bad move tbh,if theyre going to use 'the chain' they need to use the original,not some crappy new remixed version of it,no point ruining it

[wewantourdarbyback]

The BBC have a good track record on keeping whats best musically, TMS, TG, MOTD, Grandstand (RIP), and Ski Sunday still have the same iconic intro music to this day

[dutra]

I voted in 03/05 intro.

Just for fun, here some intros from brazillian tv:

[D.M.N.]

Anyone else remember this like it was yesterday? Those Texaco ads...

[Zarathustra]

I loved the Texaco ads. The Swiftcover ones and the current Sony ones are just irritating.

If I were the Beeb producer I'd be tempted to go for something like Pendulum or the Crystal Method for the titles. Going back to the Chain would reinforce motor racing's image as a sport watched by middle-aged men.

[Rob]

Originally posted by Zarathustra
Going back to the Chain would reinforce motor racing's image as a sport watched by middle-aged men.

The current theme tune gives the image of a sport watched by middle-aged men who are trying desperately to be hip.

[Zarathustra]

Yeah well Moby isn't exactly Mr Cool himself. It's definitely electro for old people.

[pgj]

Anything that does not involve snakes.

"I hate snakes Jock!"

[4MEN]

Number 1 is nice but too dark and slow. The "best" is number 3. At least they show the country of the race and the circuit layout. The latest ones are pretty stupid: the asian guy, David 007, that I'll-kill-you faces, the snake... What's this show about? Nice lady legs, but it didn't get my vote.

By the way, the Telecinco (Spain) intro isn't much better
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

[howardt]

Oh god those bloody chickens! All of the ITV idents are irritating, but the swiftcover in particular filled with irrational hatred of F1 and made it unlikely that I'd still be tuned in after the break.
The latest ITV F1 intro is a foretaste of how sycophantic Mr Ryder is going to be in the upcoming show- a montage of clips of Lewis Hamilton, with various other intercut shots of Lewis Hamilton, finishing up with a big long slow-mo of Lewis Hamilton. I'm surprised it doesn't fade to a huge pink heart covering the screen.

BBC has a long history of excellent music-sport association. It's something I think they do very well, and not changing the theme tune every few years makes the music part of the 'brand'. If you hear the BBC intro music to (say) snooker, skiing, tennis, cricket, they are very familiar to UK audience, even though the BBC's sports content has dwindled in recent years. I think there was even a CD released of BBC sports themes! They couldn't really do much better than to stick with the original of The Chain, IMHO.

[Tenmantaylor]

I liked the first one most. The visual simplicity gave it greater impact than than the subsequent overly-busy ones. The music also had a calm-crescendo progression similar to you know what.

The most recent ones remind me of X-Factor or other typically trashy ITV programs, as do ITVs on screen graphics. Too many random colours and discontinuity.

[Tenmantaylor]

Originally posted by howardt
If you hear the BBC intro music to (say) snooker, skiing, tennis, cricket, they are very familiar to UK audience, even though the BBC's sports content has dwindled in recent years. I think there was even a CD released of BBC sports themes! They couldn't really do much better than to stick with the original of The Chain, IMHO.

Good point. Id be amazed if the Beeb didnt do the same as when Top Gear was relaunched and keep the brand (Jessica by Dicky Betts?) but update it to give more oomph (just coincidence that you cant spell ooomph without MPH? )