REVIEW: Delaware Road book review

Radiophonic is a genre that can best be described as Marmite; either you can listen to endless hours of twiddling noises and sound effects or, within milliseconds of hearing the Tomorrows World theme, you head for the TV remote and turn over to the Krypton Factor.

Alan Gubby, a record producer and label owner, has played a significant role in the re-evaluation of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, which has culminated in The Delaware Road, a fascinating book available in a variety of editions with wax sealed, colour prints, postcards & ‘anti-radiation’ tablets. A deluxe edition with a 4″ vinyl recording of WW2 black propaganda sold out immediately on prerelease, over a month before the publication date.

The book brings together over 16 years of obsessive hard work and research with a story that travels back and forth from the blitz of London to the swinging 60’s up until the present day. A magical, sometimes menacing alternative vision of Albion is cast with occasional nods to Dr Who, The Avengers, The Wicker Man and Quatermass inside the superbly crafted pages. There’s also a hefty appendix packed with images from the legendary Delaware Road live events plus research uncovered whilst Gubby produced Delia Derbyshire and John Baker releases for Trunk Records & Buried Treasure.

Dr Who, The Avengers, The Wicker Man and Quatermass all get their equal share of attention in these superbly crafted pages and it would be only right that they should what with their hallowed library of sounds being cherished by collectors and TV viewers, the haunting alluring mesmerizing sounds of these TV series have stayed as creepily affectionate since the first day they were broadcast. There’s also a welcome nod to Trunk Records who has helped to uncover a treasure trove of Radiophonic recordings including John Bakers reel-to-reel recordings whilst the Gubby’s Buried Treasure label has equally helped uncovered reams of previously unreleased Radiophonic glories.

Delaware Road can be purchased via the following link