Today marks 40 years since The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy aired on the BBC, with the first episode of the famous radio series broadcast at 10.30pm on Wednesday, 8 March 1978. While the popularity of Douglas Adams’ radio serial (and the book, TV series and Hollywood film adaptation which followed) is well known, there’s always been less fanfare about the song which has acted as its theme tune since the very beginning.
With a name which sounds more like a JRR Tolkien-inspired piece of music rather than a soundtrack for the Starship Bistromath, the Eagles song “Journey Of The Sorcerer” made for something of an odd fit as the radio show’s theme tune. Lifted from Eagles’ 1975 album One Of These Nights, the Bernie Leadon-penned song not only features prominent banjo, it also stretches beyond six-and-a-half minutes. While One Of These Nights went platinum in the UK, “Journey Of The Sorcerer” was overshadowed by the album’s hits such as the title track and “Lyin’ Eyes”. Even so, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy script-writer Douglas Adams was a big fan. He selected “Journey Of The Sorcerer” to soundtrack all 26 episodes of the radio serial after looking for a sound imbued with science fiction while also suggestive of a traveller’s journey.
While the radio serial utilised Eagles’ original track (featuring the mysterious ‘Royal Martian Orchestra’ adding the propulsive strings), different segments of the track were used during the series. When the success of Adams’ radio show and the ensuing 1979 novel adaptation gave rise to a television series in 1981, a new version of “Journey Of The Sorcerer” was created by late British composer Tim Souster; the BBC, famed for always watching the bottom line, had deemed getting hold of the rights to the original Eagles version too costly. The baton was subsequently picked up by fellow Brit Joby Talbot for the 2005 film adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. Talbot, whose music credits include work with Paul McCartney, Air and Tom Jones, provided a suitably faithful rendition of “Journey Of The Sorcerer” with a few nimble synth additions.
It might never have received the acclaim of Eagles’ other blockbusters such as “Hotel California”, “Take It Easy” and “Desperado”, but for sci-fi nerds everywhere, the magnificently epic “Journey Of The Sorcerer” will always hold a special place in their hearts. Happy 40th birthday, Hitchhhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy!
