A Conversation for Talking Point: Your Favourite 'Hitchhiker' Moment

"Your robot can sing like Pink Floyd"

Post 1

Sanity FM

Simply for having not heard this joke for so long, as it was cut from all the recent releases of the radio series. Odd that. I reffer to the exchange between Arthur and Marvin when they first step onto Magrathea. I would expect it was a licensing issue as the joke contains some Pink Floyd and some Beatles. Anyone know any more about this?


"Your robot can sing like Pink Floyd"

Post 2

Cakewalker

I was disappointed that this was cut too smiley - sadface Are any other bits cut from the rest of the series'? (haven't found any yet...)


Ah, thank god for Library used-book sales

Post 3

Talyma

I managed to pick up a copy of The Original HitchHiker Radio Scripts, copyright 1985... It has the entire scene in it
---
Grams: PINK FLOYD 'SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND' INTRO. FROM THE ALBUM 'WISH YOU WERE HERE'

(They all have to shout into the wind)

Arthur: It's fantastic!
Ford: Desolate hole if you ask me.
Trillian: It's bloody cold. It all looks so stark and dreary.
Arthur: I think it's absolutely fantastic!
Arthur: It's only just getting to me... A whole alien world, millions of light years from home. Pity it's such a dump though. Where's Zaphod?
Zaphod: (Calling from a distance) Hey! Just beyond this ridge you can see the remains of an ancient city.
Ford: What does it look like?
Zaphod: Bit of a dump. COme on over. Oh and watch out for all the bits of whalemeat.

GRAMS THEY ARE ALL WALKING OFF AND THEIR VOICES FADE, WITH THE MUSIC

Arthur: Do you realize that robot can hum like Pink Floyd? What else can you do Marvin?
Marvin: Rock and roll?

F/X: GRAMS AT THEY FADE INTO THE DISTANCE THE PINK FLOYD MUSIC CHANGES ABRUPTLY INTO 'ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC' BY THE FAB FOUR WITH JUST A SLIGHT ELECTRONIC DISTORT AND ECHO TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE ROBOT IS IN FACT SINGING IT.
---

As for the licensing issues, I wouldn't know a thing about it smiley - cool


Missing bits

Post 4

IMSoP - Safely transferred to the 5th (or 6th?) h2g2 login system

Hey, freaky, man! smiley - cool

smiley - erm I mean, I was just noticing this very omission myself! You see my sister has the tapes, and knows them more or less off by heart due to years of using them as an insomnia cure. But when they re-played it on Radio 4 a year or two ago (was it really that long ago?) I heard the Pink Floyd thing, and thought "hey, that's odd, I don't remember that!" (especially since I'd been listening to Pink Floyd all day!) - and when I pointed it out to my sister, was extremely surprised that she didn't either...

Then, the other day, it came round on BBC7, and since I have broadband (smiley - nahnah) I was listening again, and noticed the Rock 'n' Roll bit - which seemed to me even less familiar! So I borrowed my housemates copy of the tapes, played them back, and was very confused at the fact they had essentially the whole scene missing!

All thoroughly mysterious, if you ask me... Must say I hadn't thought of licensing, issues though: hmmm...

ummm
smiley - yawn
smiley - sleepy
smiley - zzz


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