News and Events | Eastenders - For The Record
The story behind Dunfermline Athletic recording a record and appearing on Pebble Mill At One
In February 1985 ahead of a match away to Raith Rovers, the Pars had made tracks of a different type. They packed into an Edinburgh recording studio to cut a record. The music was the theme tune from the BBC`s soap opera `EastEnders` with words written by new director Blair Morgan and his son Steven.
Robert Fraser in his book Leishman`s Lions a tale of two seasons described the whole adventure:-
Two days later a party of players, backroom staff, directors and supporters made the journey south to perform live on the BBC`s `Pebble Mill at One` show in Birmingham. Les Peters who wrote for The Courier newspaper was invited to accompany the Dunfermline party throughout this unique event in the club`s history and this is how he reported the occasion for his readers of that time.
"The inspiration to make a record of the EastEnders theme came direct from the fans on the terracing at East End Park. Almost exactly a year ago the popular BBC soap opera made its television debut and the music was instantly adopted as an anthem by the faithful following at the home of Dunfermline Athletic. Recently-appointed director Mr Blair Morgan heard the song and decided to investigate the possibility of committing their version to tape to help mark the club`s Centenary.
`The first step was to get the permission of the BBC and the music`s composer, Simon May,` explained Mr Morgan, `Then we needed appropriate lyrics.
I sat down with my son Steven and wrote the words which then had to be approved by all A date was set for the recording and everything was going smoothly when interest in the project suddenly took off and everything had to be speeded up virtually overnight.
`The BBC invited us to take part in their Pebble Mill show which was to feature EastEnders` star Anna Wing but gave us less than a week to have everything ready, continued Mr Morgan. `After an initial disappointment when our original choice of studio was unavailable the REL Studio in Edinburgh stepped in at the last minute to help us out.
On the evening of Tuesday, 11 February the team, aided and abetted by local musicians from bands like 7 West, The Syndicate and White China, travelled through to Edinburgh where Dalgety Bay singer-songwriter Billy Rankin had the unenviable task of knocking them all into musical shape. Perhaps surprisingly it took only a few takes before the tape was perfect.
The studio session was recorded by BBC reporter Alan McKay and his camera crew and was shown the following night on Reporting Scotland. But even as it was being broadcast a party of 32 players, directors and friends were winding their way south to Birmingham to perform the song live on Pebble Mill.
`Promotion on the field is still our primary concern but promotion off the field is also important, continued Mr Morgan.
"This was too good an opportunity to miss and guaranteed the Pars nationwide publicity for perhaps the first time in many years. There was very little time to make all the arrangements and up until the moment our Rennies coach left East End Park both manager Jim Leishman and myself were still tying up the final details.`
After leaving Dunfermline the luxury coach travelled to Edinburgh and Hamilton to pick up players before setting off on the journey south. The light-hearted video files were interrupted at regular intervals by rehearsals of the song to ensure that everything would be perfect the following day.
The `˜Team` bus arrived at the St John`s Swallow Hotel in Solibull shortly ater 11.30 p.m. and after a few light refreshments - and several unscheduled rehearsals which the locals voted a hit - it was off to bed for a comparatively early night.
The equally early rise came as a shock to a few the next morning and after a light breakfast it was off to the famous Pebble Mill studios in the centre of Birmingham. Along the route the late rush hour traffic was treated to yet more rehearsals.
At Pebble Mill the party was met by the show`s producer who put everyone at ease. The budding stars were shown into dressing room 13 - a cause for some concern among the more nervous considering it was also February 13th!
But any thoughts of impending disasters were quickly dispelled with the arrival of the Umbro rep with the strips which will become a familiar sight at East End Park from next season. Their first public showing was on the show.
By this time some of the players were getting the wind up but the arrival of presenter Paul Coia soon cleared the air.
`He laughed and joked with us all and very soon all the nerves were forgotten,` explained Jim Leishman. `Then he happened to mention that we would be singing in front of a viewing audience of some 3.2 million people!`
Then it was time for more rehearsals with slight alterations having to be made to the music provided for the excellent Pebble Mill musicians. After a quick session in the make-up department it was back into the studio for the actual show. The programme was introduced by Paul Coia surrounded by the team; everyone was then ushered off stage while the other stars did their sessions.
`We provided the finale with the song itself,`continued Jim. `I was amazed just how smoothly everything went and I was very proud of my team`.
Pebble Mill were delighted with the way things worked out and the club made many friends among those involved with us throughout the trip? After a visit to the hospitality lounge it was back on the bus for the long journey home-but there was no rest for the wicked.
Aston Villa manager Graham Turner had kindly agreed to give the team the use of the club`s training facilities just outside Birmingham where he joined Gregor Abel, Jim Leishman and Joe Nelson in a gruelling session. There was even time for a visit by former Pars star Allan Evans - the man described by Jim Leishman as his `understudy` at Dunfermline.
Back on the bus the weary - and hoarse - party began the journey home finally arriving in Dunfermline shortly before midnight. Behind them were many new fans including EastEnders` star Anna Wing.
`I love the record` she says, `and I wish the Pars continued success at their own East End.``
Dunfermline returned to draw 3-3 away to Raith on the Saturday en route to clinching the Second Division Championship at Ochilview Park on 29 April 1985.
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