The iconic brass band wail of the Coronation Street theme tune has been voted the tenth greatest TV theme of all time in a recent poll. The tune, written by Eric Spear (who was paid £6 for his work) was beaten in the poll by Only Fools and Horses, at number one, and That London-Based Soap which was number five. The top ten are: 1. Only Fools and Horses, 2. Minder, 3. Dr Who, 4. Match of the day, 5. EastEnders, 6. The A-Team, 7. Friends, 8. The Pink Panther, 9. Ski Sunday, 10.Coronation Street.

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Stranger things have happened! Apparently Ian Reddington is in talks about releasing his marvellous tune (Don't Fall Into) The Mason's Arms as a single. Digital Spy reports Ian Reddington (who plays Vernon) as saying, "I've been blown away by the response to the song, which was written by Street scriptwriters. There are talks to see if we can release it in time for Christmas. It would be fantastic to see it at No 1."

The song was written by Roy Stride of the band Scouting for Girls, with lyrics by Corrie's Carmel Morgan. You can hear it by clicking here.

I was amused to read a letter posted on the Carlisle News and Star site that contained a complaint against the music heard on screen on Coronation Street. The writer seems to think the music that he finds annoying is coming from outside the studio, not added by the producers as proper background music, citing the factory and the pub as the main sources. I think he's mistaken because it's actually been part of storylines in the factory where the workers have a radio on most of the time. I can recall a big upset when Danny Baldwin, I think, took the radio away after Janice pushed his patience too far. The pub, of course, has a jukebox and we even recently saw a little exchange between Vikki and Kelly over music selection. Roy also has a radio playing in the cafe though often on a classical music station but Vernon kept it on a Northern Soul or Oldies' station when Roy was away.

How about you, readers? Do you find the background music annoying or an enhancement? I find it often really suits the scene, especially when a producer gets exactly the right song for the scene (i.e. Richard Hillman driving into the canal to the Wannadies song that goes "You and Me Always"). Perfect!

More on the Corrie Music box here!

Awhile back, we discovered there was a band called Bet Lynch's Legs. Marvellous name! Now, over on eBay, there's a 7 inch record that was actually recorded by Julie Goodyear, a version of These Boots Were Made for Walkin'! It's a promo copy and is backed by an instrumental version of the Coronation Street theme tune. The auction ends on Sunday and is a rare find for collectors! Have a look at more Corrie-related music , and see other great stuff we've found on eBay at Ebay Gum.

The other day, Vernon regaled Liz with a song of love, loss and longing entitled "(Don't Fall Into) The Mason's Arms."

It was one of the funniest things I've heard on Coronation Street for ages, and thanks to the miracle of th'internet (and our good friends at Digital Spy), you can hear it as many times as you like by clicking here.

Have a look at this YouTube video, and then click the Continue Reading link to find out what it's got to do with Coronation Street.

Here's yet another version of the Coronation Street theme tune to add to our Corrieblog music box. It's a lovely brass band version played by a Cambridge band. Just imagine wandering through a city to hear that, it'd make your day wouldn't it? Well, I know it would make mine even if not quite all of the right notes are played in the right order.

A couple of weeks ago we were blogging away about Sue Nicholls and her 1960s singing career, and some Corrieblog readers were discussing Brett Falcon, Corrie's first musical superstar. Ahem. Walter Potts, a local window-cleaner, was 'discovered' by Dennis Tanner in 1963 and was the next big thing, well, in Weatherfield at least. Dennis changed Walter's name to 'Brett Falcon' and set sealing one of Brett's first gigs at Jerry and Myra Booth's wedding. Brett Falcon's career took off and he recorded a single called 'Not too little, Not too much', which was released by Granada to coincide with the storyline. It reached No.17 in the chart.

Click below for a Fab Photo of Brett Falcon with the Beatles.

We're always stumbling across interesting photographs at Corrieblog, and this one made me smile no end. It's Coronation Street actress Sue Nicholls on the cover of her 1968 single "Where Will You Be?". The song was released during Sue's time on Midlands soap, Crossroads, where she played warbling-waitress Marilyn Gates. Although she reached #17 in the UK charts, I have yet to hear Sue sing. I'll have to keep my eyes on YouTube and eBay Gum.

It's always our Rita who gets the credit for singing on Corrie, so perhaps Rita and Audrey could start themselves up a little Weatherfield duet? [Ben]

Vera Duckworth may be leaving Coronation Street but there’s no reason why she can’t live on in your record collection, well, sort of. Did you know that this here novelty record, of Da Doo Ron Ron, was recorded by Vera and Mavis? It was released as a tribute to the late TV impressionist Dustin Gee, with proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation. Gee and his partner Les Dennis were renowned for their impersonations of Vera Duckworth and Mavis “ooh I don’t really know” Riley. The lyrics concern Vera and Jack, a couple on the series: 'I met him on a Monday and was taken aback / Somebody told me that his name was Jack...' Billed as Vera and Mavis, the performers on the record are Chris Kay (as Gee as Vera and Jack) and Paul Carrington (as Dennis as Mavis), accompanied by the Coronettes. If anyone has a YouTube or an mp3 of the record, let us know and we'll blog it.

Here on Corrieblog, we’ve brought you the Coronation Street theme tune performed in a variety of ways. We’ve had the ska version (my favourite), a classical version, the version with words and now, ladies and gentlemen, we bring you the home-made version from some bloke’s sofa with his guitar. You've got to admire him for trying! Have a look at more great Corrie YouTubes.

Did you know that there was once a band called Bet Lynch's Legs? The band were a duo made up of Ian Morris from The Smirks and John Scott from 48 Chairs. They had records called Some Like it Hot and a 1979 hit called Riders in the Sky. Ah, if only they'd sung the Deirdre's a Slag song, eh?

For more Corrie music musings, have a look here.

Did you know that British singer Morrissey was a massive fan of Coronation Street? I use 'was' as I don't know if he still is! Morrissey was the frontman of the now legendary British band The Smiths whose photograph immortalised the Salford Lads' Club on the corner of a real Coronation Street in Salford. He was a big fan of Pat Phoenix and her vampish character Elsie Tanner, so much so that Pat appeared on the record sleeve of the single "Shakespeare's Sister" in 1985. Also in 1985, Pat was interviewed by Morrissey for the magazine Blitz, a transcript of which you can read here. [Elsie Tanner]

She might be better known for teaching the world to sing, in the Coca-Cola advert, with The New Seekers in 1972 but singer Lyn Paul was also in the first ever episode of Coronation Street, or so it says here. I never knew that, did you? Lyn’s now appearing in Footloose at the Wales Millennium Centre.

Want to read more fun Corrie musical musings? Click here

Well, well, Weller, what is it with Coronation Street and The Jam at the moment? Last week we had Peter Barlow driving up from Portsmouth, telling Ken and Deirdre he’d been listening to The Jam on the drive up to Weatherfield. And this week we heard Jerry Morton playing his Jam records loudly and upsetting all the neighbours. All we need now is Paul Weller propping up the bar in the Rovers just like this lead singer from a 1970s glam-rock band once did. Or maybe The Jam could Corrie-up some of their hit singles such as as Going Underworld, (Wish I could be like) David Platt, Town Called Weatherfield, 'A' Bomb on Rosamund Street or Down in the Red Rec at midnight?  Just a thought.

For more musical musings Corrie style, click here.

Have a listen to this, it's Jimi Hendrix's Third Stone from the Sun. You can't deny that there's a certain Coronation Street-esque theme thang going on in there every once in a while. Well, sort of. What do you reckon, do you think Jimmi could have been a Corrie fan? Have a look at more Corrie YouTubes and more Corrie fun stuff in the Music Box section.

I've just found this classical version of the Corrie theme tune on MySpace and it's well worth a listen. Mind you, my favourite version of the Coronation Street theme tune remains this ska influenced one.

Did you know that The Beatles almost appeared on Coronation Street? The Mersey Beat website surprised me with this snippet, but it says that back in the 60s word reached Corrie script editor, Harry Kershaw, that The Beatles were big Corrie fans and keen to appear on the show. The Corrie writing team decided on a story where The Beatles would travel to a concert in Manchester but their car would break down on the street. Crowds would gather on the cobbles and the police would be called before the band knocks on Ena Sharple’s door asking if she can give them sanctuary in her vestry (and that’s not a phrase we’ve had on Corrieblog before!). In the next episode, Ena would charm them into agreeing to give a concert for the local over-sixties club. But....

  Songwriter Dan LaRocque's MP3 tribute to Les Battersby and Coronation Street is online here to download, learn and sing along to. 
I do love these quirky websites I stumble over every now and then. There's loads more in the Corrieblog Music Box section too.

I was a bit taken aback t’other day when Mr Flaming (first name: Snorer) gave me a gift of a Status Quo DVD. He knows I can’t listen to music any more, it hasn’t been the same since Steps split up. And the only thing I know about the hairy Quo rockers is that they made a guest appearance on Coronation Street last year.   Ah, now I see where we’re going with this, I thought to myself, and sure enough, on the DVD there’s a 30 minute feature of Quo on Corrie.  It’s a truly great behind–the-scenes peek of when Status Quo turned up on the cobbles and ended up in neck braces playing at Les and Cilla’s wedding.  I heartily recommend the DVD for all Corrie fans, the Street featurette is BRILL.  It’s on Status Quo - The Party Ain't Over Yet - 40 Years Of Status Quo.

This is my most favourite thing on Corrieblog at the moment which we first posted back in November last year. And because it’s so good, I thought we’d post it again. It's a ska version of the Coronation Street theme tune that will warm the cockles of your heart. It’s an instrumental by Izzy Royal from 1983 and you can listen to it online here. If you’re not tapping your foot and nodding your head by the end of this absolutely cracking little tune, then you’d better check your pulse because you surely must be dead.

Simon Gregson who plays Steve McDonald proved he can belt out a tune when he sung with Bev Callard who plays his on-screen mum Liz t’other week on An Audience With Coronation Street. Simon sings in a band called Johnny Mac and The Muppets and if you’re in the Manchester area, you just might find them performing at one of the local pubs. 

If anyone's seen them playing live and can rate them for Corrieblog, do post and let us know.

Rupert Hill who plays Coronation Street’s Jamie Baldwin is celebrating after his rock band, Shepherd's Pi, made it to the final of a national unsigned band competition.   The Manchester Evening News says that the band have made it to the last 10 of the O2 / Polydor's Undiscovered Talent Search and if they win they get to record a track and perform live at a major summer festival.

The band are now gearing up for a live gig in Manchester at The Late Room on Peter Street on April 29 - and Rupert says some of his Corrie mates will be there. There's now just one slight problem for the band - they hate their own name!

We’ve watched the show, sung along to the CD and now you can see Coronation Street stars live in concert for one night only when the Soapstar Superstars go on tour.  From Corrie there’ll be Wendi Peters (Cilla Battersby-Brown), Andy Whyment (Kirk Sutherland) and Shobna Gulati (Sunita Alahan). 

The concert evening includes a three course meal, free wine and disco from 8pm to 1am.  It’s on Saturday 8th April in the Banqueting Suite at Edgeley, Stockport.  Tickets are £40 and are available by calling 0161 286 8891.

Last week we brought you the lyrics and download for the Toy Doll’s Coronation Street song Deirde’s a Slag. Since posting to the blog, we’ve received an email from a fan of the band to tell us that The Toy Dolls recorded another three Street songs. 

And so, from the band that gave the world the seminal version of Nellie the Elephant, we now bring you Rita’s Innocent (aka class struggle in the Kabin), Alec’s Back and Audrey’s Alone at Last.    The jury's still out on whether Morrissey's song Alma Matters has any connection with the late Mrs Baldwin.