Strictly theme 'never bores me', says composer

Josh Phillips is one half of the composing duo who created the infectious soundtrack

One of the songwriters behind the Strictly Come Dancing theme tune has said he still loves it - even after two decades.

The vibrant Latin theme tune, created by composing duo Josh Phillips and Dan McGrath, has become the infectious soundtrack to Saturday nights.

“It’s 20 years old this year and it never, ever bores me to be honest," said Mr Phillips. "It’s just one of those tunes that just work."

Despite a career spent playing with the likes of Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and Sting, Mr Phillips said he knows he will always be associated with sequins, flamboyant judges and dance routines.

The musician, who lives in Hampshire, said when he first started working on the tune he was convinced it needed to have a very different style.

He said: "With a dancing show, you’d think it might be disco, we were playing with all kinds of disco-type ideas."

Driving to the recording studio one day, he said he thought: "It’s got to be Latin American, it’s got to be because then you can put brass over Latin and it doesn’t sound cheesy or dated, it’s just infectious.

"It has that infectious feel and it makes you want to get up."

Mr Phillips said they had "no idea how big it would be", adding: "It was just a Saturday night BBC, shiny floor, cosy show.

"I don't think [the BBC] had any idea how huge it would become, it’s like the flagship show for the BBC."

Asked later to create the theme tune for Dancing with the Stars - the US version of Strictly, he said the Americans wanted something "glitzier and faster".

He said he has been amazed at how successful the shows have become: "It’s gone all over the world."

But he said he never dreamed he would end up writing theme tunes for prime time Saturday night shows.

He spent decades in rock bands, such as Big Country and Procol Harum, and playing with icons of the music industry.

"The standout moment for me was the concert for Montserrat [at the the Royal Albert Hall]," he said.

"We all came on for Hey Jude at the end. There’s Paul McCartney, there's Midge Ure, there's Eric Clapton on guitar, there’s Phil Collins on drums, that’s Sting on bass – I’ve done lots of shows since with all of those guys but to all be on stage at the same time was a 'pinch me' moment."

He has created new band The Blue Water Giants with some of his famous friends - John "Rhino" Edwards (Status Quo) and Neil Taylor (Tears For Fears) - and they have started playing their first gigs.

The band's first stop was the Royal Lymington Yacht Club but after that, he said they are thinking about a European tour.

"We have a few gigs in the Med, we’re just going to follow the sun!"