A track composed in the vineyards of the NSW Hunter Valley in 1985 and heard throughout Australian homes for almost 20 years has become an unlikely breakthrough hit.

The former ABC TV News theme, composed by Tony Ansell and Peter Wall - and used by the broadcaster until 2005 - has been remixed by Perth band Pendulum.

Pendulum.

Wall said he was alerted to the remix last week by a regional reporter who heard it pumping from a souped-up V8 stereo in Rockhampton.

"I'm happy for someone to have rediscovered it because it's probably the best thing we ever wrote," he said. Rearranged with a drumbeat, the distinctive piccolo trumpet and 40-piece orchestra tune could still pass rather convincingly as a rousing South American national anthem.

But in just a week, it's made it into DJ sets, has had thousands of hits on YouTube and has become available for sale on iTunes.

As for royalties, Wall's happy to see what happens. But he did have this to say about the current ABC radio news theme: "The lead trumpet … is out of tune."