Favorite version or versions of a TV theme song

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by MikaelaArsenault, Mar 20, 2019.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer Seeker of Truth

    Location:
    NYC
  2. KevinP

    KevinP Forum introvert

    Location:
    Daejeon


    The first one here. (Don't know the last one at all.)

    There was another one, in the first four or so episodes, sung by one of the Osmond brothers, but it's not in this video.
     
  3. Tim Lookingbill

    Tim Lookingbill Alfalfa Male

    Location:
    New Braunfels, TX
    And that second version was added right about when they went from a filmed closed studio shoot with laugh track into a filmed in front of a live studio audience which is when I stopped watching.

    I am glad I missed the "Jump The Shark" episode.

    The Bill Haley intro is now what I go by in deciding which reruns to watch.
     
  4. Tim Lookingbill

    Tim Lookingbill Alfalfa Male

    Location:
    New Braunfels, TX
    I was looking for the original Scooby Doo theme song and noticed it has over 1000 comments! Never knew people were that interested to go to the trouble of commenting on a theme song.

    I guess not only is there content over saturation with new material but it's having to compete grabbing eyeballs with decades old content.

    This is what I remember when I tuned in when it first aired
    making it my favorite version. Loved this show.

     
  5. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Marlo Thomas' "That Girl" had three different themes through it's five seasons.

    The version that I love was the one by the late Earle Hagen from Seasons 2 through 4. The unique time signatures, along with those equally memorable visuals, equals one of my all-time favorite TV themes ...

     
    SteelyNJ and O Don Piano like this.
  6. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    He uses the old 'descending strings' arrangement to great effect starting at :42
     
    Chris C likes this.
  7. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Just perfect in every way! Hard to believe that theme came from the same guy who gave us the equally brilliant and simple whistling theme of "The Andy Griffith Show"!

    Speaking of the same guy, the same guy who did the "visuals" for the opening of "That Girl", also did this famous one ...

     
    SomeCallMeTim likes this.
  8. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    Hagen also did I Spy (see my post above).
    More descending strings in the closing theme!
     
    Chris C likes this.
  9. skisdlimit

    skisdlimit Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bellevue, WA
    I can't really settle on a favorite version of The Muppet Show theme (you decide! :)), so here is a link to all of them with brief commentary:



    Season 1: this was a bit rough around the edges, but I think it benefits from that looseness, and the creativity was literally exploding (see Crazy Harry! :D)
    Season 2: where the template was pretty much set; probably the most familiar, but apparently Waldorf and Statler preferred the earlier intro (@ 1:50)
    Season 3: arguably the peak; not much different from Season 2, save for the audience singing "why don't you get things started?"
    Season 4: somewhat truncated, with a bi-level "It's time to play the music" but no "It's time to put on make-up"
    Season 5: reverts a little to Season 2, but adds Waldorf and Statler singing "why do we always come here, I guess we'll never know...."

    We still need those last two seasons on DVD, which may never happen now! :cussing::waiting::shrug:
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2019
  10. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
  11. Culpa

    Culpa Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    I much prefer the first season Partridge Family theme, "when we're singing" rather than the later, and better known "come on get happy".

    "Danny got Reuben to sell our song / and it really came together when Mom sang along". :)

     
    SomeCallMeTim likes this.
  12. sixtiesstereo

    sixtiesstereo Senior Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    They also used this same recording (by Steve Lawrence) in the Will Ferrel/Nicole Kidman "Bewitched" film.
    I just wish the stereo version would show up some day. (It was only a "b" side on a Lawrence 45).
    Actually, a pretty good "old Hollywood" type scene....
     
    SteelyNJ likes this.
  13. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Johnny Williams best score.
     
    Tim Lookingbill likes this.
  14. sixtiesstereo

    sixtiesstereo Senior Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    To this day, I feel the "St. Elsewhere" theme is the best in the history of television.
    From season 1 to season 6 there were some minor changes, but it was still the same theme.
    By season 6 it was in stereo. And watching the series opening...what an incredible cast!
     
    SteelyNJ and bmasters9 like this.
  15. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    There were three versions of the It Takes a Thief theme, all included in the following video. The second version (my favorite) starts at :42 and the third begins at 1:23.

     
    Simon A likes this.
  16. jupiter8

    jupiter8 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NJ, USA
    And Husker Du beat Joan Jett to it by 11 years...

     
  17. bmasters9

    bmasters9 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fountain Inn, SC
    Especially with William Daniels going to the top, upon the departure of Ed Flanders.
     
    sixtiesstereo likes this.
  18. Jerrika

    Jerrika Mysterious Ways

    Location:
    Canada
    Someone I knew in middle school wrote the theme song for a Canadian TV show. Another guy I knew in middle school won an Emmy. I won't say who they were because then people would know how old I am.
     
  19. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Written by Paul Anka, before Johnny Carson demanded half publishing and a co-write, if he was going to use it as his new shows theme! I'm sure that Paul Anka thanks his lucky stars when those publishing royalties checks arrives, that he signed off on this idea.

    The original instrumental can be heard on the flip side of one of those old Annette "Vista" singles ...

    Before it was Johnny Carson's theme: Toot Sweet (It's Really Love) - Tutti Camarata (1960)
     
    Simon A, Rhett, SteelyNJ and 2 others like this.
  20. sixtiesstereo

    sixtiesstereo Senior Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Amazing. I never knew that. Thanks for posting.
     
    Chris C likes this.
  21. PhilBorder

    PhilBorder Senior Member

    Location:
    Sheboygan, WI
    That is an incredible composition
     
  22. SteelyNJ

    SteelyNJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    I love Dave Grusin and the "St. Elsewhere" theme but I think he did himself a disservice when he released the over-synthesized extended arrangement of his already near-perfect composition on the 1984 "Night-Lines" album. The digital drums make me cringe!


    On a somewhat related note, hard to believe but Norman Lloyd, a former producer for Alfred Hitchcock and the actor who played the elderly Dr. Daniel Auschlander for most of the "St. Elsewhere" run, is still alive at 104 years of age!!
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2019
    jbmcb, MikaelaArsenault and ricks like this.
  23. MikeInFla

    MikeInFla Glad to be out of Florida

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
  24. MikeInFla

    MikeInFla Glad to be out of Florida

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    And one never used:

     
  25. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Dave Grusin has done many songs of his a disservice on his many GRP recordings. Those arrangements are sadly very much of their time, much like hearing that late 70's to mid 80's Michael McDonald keyboard sound today.

    This one is still my personal favorite TV Theme from Dave ...

    The Ghost & Mrs. Muir TV Theme
     
    MikaelaArsenault likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine