The Greatest TV Themes Of The '60s - Round 1, Bracket 2

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by sunspot42, Oct 23, 2021.

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  1. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Decided to do something a little different - setup a bunch of brackets tournament style, with 64 head-to-head candidates in total, to determine the greatest TV theme of the '60s.

    And if you need to refresh your memory, courtesy YouTube:

    Car 54, Where Are You?

    Howdy Doody
     
  2. Sordel

    Sordel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Switzerland
    These threads should really be called "Greatest US TV Theme of the 60s".

    Put, for example, The Prisoner and Doctor Who in this competition and things are going to get real.
     
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  3. goodiesguy

    goodiesguy Confide In Me

    Location:
    New Zealand
    Howdy Doody is purely an American phenomenon AFAIK (I only know it by references to it in Happy Days) but I'm familiar with Car 54 from early morning weekend repeats over here (along with The Munsters), so I have to go with that.
     
  4. Invisible Man

    Invisible Man Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lemon Grove
    The "Howdy Doody" theme is insanely catchy to me. For years and years I've borrowed the melody to make up for my kids songs about pretty much everything. But I really hate Howdy Doody himself.
     
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  5. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Francisco
    While my overall list is mostly drawn from the US, those two will be in an upcoming bracket, along with a few other UK themes (The Prisoner actually aired here in America on network TV on CBS in the '60s, so I guess you could argue it's technically "American" as well, along with another UK spy drama, which I believe aired on ABC...)
     
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  6. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Per the NY Post:

    The “Howdy Doody” theme is based on the old song known as “Ta Ra Ra Boom De Ay,” an air first published in 1891. Ironically for a kids’ show theme, the original melody is said to have originated in a St. Louis brothel.

     
  7. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    I know Howdy Doody from Happy Days as well. Car 54 is before my time and unlike other classics such as Brady Bunch,Bewitched etc it wasn't rerun on Australian TV in the 70's AFAIK. I did listen to the theme on you tube and voted for it
     
  8. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Francisco
    I barely saw Car 54 when growing up - it was exiting syndication by the early '70s. I don't know if either of these are primo '60s themes - Howdy Doody is borrowed anyhow.
     
  9. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Car 54, Where Are You?
     
  10. souldeep69

    souldeep69 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maryland
    The Prisoner is a big favorite of mine, too. Both it and Doctor Who were composed by Ron Grainer.
    A few other '60s themes I'm particularly enamored with are "The Big Valley", "Love, American Style" and the one that to me is the most beautiful TV theme song ever written, Jerry Goldsmith's "Room 222". The latter show wasn't a ratings blockbuster, but the theme version for season 1 alone has 1.1 million views on YouTube, so I think the theme song has kind of surpassed the show itself as far as being fondly remembered.
     
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  11. Sordel

    Sordel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Switzerland
    I didn't know it but I looked it up on YT. It reminds me somewhat of the Taxi theme, but maybe just due to the recorder.
     
  12. souldeep69

    souldeep69 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maryland
    I can see that, but knowing both very well that resemblance is very superficial. They are so different.
    Taxi is a smooth jazz piece.
    Room 222 moves into the beyond that is Jerry Goldsmith. Its only resemblance is to later Goldsmith classics like the themes from Barnaby Jones and Police Story, both of which use a couple of his practically trademarked motifs.
    Room 222 almost defies description. It uses elements of rock, folk, R&B and classical, and if that isn't enough it's informed by a 7/4 time signature, rarely found anywhere except an occasional quirky pop song or some obscure classical music compositions. Not only is the time signature unusual, but the way he employs it on that theme is almost unheard of, subdividing the meter as 4+3/3+4, 3+4/4+3.
    LOL, you should give it another listen.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2021
  13. I don’t even remember Howdy Dolby. Wasn’t that the 50’s?
     
  14. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Howdy Dolby?

    :biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

    That's my new band name settled.
     
  15. It’s Thomas Dolby’s son.
     
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  16. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Love the Barnaby Jones theme. 70's cop shows are the best
     
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  17. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Who knew Thomas Dolby could be so cruel.
     
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  18. souldeep69

    souldeep69 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maryland
    Absolutely the best. The only song to make #1 on the personal "weekly charts" I made in my teens that wasn't an actual record. I taped it from the TV. Top 40 had absolutely nothing better to offer. It was my #1 song for weeks, lol.
    The best on the web is right here for the real thing - the actual 42 second theme song used on the show's intro - no voice-over, no fancy extended parts - the real theme in crystal clear stereo begins 8 seconds into this clip.
    Jerry Goldsmith - Barnaby Jones Stereo Suite

    If you haven't heard Room 222, you might enjoy it and also see some of Goldsmith's theme song techniques beginning right here.
    Room 222 ... remember this early 70's TV show?
     
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  19. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Francisco
    These are both kinda crap themes. They were fairly big shows and were around in syndication when I was young, but I've seen a few themes mentioned later in the thread that I wish I'd thought of instead when I was cooking the whole thing up.

    Oh. Well.

    :shrug:
     
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