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Whatever happened to Theme Show Music? - Page 2

post #31 of 53
6/7/09 at 9:31am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Some of my favorites...

YouTube - S.W.A.T.








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post #32 of 53
6/8/09 at 4:52am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Most shows now no longer have theme music intros because they waste too much advertising space on networks. I remember the days of the good theme songs like Magnum P.I., WKRP, The Dukes of Hazzard, Miami Vice, Newhart, Cheers, etc. but they are all 30+ seconds long. They were just plain fun, but they also set the mood too. Now, it's just one more way to get more money by sacrificing this time. Something I totally hate as shows now get shorter and advertising grows longer. Just look at how long shows were back in the 80s compared to now and there is at least 5-8 more minutes of advertising. Eventually I think we will see a 50/50 split.

That is why I NEVER watch live TV unless it's a sports event or live show that I want to see. Every TV show I record on my DVR because now days it is such a waste of time. About the only other ones I don't DVR are the paid premium channels like HBO and Showtime.

Bottom line I think is the day of the great theme song is now dead.
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post #33 of 53
6/8/09 at 12:28pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

I can remember having the cassettes of TV themes, and listening to them in my car, and hearing my friends saying "Oh man, I remember that". I think there were 6 of them.

If they were to make one for shows the last 5 years, I bet they would have a difficult time filling up one side.

Someone on Youtube, uploaded a collection of intros for each year in the 80's and early 90's. And it even included ones I've never heard of or thought it was my imagination that these shows existed. Each year would be divided up into 5 or 6 parts.
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post #34 of 53
6/8/09 at 1:00pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

^^I've made a few CDs like that in the past now but it's a much easier thing to do with mp3 players instead of using disc after disc just to make revisions. At the same time, not really fond of those "Televisions Greatest Hits" albums, because of their high price tags and the fact that they often had 'off the broadcast' recordings instead of the master sources themselves.
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post #35 of 53
6/8/09 at 4:55pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

A few years ago, there was a compilation CD of artists singing saturday morning cartoons. Damn, I admit, for as much as I loved saturday morning cartoons, I'm kind of emberrassed my kids don't have that same thing
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post #36 of 53
6/8/09 at 5:19pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicholas Martin
At the same time, not really fond of those "Televisions Greatest Hits" albums, because of their high price tags and the fact that they often had 'off the broadcast' recordings instead of the master sources themselves.

I was just listening to one of them recently, and was reminded of a time when I thought the only way to remember some of these shows is just listening to the themes in the mid-90's. This was before the internet and TV shows on DVD.
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post #37 of 53
6/8/09 at 5:56pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicholas Martin
^^I've made a few CDs like that in the past now but it's a much easier thing to do with mp3 players instead of using disc after disc just to make revisions. At the same time, not really fond of those "Televisions Greatest Hits" albums, because of their high price tags and the fact that they often had 'off the broadcast' recordings instead of the master sources themselves.
Nicholas,

I own three of these volumes (1, 2, and 5). I've searched for vols. 3 and 4, but I don't think they exist -- or if they do, I have yet to track them down.

You're right about some of them having the 'off the broadcast' recordings, too. But some of them sound as if they were taken from the master sources. Either way, I appreciate having them. One of the neat aspects of the recordings is that there are so many themes included on each disc. They are a real treat to listen to every now and then.
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post #38 of 53
6/9/09 at 5:07am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ockeghem
I own three of these volumes (1, 2, and 5). I've searched for vols. 3 and 4, but I don't think they exist -- or if they do, I have yet to track them down.

I have volume 3, assuming I got the numbering right. This would be the one that starts off with Sesame Street (which everyone would scream "Skip it" ), and ends with Saturday Night Live.
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post #39 of 53
6/9/09 at 6:44am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Walter C
I have volume 3, assuming I got the numbering right. This would be the one that starts off with Sesame Street (which everyone would scream "Skip it" ), and ends with Saturday Night Live.
Walter,

Hey, thanks for that. I guess I haven't tried to track these down for quite some time. When I logged on to OCLC this morning, I found no less than seven(!) volumes of Television's Greatest Hits, as well as a couple of entries for Public Television's Greatest Hits.

Does this look like the one you are referring to above?

Sesame Street -- Muppet show -- Alvin show -- Speed Racer -- Mr. Magoo -- Inspector Gadget -- Smurfs -- Dastardly & Muttley -- Scooby-doo -- Fat Albert & the Cosby kids -- The Archies -- Josie and the pussycats -- Dudley Doright -- Fractured fairy tales -- Cheers -- Bob Newhart show -- Greatest American hero -- Welcome back, Kotter -- Room 222 -- WKRP in Cincinnati -- Taxi -- Barney Miller -- Three's company -- Happy days -- Laverne and Shirley -- Facts of life -- Good times -- One day at a time -- Gimme a break -- Maude -- The Jeffersons -- All in the family -- Sanford and son -- Dallas -- Dynasty -- Knots Landing -- L.A. law -- St. Elsewhere -- Marcus Welby, M.D. -- M*A*S*H -- The Waltons -- Little house on the prairie -- Hart to Hart -- Charlie's angels -- Wonder Woman -- Love boat -- American bandstand -- Solid gold -- Entertainment tonight -- Miami vice -- SWAT -- Baretta -- Streets of San Francisco -- Barnaby Jones -- Starsky & Hutch -- The Rookies -- Kojak -- The A-team -- Name of the game -- Quincy -- Hill Street blues -- Simon & Simon -- Magnum, P.I. -- Rockford files -- Saturday night live.
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post #40 of 53
6/9/09 at 8:13am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Yep, that would be the one.
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post #41 of 53
6/9/09 at 3:22pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

In light of Zack Morris' appearance on Jimmy Fallon's show last night (and why that worthless SNL putz has his own show is beyond my comprehension but that's for another thread...) I had to put the old "Saved By The Bell" theme on the iPod TV theme list. I chose the original Michael Damian one with the wilder guitars and keyboards.
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post #42 of 53
6/9/09 at 6:46pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

I like TV theme songs. Good intro music will get me to try a show. And I prefer to watch the intro song for every episode, whether it's live, Tivo'd or on DVD. (My wife, however, prefers to skip the themes )

But I've enjoyed the recent changes. As long as the creators create the right sonic signature for the show, I'll enjoy it, whether it's short and simple or long and complex. My favorites are those like the incredible, unique music for BSG. But the sonic blur of Lost is also great.

No, "Lost" won't be on theme-song CD and isn't hummable. But that's not the point, is it? The purpose is to grab the viewer and introduce the show. Everything else is secondary.
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post #43 of 53
6/9/09 at 8:11pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF

No, "Lost" won't be on theme-song CD and isn't hummable. But that's not the point, is it? The purpose is to grab the viewer and introduce the show. Everything else is secondary.

I say the same thing about film scores, but a lot of film score fans are a bit too arrogant to admit that. Big sense of entitlement when it comes to albums and how they (should always) work independently.
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post #44 of 53
6/19/09 at 7:50am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Given the topic if this thread, I figured this would be of interest:
The great disappearing TV theme song: iconic ditties are a dying art

I'm actually suprised more people didn't mention "The Sopranos." Not many shows spend that long on the opening credits. Plus, the song is killer, too.
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post #45 of 53
6/19/09 at 9:17am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

What I also miss with opening theme music and montage, is being able to connect names to faces of the cast. These days, I have to look it up on the internet to find out who is playing this character for shows with no montage, like "Brothers & Sisters".

And I can understand shows like "Lost" and "24", not having them, since the cast changes season to season.
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post #46 of 53
6/19/09 at 10:20am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh Dial
I'm actually suprised more people didn't mention "The Sopranos." Not many shows spend that long on the opening credits. Plus, the song is killer, too.

I think that's because it's more an issue of original themes made for the show, whereas Sopranos used a pre-existing song. For those adapted themes, the CSI's take the win for me with Sopranos being a very close second.
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post #47 of 53
6/19/09 at 12:54pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ockeghem
Nicholas,

I own three of these volumes (1, 2, and 5). I've searched for vols. 3 and 4, but I don't think they exist -- or if they do, I have yet to track them down.

You're right about some of them having the 'off the broadcast' recordings, too. But some of them sound as if they were taken from the master sources. Either way, I appreciate having them. One of the neat aspects of the recordings is that there are so many themes included on each disc. They are a real treat to listen to every now and then.

They released the last four all on the same day, as I recall. Never noticed anything wrong with the quality of the songs, although I suspected some of them were sound-alikes: Dallas, Knot's Landing, St. Elsewhere. All of those didn't sound quite right to me. I know Dallas had like 10 different versions, but I suspect the TV Toons version is a cover.
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post #48 of 53
6/19/09 at 8:08pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MishaLauenstein
They released the last four all on the same day, as I recall. Never noticed anything wrong with the quality of the songs, although I suspected some of them were sound-alikes: Dallas, Knot's Landing, St. Elsewhere. All of those didn't sound quite right to me. I know Dallas had like 10 different versions, but I suspect the TV Toons version is a cover.
Yes, when I searched for the volumes I had yet to track down, I ended up finding them quite easily. It's just that I hadn't looked for them for such a long time. I found several releases (volumes 1-7, I believe) on OCLC.

The volumes I own (1, 2, and 5) contain much earlier music, which for me are my favorite tunes, so I'm fine with that, at least for the time being.
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post #49 of 53
6/19/09 at 10:00pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

I own one of those albums, which I bought used. "Cable Ready".

Others I had borrowed from the library a couple of years ago. I should see if they're still available there.

I haven't listened to it in a long time, but I remember the Star Trek TNG theme was a synthesized sound-alike arrangement, not the real deal. Guess they couldn't secure the rights for it from GNP Crescendo, which included a dozen or so variants of it on all those TNG TV soundtracks they released.
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post #50 of 53
3/20/10 at 6:02pm
Thought you guys would enjoy this as much as I did:
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post #51 of 53
3/20/10 at 6:43pm
Thread Starter 
Great find Adam :)
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post #52 of 53
3/20/10 at 7:05pm


One Of my faves.
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post #53 of 53
3/20/10 at 7:07pm


Another old fave
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