a question about song rights (1 Viewer)

[Jay_B!]

as we all know by now, one of the most frustrating aspects to TV-DVD collecting is the ever-so-loved music rights problem.

This question is about TV Themes.

I know some shows, like Dawson's Creek (Paula Cole's "I Don't Want To Wait"), The Wonder Years (Joe Cocker's "With A Little Help From My Friends), Married With Children (Frank Sinatra's "Love And Marriage") used pre-existing songs that were already hits and well known as their theme songs, and those songs became pains in the butt to retain on DVD.

I was curious about songs that were created for the show, but then ended up becoming a hit song. Such as "Believe It Or Not" from Greatest American Hero, "I'll Be There For You" from Friends and "Welcome Back" from Welcome Back Kotter. Since those songs were created especially for the show, is it technically "part of the show" (much like the episode footage) or did Anchor Bay still have to negotiate with Joey Scarbury's music holders to be able to use Believe It Or Not to use as the theme to the GAH DVD's? I was wondering because I know there's a difference when a tv show takes an already established song as the theme and when a song was created as the theme for a show and ends up becoming a hit.

 

[MarkHastings]

I don't think the Friend's theme was created for the show.

 

[Jay_B!]

I had read that the Rembrandts recorded a quick 40 second jingle as a theme song, and then the show became a phenomenon and then they went and recorded a full-length version of "I'll Be There For You" and it became a huge hit in the summer of 1995.