TV themes/music...
 

What are some of yr favorite TV themes/Music ? Doesn't necessarily have to be the opening theme, just a bar or 2 that was played in the show. F'r instance, the "Tender love" theme in the original "Star Trek"- They played it for Mr Spock in that episode w/the funky plants that shot spores & Spock got emotions. They played it every time Jill Ireland's character, Spock's G/F comes around. Another one of my faves was the opening theme from "Crime Story", a bitchin' Version of "Runaway" by Del Shannon. Sadly, Shannon killed himself not long after the show was on the air. One of the prettiest TV themes was Dominic Frontiere's score for the 1975 TV movie "THe Black Dahlia", starring Lucy Arnaz, & Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., about a famous 1947 murder in Los Angeles that was never really solved. And, going back a little, I LOVED "The Banana Splits' "Tra-La-La" song from 1969, when I was a kid. What are some of yours?

Bonanza,was one of my favs.If I hear it today I am back in 1964,

Also enjoyed the theme from The green Hornet.



Alan

The theme from Baretta by Dave Grusin, and the theme from Taxi by Bob James.

Suicide is Painless(Theme from Mash)
Welcome Back- John Sebastion

Gotta love The Munsters "Surf Rock" theme!

On a more nostalgic note, A few years ago I was dozing :boring: off in the recliner when the Green Acres theme started playing on TV Land, just for a brief moment I was a 6 year old kid again falling asleep on my parents couch, it was quite a disappointment to wake up and realize it was a dream. :D

Dum, da dum dum. Dragnet. Everybody knows it instantly.


And how could you not like Frankie Laine, belting out the "Rawhide" theme?


And Johnny Rivers doing "Secret Agent Man" (which was released as a single.)


The minimalist "dee-dee-dee-dee, dee-dee-dee-dee" theme from "The Twilight Zone" is a classic.

As is the Funeral March of the Marionette, which was Alfred Hitchcock's theme.

"Hill Street Blues" was a good one, as was "WKRP in Cincinnati". Here's a couple of VERY obscure ones:"Tucker's Witch" & "The Feather & Father Gang".

To name a few

Unsolved Mysteries
Knight Rider
Space 1999
Star Trek Voyager

The bluesy theme from Becker is killer. Whoever is playing guitar has killer tone.

I second Hill Street Blues, it has always been one of my faves...now, let's be careful out there!

The theme song from Sanford and Son is one of my all time faves. I rescently scored a Lou Donaldson LP and low and behold there was the tune.
The theme for Enterprise is also kinda cool.

The very first original "I Dream Of Jeannie" song from the first 1965 season. Music by "Duval". It was the slow one with a lot of strings instruments. That was lush and romantic. :beatnik:

I liked the closing music of "WKRP Cincinnati" at the end of the show...pretty rockin'. The theme song was great too! Funny I was just humming it the other day :guitar:

I always liked the "1965" "Jeanie" theme better, too

Hawaii Five-O. Where's Jack Lord when you need him?

Besides all the ones mentioned above I remember watching as a kid Gilligan's Island and the Banana Splits after school.

The more contemporary ones I like is the theme to X-Files, Twin Peaks, and Alias.

:thmbsp: The Greatest American Hero....Cheesy? Yes. I used to watch this show in re-runs in the early 90s afternoons after school....it was on before Gilligans Island...and let's not forget George Costanza's answering machine "Believe it or not, Geroge isn't at home...." :D

Oh, the theme to seinfeld....do do do do do do dooo do do do do do do do do dodo do do (puh) bunununu!

Can't believe no one's mentioned "The Batman Theme" by Neal Hefti from the old Adam West TV show.

Heck, it actually was a 45 and got airplay

The theme from Barney Miller. Cool bass riff. Also The theme at the end of Sesame Street circa 1970. "Sesame Street was brought to you by the childrens television workshop"...then a cool funky tune would play. Lots of wah wah pedal action. Almost like pRon music :scratch2: I'm trying to find a recording of it.

Thomas

I'll second the Barney Miller mention, very cool little walking line! :thmbsp:

I have to put in a vote for The Rockford Files, and Simon & Simon too.

Man! I missed it by 4 minutes. The Rockford Files was what I was going to say.

Thirded. One of the first moments that came to mind for this thread.

Also dig:

I Spy -- the moment right as the three gunshots sounded and it went a little harder and rhythmic.

Dark Shadows -- theremin!

opening few notes of Angel -- I always pleasantly anticipate that door coming off its hinges. I always liked this theme, from the first time I heard it. The use of cello/violin/viola/whatever that instrument is, is brilliant. I think it sets exactly the mood that the show is going for.

And yeah, "one banana two banana three banana four..." I have a t-shirt that says "One tequila two tequila three tequila floor" that always brings a smile to my face.

Seconded! When I was about 8 or 9, this was my favorite song, and I wanted to play it so much that my parents (who had the LP) gave it to me to play in my room upstairs on my Yorx all-in-one so they wouldn't have to listen to it so much...
I also have fond memories of the MacGyver theme
And of course, the Simpsons theme can't be overlooked

"where everybody knows your name"

Far out.

I just had to ask the wife about another one I remembered. I mentioned this thread and me cranking up the opening music to a TV show we used to watch a while back....

She blurted out VEGAS without even batting an eye. "A little less conversation"
That remix was pretty cool.

Just to be a jerk about things, I thought I'd mention....the theme to....BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD

Lost in Space (B&W era)
Peter Gunn
Adams Family
Wild, Wild, West
Miami Vice
H.R. PuffnStuff

The rest were already mentioned -

Banana Splits (Absolutely! I recall being yelled at on a car trip for endlessly singing it. "One banana, two banana, three banana, four.....")
Batman
Munsters
Secret Agent
Hawaii 5-0
Crime Story

Nothing current though strikes a chord.

Hi Guys,

I love the following :-

1. Hawaii Five O.
2. SWAT.
3. COMBAT! Great, great show. I still watch this show. Sergeant Saunders, Little John, Kirby, Doc and Lt. Rick Jason.

All three theme songs above were played by my Alma Mater's marching Band!

4. Paladin. They don't show this anymore and I miss it. Have Gun Will Travel.
5. Happy Days with the Fonz.
6. Lucky Luke. 'Twas an old French cowboy cartoon show. I liked the theme song.

Thanks :-)
cosmicdust.

My absolute fave.....

"Here we come, walkin'
Down the street.
We get the funniest looks from
Ev'ry one we meet.
Hey, hey, we're the Monkees
And people say we monkey around.
But we're too busy singing
To put anybody down."

I like the X-Files theme, its perfect for that show and the opening credit sequence, guess thats why they didn't change it for so many years. I see your Cheers nomination and raise you one Family Ties, gotta love those eighties sitcoms...or not.

"Gotcha" - the Tom Scott composed theme from "Starsky & Hutch" (second season) is a good one, also. :)

TV themes? How 'bout...
 

M Squad
Perry Mason
Peter Gunn
Man From Uncle(later funky version)
NYPD(the late '60's version)
Name Of The Game
Secret Agent Man
The Avengers(60's version)
The Prisoner
77 Sunset Strip
Richard Diamond
Combat
Wild Wild West
Mission Impossible
Beverly Hillbillies(Ballad of Jed Clampett)

In a recent pile of vinyl, I found an album "Goldfinger The Big Sound of Billy Strange His Guitar & Orchestra" with Peter Gunn, Paladin aka Have Gun, Will Travel & The Munsters Theme. It even had a testimonial on the back from Mr Tic-Tac-Dough Wink Martindale.

Fun album to listen to. Forced me to put a TT back in my main system (and add more rack space)

Most of Corporalcripp's list matches mine (with the addition of I Spy), but I have a few to add:

From the obscure file, does anybody remember Man in a Suitcase or The Outcasts?

Some more common favorites are Bat Masterson, Burke's Law, and, of course, Maverick!

There sure isn't much to choose from currently, but I think Remy Zero's "Save Me" is a great opener for Smallville.

The theme from "UFO" (composed by Barry Grey). It was a TV series created by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson (of Supercar [sweet avatar, MACAROON :thmbsp: ], Thunderbirds, Fireball XL-5, Stingray, and Space: 1999 fame). I'm sure no one else probably remembers it... :scratch2:

Also the theme from the original Battlestar Galactica. Quite a majestic sounding tune. :yes:

The Man From UNCLE theme was cool.

Jonny Quest's theme was pretty jazzy too.

Jeff

P.S. Almost forgot. The theme from Hardcastle & McCormick :thmbsp: :

Drive! (First Season Theme)

Drive, push it to the floor till the engine screams.

Drive, driving like the demon that drives your dreams.

You're on a hard road, nobody cares if you hit the brakes.

You've got to think fast, keep it in gear, one slip is all it takes.

You gotta keep your wheels on the straight and narrow,

If you wanta' survive.

Slow motion man, iron and steel in the palm of your hand.

High flyin' heart, bettin' your life on the state of the art.


Lay down the law. Don't you let 'em cross the line.

Under the hood, got the bad and the good. Everybody's doin' time.

Drive, push it to the floor till the engine screams.

Drive, driving like the demon that drives your dreams.
Drive!

Actually, I remember sitting with a tape recorder in front of the television when I was a kid, just to get its theme (did the same with Space:1999).

Gunsmoke
Have Gun, Will Travel
Rawhide
Wagon Train

Magilla Gorilla
Top Cat
The Jetsons

St. Elsewhere...another nice Dave Grusin piece.

I s thinking of Peter Gunn too, but thank goodness someone else did too.

Sanford and Son! Written by Smokey Robinson brother.

Listen to the full version it's pretty cool.

This is the big one...........

:D

Ha! Good to hear I wasn't the only one that did that (LOL)! :smoke:

Jeff