How could you forget Henry Mancini's wonderful intro music to the NBC Sunday Night Mystery series? Outside of that, wow...great memories with Rockford and Hawaii-Five-O! :-D
Just linking it to your piece and rehearing it reminded me how perfect it was for setting up the excitement of watching a mystery (the visuals didn’t hurt either). Enjoyed your compilation, Dan!
The '70s were the golden age of FUNKY TV theme songs... I want to add shoutouts here for Barney Miller (which feels like it could just be a Jaco Pastorius song)...
I'd have to add the theme song to "Laverne and Shirley," which not only was a great song in its own right, but matched the visuals of the shows opening perfectly.
Joseph, that theme was written by longtime theme-music composers, Gimbel & Fox. The little-known Cyndi Grecco recorded the theme for Private Stock Records in '76, where the single got to #25 on the U.S. pop charts.
I loved S.W.A.T. and Emergency! (sometimes referred to as Emergency 51) as a kid. I spent a lot of time playing outside, and I remember very well playing S.W.A.T. with friends when I was 7/8 years old. I, too, love its 'Shaft' style theme. I also liked CHiPs, but it wasn't as gritty as S.W.A.T.
I also have fond memories of watching Planet of The Apes and Gamera films on Sunday mornings.
Record buyers agreed on the Rockford Files, sending the single to #12 on the WLS Music Survey in August 75, right behind 1. Someone Saved My Life Tonight, 2. Jive Talkin, 3. Rhinestone Cowboy, 4. Listen To What The Man Said, 5. Love Will Keep Us Together, 6. Fallin In Love, 8. Why Can't We Be Friends, 9. Midnight Blue, and 11. I'm Not in Love—truly an excellent time to be alive (at least until I got braces AND glasses in the same month that fall).
Great list, Dan, and always happy to see praise for Gil Melle and Billy Goldenberg, who wrote the score for Duel and the 1969 Night Gallery pilot. Here are three themes from two series that I love:
- the opening and closing themes for "Wild, Wild World of Animals," a syndicated nature series that aired between 1973 and 1978. Not only did the series have William Conrad as narrator, but it also featured these two themes by the German-American composing duo of Gerhard Trede and Beatrice Witkin. The opener is a amazing mix of early electronic with faux exoticism, while the closer would play well over a European spy adventure. Both were apparently replaced during the series' run.
- Stu Phillips' creepy but kid-friendly theme for "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" (1977-79). Not sure why producer Glen A. Larson gets the theme credit, but Phillips was his go-to composer for most of his TV series ("Knight Rider," "Battlestar Galactica") and some incredible drive-in titles in the '60s and '70s. This is the original first and second season opener and closer (with VO by the great Ron Gans), which was apparently remixed with a sort of disco beat for the third and final season.
Echoing Michael's reply and adding that literally – LITERALLY – last night in a fit of insomnia, I was watching retro-vintage TV intros and up popped The Streets of San Francisco! Thanks, Dan.
I think I was pretty biased (consciously or otherwise) towards instrumental themes versus themes with lyrics. But I’ve long loved the fact that the same guy who wrote the MTM theme also wrote “I Fought the Law” (Sonny Curtis)
How could you forget Henry Mancini's wonderful intro music to the NBC Sunday Night Mystery series? Outside of that, wow...great memories with Rockford and Hawaii-Five-O! :-D
https://youtu.be/8VI9mUyG_f0?si=n7ueD3107H2kuMZ_
That’s a great one - but it’s one I appreciate far more now than I did as a kid.
Just linking it to your piece and rehearing it reminded me how perfect it was for setting up the excitement of watching a mystery (the visuals didn’t hurt either). Enjoyed your compilation, Dan!
Can I just say how much I loved Barnaby Jones? In school, I would stay up late and watch the reruns. Great show, great theme.
The '70s were the golden age of FUNKY TV theme songs... I want to add shoutouts here for Barney Miller (which feels like it could just be a Jaco Pastorius song)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II71tmVsKrE
...and its spin-off Fish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAeO5f_aecA
I can’t believe I forgot Barney Miller - a great theme, and another NYC show my dad never missed!
Dan - have you ever noticed the similarity between Neal Hefti’s Odd Couple theme and Milt Jackson’s composition Bags’ Groove?
Wow! No - but now that you mention it…
I'd have to add the theme song to "Laverne and Shirley," which not only was a great song in its own right, but matched the visuals of the shows opening perfectly.
....and you can't forget about the kick-ass theme song to The Jefferson's.
"Movin' On Up" was written by actress Ja'Net DuBois (who sang it) and living legend, Jeff Barry.
Joseph, that theme was written by longtime theme-music composers, Gimbel & Fox. The little-known Cyndi Grecco recorded the theme for Private Stock Records in '76, where the single got to #25 on the U.S. pop charts.
Here's Cyndi's interview with Dick Clark on "American Bandstand," where she had sung the single/theme just beforehand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpCi73hG5xY&list=TLPQMTcwOTIwMjRKUalMxWNuqw&index=2
I'd also like to offer up the kick-ass theme song to The Jefferson's for consideration.
I loved the early/mid-70’s when geezers like Jack Lord, Buddy Ebsen, William Conrad & Karl Malden were still kicking ass (on TV, anyway).
I loved S.W.A.T. and Emergency! (sometimes referred to as Emergency 51) as a kid. I spent a lot of time playing outside, and I remember very well playing S.W.A.T. with friends when I was 7/8 years old. I, too, love its 'Shaft' style theme. I also liked CHiPs, but it wasn't as gritty as S.W.A.T.
I also have fond memories of watching Planet of The Apes and Gamera films on Sunday mornings.
Hey Dan,
Record buyers agreed on the Rockford Files, sending the single to #12 on the WLS Music Survey in August 75, right behind 1. Someone Saved My Life Tonight, 2. Jive Talkin, 3. Rhinestone Cowboy, 4. Listen To What The Man Said, 5. Love Will Keep Us Together, 6. Fallin In Love, 8. Why Can't We Be Friends, 9. Midnight Blue, and 11. I'm Not in Love—truly an excellent time to be alive (at least until I got braces AND glasses in the same month that fall).
My favorite Goldsmith theme, audio madeleine category, is the theme from the Waltons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5LQ5k-bjbE
(I never liked the show, however, suggesting engagement with the show itself is not a prerequisite for having a theme embedded in your soul forever.)
My dad and I never missed The Streets of San Francisco, so thanks for jogging that memory.
I couldn’t hack the Waltons at all - even when it was one of the only US shows available to watch in the UK. But yeah, that’s a pretty good theme!
I fell down this rabbit hole following your post, so now you can too: http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wlsyear.htm
Hahaha - you may not be surprised to learn that I’ve had that site bookmarked for about five years now!
Great list, Dan, and always happy to see praise for Gil Melle and Billy Goldenberg, who wrote the score for Duel and the 1969 Night Gallery pilot. Here are three themes from two series that I love:
- the opening and closing themes for "Wild, Wild World of Animals," a syndicated nature series that aired between 1973 and 1978. Not only did the series have William Conrad as narrator, but it also featured these two themes by the German-American composing duo of Gerhard Trede and Beatrice Witkin. The opener is a amazing mix of early electronic with faux exoticism, while the closer would play well over a European spy adventure. Both were apparently replaced during the series' run.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPAF9pdkWSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a5zl96448k
- Stu Phillips' creepy but kid-friendly theme for "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" (1977-79). Not sure why producer Glen A. Larson gets the theme credit, but Phillips was his go-to composer for most of his TV series ("Knight Rider," "Battlestar Galactica") and some incredible drive-in titles in the '60s and '70s. This is the original first and second season opener and closer (with VO by the great Ron Gans), which was apparently remixed with a sort of disco beat for the third and final season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJzYiob_HK0
Oh my god, I’d completely forgotten all of these! Thank you, Sartana!
Both easy to forget - they're out of circulation except for their half-life status on YouTube.
Hey, that S.W.A.T. theme song totally rips off Isaac Hayes!
Hayes himself did the theme for a similar series around the same time, "The Men".
I love most of these but kind of disappointed there's no Three's Company. Hahahaha.
Echoing Michael's reply and adding that literally – LITERALLY – last night in a fit of insomnia, I was watching retro-vintage TV intros and up popped The Streets of San Francisco! Thanks, Dan.
Probably the best sung TV themes of the era: The Jeffersons, Good Times, Love American Style, Laverne & Shirley, and of course, Mary Tyler Moore.
I think I was pretty biased (consciously or otherwise) towards instrumental themes versus themes with lyrics. But I’ve long loved the fact that the same guy who wrote the MTM theme also wrote “I Fought the Law” (Sonny Curtis)
Mary throwing her hat into the air after the lyric "you're going to make it after all" is sheer perfection.
Another great list. I offer up the 1970s theme from Monday Night Football, called simply, "Score." https://youtu.be/JV-pYT4wldc?si=TKJpm2GKGKNjDCqt
Excellent choice!
The '60s, '70s and '80s were the Golden Age of TV themes. Everything after is just noise.
(And I do remember "The Houndcats", since I wrote about it in both of my books on television animation.)
Yes! I’m glad I’m not the only one who remembers!