Monday, August 13, 2012

TV THEMES THAT PREDATE THE TV SHOW


Last June, I posted a countdown of my sixty favorite TV theme songs after KYTV's Ethan Forhetz picked his top ten favorite TV theme songs. In my original list, I weeded out songs that predated the TV shows debut.  This list is dedicated to those TV themes that predate the TV show. I also added classical music pieces that were used for TV themes. I didn't number these, but tried to put them in order of recognition.

CSI - “Who Are You” The Who
CSI:Miami - “Won’t Get Fooled Again” The Who
CSI:New York - “Baba O’Reily” The Who
The Golden Girls - “Thank You for Being a Friend” Andrew Gold (Performed by a female singer on TV)
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - “Journey to the Sorcerer” The Eagles (Instrumental)
Absolutely Fabulous - “Wheels On Fire” Brian Auger & Trinity with Julie Driscoll (written by Bob Dylan)
The Wonder Years - “With a Little Help From My Friends” Joe Cocker (Originally by the Beatles)
Married With Children - “Love and Marriage” Frank Sinatra
That 70s Show - “In The Streets” Big Star (Performed by the cast on TV)
The Drew Carey Show - “Cleveland Rocks” Ian Hunter (TV version performed by Presidents of the United States)
Dawson’s Creek - “I Don’t Want To Wait” Paula Cole
The Young Ones - “The Young Ones” Cliff Richard (Performed by the cast - Don't make fun of Cliff)
Crime Story - “Runaway” Del Shannon
Get a Life - “Stand” REM
Joan of Arcadia - “One of Us” Joan Osbourne
Life Goes On - “Ob-da-Di, Ob-La-Da” The Beatles (Performed by the cast on TV)
Party of Five - “Closer To Free” The Bo Deans
Tour of Duty - “Paint It Black” The Rolling Stones
China Beach - “Reflections” The Supremes
Weeds - “Little Boxes” Malvina Reynolds
Bosom Buddies - “My Life” Billy Joel
The Insiders - “Just a Job To Do” Genesis
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (80s series) - “Harlem Nocturne” Randy Brooks Band (Biggest hit version by The Viscounts)
The Match Game (60s version) - “Swinging Safari” Billy Vaughn
Red Skelton Show - “Holiday for Strings” David Rose Orchestra
Ernie Kovacs Show - “Oriental Blues” Tony DeSimone Trio
Benny Hill Show - “Yakety Sax” Boots Randolph
Captain Kangaroo - “Puffin Billy” Melody Light Orchestra
American Bandstand - “Bandstand Boogie” Les Elgart Orchestra (Used until 1969)
Happy Days (1st Season) - “Rock Around the Clock” Bill Haley & the Comets
Cops - “Bad Boys” Inner Circle
The Young and the Restless - “Cotten’s Dream” Perry Botkin Jr. & Barry DeVorzon (From the 1971 movie Bless the Beast and The Children - renamed “Nadia’s Theme” after it was used by ABC to accompany footage of Nadia Comaneci in the 1976 Olympics on Wide World of Sports).
The Avengers - “The Shake” Laurie Johnson (A failed instrumental, Johnson used it as the theme when he took over the scoring of the show during the Emma Peel era)
Make Room For Daddy - “Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)” (Jazzy Instrumental of Irish ballad)
Designing Women - “Georgia On My Mind” Hoggy Charmical (Instrumental version performed by Doc Severinsen)

From the Classics:
The Lone Ranger - “William Tell Overture” Gioachino Rossini
Alfred Hitchcock Presents - “Funeral March of the Marionettes” Charles Gounod
Masterpiece Theater -  "Rondeau" from “Symphonies and Fanfares for the King’s Supper” Jean-Joseph Mouret
Firing Line - “Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Third Movement, Allegro assai” J.S. Bach
Captain Video - “The Flying Dutchman” Richard Wagner
Wings - "Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959, IV. Rondo. Allegretto." Franz Shubert
Monty Python’s Flying Circus - “Liberty Bell March” John Phillip Sousa

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