Long ago, I found a YouTube clip that had the super-cool theme music for the 1970s cop series "Kojak." I just stumbled upon an even better, fuller version of that theme. Enjoy. Bask ye now in the coolness of Telly Savalas. Who loves ya', baby?
You're welcome.
_
Sunday, September 19, 2010
your moment of Greek awesomeness
6 comments:
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They just don't make theme songs like they used to. Back then the opening credits were a major production. Now it seems like shows want to get them out of the way as quickly as possible.
ReplyDeleteHands down, the best theme song/opening credit sequence ever was for this short-lived series. And worst of all, this theme song sequence never aired in the U.S. I, for one, would easily have sat through the 4 minute opening credit sequence week after week to see the absolutely stunning Erin Gray and Pamela Hensley.
ReplyDeleteFor rousing themes, these two are real winners: Tales of the Gold Monkey and The Rat Patrol.
And how many of us remember the original themes to Simon & Simon and magnum p.i.?
Along the lines of Kojak, these three had some great themes (including one that was incorporated into "Kill Bill"): Mannix, My Title Ironside (Kill Bill), and Cannon
For some reason, the theme from The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries always scared me a little.
Charles,
ReplyDeleteI agree. And so many shows these days have openers and backgrounds that sound like the theme for "House." It's all so electronica-heavy these days that I find it fun when composers are allowed to go retro. Another reason I enjoyed BSG: the omnipresent erhu, taiko, and Buddhist bells, coupled in strange ways with certain Western reed instruments. Bear McCreary, who did the BSG series themes (though not the music for the reboot's miniseries/pilot), also scores the new series "Human Target," but his work there feels phoned-in.
John,
I'm sorry, but it appears the first link is blocked here in the States; YouTube says this is for copyright reasons. You mentioned Erin Gray and Pamela Hensley... was this, perchance, a clip from the opening of "Buck Rogers"? I remember Erin Gray wearing a lot of spandex, and Pamela Hensley in many a skimpy outfit.
I remember liking the catchy opening music for "Tales of the Gold Monkey," which vaguely recalled "Raiders of the Lost Ark" while also evoking "The A Team." (It was a SJ Cannell production, right? Many of his shows' themes had similar leitmotifs.)
That "Magnum P.I." clip was wild-- way funkier (and way better) than the theme I'm familiar with.
Holy crap-- the "Ironside" opener brought back memories! And I knew it sounded familiar when I saw "Kill Bill," but I never could place it.
Thanks for the clips.
Kevin
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteLet's see if this truncated version works: Buck Rogers Movie theme without the narration by Orson Welles, and here's another theme that Quentin appropriated from classic television history, The Green Hornet.
I agree that that original "magnum p.i." theme is better than the one most people are familiar with. Interestingly, "Tales of the Gold Monkey" was created by the man behind Magnum, Donald P. Bellisario, and he brought many familiar faces from Magnum over to Tales. My favorite has to be Magnum's wife Michelle Hue (Marta DuBois), but Mac (Jeff Mackay) was a close second. Someone put a then and now tribute about Tales on youtube. I was shocked to find out the Jeff MacKay had recently passed away after watching him for all those years on "magnum" and then on "JAG," another Bellisario production. However, the lead, Stephen Collins, met his wife on Tales (Faye Grant), and she went onto a little mini-series (and then series) called "V."
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you are into TV comedy theme songs, but this one is really out of this world. Also, the creator of Psych not only wrote, sings, and plays the theme song opening with his band "The Friendly Indians," but he has
a lot of fun with them in his
different themed episodes.
Here's another original opening sequence to a hit show that was replaced by something all of us remember today, but why?
ReplyDeleteHowever, here's one I'm actually glad they changed for the better.