Favorite TV Show Theme Songs

As a someone who grew up on television and a lot of music, I paid close attention to the theme songs to TV shows. For me, a good theme song was very important, as it would capture my attention and pique my interest in the show. As an adult, I still pay attention to the music on television shows, and I'm more likely to watch a show I've never seen before if I like the intro music or song.

The theme song for "The Munsters"
This is my all-time favorite TV-show theme song. It's an infectious ghoulish groove with some surf guitar thrown into the mix to give it some rock flavor. And I really dig how the characters are introduced during the theme song: Granpa trying to bite Lily Munster's arm, Herman Munster clomping down the stairs, Eddie Munster getting annoyed at his Mom for fussing over him. Great stuff.

The theme song was written by Jack Marshall, who was a guitarist, conductor, composer, author and teacher. A veteran studio guitarist, Marshall played the guitar part himself, as he didn't trust anyone else to play it properly. He also scored the music for episodes of the show.

Additionally, Marshall composed music for other TV shows, such as "The Deputy," "The Debbie Reynolds Show," "Laredo" and "Have Gun, Will Travel." And Marshall also scored music for films. His film credits include Thunder Road, Tammy and the Millionaire, Kona Coast and Stay Away Joe. Marshall, who died at only 52 in 1973, lectured on guitar technique at the USC School of Music and wrote two books about guitar.

The Munsters



Ricky | MySpace Video

Theme song to "The Wire"

"Way Down in the Hole" is the bluesy, gospel intro song to "The Wire," and it puts the viewer right in the mood for this gritty and riveting crime drama. The song was written by singer/composer/actor Tom Waits, and the version by The Five Blind Boys of Alabama was used for the intro to the first season. Waits' original version was used for the second season intro. In all, there have been five different versions of the song used for the intro, a different one for each of the series' five seasons. It's a shame the show didn't have a longer run.

"The Wire" is without a doubt one of the best series that HBO has ever aired. It's a compelling and intelligent look at the drug trade on the rough streets of Baltimore. The series gives a fascinating view of the situation shown from three different perspectives: the dealers, the police and the politicians.

Here is the intro to the first season with The Five Blind Boys of Alabama's soul-stirring rendition of "Way Down in the Hole":


And here's Tom Wait's searing original version used for the second-season intro:





Theme Song for "Spider-Man"

As a kid I was a comic book fanatic. I was obsessed with them and constantly bugged my parents to buy them for me. I only collected Marvel comics, because I thought their comics had the best artwork as well as the most interesting characters and stories. I still have about 300 Marvel comics from way back in the day. Spider-Man was, and still is, one of my favorite Marvel characters. His character was fairly complex for a superhero. He always seemed conflicted about his superhero status, and it was more of a burden for him than anything else. Plus, he never got the credit he deserved from the public for his efforts. He was treated like an outcast or pariah most of the time. Spider-Man was one of the early misunderstood superheroes, and that's what intrigued me so much about him. I must still have at least 35 Spidey comics stored away somewhere.

While the TV "Spider-Man" cartoon wasn't nearly as good as the comic book, I still watched it. What I liked most about the show was its theme song. I know it's kind of cheesy, but it still has a certain charm to it and is catchy as hell. It also has a great bridge. The song was written by Academy award-winning lyricist Paul Francis Webster and composer Bob Harris. The song has been covered by a number of musical artists, including The Ramones and Aerosmith.




The Ramones cover of the song:




"The Rockford Files" Theme Music

Even if it didn't have any association with the show, I still would have noticed the theme to "The Rockford Files" as being a great piece of music. The music sounds rugged like the protagonist Jim Rockford but also has an easygoing vibe that also fits Rockford's character. The harmonica part gives it a down-home feel. And the Moog synthesizer provides a nice balance to the harmonica, a creative fusion of old-school and new technology. Back when the show first aired in 1974, the use of a synthesizer on a television series theme song was pretty new.

Producer/musician/composer Mike Post co-wrote the theme with longtime collaborator Pete Carpenter. Post is one of the most successful and prolific composers in television history and has written memorable melodies to numerous hit shows, including "Hill Street Blues," "L.A. Law" and "NYPD Blue." He has won five Grammys and an Emmy for scoring television theme music.

Carpenter was a jazz trombonist, arranger and veteran of television theme song scoring. He began his musical partnership with Post in 1968, which lasted until his death in 1987. The two scored more than 1800 hours of television music together and collaborated on hugely popular shows such as "Magnum, P.I.," "The A-Team" and "Hunter." The two won a Grammy for "The Rockford Files" theme in 1975. The duo also composed music for film, including Vanishing Point and Rabbit Test.


Rockford Files Season 1 intro


whytrytwice | MySpace Video

Pomplamoose

During my visits to youtube, I've come across many talented musicians and singers showcasing their skills in hopes of reaching a wider audience, but none have stood out more to me than a musical duo known as Pomplamoose. Pomplamoose is made up of musician/songwriters Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn, who are also a couple. Jack is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and filmmaker who plays more than 15 instruments. Nataly is a singer, composer, bassist, pianist and guitarist. Their base sound is indie rock, but they jump around to a number of different styles.

The couple present interesting and quirky covers of popular songs as well as original compositions through a new medium called "VideoSong" that they upload on Youtube. Jack says at their website (http://www.pomplamoose.com/) that "VideoSong" can be defined by the following two rules: 1. "What you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice)." 2. "If you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds)."

The duo infuse their VideoSongs with tons of humor and creativity, and I always end up smiling while watching them. Pomplamoose has played a few live shows and is unsigned, but I have little doubt that that will change soon. They are from Corte Madera, California.


Pomplamoose's cover Earth, Wind & Fire's "September":



An original by the duo called "Always in the Season":



Cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It":

Review of Sly & The Family Stone's Stand!

Sly & The Family Stone took listeners on a sonic joyride on their fourth studio album Stand! (1969). The collection is bursting at the seams with innovative ideas, stellar musicianship and great songs. The band had recorded first-rate material prior to Stand!, but that still didn’t prepare listeners for this mind-blowing aural experience. Rock, funk, gospel, pop, soul, blues and psychedelia intersect on this raucous and exhilarating album. And what Sly & the Family Stone has created is truly a revelation.

First up is “Everyday People,” a pop-soul gem that advocates tolerance and racial unity. The song’s construction is very simplistic. It starts with basic piano chords that are accompanied by a bouncy bass line and a steady mid-tempo beat. The intro is so poppy and simple that is sounds like it could be the opening for a song by a ‘60s bubblegum pop group like the Archies or the Lemon Pipers—that is until Sly’s soulful, heartfelt vocals kick in. The song has a nursery-rhyme feel to it but with strong gospel overtones; the high point of the song is its swelling, gospel-tinged chorus. “Everyday People” immediately hooked radio listeners and became one of the band’s biggest hits.

And on the opposite end of the album’s musical spectrum, there’s “Sex Machine,” a bluesy, funky shuffle of a groove. Clocking in at 13:46, “Sex Machine” allows the band members to cut loose and show off their chops. Larry Graham burns down the house with a scorching fuzz bass solo, and Sly tears it up with some trippy talk-box scatting on guitar. Also, his brother Freddie holds it down with a nasty wah-wah guitar solo, and sax player Jerry Martini and drummer Greg Errico get their moments to shine.

The album also contains uplifting, inspirational songs, such as “Stand!” and “You Can Make It If You Try.” “Stand!” is a rousing civil rights and counterculture protest anthem with some great horn lines from Martini and trumpeter Cynthia Robinson. “You Can Make It If You Try” has a fun, circusy vibe with Sly contributing a terrific calliope-like organ solo.

And let’s not forget “Sing A Simple Song,” a massive hydrogen-bomb funk assault. It begins with an effect that sounds like a vacuum cleaner being turned on and then jumps into the song proper with sister Rose belting out an impassioned soul cry to kick off the proceedings. The song percolates with highly syncopated funk that never lets up. And check out the amazing vocal layering in the “do-ri-mi” section.

“I Want To Take You Higher” is a ferocious rock-funk track that rumbles with wild anarchic abandon. The song boasts wicked horn play by Martini and Robinson and a killer harmonica solo from Sly. The band raised the roof with this cut at Woodstock.

And we go from “Higher” to “Somebody’s Watching You,” a song with a sweet and innocent-sounding vocal arrangement that belies its slightly ominous lyrics. This track shows what an inventive and clever lyricist Sly was in his prime.

“Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey” is a freakafied, in-your-face attack on racism. Sly brings back the talk-box on this blistering funk-rock cut. Near the song’s end, it sounds like the band has grooved into orbit.

On Stand! Sly further demonstrated his mastery in the recording studio and his musical versatility. He wrote, composed, arranged, and produced every song on the album and pulled out all the stops with studio tricks and other sonic experiments. This album proved without a doubt that Sly & The Family Stone were one of the baddest, most innovative bands of any era in rock or soul music.

Download Stand! at Amazon

Related blog entry: Review of Sly & The Family Stone's Fresh Album

"Sing a Simple Song"

"Everyday People"

"Stand!"

 

Stevie Wonder: A Visionary Who Wrote A New Chapter In Music History

Stevie Wonder performs at the White House (Photo by Pete Souza, official White House photographer)

The word genius gets thrown around willy-nilly these days. However, when it’s applied to Stevie Wonder, it’s not just hyperbole as one could make a strong argument to support the claim.

For starters, Stevie’s a consummate multi-instrumentalist, a master on piano, drums, synthesizer, harmonica, clavinet, melodica, celeste, congas and bongos. Moreover, he was a child prodigy and was signed to Motown at age 11. When he was 13, he had his first major hit with “Fingertips (Pt 2).” On the song, the wunderkind turned in an assured and passionate vocal performance that belied his years. He also pulled off an amazing harmonica solo on the song. Throughout his teens, Stevie continued to burn up the charts with hits like “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” “I Was Made To Love Her,” and “My Cherie Amour.” In addition, the gifted young artist co-wrote many of his early hits with Motown as well as songs for other artists on the label, including the Spinners and Smokey Robinson .

When Stevie turned 21, he renegotiated his contract with Motown, which granted him complete creative control over his musical output. The new contract made him one of the first artists to write, produce, arrange and perform his own songs. It also provided Stevie the freedom to explore the far reaches of his imagination and put it on wax. This resulted in an incredible run of albums in the ‘70s, starting with Music of My Mind in 1972 through Songs In The Key of Life in 1976. This came to be known as Stevie’s classic period in which he released one brilliant album after another.

Not only is Stevie a sensational musician, but he’s also a fantastic songwriter who possesses a strong melodic sense combined with great technical ability. He’s written great songs in a variety of music styles over the years, including funk, pop, blues, reggae, jazz, gospel, folk, soul and even country-and-western. He can drop a nasty funk groove like “Maybe Your Baby,” then floor you with a beautiful ballad like “Knocks Me Off My Feet.” And he can make you smile with the infectious, Latin-flavored “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” or almost bring you to tears with the elegiac “They Won’t Go When I Go.”

People who are only familiar with Stevie’s post-‘70s work often don’t realize what an inventive and groundbreaking artist he was in his prime. For one thing, he pioneered the use of synthesizers in R&B music. In addition, Stevie added his own innovations to funk music. He blew listeners away with his unique brand of clavinet-driven funk on monster cuts like “Superstition” and “Higher Ground.” He was also one of the first R&B artists to release albums that were fluid, cohesive musical statements rather than just a random collection of songs. Moreover, Stevie is responsible for some of the most beautiful ballads ever written in popular music. Musical gems such as “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever),” “Too Shy to Say,” and a slew of others prove that Stevie is without peer as a ballad writer.

And let’s not forget Stevie’s amazing voice, one his most effective and moving instruments. It’s supple yet gritty and unbelievably soulful. There have been numerous vocalists who have attempted to imitate Stevie’s vocal style and technique, but none have come close to capturing his nuance, passion and soul.

In addition to making great music, Stevie’s a very outspoken social activist who has never been afraid to infuse his political views into his songs. For instance, he lambasted the Nixon administration for its duplicity and indifference on the scathing “You Haven’t Done Nothin',” and he tackles racism and urban blight on the epic “Living For The City.” Some of his other political songs include “Big Brother,” “Cash In your Face” and “Heaven Help Us All." And Stevie puts his money where his mouth is outside the recording studio. Over the years, he’s been involved in a number of civil rights campaigns and other humanitarian and philanthropic endeavors. One of them was his spearheading of the campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday, for which he wrote the song “Happy Birthday” to honor the late civil rights leader. Some of Stevie’s other noteworthy efforts include his work to help end apartheid in South Africa and his participation on “We Are The World,” a musical all-star benefit song released to raise money for famine relief in Africa.

Although Stevie has continued to make great music through the years, he has never quite equaled the brilliance of those albums he released in the ‘70s. But very few artists have been able to maintain such a high level of creativity and excellence. The ‘70s were the decade where Stevie’s genius shined the brightest, and that’ something we all can be thankful for.

Earth, Wind & Fire: Musical Messengers on a Mission

Earth, Wind & Fire were a band to be reckoned with throughout the 1970s and early ‘80s. Led by Maurice White, former session drummer for Chess Records and player for the Ramsey Lewis Trio, EWF took the music world by storm with a slew of R&B and pop hits and dazzling concerts.

One of the things that set Earth, Wind & Fire apart from a lot of other popular R&B bands at the time was the cosmic, mystical air they had about them. They came across as musical sages with an important message to share with the world. Indeed, EWF were a band on a mission, and their quest was to spread positivity and inspire their listeners. They took on the role of spiritual cheerleaders for their audience, preaching self-reliance, self-awareness and self-improvement. EWF tried to instill in their listeners that they could achieve anything if they set their minds to it. And for some reason, all of this felt genuine and not just a good marketing gimmick.

But in order to get people to listen to your message, you’ve got have something to grab their attention first, and EWF were more than up for the challenge. White assembled a group of some of the baddest players this side of P-Funk. The band included bass titan Verdine White (Maurice’s brother) and singer/songwriter/percussionist Philip Bailey, who possesses a four-octave vocal range and a beautiful falsetto that would even make Smokey Robinson envious. The band also consisted of the super-tight Phenix Horns (Don Myrick saxophones, Louis "Lui Lui" Satterfield trombone, Rahmlee Michael Davis trumpet and Michael Harris trumpet); keyboard wizard Larry Dunn; talented axemen Al McKay, Roland Bautista and Johnny Graham; and dynamic drummers Ralph Johnson and Fred White (brother to Maurice and Verdine).

And then there’s Maurice White, founder and leader of EWF. As the band's guiding light, White wore many hats: songwriter, drummer, producer, arranger, timbales and kalimba player and vocalist. And he handled all of these duties with equal brilliance. In addition, White was a great showman who knew how to take control onstage and immediately connect with the audience.

Earth, Wind & Fire's music moved listeners of all ages, races and nationalities. The band’s sound was as multicolored as their costumes--a rich stew of funk, jazz, Latin, rock, African, pop, gospel and soul. They could jump from roof-raising funk to catchy pop to intricate jazz to gorgeous ballads and do it all well. The band was on a winning streak in the ‘70s, dropping hit after hit, including “Mighty Mighty,” “Shining Star,” “Can't Hide Love,” “Sing a Song,” “Boogie Wonderland," “Serpentine Fire" and "September." And they were not just a great singles’ band but also had strong cohesive albums, such as That's the Way of the World, All ‘N All and Gratitude. Moreover, the band has sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and won six Grammys.

And their concerts were captivating displays of impeccable musicianship combined with great showmanship and elaborate stage sets—sort of like Miles Davis meets P.T. Barnum. They even hired magicians Doug Henning and David Copperfield to make their shows even more spectacular.

During the ‘70s and early ‘80s, EWF earned their spot as one of the greatest bands of all time, even having some critics dub them “The Black Beatles.” But EWF didn’t need to be compared to any band, because they were amazing and unique in their own right. No one will ever forget the mighty Earth, Wind & Fire as they left an indelible mark on popular music.

Related blog entry: Album Review of Earth, Wind & Fire's All 'N All

James Brown: Still Underrated After All These Years

James Brown Photo by Soul Portrait

Although James Brown has received tons of accolades for his incredible talent, I feel that he is still underrated. By many, he’s remembered as a tremendously gifted showman who released great records to dance to. However, that is just scratching the surface of what the legendary artist had accomplished in his 50-year career in the music industry. Much more than just a great entertainer, Brown was one of the most important and influential music artists of the 20th century.

During the mid-1960s, Brown reshaped the musical landscape with the creation of a raw, rhythm-heavy form of R&B that we’ve come to know as funk. This new music style was polyrhythmic and heavily syncopated and more earthy than most of the R&B that was heard on the airwaves at the time. The rhythm took precedence over melody and harmonies in this fresh new sound, which was quite unique at the time. Brown's grooves were explosive; the guitars, bass, drums, and horns ricocheted off one another to form the sonic equivalent of a combustion engine. In Brown's hands, all the instruments functioned as percussive components in support of the groove. Funk is all about the groove and how it moves the listener on an instinctive and visceral level.

Additionally, Brown’s funk possessed a tribal edge and had direct ties to his African roots. Funk immediately connected with America's black youth. It spoke to them in a way that no other previous genre ever had. Funk represented the freedom of pure black expression with all of its visceral power and authenticity intact. It was rebellious, aggressive and in-your-face, not tamed and watered-down for mainstream consumption.  Consequently, the existence of funk alone was a huge political statement. Before long, people of all races and social standing around the world began to embrace the funk. The power of "the One" was just too strong to ignore or deny.

Funk took center stage in the ‘70s with the emergence of popular funk bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire, The Ohio Players, Kool & The Gang and The Average White Band. These bands charged full force through the funky path that Brown had blazed for them the previous decade. In addition, innovative, groundbreaking music acts such as Sly & the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder and Parliament-Funkadelic expanded on Brown’s blueprint, adding their own unique touches to the  genre. And in that decade, Brown remained at the top of his game, dropping countless funk classics, including “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine,” “Funky Drummer,” “Super Bad ” and “The Payback.”

Moreover, Brown’s dynamic performance style also proved to be very influential. Superstar artists/performers like Michael Jackson, Prince and Mick Jagger owe a great debt to the Godfather of Soul. When you watch their live performances, Brown’s influence is undeniable.

Additionally, his grooves were the foundation for early rap records via samples. Hip-hop music wouldn’t have even existed without Brown’s funk. And he anticipated rap on early-‘70s records such as “Escape-ism” and “King Heroin” in which he spoke the lyrics instead of singing them. And let’s not forget “Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud,” one of the most iconic black pride anthems of all time, where he rapped the main verses and only sang on the song’s famous chorus and the bridge.

Disco music was another descendant of funk. In fact, most contemporary dance music can be traced back to Brown’s early funk grooves--house, techno, trance, trip hop, jungle/drum ‘n’ bass, breakbeat, etc. And Brown’s influence is not only restricted to R&B, hip-hop and dance music; it also can be heard in pop, rock and even alternative music. Alternative funk-metal bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus and Faith No More are all products Brown's pioneering funk innovations decades earlier.

And if that weren’t enough to remove any doubts of Brown’s massive impact on popular music, let’s take a peek his accomplishments on the charts. He had 99 singles make Billboard’s top 100. The only artist to have more was Elvis Presley. Additionally, he had a staggering 116 entries on the Billboard’s R&B singles charts, seventeen of which went to number one. Only Stevie Wonder and Louis Jordan had more number ones on the R&B charts.

Also, his concerts were the stuff of legend. Brown (aka “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business” and "Mr. Dynamite") electrified audiences all over the world with his powerhouse performances and set the bar unbelievable high for every performer who came after him.

As a way to measure Brown’s amazing legacy, try to imagine what popular music would be like without him… didn’t think you could.


James Brown & the Famous Flames turn out the T.A.M.I. Show with an explosive, history-making performance in 1964.

James Brown and the original J.B.'s tear up the stage on an Italian TV show in 1971.

Underrated Bass Players

This is a list of some great players whose talents I think have been sorely overlooked:


Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire) - I know he's respected by his peers and music journalists, but his name rarely comes up on music forums when people make up lists of great bass players. Verdine is wizard on the instrument, and more people need to recognize his gifts.

Colin Moulding (XTC) - He always brought something interesting to his bass lines, great melodic sense combined with amazing technical precision.

Jermaine Jackson - I've heard some people don't even believe he ever actually played the bass on any of the Jackson 5 or Jacksons' songs or any of his solo work, but rather had a stand-in playing his bass parts. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jermaine is a consummate bass player who held down the bottom on the Jacksons' tunes as well as his solo work. I think many people were so mesmerized by his brother MJ that they often overlooked his considerable talents.

Carol Kaye - She played bass on several of the Beach Boys hits and was a Motown session player and added bottom to a number of Phil Spector productions. And that's not even scratching the surface of all of her accomplishments on the instrument. But for some reason, she never got the recognition that someone like James Jamerson received.

Cordell "Boogie" Mosson and Rodney "Skeet" Curtis - Both brought heavy doses of funk as bass players for the P-Funk army but were usually overshadowed by the more flamboyant Bootsy Collins.

Prince - Yeah, I said it. He's more recognized for his guitar-playing abilities, but if you really listen to some of his bass work, you'll realize he's a helluva player on the instrument.