TV Themes...

[JimN]

Television themes (as with film themes) have long been an interest of mine. Indeed, on the Secrets' albums, I was influential in ensuring the inclusion of Callan (er... Callan), The Mind Reader (Chan Canasta), Hit And Miss (Juke Box Jury) and The Man From UNCLE (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.).

There are loads of other signature tunes from over the years which stick in the memory, many of them half-forgotten (the programme or the tune). A few chosen at random might include The Men In Room 17, Robert Early's Public Eye and even Minder.

They're still doing great theme music today. One current programme which has infested my ear is "Mount Pleasant" (first series on Sky One, current second season on Sky Living). It's a stormer of a melody, with a 1963 Motown beat (think Heatwave) and an achingly-pretty turnaround resolving from the piece's G minor key to a major chord.

Theme tune listenable here (for the time being):

Any others worthy of inclusion?

[rogera]

Department S - a great theme tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL4uhJyIM0U


I've just remembered - The Vibratos have covered this number (and very well!)

Maybe Randall and Hopkirk Deceased

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo3lTbYFK6A

[JimN]

Here's one I hadn't heard since about 1967, though it's more or less as I remembered it:

[Uncle Fiesta]

How about this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLgNPYw9 ... ure=fvwrel

The Persuaders (John Barry) was always one of my favourite TV themes - bit short though and really needed a middle bit!

[RayL]

on the Secrets' albums, I was influential in ensuring the inclusion of Callan (er... Callan), The Mind Reader (Chan Canasta), Hit And Miss (Juke Box Jury) and The Man From UNCLE (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.).

But somehow Crossroads never got further than a couple of bars at rehearsal . . . . . . . . . .

Ray

[drakula63]

Got a soft spot for the themes to
Thunderbirds
Doctor Who
UFO
Grange Hill
Follyfoot
and The Sweeney.
Oh and Mission: Impossible!

If you are interested in old classic TV themes...

http://www.trentsound.com/telly.html

(The programme from 2nd September is especially good!!!!)

Drak!

[cockroach]

Jim,

A couple of my faves would be the original Johnny Dankworth theme for The Avengers (about 1961-63 when it was Patrick McNee and Ian Hendry, then Patrick and Honor Blackman), and the theme from The Cheaters (1960-starred John Ireland as an insurance investigator)

Was that Paula Wilcox in the opening of Mount Pleasant?

[JimN]

Oh yes... the John Dankworth theme for "The Avengers" when it featured Ian Hendry and (later) Honor Blackman (and was made on tape). It was much better (IMO) than the Laurie Johnson theme for the Diana Rigg and later era (made on film). I get the impression that John Barry based his arrangement for The James Bond Theme on Dankworth's "Avengers" theme.

There are at least two different versions. This is the earlier one:



Yes, Paula "Beryl" Wilcox. Do you know, it's more than thirty-three years since Richard Beckinsale died?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Beckinsale



JN

[RayL]

Linking this thread with Jim's Round Britain Quiz thread, here is a TV Theme described in RBQ style:-

Accipitridae, a magician's travels, Arthur, and the destruction of the Earth in the first 20 minutes.

Ready, get set, go . . . . . .

Ray

[Uncle Fiesta]

That would be Journey Of The Sorcerer by the Eagles.

Not the proper Eagles though.