 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I purchased the 58-track CD, CBS THE FIRST 50 YEARS (TVT 1550-2), solely for the original GILLIGAN'S ISLAND song and music (complete with clap of thunder), which I cannot hear without at least as dozen repeats. Am I alone in my obsession?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Many years ago, I used to watch KOJAK. At one point I noticed they'd changed the title music (but this was before I got interested in scores and soundtracks so I didn't take a vast amount of notice of it). As I've not seen the show in upwards of fifteen years or more, I've no recollection of the visuals, but I've always remembered that John Cacavas' theme was much more exciting that Billy Goldenberg's. It was only last week, though, that I finally heard Cacavas' theme again (courtesy of Intrada's CD sale), and I was right. It's MUCH better.Matching to the visuals: I always liked the way Angelo Badalamenti's TWIN PEAKS theme went with the peaceful woodlands / nature footage at the start of 50 more minutes of deranged perversion and nonsense... Regarding DYNASTY: I've an idea they edited the title sequence each week according to which regulars and semi-regulars were actually in it that week (whereas DALLAS ran the same sequence whether some of them were missing or not). And personally I preferred Conti's DYNASTY 2: THE COLBYS theme (which I guess worked in much the same way). How about THE WEST WING? NP: URBAN LEGENDS: FINAL CUT (John Ottman)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by soundtrakker:
I purchased the 58-track CD, CBS THE FIRST 50 YEARS (TVT 1550-2), solely for the original GILLIGAN'S ISLAND song and music (complete with clap of thunder), which I cannot hear without at least as dozen repeats. Am I alone in my obsession?
A dozen repeats?  http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/eek.gif"> If the neighbors can hear it, I'll bet they're ready to pack you off to your own desert island. http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/biggrin.gif">
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Jun 11, 2001 - 3:04 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Thor
(Member)
|
>>Matching to the visuals: I always liked the way Angelo Badalamenti's TWIN PEAKS theme went with the peaceful woodlands / nature footage at the start of 50 more minutes of deranged perversion and nonsense...<<An exquisite pick, Richard. TWIN PEAKS is, of course, my favourite TV series of all time (have you read http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/Forum1/HTML/000807.html" TARGET=_blank>this thread?) Of course, the music in this opening scene is all atmosphere and not really commenting on anything beyond that. But then again, the ENTIRE SERIES is - in my opinion - based on atmosphere, so it's very fitting.
>>Regarding DYNASTY: I've an idea they edited the title sequence each week according to which regulars and semi-regulars were actually in it that week (whereas DALLAS ran the same sequence whether some of them were missing or not).<<
Yeah, if not each week, then at least with (ir)regular intervals. This did not affect the music, though - as its overarching purpose was maintained.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Sep 28, 2007 - 6:14 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Pariah
(Member)
|
Hi Thor
Your revisiting this thread is the first time I read (some) of it! I found a copy of a music book in a dusty old music shop for alto sax and piano, of various soap opera themes, both US and UK ones, a while back and it was interesting, in lieu of seeing actual scores, of these themes we know so well, like Dallas and Dynasty et al.
I read your opening analysis, not realising it was written a long time ago and your latest comment on your own opener was spot on! When you said that the theme was in typical sonata form, I just thought to myself, 'well, it's just a theme in typical song form, AABA.
Something that should be mentioned is that I haven't heard a decent TV theme from a new show for many years. Although I don't bother to watch much TV these days, where ER had a minimalist theme to start with, the new fangled version for the last season had reduced it to a few bangs and knocks, as it were. The one show I have started watching and keeping up on is Heroes and when I read the credits for the music, I think 'what music?'.
I may be behind the times, since I don't watch the boob tube but it seems to me now, most shows don't even have a title sequence per se and the music is a non entity, it's almost sound effects - a criticism I had against Goldsmith's film score Along Came A Spider, for instance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interesting thread. Coincidentally, earlier this week I was transferring a few selected music files across to my phone, to use as ringtones. The only ones which really work well (i.e. as ringtones) are the old TV themes from the sixties and seventies: Lost in Space, Land of the Giants, Space:1999 (Season 1). Or, something like "The Incredits" (my current choice)composed in that "sixties" style.
It only occurred to me later that all the old TV stuff was always intended to be heard on TVs with sixties-era speaker technology, i.e. high-pitched, tinny, not much audible bass - which is exactly the sort of audio reproduction you get with the average phone speaker.
So, I suppose the point I'm trying to make (albeit a long-winded one) is that it's not just the structure of these little 50-second masterpieces, but also the dynamic range of the actual instruments employed, that was an important consideration.
Have a nice weekend!
SG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Sep 28, 2007 - 9:41 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Starkbier
(Member)
|
You guys are stuck in the 70s and 80s. Whereas the Main Title is nearly extinct in movies you can find great stuff on TV, especially on HBO: The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Carnivale, Rome, Deadwood, these are all fantastic title sequences, cut to the music, without mickey-mousing every second note.
And musically I like what e.g. Jeff Beal does for these shows, even if it isn't John Williams' Land of the Giants.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Sep 28, 2007 - 9:50 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Thor
(Member)
|
You guys are stuck in the 70s and 80s. Whereas the Main Title is nearly extinct in movies you can find great stuff on TV, especially on HBO: The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Carnivale, Rome, Deadwood, these are all fantastic title sequences, cut to the music, without mickey-mousing every second note.
I agree. Since I wrote the first post, there has been an increase in longer opening titles with interesting musical soundscapes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
