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Well, golly Mr. Dillon.
Dennis Weaver, Chester from "Gunsmoke", gets his own TV series. It ran from 1970 to 1977.
I watched an episode yesterday and really enjoyed it a lot, so I figured I'd give the series a try, especially considering in the past I have gone briefly through some episodes and took note of the scoring.
I don't know what I'll find, but I know it's going to be worth it. Weaver is very enjoyable and the series had so many talented composers over it's run.
Only about a dozen episodes are currently up, so I'll only be doing this initially for probably two or three days. After that, any future contributions to the thread will be based on finding more loads, so it could be a month or it could be a year.
SEASON 1
"Portrait of a Dead Girl" (1.0)
By: David Shire
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5mcos5 (audio is out of sync with the picture)
Highlights:
5:17 in.
9:33 in. A country-music feel with some staccato brass.
11:57 in.
26:41 in. Opens with a slow and steady solo acoustic guitar, but picks up some and is joined by strings.
39:53 in.
45:59 in.
47:05 in. About the first minute is mixed really low. And it also goes into the end credits, which cuts off early.
"Who Says You Can't Make Friends in New York City?" (1.1)
By: David Shire
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5mj70l (audio is out of sync with the picture) (bad combo load)
Highlights:
5:43 in. A little bit of country with some accordion for a touch of a French sound since this episode takes place in France.
8:29 in.
15:38 in.
20:30 in.
2348 in.
27:45 in. That is one tall elevator ceiling!
33:23 in.
35:22 in.
40:16 in. A shaker, wooden block and a bass flute.
44:30 in.
The episode cuts off early; I have no idea if there was a special end credits piece.
The episode is a combo; they took two different episodes, edited them down, combined them, and recorded some dialogue (and some brief new scenes) to try and tie them together; I guess they thought the audience was stupid and wouldn't realize these don't go together. I'll refer to them as "bad combo load" from this point on.
"Horse Stealing on Fifth Avenue" (1.2)
By: David Shire
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5mj80c (audio is out of sync with the picture) (bad combo load)
Highlights:
2:39 in. I think it's notable how this cue changes style three times in about 20 or so seconds and yet it works.
6:27 in.
30:53 in. It'll be sweet to have this cue unedited one day; there's a bad edit in the episode, so it looks like a bit was cut. I think I also heard a brief cut elsewhere.
The load is not complete; it's missing about ten minutes.
"The Concrete Corral" (1.3)
By: David Shire
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5lrm3p (audio is out of sync with the picture) (bad combo load)
Highlights:
1:50 in.
8:17 in.
11:52 in.
13:09 in. Mostly SFX free.
16:24 in.
24:20 in.
27:12 in.
30:47 in.
35:54 in.
The load is not complete; it's missing about ten minutes.
"The Stage Is All the World" (1.4)
By: David Shire
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5lrm3p (normal un-combined episode)
Since part of this episode was edited into one in an above review, any comments I made will be copied and pasted.
Highlights:
0:00 in.
3:20 in.
9:25 in.
16:43 in.
20:37 in.
23:24 in.
32:10 in.
37:52 in.
"Walk in the Dark"
By: David Shire
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5lrmsq (normal un-combined episode)
Since part of this episode was edited into one in an above review, any comments I made will be copied and pasted.
Highlights:
0:00 in.
2:59 in. A lot is mixed low.
10:33 in.
19:12 in.
28:56 in.
34:26 in.
36:09 in.
43:44 in.
"Our Man in Paris" (final episode of season one)
By: David Shire
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5lvj9s (normal un-combined episode)
Since part of this episode was edited into one in an above review, any comments I made will be copied and pasted.
Highlights:
0:00 in.
1:36 in.
3:06 in.
8:37 in.
23:08 in. (also has accordion)
24:45 in. (also has accordion)
30:05 in. A little bit of country with some accordion for a touch of a French sound since this episode takes place in France.
32:35 in.
39:29 in.
43:53 in.
46:20 in.
The scoring began out more country like, but progressed more into jazz as the episodes passed.
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In his book "Stu Who?", Stu Phillips reveals that Elmer Bernstein, when Stu told him he was working on McCloud, said that he'd give anything for the opportunity to work on some McCloud's.
Which I always thought was rather awesome 
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Was the main theme from McCloud ever released anywhere?
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Was the main theme from McCloud ever released anywhere?
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Not officially. but if you can track down a marvellous LP by Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra entitled LAWBEAT , you get a remarkably authentic version of David Shire's marvellous theme, as well as Billy Goldenberg's COLUMBO and BANACEK - excellent version this and Jerry Fielding's MCMILLAN AND WIFE. Must have been, what around 1974 on Contour Label. 2870 369.
Amazing how much great music from all these great series just lying around Universal vaults doing nothing. You would have thought with the continuing popularity of COLUMBO around the world, that would be a ideal place to start. What marvellous scores by Grusin, Melle, Goldenberg, Williams et al!
And the John Gregory Orchestra also did a great version of the Shire theme (as well as various other cop shows). But there certainly doesn't appear to be any versions of the most well known McCloud theme by Glen Larson.
It certainly is a shame about some of the music that seems destined never to get a release, while scores by certain film composers are getting a second or third re-issue on the flimsiest of grounds...
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Oh, I would have loved to have heard a Bernstein episode score for the series. Maybe there's one hidden in there; the full composer credits are not listed anywhere online yet.
I'm going to break these up into separate posts for each season, so just one review in this post...
SEASON 2:
"Encounter With Aries" (2.1)
By: Dick DeBenedictis
First half: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5lvjfj
Second half: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5lvjpl
Please note that Dailymotion uses lots of ad cookies, so if you are using Windows Internet Explorer, I advise temporarily setting the cookies to prompt for third-party cookies and keep blocking them until it stops asking. Then you can undo that setting.
Highlights:
First half:
2:25 in.
7:05 in.
13:54 in.
19:49 in.
Around 28:20 in.
32:23 in.
Second half:
14:30 in.
25:09 in.
31:08 in.
37:14 in.
That's one ballsy bad guy.
It's certainly a some-what experimental and unusual score. The score uses a zither (or a similar-sounding instrument; there are quite a few) a good deal for some reason.
The Shire theme has been dropped and Henry Mancini is now credited for the theme ("Theme HENRY MANCINI").
"I prefer to go quietly..."
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The Shire theme has been dropped and Henry Mancini is now credited for the theme ("Theme HENRY MANCINI").
Referring to the 'Mystery Movie Theme' surely?
I have all of McCloud on a mixture of Australian and Danish DVDs but I've only watched a few episodes. I used to love the show in its time, but like a lot of things it hasn't - to me anyway - aged very well.
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The Shire theme has been dropped and Henry Mancini is now credited for the theme ("Theme HENRY MANCINI").
Referring to the 'Mystery Movie Theme' surely?
It's confusing. In the first season it credited Mancini for the "Mystery Movie Theme" in the end credits, but now it doesn't and just simply lists him for "Theme" and the theme is now different, with no other composer credited for a theme. I have no other season three episodes to check and see if somebody gets credited for the theme.
SEASON 3:
"The Barefoot Stewardess Caper" (3.2)
By: Richard Clements
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UfS72PBfY8
Highlights:
0:28 in. Little FX.
About 3:30 in. Almost SFX free.
6:13 in.
About 15:11 in. Also uses a waterchime.
17:23 in.
39:07 in.
52:29 in.
About 56:00 in. Some low-key nervous suspense material. There's a brief lull.
1:05:52 in.
1:09:45 in.
1:14:25 in.
1:41:40 in.
It's not a bad score, I just think Stevens or Fielding would have done better.
Why world the Paris Chief not know who McCloud is? He is the exact same Paris Chief from the previous season.
Before the first "Mission: Impossible" film with a sensitive floor and trying to steal something, there was this episode of "McCloud".
Chief Clifford: "London?! London England?!"
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It's not a bad score, I just think Stevens or Fielding would have done better.
I don't think Richard Clements ever wrote anything other than a 'functional' score - to be honest, I can't recall anything particularly noteworthy or memorable in any of the tv series work he did.
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SEASON 4:
"The Solid Gold Swingers" (4.2)
By: Stu Philips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJtCSMg6Ej8
Highlights:
13:10 in.
14:04 in.
18:45 in.
34:18 in.
About 56:40 in.
1:01:15 in.
1:04:25 in.
1:29:00 in.
1:31:03 in.
Stock footage and a re-used scene, are both really obvious.
"The Colorado Cattle Caper" (4.4)
By: Frank DeVol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVtfSrKStTY ()
Back during that time and even into the 1990's, there were things I dreaded about TV series: obligatory episodes for ratings and/or audience draw, such as boxing episodes, race car episodes, an episode dealing with a Father in a church (who will be Irish or Scottish, and a boxer!), and what this episode is about: cattle rustling.
Fortunately, this works. It's not boring, it's interesting, and full of Weaver's personableness.
Highlights:
0:00 in. Bongos, quick guiro, low brass, and more -- so much goodness crammed into a long cue running nearly five minutes long.
5:10 in.
7:03 in.
23:15 in.
29:44 in.
38:32 in.
40:35 in: More stuff like from the opening. There's a brief lull.
57:25 in.
1:03:44 in.
That's pretty much every cue. Really enjoyed DeVol's work. I'd have been happy if he, Shire and DeBenedictis scored the whole series.
A jam-packed episode with such stars as: Claude Atkins, John Denver, and Farrah Fawcett. Speaking of Denver, I just added a day or two an obscure documentary he did called "Alaska, the American Child" to IMDb (it was missing); scored by Lee Holdridge.
The ending is a little off; some bad edits, the music shifts around like it's maybe tracked some, and the music ends abruptly. the end credits are cut off, so I don't know if there was an original piece done.
Billy (Denver): "I sure hope one of us knows what you're doing," to McCloud.
Sadly, that's all the episodes currently. I guess I'll have to move on to another TV series tomorrow.
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SEASON 7:
"Bonnie and McCloud" (7.1)
By: Stu Phillips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHsgxOq0jcE (NEW link as of December 9, 2020)
Highlights:
8:36 in.
19:45 in.
33:55 in.
46:37 in.
1:05:50 in.
The score is edited and mangled so badly in the episode and mixed low a lot.
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Continuing SEASON 7:
"The Great Taxicab Stampede" (7.3)
By: Stu Phillips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SppFnvQyiaM (in Spanish)
Highlights:
1:12 in.
2:30 in.
6:45 in.
13:02 in.
2145 in.
About 23:00 in. It's mixed real low.
41:06 in.
55:50 in. Yeah, I know it's short, but I like it.
58:17 in.
1:00:05 in.
1:05:32 in.
1:08:00 in.
Guest starring Jane Seymour, who is looking particularly hot. She's aged well, even now she's good looking.
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SEASON 5:
"Return to the Alamo" (5.9)
By: Stu Phillips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUYGl5qdrFo (in Spanish)
Highlights:
9:14/10:17/15:54/22:48 in.
29:18 in.
52:41 in.
And with yesterday's addition, that's all the extra episodes I could find.
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SEASON 6:
This is the only episode from the season that I can find.
"Our Man in Harem" (6.5)
By: Stu Phillips
Part 1: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6gkpn8
Part 2: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6gkpu5
Part 3: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6glmu7
Highlights:
Part 1:
1:26 in.
Part 2:
5:18 in.
7:37 in.
15:54 in. It's also for the guys here. ;-)
20:59 in. There's a brief lull and it continues.
27:17 in.
Part 3:
6:12 in.
8:36 in.
12:26 in.
14:34 in.
17:26/18:56 in. And the source cue after the commercial break.
21:39/24:02/25:00 in. After a brief lull the first cue continues.
McCloud: "You got about as much chance sellin' that story in America and you do sellin' sand around here."
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But if you come across anything that fits that description please do let me know. 
