Very funny. Especially the fact that most people can't be arsed to properly credit the composer of the most famous version. At least Constant's heirs are finally (hopefully) getting paid!
"In the Manhattan Transfer's defense, almost nobody outside of CBS realized that the Twilight Zone theme that everyone knew wasn't written by Herrmann. It wasn't until 1983..."
This needs clarifying. If the author is being hyperbolic, fine. If empirical, not so fine. Not by a longshot.
Wow that's crazy--I always wondered why I'd never heard of Maurice Constant outside of TZ...would love to hear those rejected themes too!
He was mostly a classical composer/arranger and conductor -- he did a very nice orchestration of Ravel's Gaspard de La Nuit for instance. Acording to Wikipedia is is mainly known 'in the classical world' for his ballets...
You would think the original Herrmann theme was an unmemorable throwaway judging from the tone of the article. And ask any charter Zoner if the Shortened Original Theme with the "eye" opening was some kind of joke opening. It is enough to celebrate the iconic Constant theme without resorting to the old building-up-by-tearing-down. Me, I figure the CBS suits wanted a piece of music that would distinguish TZ further from One Step Beyond and its theme, and boy did the edited Constant music fit the bill. You had to be part of the era to fully appreciate the series and that theme and its burn into the psyche. Before it became spoof time. But don't give the original Herrmann opening and closing short shrift. For me that music's wraparound effect at the beginning and closing of Walking Distance...well, like Donald Pleasence's Prof. Fowler, I wouldn't have it any other way.
It's nice to see somebody address that head scratcher Vulture interview with some facts.
I'm really curious about what those other rejected themes sounded like!
Both of Hermann's rejected season 2 themes are on CD. One is a faster arrangement of the season 1 theme done for muted trumpet. The other is a more languid track for horns and harp that sounds oddly reminiscent of his theme for the old CBS radio Suspense show.
That was a fascinating article. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Peele incorrectly mentioned Herrmann during the launch of the most recent TZ show.
That Herrmann theme is more chilling and creepier. Especially back when I would watch the first season at 1 am in NY. They did run the Herrmann theme, at least the first 2/3 of the first season.
I thought the story from Buck Houghton was sometime during the ending of season 1 Herrmann raised his fee and CBS couldn't afford it...Houghton: 'Bernie resigned from TZ several times over 'disagreements' but also returned several times to produce original scores for various episodes throughout the remainder of the show.
The advantage of the Constant mash-up was the hook that started it off - an audio signature that has said "The Twilight Zone" ever since. Great example of the power of a hook, and this article captures that well. Much as I love what Herrmann did with his themes, they don't have that power.
I know this has nothing to do with the theme but I watched one of the episodes from the newest TZ, better than the 03 but it will never, ever replace or entertain as the original. The music and the logo might be the same but the writers from that time is irreplaceable. The imaginations and stories they had.
The advantage of the Constant mash-up was the hook that started it off - an audio signature that has said "The Twilight Zone" ever since. Great example of the power of a hook, and this article captures that well. Much as I love what Herrmann did with his themes, they don't have that power.
Yeah that's the main problem with the Herrmann theme. It sounds like it could be part of any old Hitchcock film. You hear Etrange #3, you immediately think "Twilight Zone!"
I thought the story from Buck Houghton was sometime during the ending of season 1 Herrmann raised his fee and CBS couldn't afford it...Houghton: 'Bernie resigned from TZ several times over 'disagreements' but also returned several times to produce original scores for various episodes throughout the remainder of the show.
IMO his theme set the mood for the show the best.
Agreed. His theme is so apt, and I love how it is unresolved in the main title, but is resolved in the end title. The effect of the Constant theme is so corny/cheesy in comparison. But it's an earwig. People remember it, like the JAWS theme, so I guess it worked. Herrmann's theme could never have become a cliche in its application by others, as has his PSYCHO shower scene music.
The Constant theme was arresting in its day. Highly effective, as was the Herrmann piece, but so powerful as to become the aural complement to the Serling persona. A true film music marriage, you couldn't envision one without the other. And even though you knew it was all in fun, it was still creepy as hell.
Bernard Herrmann's theme : The Twilight Zone :: Dominic Frontiere's theme : The Outer Limits.
Both are well composed, highly evocative pieces of music. Neither is particularly recognizable if you were to play it in a classic TV guessing game to "casual" fans. The reason is simple. They're not "hummable", and if being "hummable" is what asserts your place in TV history than the Constant theme has earned it (even if the man himself got no credit until the Zicree book in 1981).
(Of course one could also easily say that The Outer Limits music was pretty forgettable in the show in general but that's an argument for another thread.)
