| Author |
Message |
< baby snakes ~ Top 5 Most Depressing T.V. Theme Songs Ever (mp3) |
| drumnjazz |
 Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 12:19 am |
 |
|
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Dec 2004
Posts: 1050
Location: Long Beach, CA.
|
The 70's. What can you say? Here's what I'll say. These theme songs wouldn't fly in this mentally unstable/drug addled age of the new millennium. Perhaps the late-70's/early 80's (as a generation?) were more in touch with their downs than these modern times but if you can point to a more depressing group of T.V. theme songs you're a better person than I.
This was an era that saw a lot of jazz/fusion keyboardists make a little scratch writing for TV. Ever wonder why there was an overabundance of synthesizer in most theme songs? Also, the 70's saw the emergence of one of the most brilliant for-TV composers who ever lived, Mike Post (whose non-suicide inducing theme songs included those for The A-Team, The Rockford Files and The Greatest American Hero).
And with that we begin:
5. St. Elsewhere- written by Dave Grusin
The underlying sadness in this song is tempered only by the super-cheese synthesizers. I know he goes for the pure 80's breakdowns in an attempt to add a spice but it's really just a bad Whitney Houston instrumental chased with a bottle of sleeping pills.
4. Taxi- written by Bob James
As soon as we hear that opening flute/electric piano line we know we're in for a bummer. Hard to believe only a decade earlier he recorded and released music like this ("Wofman" from Explosions- a free jazz/modern classical collaboration with Gordon Mumma and Robert Ashley released on ESP'Disk. Really.)
3. Hill Street Blues- written by Mike Post
The master at work. Grand piano in one hand, razor blade in the other.
2. M*A*S*H- written by Johnny Mandel
Of course this was written for the Robert Altman film. Morbid lyrics by Altman's son Mike, who apparently made more money from the theme song than his father did for directing the film. Since M*A*S*H went into syndication on network TV over 100,000 people died as a result of mental anguish brought on by the theme song. You can look it up.
1. The Incredible Hulk- written by Joe Harnell
Two words: Bill Bixby. Without question the most melancholy, overwrought theme song ever written for a schizophrenic, green skinned, gamma-ray-blasted comic book hero. This one boarders on the absurd. Absolutely amazing. |
|
|
| Back to top |
   
|
| tomisunstoppable |
| Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 11:17 am |
|
|
Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 248
Location: Rochester, NY
|
| Wow. Me and my brother laughed out loud by the time we got the The Incredible Hulk theme. That was uncalled for. Sounded like the composer might have a soft spot for large, uncontrollable, mutated beasts. |
_________________
Ju-Jajuba |
|
| Back to top |
|
| nobody in particular |
| Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:06 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 22 Jan 2005
Posts: 129
|
| (I just realized Tom is blowing bubbles in his photo, just like Chris and his little dude friend are. Cuuute.) |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| drumnjazz |
| Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:15 pm |
|
|
|
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Dec 2004
Posts: 1050
Location: Long Beach, CA.
|
nobody in particular wrote: (I just realized Tom is blowing bubbles in his photo, just like Chris and his little dude friend are. Cuuute.)
That's funny. I never realized that!
Oh, and my little dude friend is Elisha, my son. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| drumnjazz |
| Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:43 am |
|
|
|
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Dec 2004
Posts: 1050
Location: Long Beach, CA.
|
Good man and good friend Kris Tiner weighs in on Bob James' theme from Taxi.
Kris Tiner wrote: I knew Taxi was supposed to be a funny show, but I could never figure out why the theme song sounded so sad. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| tomisunstoppable |
| Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 8:47 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 248
Location: Rochester, NY
|
Yea as I posted that last remark I noticed that too. By the way I'm starting a free-jazz group called Postulate(!).
(Just kidding.) |
_________________
Ju-Jajuba |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
