Lalo is an old friend of the family - from the days when my dad was a crooner on Buenos Aires radio and jazz clubs where the very young Lalo would play in the wee hours...Just to add some background to the theme music story: Jerry Goldsmith had composed a terrific theme for "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." at the very end of 1963 - it was in the time signature of 5/4. The following season, the producers of the show hired Lalo Schifrin to update and "latinize" the theme. Ironically, Lalo re-did it in 4/4, added bongos and flutes plus the iconic signature bass line heard in all the commercial breaks. Those who remember Lalo's theme to the 1965 series "T.H.E. Cat" will note the flute melody with wild intervals foreshadowing "Mission: Impossible". Incidentally, Dave Brubeck had composed the theme music for the 1964 TV series "Mr. Broadway"...in 6/8...or was it 7/8?
Yes, the themes for Mission Impossible, Hawaii Five-O and, I suppose, even Secret Agent Man are all fine songs with lots of energy. Personally, I'd rate the James Bond theme a touch higher - simply because the two Bond films WITHOUT that ("Never Say Never Again" and the original comedic take on "Casino Royale") felt like they had a huge, gaping chasm where that theme should be.
But the theme song that was used best, I would argue, was the theme for Shaft. Not only did Isaac Hayes write a great little riff with that chunka chunka guitar repetition, but the way Gordon Parks used it to frame the opening scene of the original film was perfect. Hearing the music and watching Shaft (Richard Roundtree) walking through Harlem told us everything we needed to know about the character of Shaft, and the kind of film we were going to get.
And as with Tom Cruise's reboot, it's impossible to imagine Samuel L. Jackson's Shaft films without that same theme song.
Great take, TG. Met Lalo back when. Henry Mancini had great parties and he was a mainstay. I remember talking with them about Henry's Peter Gunn theme and Lalo's. Both iconic then but the movie put MI in the historic column. 60's - 80's was a great era for TV themes. If ya had the right piece of music in the right show, you had a career. The prime time 3 network captured audience was a launch pad for the right track. An interesting thread might be: great themes on unpopular shows...for another time.
My favorite TV theme of all time. I could be mistaken but I could’ve sworn that one of the reasons I hated the 1st movie version (other than that they dispensed with the whole idea of a team outsmarting rather than outgunning its enemy) was that but for the hook, they changed the tune to be in 4/4 time. Am I misremembering? Also love LS’s theme for Mannix.
The Morse code part was a pleasant surprise for me.
From my youth, I knew that the Morse Code for Toronto’s Airport “YYZ” was the source of the opening rhythm of the Rush instrumental of the same name. Since I discovered that, I’ve used Morse Code wherever I could in my songwriting as a way to plant hidden themes, messages, etc.
I also grew up on the TV series. Loved it. I hate the movies, though. One of the few movies I walked out in the middle. The show had these amazing (at least for a kid) set ups. It was like the Sting, way before The Sting. The movie replaced all that with formulaic action.
Very disappointed when Max's Perry Mason reboot dumped that amazing theme song, which was beautifully redone for Burr's own reboot decades ago. It was heavy in the best possible way.
TV show is way more compelling than the movie franchise. But that's Hollywood. Like James Bond, who needs subtlety when it's all multimillion dollar action sequences?
I'm trying to add classic movie tunes and theme songs to my repertoire. Hard finding good scores (without paying serious cash- makes paying 20 bucks for a piano concerto look like buying bubble gum).
I don't know the specifics. I have a good but not great ear so I almost always lean on sheet music and then clean it up a bit. But I'll tell ya, I told my music partner earlier today who was mentored by one Ben Raleigh, they should dig up Hal Leonard's body just so we can kill him again. Guy had a virtual monopoly on sheet music for popular tunes, and most of it is embarrassingly bad. Not talking about the dumbed down beginner versions either.
Your "whatever Lalo wants, Lalo gets" comment. Kudos on that one.
I agree with your observation on the power of theme songs in movies, Bond wouldn't be Bond without it. But the MI riff - so simple, so immediate, so brilliant that the crazy flute part fits in perfectly, is an icon. I also think memorable pop music during your formative years becomes your personal soundtrack for the the rest of your life so that a song you haven't heard in decades brings you back
Barrington Pheloung used a Morse code rhythm in his theme music for the British crime series Inspector Morse. The figure in the background spells out Morse in Morse code. https://youtu.be/xR7T9s7XE0I
Thanks for the Emil Richards call out. He lived part-time and performed on Maui in his last years. I learned that he was a big Harry Partch fan and was involved with preserving and making his elaborate instrument creations available.
That Morse code fact was fascinating I never knew that.
Lalo is an old friend of the family - from the days when my dad was a crooner on Buenos Aires radio and jazz clubs where the very young Lalo would play in the wee hours...Just to add some background to the theme music story: Jerry Goldsmith had composed a terrific theme for "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." at the very end of 1963 - it was in the time signature of 5/4. The following season, the producers of the show hired Lalo Schifrin to update and "latinize" the theme. Ironically, Lalo re-did it in 4/4, added bongos and flutes plus the iconic signature bass line heard in all the commercial breaks. Those who remember Lalo's theme to the 1965 series "T.H.E. Cat" will note the flute melody with wild intervals foreshadowing "Mission: Impossible". Incidentally, Dave Brubeck had composed the theme music for the 1964 TV series "Mr. Broadway"...in 6/8...or was it 7/8?
As the hero of fascinating articles, Ted needs his own theme song.
Yes, the themes for Mission Impossible, Hawaii Five-O and, I suppose, even Secret Agent Man are all fine songs with lots of energy. Personally, I'd rate the James Bond theme a touch higher - simply because the two Bond films WITHOUT that ("Never Say Never Again" and the original comedic take on "Casino Royale") felt like they had a huge, gaping chasm where that theme should be.
But the theme song that was used best, I would argue, was the theme for Shaft. Not only did Isaac Hayes write a great little riff with that chunka chunka guitar repetition, but the way Gordon Parks used it to frame the opening scene of the original film was perfect. Hearing the music and watching Shaft (Richard Roundtree) walking through Harlem told us everything we needed to know about the character of Shaft, and the kind of film we were going to get.
And as with Tom Cruise's reboot, it's impossible to imagine Samuel L. Jackson's Shaft films without that same theme song.
Great take, TG. Met Lalo back when. Henry Mancini had great parties and he was a mainstay. I remember talking with them about Henry's Peter Gunn theme and Lalo's. Both iconic then but the movie put MI in the historic column. 60's - 80's was a great era for TV themes. If ya had the right piece of music in the right show, you had a career. The prime time 3 network captured audience was a launch pad for the right track. An interesting thread might be: great themes on unpopular shows...for another time.
My favorite TV theme of all time. I could be mistaken but I could’ve sworn that one of the reasons I hated the 1st movie version (other than that they dispensed with the whole idea of a team outsmarting rather than outgunning its enemy) was that but for the hook, they changed the tune to be in 4/4 time. Am I misremembering? Also love LS’s theme for Mannix.
"Why Do Heroes Always Have Theme Songs?"
what about antihero/villains, Vader's Imperial March certainly comes to mind. but any other famous ones?
The Morse code part was a pleasant surprise for me.
From my youth, I knew that the Morse Code for Toronto’s Airport “YYZ” was the source of the opening rhythm of the Rush instrumental of the same name. Since I discovered that, I’ve used Morse Code wherever I could in my songwriting as a way to plant hidden themes, messages, etc.
Fun stuff!!
In Europe Secret Agent Man was named Danger Man and it was a favourite.
The theme on harpsichord stuck forever https://youtu.be/xQ9o6fakHqk
by the great Edwin Astley who also made the theme to "The Saint".
I wonder if you got to see that in the US? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP9pKQ5N6Qg
The music that’s playing in my head every time I feel like I’m diffusing a bomb. So, fairly often. Really fun article, Ted. Thanks
I also grew up on the TV series. Loved it. I hate the movies, though. One of the few movies I walked out in the middle. The show had these amazing (at least for a kid) set ups. It was like the Sting, way before The Sting. The movie replaced all that with formulaic action.
Very disappointed when Max's Perry Mason reboot dumped that amazing theme song, which was beautifully redone for Burr's own reboot decades ago. It was heavy in the best possible way.
TV show is way more compelling than the movie franchise. But that's Hollywood. Like James Bond, who needs subtlety when it's all multimillion dollar action sequences?
I'm trying to add classic movie tunes and theme songs to my repertoire. Hard finding good scores (without paying serious cash- makes paying 20 bucks for a piano concerto look like buying bubble gum).
I don't know the specifics. I have a good but not great ear so I almost always lean on sheet music and then clean it up a bit. But I'll tell ya, I told my music partner earlier today who was mentored by one Ben Raleigh, they should dig up Hal Leonard's body just so we can kill him again. Guy had a virtual monopoly on sheet music for popular tunes, and most of it is embarrassingly bad. Not talking about the dumbed down beginner versions either.
Your "whatever Lalo wants, Lalo gets" comment. Kudos on that one.
I agree with your observation on the power of theme songs in movies, Bond wouldn't be Bond without it. But the MI riff - so simple, so immediate, so brilliant that the crazy flute part fits in perfectly, is an icon. I also think memorable pop music during your formative years becomes your personal soundtrack for the the rest of your life so that a song you haven't heard in decades brings you back
Barrington Pheloung used a Morse code rhythm in his theme music for the British crime series Inspector Morse. The figure in the background spells out Morse in Morse code. https://youtu.be/xR7T9s7XE0I
Thanks for the Emil Richards call out. He lived part-time and performed on Maui in his last years. I learned that he was a big Harry Partch fan and was involved with preserving and making his elaborate instrument creations available.