Great song and story Ted. An absolutely huge aspect of these and countless other iconic tunes are the inventive contributions by the session musicians that worked on it. I believe but am not 100% sure Carol Kaye invented the critically important bass line to Mission Impossible.
A great man who made a wonderful contribution to both music and visual culture. My favourite Schifrin theme music is his work for CBS’s private eye TV series, Mannix—it’s by turns funky, loungey, jazzy and brilliantly catchy. He also had a knack for coming up with great album titles—try “There’s a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin’ On” or (if you’re not into the whole brevity thing) “The Dissection and Reconstruction of Music From the Past as Performed by the Inmates of Lalo Schifrin's Demented Ensemble as a Tribute to the Memory of the Marquis De Sade”. Bon voyage, Maestro, and thanks for the music.
Was not aware of this Schiffrin album, but it's apparently a riff on the play "The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade", which was all the rage among the smart set in the late '60's/early '70's.
One interesting note about the MI theme as it is scored for the TV series: The suspensful opener is set in the key of Ab. And of course it is recapped at the closing credits… BUT scored a half step lower in the key of G. A subtle difference that boosts the suspense initially and a sense of resolution and the end.
Did other TV themes of the era do this? At least one I know of: Andy Griffith Show!
Unless I missed it in your post, I didn’t see you mentioned the fact that the more recent Mission Impossible films reverted to using, horror, a 4/4 beat! Apparently Shiffrin was OK with this, but I find it absolute sacrilege as a drummer, a musician, and a film lover. ;)
Nice TG. It was Bud Shank, or so he said. Fav memories of my days gone waaay by: dinner at Hank Mancini’s house. He and Lalo were good pals…with just a hint of competitive edge…and a mainstay guest. Interesting side bar: Hank had the hot TV show action theme with Peter Gunn. But always knew Lalo topped him. Ahh Memories.
wuz jus' thinkin' bout Mancini! I'd say they wuz equals--Peter Gunn & MI are a tie fer me! Infectious both! Throw in Rodgers "Slaughter on 10th Ave" an' that's my holy trinity of heart-beat suspense! RIP Lalo!
Thanks for the memories Ted! I played Trumpet in my HS marching band at the time. And what a good time it was. Our Band Director went on to an illustrious career heading up all the Band Directors in South Florida for decades.
loved the Morse code tale!--I'll buy it! Music + math helped Hedy Lamarr work with composer George Antheil ta develop frequency hoppin'--which also gave us cellular tech (back then it wuz ta make missles undetectable by radar). MANY moosical geniuses/genii! liked ta explore oddball rhythms....2 yrz prior ta Brubeck's Take 5 there wuz Lenny Bernstein's "America".... quite the jaw droppin' innovation!
Half my family is from Argentina - my dad was a singer in Buenos Aires and a friend of a very young Lalo, son of Luis Schifrin the concertmaster of the BA Symphony Orchestra. Some curious bits about the 5/4 signature: The first TV theme to be influenced by Dave Brubeck and his unusual time signatures was "Mr. Broadway" in 1964. The tune was, remarkably enough, composed by Dave Brubeck. That same year, Jerry Goldsmith composed the theme for "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." in 5/4. Ironically, for the second season, Lalo Schifrin was hired to rework the theme in a "Latin" vein, with bongos, flute and clave - but in 4/4 time - it won an Emmy and is the version that played for the remainder of the run and is still the most recalled by fans of the show. "Mission: Impossible" was the follow up in 1966. Brazilian composer Mario Albanese noted that all the these 5/4 iterations were not really "equally divided" 5 beats to the measure. They were more like 3 by 2. His version of the "true" 5/4 is called "The Jequibau", as exemplified by his composition "Pretty Butterfly" (No Balanço do Jequibau).
Another curiosity: seems almost impossible, but the "Mission: Impossible" theme does have lyrics, written by Fred Milano and Angelo D'Aleo. Words and music recorded by the Kane Triplets in 1968. Must be heard to be believed.
thanks for that great story. I have fallen in love with Ennio Moricone over the years, since I heard his music in cinema Paradiso. But went on to learn that he composed for many American films as well, including the good bad and the ugly.
Fantastic Ted. Thank you so much for the historical context and the musical tribute. Sometimes he things happen. It’s a snap of a finger! Sometimes they take longer.-;) we should all trust our first instinct
Great song and story Ted. An absolutely huge aspect of these and countless other iconic tunes are the inventive contributions by the session musicians that worked on it. I believe but am not 100% sure Carol Kaye invented the critically important bass line to Mission Impossible.
A great man who made a wonderful contribution to both music and visual culture. My favourite Schifrin theme music is his work for CBS’s private eye TV series, Mannix—it’s by turns funky, loungey, jazzy and brilliantly catchy. He also had a knack for coming up with great album titles—try “There’s a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin’ On” or (if you’re not into the whole brevity thing) “The Dissection and Reconstruction of Music From the Past as Performed by the Inmates of Lalo Schifrin's Demented Ensemble as a Tribute to the Memory of the Marquis De Sade”. Bon voyage, Maestro, and thanks for the music.
Love the Mannix theme too - music to be pistol-whipped by.
Was not aware of this Schiffrin album, but it's apparently a riff on the play "The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade", which was all the rage among the smart set in the late '60's/early '70's.
You’re right, and thanks for the reminder. The Peter Weiss play was usually referred to as “Marat/Sade.”
Exquisite 💎💕🎶💕💎
One interesting note about the MI theme as it is scored for the TV series: The suspensful opener is set in the key of Ab. And of course it is recapped at the closing credits… BUT scored a half step lower in the key of G. A subtle difference that boosts the suspense initially and a sense of resolution and the end.
Did other TV themes of the era do this? At least one I know of: Andy Griffith Show!
The flute soloist on the Mission Impossible theme was my friend and UCLA colleague, Sheridon Stokes. https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/01/18/sheridon-stokes-podcast/
Unless I missed it in your post, I didn’t see you mentioned the fact that the more recent Mission Impossible films reverted to using, horror, a 4/4 beat! Apparently Shiffrin was OK with this, but I find it absolute sacrilege as a drummer, a musician, and a film lover. ;)
Nice TG. It was Bud Shank, or so he said. Fav memories of my days gone waaay by: dinner at Hank Mancini’s house. He and Lalo were good pals…with just a hint of competitive edge…and a mainstay guest. Interesting side bar: Hank had the hot TV show action theme with Peter Gunn. But always knew Lalo topped him. Ahh Memories.
wuz jus' thinkin' bout Mancini! I'd say they wuz equals--Peter Gunn & MI are a tie fer me! Infectious both! Throw in Rodgers "Slaughter on 10th Ave" an' that's my holy trinity of heart-beat suspense! RIP Lalo!
Of his other TV and film scores, I particularly like the theme song he wrote for "Mannix".
Thanks for the memories Ted! I played Trumpet in my HS marching band at the time. And what a good time it was. Our Band Director went on to an illustrious career heading up all the Band Directors in South Florida for decades.
loved the Morse code tale!--I'll buy it! Music + math helped Hedy Lamarr work with composer George Antheil ta develop frequency hoppin'--which also gave us cellular tech (back then it wuz ta make missles undetectable by radar). MANY moosical geniuses/genii! liked ta explore oddball rhythms....2 yrz prior ta Brubeck's Take 5 there wuz Lenny Bernstein's "America".... quite the jaw droppin' innovation!
Half my family is from Argentina - my dad was a singer in Buenos Aires and a friend of a very young Lalo, son of Luis Schifrin the concertmaster of the BA Symphony Orchestra. Some curious bits about the 5/4 signature: The first TV theme to be influenced by Dave Brubeck and his unusual time signatures was "Mr. Broadway" in 1964. The tune was, remarkably enough, composed by Dave Brubeck. That same year, Jerry Goldsmith composed the theme for "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." in 5/4. Ironically, for the second season, Lalo Schifrin was hired to rework the theme in a "Latin" vein, with bongos, flute and clave - but in 4/4 time - it won an Emmy and is the version that played for the remainder of the run and is still the most recalled by fans of the show. "Mission: Impossible" was the follow up in 1966. Brazilian composer Mario Albanese noted that all the these 5/4 iterations were not really "equally divided" 5 beats to the measure. They were more like 3 by 2. His version of the "true" 5/4 is called "The Jequibau", as exemplified by his composition "Pretty Butterfly" (No Balanço do Jequibau).
Another curiosity: seems almost impossible, but the "Mission: Impossible" theme does have lyrics, written by Fred Milano and Angelo D'Aleo. Words and music recorded by the Kane Triplets in 1968. Must be heard to be believed.
thanks for that great story. I have fallen in love with Ennio Moricone over the years, since I heard his music in cinema Paradiso. But went on to learn that he composed for many American films as well, including the good bad and the ugly.
Fantastic Ted. Thank you so much for the historical context and the musical tribute. Sometimes he things happen. It’s a snap of a finger! Sometimes they take longer.-;) we should all trust our first instinct
Schifrin's "Toccata" movement from the Gillespiana suite has some of that spy-blues DNA, and it's from 1960, even before "Dr. No."
Inolvidable música.
Here's a 5/4 piece you may not be familiar with. It's called Five B4 Funk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Iyoz-4yX7Y