Where Did The Memorable TV Theme Songs Go?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Themes from classic television shows are among the most memorable songs ever recorded, yet few modern shows open with one. Today: Find out what happened to the TV theme song. Also: keyboardist Marco Benevento of the indie instrumental Benevento Russo duo talks about his new solo album and performs live in our studio. This is a repeat edition of Soundcheck.
Guests:
Marco BeneventoThey're Creepy and They're Kooky
Most people can sing at least a few lines from the songs that opened television shows like "Gilligan's Island," "The Brady Bunch," or "The Jeffersons." Yet few programs today kick off with a musical explanation of the series' premise. We ask Eric Deggans, media critic at the St. Petersburg Times, ...
Duo Guy Goes Solo
Keyboardist Marco Benevento earned his chops as one half of the hard-touring, jammy Benevento-Russo Duo. In 2007, he drew praise for his three-CD set of live performances recorded at the now-shuttered nightclub Tonic. Benevento joins us to perform songs from his first solo studio album, "Invisible Baby."
TV Themes: What It's All About
Actually, only one type of TV theme song has really disappeared: The “explainer,” where the lyrics set up the story. Classic example: Gilligan’s Island (“just sit right back and you’ll hear the tale, the tale of a fateful trip…”). Some kids’ shows, like "Hannah Montana," still have something like ...
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