NBC: A Soundtrack of Must See TV

by Original Tv Soundtrack

Overview

One of the more impressive collections of TV music released in recent memory, NBC: A Soundtrack of Must See TV collects the themes from virtually all of the network's noteworthy shows, spanning five decades' worth of television. Unlike some TV music compilations, which seem to take no consideration in how their songs are ordered, this collection is almost absurdly organized. The themes are grouped into very specific show categories -- "The Best Themes from a Sitcom (Adult/Workplace)" or "The Best Themes from a Drama (Police/Detective)"; while this might be a little too rigid, it does ensure a consistent mood and good flow from track to track, which is important considering that the longest themes only clock in at just over a minute. Some of the tracks here, such as the theme to "Saved by the Bell" and "Access Hollywood (Theme 2002)," were probably included more for the shows' popularity instead of the themes' musical merit, but by and large the collection offers a very strong collection of TV themes, including some all-time classics. Many of these come from the "Best Themes from a Drama (Police/Detective)" category, which boasts the "Hill Street Blues," "Rockford Files," "Dragnet (Danger Ahead)," "Peter Gunn," "Night Rider," and "Miami Vice" themes alone. "The Best Themes From a Sitcom (Adult/Workplace)" also feature some of the collection's most memorable themes, including "Seinfeld," "Cheers (Where Everybody Knows Your Name)," "I Dream of Jeannie," and "Get Smart." As expected from almost any TV music collection, the work of television composer extraordinaire Mike Post is well-represented, with his themes for "L.A. Law," "Law & Order," and the aforementioned "Hill Street Blues" and "Rockford Files" themes making him the most prolific composer on the album. Quincy Jones' cutting-edge theme for "Ironside" and excellently funky "Sanford and Son (The Streetbeater)" are also standouts. As nice as it is to have these classic and more current TV themes collected, the album's real finds are the slightly less well-known songs, like Jose Feliciano's "Chico and the Man" theme, as well as the themes to "The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie" and "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color." Both comprehensive and diverse, NBC: A Soundtrack of Must See TV plays less self-serving than the title implies, and ends up being a strong collection of pop culture memories. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	12/09/2003
Label:	Tvt
UPC:	0016581669024
Rank:	7649

Tracks

1. I'll Be There for You
2. Seinfeld
3. Where Everybody Knows Your Name
4. Thank You for Being a Friend
5. Will & Grace
6. Mad About You
7. Night Court
8. The Streetbeater
9. Chico and the Man
10. Jeannie
11. Get Smart
12. Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs
13. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
14. Kiss Me
15. Ready for Anything
16. Without Us
17. A Different World
18. My Opinionation
19. It Takes Diff'rent Strokes
20. Saved by the Bell
21. In the Heat of the Night
22. Hill Street Blues
23. The Rockford Files
24. The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie
25. Police Woman
26. Ironside
27. Danger Ahead
28. Peter Gunn
29. Knight Rider
30. Miami Vice
31. St. Elsewhere
32. L.A. Law
33. Law & Order
34. Wagon Train
35. The Virginian
36. Little House on the Prairie
37. Alfred Hitchcock Presents
38. Fame
39. Theme 2002
40. Unsolved Mysteries
41. The Mission
42. Dateline NBC
43. The Tra la la Song
44. Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
45. It's Howdy Doody Time
46. Inquisitive Tango
47. Saturday Night Live
48. Tonite
49. Late Night With Conan O'Brien
50. Johnny's Theme AKA the Tonight Show Theme

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tonight Show Band   Primary Artist
Doc Severinsen   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Phil Klum   Mastering
Quincy Jones   Composer
Michael Boyd   Composer
Mike Post   Composer
Alan Thicke   Composer
Gloria Loring   Composer
Alan Bergman   Composer
Stu Phillips   Composer
Stu Gardner   Composer
Henry Mancini   Composer
Danny Wilde   Composer
Dave Grusin   Composer
David Rose   Composer
Patricia Joseph   Executive Producer
Paul Anka   Composer
Paul Reiser   Composer
Steve Gottlieb   Executive Producer
Aisha Cohen   Licensing
Gary Portnoy   Composer
Don Was   Composer
Jan Hammer   Composer
J.J. Barry   Composer
Michael Skloff   Composer
E. Amelia Rogers   Composer
Benjamin Wheelock   Design
Judy Hart Angelo   Composer
Jonathan Wolff   Composer
D. Richard Lewis   Composer
J. Carson   Composer
M. Stevens   Composer
David Crane   Composer
Irving Szathmary   Composer
B. Miller   Composer
Scott Gale   Composer
Marta Kauffman   Composer
Glen A. Larson   Composer
Michelle Budge   Cover Design
Tom Brokaw   Liner Notes
Al Burton   Composer
Admiral S. Clay Wilson   Arranger
Allee Willis   Composer
Bob Russell   Composer
Bill Cosby   Composer
Michael Gore   Composer
Gary Remal Malkin   Composer
Marilyn Bergman   Composer
Robert B. Sherman   Composer
Dean Pitchford   Composer
Jose Feliciano   Composer
Phil Solem   Composer
Percy Faith   Composer
Pete Carpenter   Composer