TV theme songs with prominent trombone parts

AndrewMeronek · Post by **AndrewMeronek** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 1:43 pm

My folks have been glued to this series lately. I gotta admit, that theme is catchy and does feature a well-done trombone countermelody.

What other TV theme songs have nice 'bone work?

EriKon · Post by **EriKon** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 3:24 pm

Just what immediately comes into my mind: Two Mancini soundtracks.
Mr. Lucky theme with some nice bone section work.
Peter Gunn theme with a great trombone solo.

JohnL · Post by **JohnL** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 3:28 pm

That's a cover of You're Wondering Now. They went to a new arrangement a few series (seasons) back; the trombone is less prominent now.

A couple bits from the golden age of TV themes.

One that comes up from time to time is the theme from Johnny Quest

Lots of trombone work. The trombone solo is short, but it (and the rest of the tune, for that matter) is pretty cool...

A bit of tasty bass trombone work (though not really a solo) in the theme from Ellery Queen

EDIT
Gotta add Hawaii Five-O

Not a solo, but prominent trombone section work.

AndrewMeronek · Post by **AndrewMeronek** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 4:06 pm

Yeah! JohnL, thanks for the additions.

brassmedic · Post by **brassmedic** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 4:19 pm

robcat2075 · Post by **robcat2075** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 4:20 pm

Connoisseurs know that Season 2 Munsters Theme was the good one.

First three notes...

When a Hollywood producer writer thinks "trombone," this is what he's thinking...

brassmedic · Post by **brassmedic** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 6:09 pm

Oh yeah, and of course:

JohnL · Post by **JohnL** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 6:55 pm

So much of the theme music in the 1950's and 1960's was in the big band style - and so many of the musicians "cut their teeth" playing during the big band era...

another goodie...

jthomas105 · Post by **jthomas105** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 10:10 pm

Watrous playing and whistling

Finetales · Post by **Finetales** » Mon Jul 18, 2022 3:26 pm

No melody, but the trombones are throwing down nonetheless (especially 1:44 to the end):

Lots of low goodness:

chromebone · Post by **chromebone** » Thu Jul 21, 2022 6:30 am

I remember this well from when I was a kid, the trombone part still plays in my head

On a related general brass player you should know note, the great Vince DeRosa passed away a few days ago at the age of 101. One of the greatest horn players who ever lived and almost certainly the most recorded brass player of all time, maybe the most recorded musician of all time over over his 75 year career for that matter: we should all be emulating his sound:

WGWTR180 · Post by **WGWTR180** » Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:03 am

Can't believe no one has mentioned Johnny Quest.

brassmedic · Post by **brassmedic** » Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:58 pm

WGWTR180 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:03 am Can't believe no one has mentioned Johnny Quest.

It's there, you just didn't see it.

robcat2075 · Post by **robcat2075** » Mon Jul 25, 2022 2:07 pm

Regarding Jonny Quest starting at about 0:52... It sounds like they've just roughly faded from a take in one tempo to a take in another tempo... what's happening there?

Posaunus · Post by **Posaunus** » Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:04 pm

chromebone wrote: ↑Thu Jul 21, 2022 6:30 am ... the great Vince DeRosa passed away a few days ago at the age of 101. One of the greatest horn players who ever lived and almost certainly the most recorded brass player of all time, maybe the most recorded musician of all time over over his 75 year career for that matter: we should all be emulating his sound:

Peter Gunn! Vince DeRosa, Dick Nash, et al. The soundtrack of my youth!

WGWTR180 · Post by **WGWTR180** » Tue Jul 26, 2022 6:30 am

brassmedic wrote: ↑Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:58 pm
WGWTR180 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:03 am Can't believe no one has mentioned Johnny Quest.
It's there, you just didn't see it.

bellend · Post by **bellend** » Fri Aug 05, 2022 12:02 pm

Here's the BBC's I Claudius from the 70's , always liked this

Bleek · Post by **Bleek** » Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:21 pm

Another recent one

robcat2075 · Post by **robcat2075** » Tue Oct 24, 2023 7:54 pm

This compilation of openings to failed TV shows of the 1970s has quite a few with prominent horn sections like we do not hear today.

Two with notably audible trombones:

2:47 Viva Valdez

5:42 The New Temperature's Rising

Did we really watch dreck like this? I know I did!

AtomicClock · Post by **AtomicClock** » Tue Oct 24, 2023 8:38 pm

I'm partial to The Prisoner.

sacfxdx · Post by **sacfxdx** » Wed Oct 25, 2023 4:22 am

AtomicClock wrote: ↑Tue Oct 24, 2023 8:38 pm I'm partial to The Prisoner.

Great show. Way ahead of its time.

baileyman · Post by **baileyman** » Wed Oct 25, 2023 6:15 am

British TV seems to have lots of well-played small bore. Still?

Kbiggs · Post by **Kbiggs** » Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:29 am

Atomic Clock and sacfxdx beat me to it.

I’ve often wondered whether Ray Premru was playing on this track.

AtomicClock · Post by **AtomicClock** » Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:14 am

brassmedic wrote: ↑Sun Jul 17, 2022 4:19 pm

Video was taken down. Does anyone remember what brassmedic linked?

tepposal · Post by **tepposal** » Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:39 am

The Matlock theme hasn't been mentioned yet.
We played it just a little while ago, and let's be honest, it is a bass trombone solo!

AtomicClock · Post by **AtomicClock** » Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:53 am

I'm surprised these all sound so good, given they were surely written for the tinny mono TV speakers of the day.

TonyNeal · Post by **TonyNeal** » Wed Oct 25, 2023 2:07 pm

Two British children's programmes spring to mind. The Flumps. And Johnny Briggs theme was the Acrobat.
Sitcom Steptoe and Sons had a prominent trombone.
More recently Death in Paradise

AndrewMeronek · Post by **AndrewMeronek** » Wed Oct 25, 2023 3:25 pm

tepposal wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:39 am The Matlock theme hasn't been mentioned yet.
We played it just a little while ago, and let's be honest, it is a bass trombone solo!

Yeah, this is great!

WGWTR180 · Post by **WGWTR180** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:33 am

AtomicClock wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:53 am I'm surprised these all sound so good, given they were surely written for the tinny mono TV speakers of the day.

Makes perfect sense to me. Digital recording has ruined the great sound of the past.

tjonz · Post by **tjonz** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:57 am

There's a very nice section soli in "Meet Mr. Solo".

brassmedic · Post by **brassmedic** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:41 am

tjonz wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:57 am There's a very nice section soli in "Meet Mr. Solo".

Sounds like French Horn to me.

brassmedic · Post by **brassmedic** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:45 am

AtomicClock wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:14 am
brassmedic wrote: ↑Sun Jul 17, 2022 4:19 pm
Video was taken down. Does anyone remember what brassmedic linked?

Not sure I remember, but I think it was the little trombone solo on The Oblongs end credits.

VJOFan · Post by **VJOFan** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:41 pm

Not the most prominent, but I remember rushing home from school with my band part to play along when the repeats played on afternoon TV. It must have been in the same key as my school arrangement.

Mikebmiller · Post by **Mikebmiller** » Sat Oct 28, 2023 9:17 am

The Foundation series on Apple TV has some epic low brass writing. Also, it is a fantastic show.

robcat2075 · Post by **robcat2075** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 7:42 pm

Further forgotten trombone follies:

5:54 Calucci's Dept.
6:28 Lotsa Luck
16:24 Tenafly

NorthernEuph · Post by **NorthernEuph** » Thu Nov 02, 2023 10:20 am

Check out an old British cooking show called “Two Fat Ladies”. Go a little past the intro into the start of the show.

robcat2075 · Post by **robcat2075** » Mon Nov 27, 2023 12:26 pm

More echoes from the vast wasteland...

0:10 "The Ropers" - painfully prominent trombone solo w/ plunger
1:12 "Detective School" - trombone counter-lines
4:38 "Working Stiffs" - nice brass section
6:51 "Big Shamus/Little Shamus" - opens with sad-trombone solo, some bass trb lines later

Post by **Bonearzt** » Wed Nov 29, 2023 6:48 pm

I can't believe NO ONE hit this one!!!

Posaunus · Post by **Posaunus** » Wed Nov 29, 2023 10:32 pm

Bonearzt wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 6:48 pm I can't believe NO ONE hit this one!!!

Perhaps because no one ever watched it, so it died in obscurity?

brassmedic · Post by **brassmedic** » Thu Nov 30, 2023 1:04 pm

Bonearzt wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 6:48 pm I can't believe NO ONE hit this one!!!

That reminds me, Thunderbirds theme song had a bunch of trombone stuff.

dbwhitaker · Post by **dbwhitaker** » Sat Dec 02, 2023 1:43 pm

Bleek wrote: ↑Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:21 pm Another recent one

I noticed that the 4th actor listed in the opening credits is named Pankow. Wikipedia indicates that the actor is James Pankow's younger brother. I wonder if James might be playing the theme?