(ABC Daytime, 1963 - present) [Since most soap operas had some overtone or sub-plot involving illness or injury, it was only a matter of time before an entire soap opera would be set in a hospital; This ground- breaking event took place in 1963; And what was even more astonishing was that TWO networks premiered such a soap on the same date -- April 1, 1963 -- April Fools' Day; On that auspicious day both ABC's "General Hospital" and NBC's "The Doctors" debuted; Of course, spies from one network probably got the other one thinking "what a great idea"; But it was "General Hospital" that won the "test of time"; "The Doctor's" ended after a long 19 season run, in 1982; "General Hospital" is still going; This series was the U.S. series; another series with the same name appeared in Great Britain with a THEME written by Ron Grainer]
[above is title as filed for copyright; ASCAP title variations... "Theme for 'General Hospital'"] Composer: Kip Walton (ASCAP) Orig. Publisher: Jonathan Music Co., Inc. (BMI) 1978 Publisher: 2002 Publisher: American Broadcasting Music, Inc. (ASCAP) div. of ABC Television of New York, NY Copyright Date: Jun. 24, 1964; Eu 832 009. Renewal Date: Recordings:
[above is the title as filed for copyright; ASCAP title variation... aka: "General Hospital (Signature)"; Wright was the organist for the series after Kip Walton left] Composer: George Wright (ASCAP) Orig. Publisher: 1978 Publisher: 2002 Publisher: Fred Bock Music Company, Inc. (ASCAP) of Tarzana, CA Copyright Date: Apr. 25, 1975; Eu 581 561. Renewal Date: Recordings:
[aka: "Theme to General Hospital"; aka: "General Hospital"] Composer: Jack Urbont (BMI) Orig. Publisher: ABC/Dunhill Music Co. (BMI) 1978 Publisher: 2002 Publisher: ABC Circle Music, Inc. (BMI) div. of ABC Television of New York, NY Copyright Date: Jul. 26, 1976; Eu 701 049. Renewal Date: Recordings:
[vocal title aka: "Faces Of The Heart"; General Hospital was a long-running soap; How long was it? Co-composer David Stephen Koz was born the same year (1963) "General Hospital" premiered; 30 years later he is writing its THEME song...] Composers: Jack Urbont (BMI), David Stephen Koz (BMI) and Jeff Koz (BMI) Orig. Publisher: 1978 Publisher: 2002 Publisher: ABC Circle Music, Inc. (BMI) div. of ABC Television of New York, NY Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings: