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Local San Diego TV Themes (circa 1950s - early 1970s)
[NOTE: For those of you who are tempted to EMail us with your own
favorite local TV THEMEs to be included on this Web Site, We'll say
(please don't take this the wrong way, but) you can save us all
the trouble; Right now we don't have time to list local THEMEs for
everyone's home town; We still have many more National THEMEs to
add to the Web Site from our research. But in time we may expand
the Web Site to include them...
Since most local shows of this vintage fall into the category of
either News, Public Affairs, Afternoon Movies or local talk shows,
those are the shows for which THEMEs are remembered here;
Below is our unforgivable indulgence and sole exception to the
organization of this Web Site which ordinarily lists only Network
and Nationally-Syndicated THEMEs; We will beg the pardon in advance
of anyone who wants to argue about this inconsistency :-)
KFMB-TV Channel 8 (CBS)
(Sign-On Theme): -- "Sunrise" from "The Grand Canyon Suite"
composed by Ferde Grofe
performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra
conducted by Arthur Fiedler
"Bob Dale's Early Show" (weekday afternoon movies)
-- (Open Theme, Pt. A): "Fanfare No. 332"
from the Capitol "Q" Library
[no composer listed]
-- (Open Theme, Pt. B): "New Horizons"
by Roger Roger; from
Major Records Production Music
[now R F T Music Publishing, Inc.,
a division of Thomas J. Valentino
music library, LP 51-A: Cut 1]
-- (Close Theme): "Tag No. 875 (Production)"
from the Capitol "Q" Library
[no composer listed]
"Million Dollar Movie" (weekends)
-- (Theme #1): "Naked City" by Raymond Scott
(pseudonym of Harry Warnow)
pub. by Gateway Music Co. (ASCAP);
78 rpm on the Audivox label
Audivox 103 (E3CB 3545);
by Raymond Scott & His Orch.
[This haunting 1953 composition is not to be confused with the TV
series "Naked City", whose themes were by Nelson Riddle & Billy May.
One part of this slow big band ballad was recorded in heavy reverb
on an erie sounding electronic instrument called the "Ondes Martinot",
a French predecessor of the Theremin. (We were under the mistaken
impression in the 1950's that this was a cello played in the extreme
high register which the sound resembles; But we were puzzled why it
sounded more like a tenor saxophone in the low register.)]
"Million Dollar Movie" (weekends) (Theme #2) --
"Metropolitan Rhapsody" [Major Mood
Music Records - Production Music title;
(adapted from "Gershwinesque No. 2" --
its original title in the Parry Records
Mood Music Library)]
by the French composer Roger Roger;
[part of the Thomas J. Valentino
library, LP 52-B.]
Other Movie Show Theme -- "Grand Vista" from "Title Music"
by Trevor Duncan
[pseudonym of Leonard Trebilco]
From the Boosey & Hawkes music library
[78rpm - Boosey & Hawkes OT 2222.]
"Channel 8 Newsroom" (weekdays) -- "Conquering Hero" by George Chase
from the Major Records Production
Music Library [published by R.F.T.
Music (BMI) part of Thomas J.
Valentino Music]
"This Day 1956 - 1961" (weekend Theme #1) -- "Theme No. 524 (Dramatic)"
from the Capitol "Q" Library
[no composer listed]
"This Day 1956 - 1961" (weekend Theme #2 Open) -- "Triumphal March (Ave Caesar)"
from the film "Quo Vadis"
[film score] by Miklos Rosza
"This Day 1956 - 1961" (weekend Theme #3 Close) -- "Tag No. 851 (Dramatic)"
from the Capitol "Q" Library
[no composer listed]
"People In The News" with Harold Keen (Theme #1) -- "On Parade" (march)
composed by Edwin Franko Goldman
"People In The News" with Harold Keen (Theme #2) -- "Bombasto" (march)
composed by Orion Farrar
from the 78rpm Capitol Transcription Library,
forerunner of the 78rpm Capitol "Q" library;
performed by Louis Castellucci
conducting "The Capitol Band"
"The Weatherword" -- "Mercury, the Winged Messenger" from
the LP Suite: Bacchanal! -- a Columbia album
composed and orchestrated by Albert Harris
recorded by Frank De Vol and His Orchestra
"TV-8 Reports" (documentary, Pt. A): "Timpani and Cymbal" by Rico Calle
(pseudonym of Ralph Carmichael)
from the Major Mood Music Library
"TV-8 Reports" (documentary, Pt. B): "Tide of Empire" by George Chase
from the Major Mood Music Library
(Sign-Off Theme Pt. A): "Sunset" from "The Grand Canyon Suite"
composed by Ferde Grofe
performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra
conducted by Arthur Fiedler
(Sign-Off Theme Pt. B): "Fanfare Curtain" by George Chase
from the Major Mood Music Library
News Theme Open/Close (1983)-- "TV-8 News Theme" by Dave Shields
original music produced for Peters Productions
KFSD/KOGO/KGTV Channel 10 (NBC/ABC)
(Sign-On Theme) -- "Prelude" from "The Ten Commandments"
[alternate theme title: "Love and Ambition"]
[film score] by Elmer Bernstein
Soundtrack LP recording
"The Lynn Taylor Show" (womens' show) --
"Star Fire" by Hajime Tachibana
from the Dot LP "The Sound of Speed"
arranged by Robert Lamar "Bob" Thompson; recorded by
The Orchestra dei Concerti di Roma
conducted by Paul Baron.
(Ch. 10 Weekend Movie) --
"Fiddling For Fun" (translated from French)
by Faustin Paul ("Irenee") JeanJean (1900-1979), and his
brother Maurice A. JeanJean; Faustin JeanJean had been
a young trumpet player with Lud Gluskin during the ten
years Gluskin led a jazz band in upper-class French and German
night clubs from the mid-1920's through the mid-1930s;
Gluskin returned to the U.S., and 17 years later in the
early 1950s became music director of the CBS network; When
Gluskin tired of Musician's Union obstacles, Faustin JeanJean
was one of several musicians in Europe whom Gluskin contracted
to supply cue music for the "CBS Recorded Music Library" he
used in "tracking" (scoring episodes of) CBS radio/TV shows
like "Gunsmoke";
In particular, Faustin JeanJean's cues were used for CBS shows
"You Are There" and the "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"; in addition
some of Faustin's compositions found their way onto CBS comedy
shows for Carol Burnett and Red Skelton, where his work came
to the attention of Skelton's music director David Rose.
Rose featured this ebullient composition as the title track
on his delightful LP album titled, "Fiddlin' For Fun";
performed by David Rose & His Orchestra.
"The Johnny Downs Show" (children) --
"Little Bells and Big Bells"
[original German title: "Glocke und Glöckchen"]
composed by Helmut Zacharias
from the Columbia LP "Passport To Romance"
performed by Percy Faith and His Orchestra
"Assignment San Diego" (back-country travelog) hosted by Bob Lee --
"Open Road, Open Sky" from the film "Champagne Waltz"
based upon "Sweetheart Waltz" from the operetta
known in English as "The Gypsy Baron"
[original 1885 operetta title: "Der Ziegeunerbaron"]
music by Johann Strauss, Jr., words by Ann Ronell.
"The News", with Sam Rinaker -- (Open and Close Theme) "Powerful End"
composed by Franz Mahl
(pseudonym of George Chase)
from the "Video Moods" Production Library
"The News" (Close Theme #2) -- Ending of "Be Glad Then America" from
the "New England Triptych"
composed in 1956 by William H. Schuman
"The News" (Close Theme #3) -- Ending of "Symphonia Domestica"
composed in 1945 by Richard Strauss
[the full orchestra plays the same
'G - E - C' notes motif at the end,
as the 'N.B.C. Chimes' Theme]
(Sign-Off Theme #1) -- "Prelude" from the film "The Ten Commandments"
[alternate theme title: "Love and Ambition"]
[film score] by Elmer Bernstein
Soundtrack LP recording
(Sign-Off Theme #2) -- "Rising Star (Love Theme)" from the film
"The Electric Horseman"
[film score] by Dave Grusin
Soundtrack LP recording
(1970s Public Affairs Theme) -- "Gathering Crowds" by "J. Scott"
[pseudonym of Patrick J. O'Hara Scott]
from the British "KPM Recorded Music
Library" KPM 1138 Side A, Track 1
XETV Channel 6 (ABC/Independent)
News (Theme #1) -- "Mood No. 464 (Communications)"
from the Capitol "Q" Library
[This was actually a recycled Opening THEME for the
TV sitcom "My Hero", composed by Leon Klatzkin who
was a music editor for the MUTEL Music Service which
sub-licensed much music to the Capitol "Q" Library
for its first few years.]
News (Theme #2) -- "Allegro" (first mvt.) of "Concerto in F Major"
for Piano and Orchestra, by George Gershwin (written in 1925);
[Several TV stations across the country used this as
their news theme in the 1950s -- using only the first
part of the first movement of this jazz-influenced tone
poem that Gershwin named a "Concerto";
The piece opens with a declarative statement via timpani
(kettle drums), cymbal and wind flourishes; followed by a
series of alternating major and minor ninth chords in a
1920's-style syncopated Charleston-rhythm played by the
full string section accented by brass; followed by the
woodwinds playing a pentatonic countermelody outlining
sixth chords to further mix up the harmonic flavors; its
a pastiche effect that is as colorful as the hustle-bustle
of people rushing through traffic in a major city;
This is probably why it appealed to so many production
managers seeking an ASCAP-cleared composition to use
as a news theme; and it influenced imitators who wrote
for production music libraries for years to come.]
KCST/KNSD-TV Channel 39 (Independent/NBC)
News Theme Open/Close (1974)-- "11 Alive (news theme)"
by David Shields (ASCAP)
part of an original promotional music
package produced for Peters Productions
News Opening Theme (1976) -- "Ponderosa" [017 B2098]
by Craig Everett Palmer (BMI)
Network Production Music Publishing (BMI)
News Bumper to Commercial -- "Iron Horse" [017 A2102]
by Craig Everett Palmer (BMI)
Network Production Music Publishing (BMI)
News Closing Theme (1976) -- "Country Livin'" [017 A2101]
by Craig Everett Palmer (BMI)
Network Production Music Publishing (BMI)
[last three items identified courtesy KCST Channel 39 Audio
Engineer James ("Jim") Alburger]
KEBS/KPBS-TV Channel 15 (EBS/PBS) from San Diego State
"Profile" -- "Profile Stinger" (original theme) by Conrad Susa
[Public Affairs Theme] "The Pharoah" [aka "Pharoah"] by Jimmy Giuffre
from the Columbia LP "Music For Brass"
produced by George Avakian
Columbia CL 941 (1956)
Copyright Mar. 26, 1962; EP 231 127.
Renewed Jan. 9, 1990; RE-471-663.
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