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This episode, packed with 34 opening and closing theme tunes, will focus on the theme music of seven representative military sitcoms from the 1950s up to the present, some of them well-known, some of them forgotten. Here are the series and theme tunes included in this episode:
YOU’LL NEVER GET RICH/THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW/SERGEANT BILCO
(1955-1959)
1955-1959 syndicated reruns opening and closing titles
Music composed by John Strauss; opening voice-over by Phil Silvers
BONUS THEMES:
CAR 54, WHERE ARE YOU?
1961-1963 opening titles
Music composed by John Strauss; lyrics written by Nat Hiken
McHALE’S NAVY
(1962-1966)
1962-1963 opening and closing titles
Music composed by Axel Stordahl
1963-1964 opening and closing titles
Music composed by Axel Stordahl
1964-1966 opening and closing titles
Music composed by Axel Stordahl; arranged by Jerry Fielding
BONUS THEMES:
BROADSIDE
1964-1965 opening and closing titles
Music composed by Jerry Fielding
DAY BY DAY
1988-1989 opening titles
Music and lyrics written by Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston and Sammy Cahn (based on their song “Day by Day,” composed in 1946)
GOMER PYLE – USMC
(1964-1969)
1964-1969 opening and closing titles
Music composed by Earle Hagen
-Commercial Break-
M*A*S*H
(1972-1983)
1972-1983 opening and closing titles
“Suicide is Painless”
Music and lyrics (never used) written by Johnny Mandel (based on his music for the 1970 film “M*A*S*H“)
BONUS THEMES:
BANYON
1972-1973 opening titles
Music composed by Johnny Mandel
TRAPPER JOHN, M.D.
1979-1986 opening titles
Music composed by John Parker
AfterMASH
1983-September 1984 opening titles
Music composed by Patrick Williams (based loosely on “Suicide is Painless” by Johnny Mandel)
September-December 1984 opening titles
Music composed by Patrick Williams (based loosely on “Suicide is Painless” by Johnny Mandel)
ROLL OUT!
(1973-1974)
1973-1974 opening and closing titles
Music composed by Dave Grusin
BONUS THEMES:
THE GHOST & MRS. MUIR
1968-1970 opening titles
Music composed by Dave Grusin
IT TAKES A THIEF
September 1968-1970 opening titles
Music composed by Dave Grusin; voice-over by Robert Wagner
THE NAME OF THE GAME
1968-1971 opening titles
Music composed by Dave Grusin
DAN AUGUST
1970-1971 opening titles
Music composed by Dave Grusin
ST. ELSEWHERE
1986-1987 opening titles
Music composed by Dave Grusin
-Commercial Break-
OPERATION PETTICOAT
(1977-1979)
1977-1979 opening titles
Music composed by Artie Butler
BONUS THEMES:
GRANDPA GOES TO WASHINGTON
1978-1979 opening titles
Music composed by Artie Butler
THE ARMY SHOW
(1998)
1998 opening and closing titles
Music composed by Jonathan Wolff
BONUS THEMES:
SEINFELD
1990-1998 closing titles
Music composed by Jonathan Wolff
CAROLINE IN THE CITY
1995-1999 closing titles
Music composed by Jonathan Wolff
WILL & GRACE
1998-1999 closing titles
Music composed by Jonathan Wolff
Also included are vintage promos for many of the series featured in this episode, as well as some ads that my podcasting friends provided to me to promote their own great podcasts; be sure to check them out.
Many, many thanks to Zerbinator for his continued support. His encouragement and expertise are very much appreciated by me. You can find all of his fun-to-listen-to podcasts here, including my favorite, “Please Stand By.” And I’d also like especially to thank him for providing the opening and closing theme music for Tube Tunes; all of his fantastic music can be found here. And, again, thanks are in order for him for providing TUBE TUNES with the “We’ll Be Right Back” drops heard during the podcast. Thanks, Burford.
I would also like to again thank Rob “Flack” O’Hara and Sean Johnson for adding TUBE TUNES to The Throwback Network. It’s a great place to find just about any retro-themed podcast you can think of. Please check out the network here.
I also need to thank the Free Music Archive for the following musical artists and songs that were used in this episode under the Creative Commons License: “The US Army Song (The Caissons Go Rolling Along,” “Reveille Variations/Drum Call/Slow Scotch/Quick Scotch/Yankee Doodle,” and “Paddy On the Handcar from The Minstrel Boy Show,” all performed by The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.
Finally, my thanks to Ferg of The Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast. His inspiration and dedication to covering every game cartridge ever made for the Atari 2600 (I think over 1000 of them!) is what gave me the courage to begin this podcast. And his continued support and promotion of TUBE TUNES on his excellent podcast is greatly appreciated by yours truly. Please, check out his podcast, even if you’re not an Atari 2600 collector; or at least visit his website here.