The ultimate old TV theme song featuring bass!

Bill, tgo

That was some funny television back then. Fred and Esther battles were classic. And Grady. OMG, Grady was brilliant comedy. 😄

Quote from: lbpesq on July 15, 2024, 05:32:52 PM
The ultimate old TV theme song featuring bass!

Bill, tgo

One of the most memorable TV show basslines. There are quite a few opinions out there on how it should be played.

Interestingly, Barney Miller was 1975 but from James Taylor's 1974 "Walking Man" album we have this fine number (check from 2:00 to the end...)

Gotta wonder about the composer credits...

Jimmy J

Quote from: JimmyJ on July 16, 2024, 07:28:56 AM
Interestingly, Barney Miller was 1975 but from James Taylor's 1974 "Walking Man" album we have this fine number (check from 2:00 to the end...)

Gotta wonder about the composer credits...

Jimmy J

Uh oh. That's really close. When I went to S.U.N.Y. Purchase I heard a rumour that our teacher James McElwaine played on The Barney Miller soundtrack.

Wow Jimmy! I just learned something new 50 years later.  Looks like Andy Muson played Bass on James' tune.  Of course, you have more knowledge of the sausage-making that is session recording .....  Recorded Jan - Apr 1974.  James is credited as composer of that tune. Barney Miller debuted Jan 23, 1975.  Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson are taking credit for the tune and they stated bassist Chuck Berghofer improvised that riff.

(I don't keep this stuff in my head......Wikipedia is my friend!)

Quote from: DistillaMatto on July 16, 2024, 07:52:02 AM
]
Uh oh. That's really close. When I went to S.U.N.Y. Purchase I heard a rumour that our teacher James McElwaine played on The Barney Miller soundtrack.

Chuck Berghofer  (also did the Carol Burnett Show theme).
[edit] Oops; Gary posted as I was pushing the button.

Peter

I Love this place!  Where else can you learn all this stuff AND have the Best members.

And then "... Chuck Berghofer improvised that riff... " begs to question why HE wasn't also given composer credit.  Even though in the end it looks like it was JT...  James never pursued it to the best of my knowledge.

Jimmy J

A quick side story, sorry to hijack...  I haven't done a lot of film score work but was lucky enough to play a few times for Randy Newman, "Meet the Fockers" being one.  During that session there was a scene where they needed a bit of incidental music - maybe like they were in a bar and this was playing in the background, so somewhat removed from the actual score.  Randy just asked us to ad lib a quick blues with drums, bass, guitar and violin - if I remember correctly.  But because HE is such a great guy, he gave us musicians composer credit for that "cue".  To this day we all get composer residuals for that little piece of music.  Now THAT is how to treat your fellow musos!

Jimmy J

Another hijacking.... Herb Alpert was recording his first album with his own money....ie. house mortgage. Little did he know how well it would sell. First thing he did was go back and pay the session musicians "scale" for their work....another classy guy. (I read this somewhere and posted it on a FB page and the man himself confirmed it.)

Since we are veering,  I recall my father had Herb Alpert's - Whipped Cream and Other Delights album.  The cover of that was inspiring.  The music is solid and brought me joy about 5 years back when the jazz band I was in played a Herb medley.

My take away from Sanford and Son was Toots, he was blowing that harmonica!   His discography is as long as my leg.   In the same class as Miles Davis, you hear his tone and you immediately know who it is.   

From 2019, Chaka Khan and Band, CHAKA KAHN:  HOMECOMING, filmed in her hometown of Chicago.  I believe that this was originally a PBS air.



This is one of those shows filmed on exactly the right day.  She's in very good voice (she occasionally runs away with herself vocalizing, but not here), the backup singers are exceptional, and the band is as tight as piston rings.  Listen for Mr. Davis' solo turn on his Smith Seven right around the 40-minute mark.

I'm a hopless CK fanboy, but the band is so tight I almost forget about her in spots, and those three ladies singing with her are hired killers.

Love me some Randy Newman!

Bill, tgo

Barbara Dennerlein:   

Peter