Themes from other music

[mystery7]

Inspired in part by a discussion here, I've spun off to ponder the provenance of some game show themes that came from other music. For example, music inspired by if not blatantly lifted from other pieces:

- $25,000 Pyramid, where Bob Cobert turned Ken Aldin's original theme inside out
- Joker's Wild, where Hal Hidey basically rewrote parts of Perrey & Kinglsey's The Savers
- Bullseye, which seems at least "inspired" by the theme used in the pilot, Santa Esmeralda's cover of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
- The original Alan Thicke Wheel Of Fortune theme, loosely based on Maynard Ferguson's Give It One, used for the "Kookie" pilots (fun fact: the album it's from, MF Horn II, was produced by Keith Mansfield)

In another category, themes that were sourced from other places than a KPM library or Herb Alpert record. Like the Chain Reaction theme, which began as a Bob Cobert cut from the NBC "classic" Supertrain.

What other themes belong on this list?

[JasonA1]

Off the top of my head, these shows used the recorded songs listed in their respective pilots before commissioning a soundalike:

* The theme to Whew! was inspired by the Richard Davies-penned library piece "L.A. Express"
* The theme to Hit Man was inspired by the Pablo Cruise song "Worlds Away"
* The theme to Body Language was inspired by the Tootsie soundtrack piece "Working Girl March"
* The theme to Hot Potato was inspired by the Donna Summer song "Stop, Look and Listen"

Body Language is the least one-to-one match of the four, but clearly somebody at Goodson wanted that musical feel SOMEPLACE, as it came up in three different pilots (that we know of).

-Jason

[BrandonFG]

The Press Your Luck pilot used a Keith Mansfield track called “Flash”. You can hear the similarities on the show’s actual theme.

[Chief-O]

The "Split Second" pilot used a Keith Mansfield library piece called "Motor Show".

This one *might* be a stretch---the "Double Cross" pilot used a composition by Keith Droste (and commercially released, at that) called "Pressure Cooker". Surely Jack Barry liked it enough to have it readapted (in a far less weird way) for "Break the Bank".

(ETA, so as not to boost my post count:) Remembered “Blank Check”, and Alan Thicke’s copy of “Chump Change”. IIRC, the pilot *did* use Q’s original piece. (and as I wrote that addition, I thought of Kalehoff’s cover used briefly on NYSI)

[WhammyPower]

For probably the most modern example on the list to date, "Funny You Should Ask" uses music based on "Happy" by Pharrell Williams (of course, after using that music outright in the first batch of tapings).

[BrandonFG]

Wordplay is another one. I can't remember the name of the pilot theme nor the production library, but what went to air was also similar.

/And catchier IMO

[SuperMatch93]

Bis in Italy used "Rydeen" by Yellow Magic Orchestra.

[whewfan]

The Silly Song instrumental for Hollywood Squares was re-worked later in the run and called "Bob and Merrill's Theme." Around 1979, the theme got more "disco-fied." On a side note, I think the disco version of the HS theme has some resemblance to "Disco Frog" sung by Kermit the Frog on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, particularly the part where Kermit sings "And then he, boogies up and down and shuffles right..."

I believe the CBS TJW also briefly used a sound alike of The Savers theme for the opening theme for some reason.

[SamJ93]

"Chump Change" has the rare distinction of being knocked-off twice. Blank Check used it in the pilot, but were forced to go with a sound-alike for the series after Now You See It beat them to the punch...then NYSI used a sound-alike of its own for a few weeks (which it kept using as a commercial outro cue even after the real "Chump Change" returned).

[Casey]

Do we count Family Feud's theme as it originally was used as prize music on Price is Right?

[chris319]

I've always found it remarkable that Goodson commissioned, at great expense, a new, fully orchestrated music package for Spellbinders, a pilot for NBC which didn't sell. The Spellbinders music was based on "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and now just sits idle.

Just as remarkable is that he didn't reuse the Spellbinders music for Child's Play, instead commissioning, again at great expense, another fully orchestrated package, this one based on "London Bridge". Goodson was accustomed to reusing music such as Double Dare for Card Sharks and Mindreaders for the Puzzlers pilot.

The MGHS theme has been recycled as TPIR cues, as have the FF and Concentration themes. He also commissioned a new, fully orchestrated package for TTTT 1980 when he had Paul Alter's theme with lyrics lying around.

Then he commissioned Kalehoff to do MGHS and Trivia Trap, a couple of Kalehoff's lesser works.

[chris319]

"Pressure Cooker". Surely Jack Barry liked it enough to have it readapted (in a far less weird way) for "Break the Bank".

Would this be the version of BtB that was on ABC and syndicated? I've always liked that.

[Chief-O]

"Pressure Cooker". Surely Jack Barry liked it enough to have it readapted (in a far less weird way) for "Break the Bank".

Would this be the version of BtB that was on ABC and syndicated? I've always liked that.

Correct.

[Stackertosh]

Teena Marie's song "Square Biz" was used as the theme song for Hollywood Squares during the Henry Winkler years.