WPLJ Toasts TV Theme Songs

[musicradio77]

From the Daily News:

WPLJ toasts TV theme songs

By DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

It's terrifying, beyond terrifying really, how many TV theme songs unsuspecting Americans carry around.

The most casual TV fan hears three notes of "Happy Days" or "The Flintstones" or "Friends" or "The Jeffersons" and suddenly the whole song spools out uncontrollably in his or her head.

Now radio station WPLJ (95.5 FM), far from helping cool this addiction, is encouraging it.

'PLJ has rented the China Club April 27 for "TV Tunestock," at which composers of the themes from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Cheers" and others will play their songs live. They will be joined by a live orchestra playing more themes from "Gilligan's Island," "Love Boat" and so on.

There will also be sing-alongs, said WPLJ vice president Tom Cuddy, and morning hosts Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill will perform at least one yet-unselected song themselves.

This whole thing started when Shannon and Pettengill spun Joey Scarbury's theme from "The Greatest American Hero."

"Suddenly we started getting calls from listeners talking about how they grew up on that song and other TV themes," says Cuddy. "So we thought, 'We do live shows, why not track down these artists?' "

So far they're signed up, among others, Sonny Curtis, a one-time member of Buddy Holly's Crickets, who wrote the "Mary Tyler Moore" theme; David Pomeranz, "Perfect Strangers"; Gary Portnoy, "Cheers" and the "Punky Brewster" theme; Greg Evigan, "B.J. and the Bear"; Gloria Loring, "Facts of Life," and, of course, Scarbury.

Ironically, television itself has devalued themes lately. Some shows have no recognizable music at all.

But the people remember. In 2002, both TV Guide and the TV Land network, whose reruns bring classic themes to a new generation, compiled lists of the top TV themes.

TV Land's was a top 40 countdown, with "Gilligan's Island" edging "Happy Days" for No. 1.

TV Guide's list ran chronologically, from "I Love Lucy" to "Six Feet Under."

TV Guide's list was accompanied by a CD compilation of the top 50 themes on TVT Records - a company whose earlier TV theme compilations were so successful they funded the company's expansion into contemporary popular music.

Almost 20 years ago, Steve Gelfand of Glen Oaks, N.Y., founded the Television Music Archives with a hall of fame for themes. Gelfand also compiled a 300-page reference book on TV themes, and pop culture historian John Javna compiled two books of theme songs, with lyrics for singing.

"These songs are just part of people's lives," says Cuddy. "We've had more calls and E-mails about this concert than almost anything I can remember."

Tickets to the show, by the way, are available only through WPLJ contests.

[Mr. Television]

Its sick what has happened to theme songs lately, especially sitcom themes. I'm glad some people appreciate them.