Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra

September 28, 2011 2:51 PM

American vs. British News Themes - from Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra
posted by lemuring (12 comments total)

That special looks great, I'll definitely watch it when I get home.
posted by empath at 3:05 PM on September 28, 2011

Wow, the whole thing is on youtube? I'm going to enjoy this...
posted by Acey at 3:06 PM on September 28, 2011

I remember seeing footage of a Vietnamese monk burning himself to death on ITN news, so it must have had that music over it. So, yes, it was just like that.

(They used to show that sort of stuff at 5:45 when I was five years old. Nightmare city, yes.)
posted by Grangousier at 3:12 PM on September 28, 2011

My favorite fact about the NBC chimes -- that the notes G E C stand for "General Electric Company" -- isn't true!

Any discussion of news themes brings back memories of my favorite scene in "Broadcast News" when the two composers are playing the new theme for an obviously distracted executive: "I got chills."
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 3:23 PM on September 28, 2011

I watched a number of sections of this and am loving it. My favorite bit is about bassoon players.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:33 PM on September 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

I liked his take on the BBC theme from an earlier show.
posted by Grimgrin at 3:36 PM on September 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

I had never heard of the guy before this evening, and now I'm hooked. Thanks!
posted by jwhite1979 at 4:20 PM on September 28, 2011

Is this where I post the Dr Qui theme?

Avec les Daleks, le Docteur est superieur.
"Exterminez-vous! Exterminez-vous encore! Ah, zut alors! Nous sommes perdus!"
Le docteur gagne, il rit 'Ha, ha, ha- j'ai gagné parce que je suis Docteur Qui
posted by zamboni at 4:50 PM on September 28, 2011

Sterling fellow
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 5:31 PM on September 28, 2011

Oh God, I'd forgotten all about that Brit news theme. No wonder. And yet it was there right through my childhood and, according to Mr. Bailey, right up until I was 23.
posted by Decani at 8:31 PM on September 28, 2011

Is this where I post the Dr Qui them ?

Go to minute 41 of the linked program, where he develops that.
posted by George_Spiggott at 8:35 PM on September 28, 2011

There is, of course, a nice bit on news theme music [hulu] in Broadcast News. That's Glen Roven and Marc Shaiman as the composers, both of them now veterans of the live broadcast special scene.
posted by dhartung at 10:38 PM on September 28, 2011