A collection of older TV Theme Songs
May 15, 2006 2:17 AM   Subscribe

 


(The link to the lyrics is so you can all sing along.)
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:00 AM on May 15, 2006




I think the White Stripes could do a fantastic cover of Jamie & The Magic Torch
posted by Navek Rednam at 3:13 AM on May 15, 2006


"It's too orangey for crows!"

Certain to delight fans of late 90's sitcom Spaced.
posted by robzster1977 at 3:29 AM on May 15, 2006


Ah, the slow-motion fighting episode. Pure genius.

Disappointed that there is no theme tune for the Um Bongo adverts, though. "Um Bong Um Bongo they drink it the Congo, the python picked the passionfruit the marmoset the mango" etc.
posted by greycap at 3:41 AM on May 15, 2006


I'm afraid to say my inner pedant made me check that the marmoset actually picked a mandarin, and since I looked it up, here are all the words:

Way down deep in the middle of the congo, the hippo took an apricot a guava and a mango. He stuck it with the others and he danced a dainty tango;

The rhino said "I know, we'll call it Um Bongo!"

Um Bongo, Um Bongo, They Drink It In The Congo!

The python picked the passion fruit, the marmoset the mandarin, the parrot painted packets that the whole caboodle landed in!

So when it comes to sun and fun and goodness in the jungle, they all prefer the sunny funny one they call Um Bongo!

Seeing as we're talking theme tunes, does anyone know whether Oasis ever got any shit for what appears to be their 'borrowing' of two lines from the theme of the 1970's BBC children's show 'You and Me' on their track 'She's Electric'?
posted by biffa at 4:31 AM on May 15, 2006


Really, absolutely extraordinary!

I'm astonished at some of the stuff they have here, although it probably won't seem as amazing to you unless you're British and over 35 years old.

Bagpuss! (stop motion animated kids show)
Citizen Smith! (the comical misadventures of the Trotskyist Tooting Peoples Front)
Sapphire and Steel! ("All irregularities will be handled by the forces controlling each dimension. Trans-uranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life.")

Do yourselves a favour and download White Horses - it's beautiful.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 4:36 AM on May 15, 2006


Oh, colour me nostalgic. My brother and I have just been having a an old fashion singalong....


Don't you open that, TRAP DOOR!
You're a fool if you dare.
Stay a-way from that, TRAP DOOR!
'cause there's something down there.


Where I grew up we only had the ABC so weren't exactly spoiled for choice, but judging by the number of our old favourites featured on this site they seem to have hit a lot of the highlights of last 70's and early 80's children's television. No Wombles though... :(
posted by adamt at 5:02 AM on May 15, 2006


This is bizarre. I was literally just wondering last night if I should try to find and download the "Dukes of Hazzard" theme song...

but almost all the rest of this seems very British, as I don't recognize a lick of it.

/loved the a-team and knight rider
//strangely, no one ever seemed to get killed on either of those 2 shows even though there were a lot of gun fights
posted by Lectrick at 5:28 AM on May 15, 2006


Love
Exciting and new
Come aboard
We're expecting you


Let's all sing along!
posted by Meatbomb at 6:33 AM on May 15, 2006


Lectrick, don't use the "/silly comment I felt like adding". This isn't Fark.
posted by jonson at 6:37 AM on May 15, 2006


I was hoping they'd have a theme I've been looking for for a while— The Sandbaggers theme, from that old (late '70s) Brit spy show. Which, if given the chance, I would like to contend is the best spy show ever.
posted by klangklangston at 7:13 AM on May 15, 2006


Do yourselves a favour and download White Horses - it's beautiful.

He's right, you know.
posted by mediareport at 7:41 AM on May 15, 2006


The Brits never got Barney Miller? For shame! I think it's a prereq for every bar band's bass player.
posted by DonnieSticks at 8:00 AM on May 15, 2006


The Brits never got Barney Miller?

We got it up here in Granada Land, but it was late night American trash, only watched by insomniacs, speed freaks and the unemployed.

I fell into all of those categories.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 8:13 AM on May 15, 2006


Do yourselves a favour and download White Horses - it's beautiful.

No theme music for that other classic 70's French import, Robinson Crusoe though.

I hated the theme music to White Horses. I thought it was awful, twee crap at the time. It does evoke a certain middle aged nostalgia on rehearing though.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 8:16 AM on May 15, 2006


Robinson Crusoe is here (under "A" for "The Adventures of ..."). It was the first one I downloaded ...

I always thought the theme to White Horses was lovely when I was a kid and it was nice to realise I still liked it. The show was horrible though.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 8:23 AM on May 15, 2006


Thats so Airwolf
posted by thisisdrew at 9:46 AM on May 15, 2006 [1 favorite]


I'm sorry they were robbed of the pure joy that is The Jeffersons and the genius of Peter Gunn.

Donniesticks was right on, too, about Barney Miller.
posted by SaintCynr at 9:49 AM on May 15, 2006


No Underdog.
posted by craniac at 10:16 AM on May 15, 2006


Underdog lyrics and .wav
posted by craniac at 10:18 AM on May 15, 2006


finally! the rockford files theme in mp3! this has made my day! thanks!
posted by kendrak at 11:35 AM on May 15, 2006


You younguns' probably don't remember The Prisoner. I could see in my mind some of the visuals as I listened to the audio, especially the hissing of the knock-out gas injected into the room through the key hole. But what happened to "You are number 6"."I am not a number! I am a free man!"? Anybody happen to have the link to the video? Great post, thanks!
posted by sluglicker at 11:48 AM on May 15, 2006


As a regular visitor to TVC over the years the themes to the Dukes of Hazzard, A-Team, Animal Magic (gotta love the 70s Super Fly version) and The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe regularly pop up on the ol' iPod...
posted by i_cola at 1:13 PM on May 15, 2006


PeterMcDermott:
Monkey nature is irrepressible! YAY! Thank you for that :D
posted by batmonkey at 1:53 PM on May 15, 2006


Fantastic, now I can finally have the Moomins theme as my ringtone!
posted by afx237vi at 2:11 PM on May 15, 2006


I routinely drive around in my pickup to the theme from Sanford and Son. Really lightens up the commute.
posted by Smedleyman at 3:56 PM on May 15, 2006


Bigmusic, for posting this I can safely say:


posted by Ridge at 7:49 PM on May 15, 2006


What about "Small Wonder?" I would kill for it.
posted by Meemer at 9:06 PM on May 24, 2006


« Older damn hippies   |   101 Things in 1001 Days Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments