Author Topic: "Mismatched" Themes. (Read 21678 times)

BrandonFG · « **Reply #60 on:** September 05, 2008, 10:11:35 PM »

[quote name=\'CarShark\' post=\'196177\' date=\'Sep 5 2008, 09:47 PM\']
[quote name=\'StevenRosenow\' post=\'196026\' date=\'Sep 4 2008, 08:24 AM\']
The Steve Kaplan remixes to the Jeopardy! theme from 1997 onwards. The 1992 bongo inlay over the original 1984 theme grew on me after a few years, but I've never, ever been able to like the Kaplan arrangement. They just suck, and suck lemons and sour grapes, they do.

IMHO, it sucked the heart and soul out of an otherwise perfectly fine piece of game show music.[/quote]
I actually like Kaplan's mix OK, maybe more than the pre-bongo theme.
[/quote]
I like the Kaplan 2001 mix as well. It's actually very classy IMO. The 1997 mix was pretty decent too, but thought it got a little too jazz heavy.

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I'm willing to bet that even now, the original, smooth, and highly refined electronic opening and main theme would fit the show in its current iteration (despite the fact that I also loathe with a passion its current set).
You're kidding, right? It would sound hugely dated, just like the Combs Feud theme did when Karn was hosting.

And out of place for its current set. The electronica does not match the art deco or whatever you wanna call it.

Chief-O · « **Reply #61 on:** September 05, 2008, 11:49:52 PM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'196178\' date=\'Sep 5 2008, 09:11 PM\']
I like the Kaplan 2001 mix as well. It's actually very classy IMO. The 1997 mix was pretty decent too, but thought it got a little too jazz heavy.
[/quote]

I can't remember what the '01 version sounded like, but the '97 version wasn't bad. It's just that the signature---those famous notes we associate with J!---got buried into the arrangement. It was a good update to what was---yes---becoming a dated piece of music.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #62 on:** September 06, 2008, 01:15:34 AM »

[quote name=\'Chief-O\' post=\'196189\' date=\'Sep 5 2008, 08:49 PM\']
I can't remember what the '01 version sounded like, but the '97 version wasn't bad. It's just that the signature---those famous notes we associate with J!---got buried into the arrangement. It was a good update to what was---yes---becoming a dated piece of music.
[/quote]
The '01 theme is what we have now.

Allstar87 · « **Reply #63 on:** September 06, 2008, 02:04:56 AM »

The theme for Rodriguez's Newlywed Game.

Not knocking "The Book of Love"; it's a good song. It just didn't mix well with the then modern-looking set they used.

Orion · « **Reply #64 on:** September 06, 2008, 09:09:13 AM »

[quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'196170\' date=\'Sep 5 2008, 04:30 PM\']
[quote name=\'Orion\' post=\'196087\' date=\'Sep 4 2008, 09:10 PM\']
My vote: the MG/HS Hour theme. I've always been fond of it (and I like it as a car cue on TPIR), but I've always thought it was one of the most inappropriate TV show themes I've ever heard.
[/quote]
This I'm curious about. Why is it inappropriate? Every time I hear it, it brings excitement, like something big will happen.
[/quote]

Oh, I quite agree, and that's really my problem with it. It always struck me as very dramatic, but IMHO both MG and HS need something more lighthearted. Compare the 70s themes of both shows with the MGHSH theme -- the latter just feels totally out of place to me.

GrandMasterGalvatron · « **Reply #65 on:** September 10, 2008, 10:35:16 PM »

Hmm...I'm gonna say I wasn't too thrilled with the theme for Pyramid when Osmond was hosting. Didn't help that there was no real melody in thing thing. Seemed like noise...just like that set, so I guess it fit after all.

I'm gonna agree on the crosswords bit though. It doesn't match that set at all.

Also, from what I'm hearing, this new Jeopardy theme is a bit too over the top. I hate to echo previous complaints, but it really does seem like early 20th Century Disney music.

TenPoundHammer · « **Reply #66 on:** September 16, 2008, 11:02:37 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'195593\' date=\'Aug 31 2008, 04:57 AM\']
[quote name=\'CarShark\' post=\'195552\' date=\'Aug 30 2008, 11:00 AM\']
I think a trombone's farting in there somewhere near the end.[/quote]
I can't believe I skipped over this the first time without whipping out the gazpacho line.

[/quote]

Don't you mean Kimchi? He's the brown fart cloud. Gazpacho is the big wooly mammoth thing. (What? Surely I'm not the only person here who watches Chowder.)

Seriously, though, I agree that all remixes of "Changing Keys" after 1992 did not fit the show. By stretching the notes out, warping the melody, and throwing in so much brass, it just clashed with what was still the "old school" Wheel. The 1998 mix was especially cold. Jeopardy!'s Kaplan mixes felt really cold too, especially in the sushi bar era. I honestly believe that Kaplan had very little idea as to what a melody is.

I also agree with the Combs remixes being used on Karn Feud. Totally out of place, and made even worse by throwing in a few orchestra hits on top of that. Actually, any Feud remix just didn't work for me. Dawson 2.0 slowed down the melody and took out the "family" feel by throwing in saxophones and synthesizers, and the Anderson/Karn/etc. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! crap just doesn't work either. Actually, nothing really worked on the Anderson or Karn eras, except maybe Karn's set.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #67 on:** September 17, 2008, 01:32:34 AM »

[quote name=\'TenPoundHammer\' post=\'197393\' date=\'Sep 16 2008, 11:02 PM\']
Seriously, though, I agree that all remixes of "Changing Keys" after 1992 did not fit the show. By stretching the notes out, warping the melody, and throwing in so much brass, it just clashed with what was still the "old school" Wheel. The 1998 mix was especially cold. Jeopardy!'s Kaplan mixes felt really cold too, especially in the sushi bar era. I honestly believe that Kaplan had very little idea as to what a melody is.
[/quote]
Agree with you on the "Wheel" themes, but I disagree on the post-1997 "J!" themes. Having listened to both in the clear recently, I must say they sounded very classy, and fit the knowledgeable feel of the show very well. The newest version is slowly growing on me, but it lacks the dynamics of the two prior versions.

uncamark · « **Reply #68 on:** September 17, 2008, 11:37:48 AM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'197405\' date=\'Sep 17 2008, 12:32 AM\']
[quote name=\'TenPoundHammer\' post=\'197393\' date=\'Sep 16 2008, 11:02 PM\']
Seriously, though, I agree that all remixes of "Changing Keys" after 1992 did not fit the show. By stretching the notes out, warping the melody, and throwing in so much brass, it just clashed with what was still the "old school" Wheel. The 1998 mix was especially cold. Jeopardy!'s Kaplan mixes felt really cold too, especially in the sushi bar era. I honestly believe that Kaplan had very little idea as to what a melody is.
[/quote]
Agree with you on the "Wheel" themes, but I disagree on the post-1997 "J!" themes. Having listened to both in the clear recently, I must say they sounded very classy, and fit the knowledgeable feel of the show very well. The newest version is slowly growing on me, but it lacks the dynamics of the two prior versions.
[/quote]

And it was needed to be done--the first theme was becoming a relic of the 80s itself. I also just like a full orchestra more than synthesizers in many cases, personally.

(Now one can argue that the Korinna font is just as much a relic of the 80s, but to me it's like the font for the MTV vidclip lower thirds [when they do air them and on the digital channels]--it's a tradition now and doesn't need to be changed.)

TenPoundHammer · « **Reply #69 on:** September 17, 2008, 11:58:15 AM »

[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'197433\' date=\'Sep 17 2008, 11:37 AM\']And it was needed to be done--the first theme was becoming a relic of the 80s itself. I also just like a full orchestra more than synthesizers in many cases, personally.[/quote]

I can understand re-orchestrating the theme, but did they have to f*** with the melody? By stretching out every other note on the 1995 mix and all subsequent mixes, they really made a mess of it IMO. It wouldn't have been as bad if they had just had the brass play the original Changing Keys melody.

uncamark · « **Reply #70 on:** September 18, 2008, 11:37:49 AM »

[quote name=\'TenPoundHammer\' post=\'197435\' date=\'Sep 17 2008, 10:58 AM\']
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'197433\' date=\'Sep 17 2008, 11:37 AM\']And it was needed to be done--the first theme was becoming a relic of the 80s itself. I also just like a full orchestra more than synthesizers in many cases, personally.[/quote]

I can understand re-orchestrating the theme, but did they have to f*** with the melody? By stretching out every other note on the 1995 mix and all subsequent mixes, they really made a mess of it IMO. It wouldn't have been as bad if they had just had the brass play the original Changing Keys melody.
[/quote]

I was referring to "J!" myself. I haven't been a fan of most "Wheel" themes since mid-90s.

GrandMasterGalvatron · « **Reply #71 on:** September 18, 2008, 04:07:30 PM »

If we're gonna talk about lack of melody, then I'll definitely pitch a vote for toady's Wheel theme. I don't know why they decided to move away from Changing Keys, but I don't think it was a good decision.

Reminds me of Wheel 2000. I still don't know WHAT that theme was. :/

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #72 on:** September 18, 2008, 05:24:13 PM »

[quote name=\'GrandMasterGalvatron\' post=\'197623\' date=\'Sep 18 2008, 01:07 PM\']
I don't know why they decided to move away from Changing Keys, but I don't think it was a good decision.
[/quote]
It wasn't a good decision to move to Changing Keys in the first place.

/Gimme Big Wheels any day.

TLEberle · « **Reply #73 on:** September 18, 2008, 06:40:42 PM »

[quote name=\'GrandMasterGalvatron\' post=\'197623\' date=\'Sep 18 2008, 01:07 PM\']I don't know why they decided to move away from Changing Keys, but I don't think it was a good decision.[/quote]Was Merv Griffin Productions still the production company at the time of the switch? Maybe the accounting guys didn't feel like putting out the kind of money Merv was getting.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #74 on:** September 18, 2008, 06:45:59 PM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'197647\' date=\'Sep 18 2008, 06:40 PM\']
[quote name=\'GrandMasterGalvatron\' post=\'197623\' date=\'Sep 18 2008, 01:07 PM\']I don't know why they decided to move away from Changing Keys, but I don't think it was a good decision.[/quote]Was Merv Griffin Productions still the production company at the time of the switch? Maybe the accounting guys didn't feel like putting out the kind of money Merv was getting.
[/quote]
The big band theme or the synth theme(s) afterward? The latter was (I believe) fall-1997, and by that point, Merv was only getting the "CREATED BY" byline at the end of the credits.