Price Is Right Music Cues

[Jeremy Nelson]

Well, since it looks like all but a select few cues from the 70s/80s/ early 90s have been retired, we have a whole new generation of cues- which do you like better?

Although I like the old ones, listening to them now makes them sound even more dated. I do like quite a few of the cues that they've come up with in the past 3 or 4 years- even though it's taken a minute for a couple of them to grow on me.

[Steve Gavazzi]

There are a few of the newer cues that are alright, but the vast majority are junk.  Some of them barely even sound like songs -- they're more like a string of random notes that happen to be looped.

[Clay Zambo]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'251358\' date=\'Nov 21 2010, 06:09 PM\']There are a few of the newer cues that are alright, but the vast majority are junk.  Some of them barely even sound like songs -- they're more like a string of random notes that happen to be looped.[/quote]

I wouldn't go that far; none of the new cues really sound unmusical to me.  The loops are much shorter than the old-school pieces, so their repetition is more obvious, and I find that disappointing. Makes me wonder what the rest of the piece sounds like, but I guess we won't hear any time soon.

One thing that I am finding intriguing is the use of multiple music cues within a Showcase.  Some days, it seems like each prize gets its own cue.  Nothing wrong with that, especially if the cues are short to begin with.  

All in all, though, the musical signature of the show seems diffuse.  Aside from the theme, these days Price doesn't have a "sound" that's distinct from--well, I was going to say, "all those other shows that give away prizes," but there aren't all that many.  So maybe it does... But I miss the days when it sounded like there was a "house band," even if I knew perfectly well the band was pre-recorded.

[BrandonFG]

Although the 70s cues are very dated (i.e. the harp), they're still fun to listen to. I'd at least like to hear newer renditions of those cues.

Not a fan of a lot of the newer cues of the last 5-10 years, because as Steve said, they sound like a bunch of random notes strung together. Unfortunately, that's a lot of TV music, not just game shows.

[Jeremy Nelson]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'251377\' date=\'Nov 21 2010, 10:19 PM\']Not a fan of a lot of the newer cues of the last 5-10 years, because as Steve said, they sound like a bunch of random notes strung together.[/quote]
And this is why this is called a forum....maybe I'm just not hearing this random note stringing...can someone present Exhibit A so I can see where you guys are coming from?

[chris319]

There's nothing "random" about the new music. Much of what I've heard consists of a short musical phrase repeated over and over and over again. The old tunes had a distinctive melody. Not so with the new music. As unmemorable as it is, it basically consists of:

da da da da - da da da da - da da da da - da da da da
(CHORD CHANGE)
da da da da - da da da da - da da da da - da da da da
(BACK TO ORIGINAL CHORD)
da da da da - da da da da - da da da da - da da da da
(CHORD CHANGE)
da da da da - da da da da - da da da da - da da da da
(BACK TO ORIGINAL CHORD)

(REPEAT AS NEEDED)

The Score Productions cues were fully orchestrated with real instruments and Edd on the MOOG. Much of the Kalehoff stuff is predominantly synth but he does use real instruments here and there. The new stuff sounds as if it's all synth. It's probably cheap to produce and it sounds that way.

Score and Kalehoff would take a melody and do multiple variations of it, thus giving the music a unifying theme. What Stan is using now sounds like the modern-day equivalent of the old Valentino library -- disparate preproduced tunes that sound as if they were done with infomercials in mind, rather than a complete musical package. It's generic library music rather than tunes custom-composed for the show, and it sounds cheap, cheap, cheap. Can anyone reading this hum any of the new music cues?

The old music has been played to death (and is in mono) but musically it is of much higher caliber. The new stuff is stereo, but if a total synth arrangement and repetitive, forgettable chord progressions are considered "modern" and "contemporary", I'll take the old stuff any day.

/I still can't get on board with the Ricky Ricardo version of the main theme.
//The old Score Productions music is certainly better than the Ray Coniff version of Ain't We Got Fun that they used to play on the Cullen version.

[Craig Karlberg]

I haven't watched the show in awhile, but the new stuff doesn't sound like "real" game show music to me.  It may sound good, but there's no distinct pattern like the old Score numbers.  Sometimes, even before they opened the doors to reaveal a prize, I hear that distinct Kelehoff styling a split second before the prize is shown.  With the classic cues, you almost knew what music was gonna be on there whether it was an IUFB or a Showcase.  It's as if each cue had its own "theme" for the prizes(booming brass for cars, plucking strings for grandfather clocks, etc.).  The classic cues were better than what we have now(Even on Friday, there were a couple classic cues heard).

[Argo]

Definitely prefer the old school. Even at the museum I haven't listened to anything from the 1994 package on. The last good music came from 1983 package with very few exceptions. I can tolerate the 1994 theme, but thats about it.

The new cues from 2007 - Sadly i wish they went with totally different cues rather than trying to 'redo' the classic theme and opening. The tune is the same, minus a few notes, but they now have the modern 'cheesy, stereotypical' game show feel to them, rather than the old ones, which were great to listen to even on their own.

I haven't watched regularly since the late 90s, but the way the show is going too, i don't even accidentally watch now. I don't mind Drew's hosting at all...just wish everything else didn't have to go to crap.. but thats just my opinion. The times they are a changing i guess, but I guess for me TV changed the wrong way. TPIR seemed a solid show, exciting where it had to be, but had its stale parts too, which made it look solid.  Now everything just looks and sounds like a cheap party.


Sorry had bit of a rant there lol.

[dale_grass]

I want more flugelhorn!

The current music is cheesy, unmemorable, unremarkable, and unwhistlable.

\A book on the history of the music (or Score or Edd) would be unputdownable.

[chris319]

the new stuff doesn't sound like "real" game show music

Fixed for you.

\A book on the history of the music (or Score or Edd) would be unputdownable.

Yeah, well good luck getting into Fort Kalehoff to talk to the guy. His right-hand man is on guard, armed and ready to shoot to kill the Crazed Theme Collector, the Musical Pedophile or the New Rochelle Axe Murderer.

You could always call his house and hope the missus answers.

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'251385\' date=\'Nov 22 2010, 12:16 AM\']The old music has been played to death (and is in mono) but musically it is of much higher caliber. The new stuff is stereo, but if a total synth arrangement and repetitive, forgettable chord progressions are considered "modern" and "contemporary", I'll take the old stuff any day.

/I still can't get on board with the Ricky Ricardo version of the main theme.
//The old Score Productions music is certainly better than the Ray Coniff version of Ain't We Got Fun that they used to play on the Cullen version.[/quote]

I agree wholeheartedly. Forgettable and repetitive also describe the Donnymid theme, Whammy, 1 vs. 100, Let's Make a Deal and practically everything since WWTBAM, which actually had a melody.

And if they were going to tweak the main TPIR theme, couldn't they have somehow made it modern and better instead of worse and unpleasantly dated?

[chris319]

And if they were going to tweak the main TPIR theme, couldn't they have somehow made it modern and better instead of worse and unpleasantly dated?

Edd has done a good job of keeping up with the times, meaning his arrangements today have that cheap "synth" sound (c.f. the Tony Danza cues). He took a durable melody in the TPIR theme and made it sound ... cheap. (Gotta give him credit for restoring the opening chord, though.)

[drmusic_99]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'251423\' date=\'Nov 22 2010, 02:21 PM\']

the new stuff doesn't sound like "real" game show music

Fixed for you.

\A book on the history of the music (or Score or Edd) would be unputdownable.

Yeah, well good luck getting into Fort Kalehoff to talk to the guy. His right-hand man is on guard, armed and ready to shoot to kill the Crazed Theme Collector, the Musical Pedophile or the New Rochelle Axe Murderer.

You could always call his house and hope the missus answers.
[/quote]

You should really learn to let things go.

[ClockGameJohn]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'251430\' date=\'Nov 22 2010, 04:36 PM\'](Gotta give him Maryann Jorgensen credit for restoring the opening chord, though.)[/quote]

Fixed.

[Argo]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'251430\' date=\'Nov 22 2010, 04:36 PM\']

And if they were going to tweak the main TPIR theme, couldn't they have somehow made it modern and better instead of worse and unpleasantly dated?

Edd has done a good job of keeping up with the times, meaning his arrangements today have that cheap "synth" sound (c.f. the Tony Danza cues). He took a durable melody in the TPIR theme and made it sound ... cheap. (Gotta give him credit for restoring the opening chord, though.)
[/quote]

It's always dangerous 'trying' to recreate something. I guess compared to other music packages on the air now, it does fit in with the times, however thats not a good thing. Maybe using a remix with the old theme would have been a better idea. I have heard a few home made ones on youtube that sound OK. I understand the old one wouldn't really fit with the show now, but added with something else it would have sounded more fitting. OR stop relying on MIDI sounds or something.

Mind you I guess the longer you go without changing the music on any show, the problem you have either re-creating it or changing to another one. ie, WOF. I hate the new theme, but Changing Keys was from 1984 - 2000ish in various incarnations. If TPIR did that rather than staying with the original and best, it would be less of an issue.... ah well i think.