Today In History

[Don Howard]

AUGUST 8th 1983
At 11:00am Eastern time over the NBC Television Network in an episode colorcast to thousands of homes across the USA, instead of the familiar Alan Thicke theme, viewers of Wheel Of Fortune hear the audience say the title of the show followed by some God-awful theme music. "Yuck!", I said. "Ew!", my sister said.
I did like the 1992 remix of the song, but nothing (in my mind) for that show tops the great instrumental used for the opening eight years of the program existence.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Aug 7 2005, 11:34 PM\']AUGUST 8th 1983
At 11:00am Eastern time over the NBC Television Network in an episode colorcast to thousands of homes across the USA, instead of the familiar Alan Thicke theme, viewers of Wheel Of Fortune hear the audience say the title of the show followed by some God-awful theme music. "Yuck!", I said. "Ew!", my sister said.
I did like the 1992 remix of the song, but nothing (in my mind) for that show tops the great instrumental used for the opening eight years of the program existence.

[snapback]93582[/snapback]

[/quote]

The 1983 "Changing Keys" was actually stuck in my head a couple days ago, and I can't believe how ridiculously basic it was. The 1989 version was always my favorite, although I still love "Big Wheels" (Thicke's tune).

[NickintheATL]

Look at it this way, in the realistic sense of things. At least they didn't replace Thicke's tune with some god-awful stench of a theme. Like.... "All Star Blitz"

(ducks obvious fire)

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'NicholasM79\' date=\'Aug 7 2005, 10:38 PM\']Look at it this way, in the realistic sense of things. At least they didn't replace Thicke's tune with some god-awful stench of a theme. Like.... "All Star Blitz"
[/quote]
Silly scatting aside, I actually like the All Star Blitz theme. It was bouncy and befitting of a comedy game show.

[Kevin Prather]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 7 2005, 10:50 PM\']Silly scatting aside, I actually like the All Star Blitz theme.

[snapback]93594[/snapback]

[/quote]

I liked the scatting.

"All-star Blitz! Ha-ba-huh. Ha-ba-hee-ba. A-how'd you get your mother to get a big bulgin' groin?!"

[Craig Karlberg]

I prefer "Big Wheels" as a WOF theme myself though "Changing Keys" was OK.  The 1989 jazzy remake was a very good rendition.  The big band rendition was OK too.  I just don't like its current incarnation.

[johnnya2k3]

The main reason behind the theme change was because Wheel was starting up a syndicated nighttime version at that time (we all know where it would lead from there). They figured "Changing Keys" would be a perfect fit rather than Thicke's theme, which was "too daytime."

Jonathan Allen

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'johnnya2k3\' date=\'Aug 8 2005, 04:16 AM\']The main reason behind the theme change was because Wheel was starting up a syndicated nighttime version at that time (we all know where it would lead from there). They figured "Changing Keys" would be a perfect fit rather than Thicke's theme, which was "too daytime."

[snapback]93602[/snapback]

[/quote]

"Changing Keys" was the wrong choice. I liked the theme, basic as it was, but it sounded like generic elevator music. But, I thought they went with the new theme because Merv wanted Pat and Vanna to have their own theme song, and not something associated with the Chuck and Susan era. Granted this was eight months after Vanna became hostess, but still...

[vtown7]

Didn't Merv write a new song because he just plain wanted the royalties?

Ryan.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'vtown7\' date=\'Aug 8 2005, 07:45 AM\']Didn't Merv write a new song because he just plain wanted the royalties?

Ryan.

[snapback]93605[/snapback]

[/quote]

That would be the aforementioned "Changing Keys", IIRC.

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'johnnya2k3\' date=\'Aug 8 2005, 04:16 AM\']The main reason behind the theme change was because Wheel was starting up a syndicated nighttime version at that time (we all know where it would lead from there). They figured "Changing Keys" would be a perfect fit rather than Thicke's theme, which was "too daytime."

[snapback]93602[/snapback]

[/quote]
HA!  Merv was just cheap and didn't want to pay Thicke royalties.  Same thing for Jeopardy's electronic version of Take Ten making its debut.

IMO, I think Changing Keys sounds more regal.

Brandon Brooks

[Ian Wallis]

The whole music package changed on that day, and it was the same date that the 1978 "Jeopardy" theme started being used as prize music.  Occasionally so many prizes were won that the whole theme played through.

[MikeK]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Aug 8 2005, 03:01 AM\']"All-star Blitz! Ha-ba-huh. Ha-ba-hee-ba. A-how'd you get your mother to get a big bulgin' groin?!"[/quote]
Line of the Day, even though I'm not touching that question with a forklift.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Aug 8 2005, 10:06 AM\'][quote name=\'johnnya2k3\' date=\'Aug 8 2005, 04:16 AM\']The main reason behind the theme change was because Wheel was starting up a syndicated nighttime version at that time (we all know where it would lead from there). They figured "Changing Keys" would be a perfect fit rather than Thicke's theme, which was "too daytime."

[snapback]93602[/snapback]

[/quote]
HA!  Merv was just cheap and didn't want to pay Thicke royalties.  Same thing for Jeopardy's electronic version of Take Ten making its debut.

[snapback]93612[/snapback]

[/quote]

Just to clarify, I think "Take Ten" isn't the think cue--it's the original theme ("Dah DAH da DAH da DAH da DAH da...").  Since some sources credit that as written by Merv's then-ex-wife Juliann, so you can see why Merv had no great interest in continuing to use *that* music.

(But of course Merv has to thank Juliann for the stroke of genius when he said to her, "The network doesn't want a question-and-answer show--they're still afraid of the quiz scandals," and she replied, "Well, why not do an *answer-and-question* show?"

The rest is history.

[Kent Broyhill]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Aug 8 2005, 11:26 AM\']The whole music package changed on that day, and it was the same date that the 1978 "Jeopardy" theme started being used as prize music.  Occasionally so many prizes were won that the whole theme played through.

[snapback]93620[/snapback]

[/quote]

Actually, I believe the Jeopardy '78 theme had been used before that as a prize cue, since I vaguely remember some of the later Woolery eps. using the Jeopardy '78 theme as prize music, though somewhat less often.