TV THEME SONGS WEEK! (PART 1)

Okay, it's time for an easy "coming of age" Blog Post with lots of pictures (and if you're not careful, you might remember one or two vocalists who sang the TV Theme Songs!). Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, me too! Let's get started. Above: David Cassidy sang the set up opener song for THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY (the story was actually based on the real-life group THE COWSILLS) with Shirley Jones (and studio musicians and singers handled the rest): "Hello world, there's a song that we're singin' / c'mon get happy..." Susan Dey (the hottie) and the other kids pulled a "Britney Spears" and lip-synched for the show's four-year run. Yeah, I know. I'm still giggling at Danny Bonaduce's faked finger work as the family's bass player. I know he defends this on his Los Angeles radio show but, NEXT!..

THE BRADY BUNCH kids handled the vocal chores with: "Here's the story / of a lovely lady..." The late Robert Reed must have been taking the photo here, since he's not in it. Or, it could have been the day that he blew a gasket over a script line that read, "I smell strawberries". He yelled that strawberries don't have a smell and stormed off the set. Bwahaha! NEXT!..

"Boy the way Glenn Miller played / songs that made The Hit Parade / guys like us we had it made / those were the days..." This song was written and performed by the late Carroll O'Connor (whom I miss) and Jean Stapleton. NEXT!..

Who could forget Sammy Davis, Jr. with: "Don't go to bed, with no price on your head / No, no, don't do it / Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time, yeah, don't do it / And keep your eye on the sparrow / When the going gets narrow!".... I know, I know. The Robert Blake case. Please! (how are we doing so far, people?)...NEXT!...

Then Nell Carter sang the opener on "Gimme A Break"!..."Gimme a break I sure deserve it / It's time I made it to the top / Gimme a break I’m looking forward / Get behind me pull out every stop / I want a happy ending / I'm tried of pretending / Won't let em get the best of me / Wo wo wo wo..." NEXT!...

The late Eddie Albert sang: "Green Acres is the place to be / farm livin' is the life for me / land spreadin' out so far and wide / keep Manhattan just give that countryside / Eva Gabor's turn!: "New York is where I'd rather stay / I get allergic smelling hay / I just adore a penthouse view / dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue..." Enough already? No?... Good. NEXT!...

Al Jarreau wrote and sang these lyrics for Cybil Shepard and Bruce Willis in "Moonlighting": "We'll walk by night / We'll fly by day / Moonlighting strangers / Who just met on the way". (Oh, yeah. Am I bitter that Amy Grant married Vince Gill and not me?) NEXT!...

One of the coolest singers and guitarists around, Jose Feliciano sang: "Chico / don't be discouraged / The Man he ain't so hard to understand". Jose needs to do a concert here in Phoenix! Many of you don't know he does a mean version of The Stones' "Start Me Up". Hell of a performer! NEXT!...

Last one for today: This one is going to hurt a little, but hey! It's necessary, okay? Dave Grusin (one of my all time jazz favorites) and Andrew Bergman wrote the music and lyrics, but it was the late Donny Hathaway who sang this one: "Lady Godiva was a freedom rider / She didn't care if the whole world looked /Joan of Arc with the Lord to guide her /She was a sister who really cooked / Isadora was the first bra-burner / And you're glad she showed up (Oh yeah) / And when the country was falling apart Betsy Ross got it all sewed up / and then there's Maude..." Woo Hoo!

See Ya Next Time!