TV Themes - 625.uk.com

TV Themes

Track listings of albums of classic TV themes

Revised Sa 5-May-07

In 2003, the song WHITE HORSES was judged by The Penguin Television Companion to be the best television theme ever, and you can find it on THIS IS THE RETURN OF CULT FICTION, which features a total of 36 cult classic film and TV themes. However, the drawback of cramming so much in is that some of the tracks have been faded out before the end.

Another feature of these Film/TV Theme albums is that the music you hear sometimes isn't the same arrangement as you hear on the film/programme. Thankfully, the album doesn't have Pan Pipes or Disco versions of themes and so they're all either the originals or close covers.

Thanks to Steve Berry for kindly providing details of the cover versions.

You may still find the CD available at your local record store along with the first volume, a later "royale" volume and a "best of".
White Horses was a chart hit for Jacky who went on to chart again with the theme song to THE ADVENTURES OF RUPERT BEAR.

VTCD 112 THIS IS THE RETURN OF	CULT FICTION
THE PROFESSIONALS - Laurie Johnson (Covered by London Studio Symphony Orch.) ENTER THE DRAGON - Lalo Schifrin STARSKY & HUTCH (Gotcha) - Tom Scott SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN - D Nelson (Covered by John Gregory & His Orch.) CHARLIE'S ANGELS - J Elliot / A Ferguson WONDERWOMAN - N Gimbel / C Fox DOCTOR WHO [Fades Prematurely] - Ron Grainer (Peter Howell -- used: 1981-6) VISION ON (Chase Theme)(Acroche Toi Caroline) - C Vasori THE DETECTIVES (from THE TWO RONNIES) - A Tew	HILL STREET BLUES - Mike Post NORTH BY NORTH WEST (Main Theme) - Bernard Herrmann (Covered by Elmer Bernstein & The Royal Philharmonic Orch.) ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (Cockey's Song) - Ennio Morricone BUDGIE - Nick Harrison TAXI DRIVER - Bernard Herrmann WHITE HORSES - Michael Carr & Ben Nisbet (Performed by Jacky) PERRY MASON (Park Avenue Beat) - F Steiner RETURN OF THE SAINT [Fades Prematurely] - Martin/Dee I DREAM OF JEANNIE - B Kaye / H Montenegro
MAGNUM P.I. - M Post / P Carpenter GET SMART - I Szathmary DAVE ALLEN AT LARGE - A Hawkshaw KOJAK - Billy Goldenberg TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED - Ron Grainer TAXI (Angela) - Bob James FLY ME TO THE MOON (Ford Probe Ad.) - Bart Howard (Performed by Julie London) VISION ON (The Gallery)(Left Bank Two) [Fades Prematurely] - Wayne Hill LAST TANGO IN PARIS (Main Theme) - G Barbieri	MAN ABOUT THE HOUSE (Up To Date) - J Hawksworth ON THE BUSES - Tony Russell WORLD OF SPORT [Fades Prematurely] - D Harper BEWITCHED - J Greenfield / J Keller MINDER (I Could Be So Good For You) - Waterman/Kenny (Performed by Dennis Waterman) PLEASE SIR - Sam Fonteyn GRANGE HILL - A Hawkshaw SKI SUNDAY - Sam Fonteyn ROOBARB & CUSTARD - J Hawksworth

GEOFF LEONARD at PLAY IT AGAIN specialises in TV nostalgia and has marketed a number of albums on CD. Unlike the producers of the Cult Fiction album, Play It Again never fade out tracks before the end!

Sadly, there are now further releases planned and the existing titles are no longer on sale. But full details on the complete range of CDs, including track listings, are still available at Play It Again's web site.

The Music Factory Entertainment Group have a record label called CLASSIC CUTS through which they release essential compilations for DJs. These contain highly requested tracks, rare and deleted versions and material never before available on CD. Among the releases are TV SETS, double CDs of classic TV themes, with each volume (or "episode") containing over over 100 tracks (listed below). Unfortunately for the general public, the CLASSIC CUTS products are for DJ Promotional use only, which is a shame because these CDs are a must-have for TV Themes fans!

Thanks to Alan Britton for additional information on Episode 4.

EPISODE 1
CD 1	ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, ANDY PANDY INTRO, ANIMAL MAGIC, AUF WIEDERSEHEN PET, AVENGERS, BANANA SPLITS, BEWITCHED, THE BILL, BLACK BEAUTY, BLESS THIS HOUSE, BLIND DATE, BLUE PETER (1980s), BOTTOM (Opening and Closing), CALL MY BLUFF, CAMBERWICK GREEN Music Box, CAPTAIN SCARLET, CASUALTY, CHARLIE'S ANGELS, CHEERS, CROSSROADS, DAD'S ARMY, DALLAS, DANGER MAN, DANGERMOUSE, DAVE ALLEN, DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE, DOCTOR WHO (1970s), EASTENDERS, EUROTRASH, FLIPPER, GOODIES, GRANDSTAND, GRANGE HILL, HONG KONG PHOOEY, IT'S A KNOCKOUT, IT AIN'T HALF HOT MUM, ITN NEWS (1960s/70s), JIM'LL FIX IT, JOE 90, JUKE BOX JURY, LAVERNE & SHIRLEY, LIKELY LADS, MAGIC ROUNDABOUT, MAGNUM P.I., MAN ABOUT THE HOUSE, MASTERMIND Intro, MATCH OF THE DAY, MERRIE MELODIES, MINDER.
CD 2	MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, THE MONKEES, MORECAMBE & WISE sing Bring Me Sunshine, MR BENN, THE MUPPET SHOW, NATIONWIDE, NEW AVENGERS, ON THE BUSES, PADDINGTON, PERSUADERS, PLAY SCHOOL, PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT, PLEASE SIR!, PRISONER CELL BLOCK H, THE PROFESSIONALS, RAINBOW, RANDELL & HOPKIRK (DECEASED), RETURN OF THE SAINT, ROCKFORD FILES, ROOBARB & CUSTARD, ROSEANNE, RUPERT THE BEAR, THE SAINT, SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, SKI SUNDAY, POT BLACK, STAR TREK, STEPTOE & SON, SUPERSTARS, SYKES, TALES OF THE RIVERBANK, TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED, TERRY & JUNE, TFI FRIDAY / MAN IN A SUITCASE, THIS IS YOUR LIFE, THUNDERBIRDS, TOMORROW'S WORLD (1960s/70s), TOP CAT, TRUMPTON, TWILIGHT ZONE, VAN DER VALK, VISION ON, VISION ON Gallery, WILLO THE WISP, WONDER WOMAN, WORLD OF SPORT, Z CARS. PLUS: PEARL & DEAN (Asteroid), MILK TRAY AD Theme, TEST CARD INTRO, SING A SONG OF PLAYSCHOOL, MARY MUNGO & MIDGE, HEAVY OBJECT INFORMATION PIF, CHARLEY SAYS
EPISODE 2
CD 3	A-TEAM, AIRWOLF, ALF, ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, BATMAN, THE BENNY HILL SHOW, BENSON, BIG MATCH, BILL & BEN, BLACKADDER, BONANZA, BOON, BREAD, CANNON, CHAMPIONS, CRICKET (BBC), DAKTARI, DASTARDLY & MUTLEY, DEPARTMENT S, DIFF'RENT STROKES, DUKES OF HAZZARD, DYNASTY, EMMERDALE FARM (1970s/80s), THE FALL GUY, FIREBALL XL5, THE FLINSTONES, GOING LIVE!, GOLDEN GIRLS, HAIR BEAR BUNCH, HAPPY DAYS, HAWAII FIVE-O, HI-DE-HI, HILL STREET BLUES, I DREAM OF JEANIE, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, JASON KING, JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS, JULIET BRAVO, KNIGHT RIDER, KOJAK, L.A. LAW, LAND OF TH EGIANTS, LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE, LOONEY TUNES, MAN ALIVE, MIAMI VICE, MISS WORLD, MOONLIGHTING, MORK & MINDY, MR & MRS.
CD 4	MR ED, NEIGHBOURS (Original), NEW FACES (You're a Star), ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE, OWEN M.D., PENELOPE PITSTOP, PINK PANTHER, PLAYAWAY, POLICE SQUAD, POLICE WOMAN, POSTMAN PAT, POWER RANGERS, THE PRISONER (Disco?), PROTECTORS, QUANTUM LEAP (Original), QUINCY, ROSIE & JIM, RUGBY SPECIAL, SCOOBY DOO (2 versions), SESAME STREET, SHOESTRING, THE SIMPSONS, SKIPPY THE BUSH KANGAROO, SOAP, SONS & DAUGHTERS, SORRY, STARSKY & HUTCH, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, STINGRAY, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, THE SWEENEY, TAXI, TIME TUNNEL, TOMORROW'S WORLD (1980s), TOP OF THE POPS The Wizard (1980s), TOUCHE TURTLE, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, WACKY RACES, WALLACE & GROMIT, WALTONS, YOUNG ONES. PLUS: COUNTDOWN CLOCK, FAMILY FORTUNES "WRONG" EFFECT, EASTENDERS DRUM ROLL, 9 O'CLOCK NEWS Intro, LEARN TO SWIM PIF, PELICAN CROSSING PIF, HERE IS A BOX - A MUSICAL BOX, WINDSOR DAVIES, TEST CARD TEST TONE.
EPISODE 3
CD 5	AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT, AQUA MARINA (STINGRAY), BARNEY & FRIENDS, BERTHA, BLAKES 7, BOD (Opening & Closing), BROOKSIDE (Original), CATWEAZLE (Busy Boy), CHIGLEY, CLOTHES SHOW (1995), COLBYS, A COUNTRY PRACTICE, CROWN COURT Closing (Distant Hills), DARTS (Cranes), STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE 9, DEMPSEY & MAKEPEACE (Blind Eye), DOCTOR FINLAY'S CASEBOOK, DOCTOR WHO (1980s), EQUALIZER, FALCON CREST, FATHER TED, FAWLTY TOWERS, FILM 72...98, FIREMAN SAM, FRIENDS (I'll Be There For You), GAME ON, GMTV, GOING STRAIGHT, HADLEIGH, HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR, HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU, HEADS & TAILS, HEARTBEAT, HENRY'S CAT, HOLIDAY, HOLLYOAKS, HOWARD'S WAY, IRONSIDE, KICKSTART, LONDON'S BURNING, LOVEBOAT, LOVEJOY, MAGPIE, MASTERMIND (Full Version), MEN BEHAVING BADLY, MISS MARPLE.
CD 6	N.Y.P.D. BLUE, ODD COUPLE, OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST, ONLY FOOLS & HORSES, PANORAMA (Openings & Endings), PARKINSON, PLAYDAYS (Opening & Closing), POT BLACK, RAGTIME, RECORD BREAKERS sung by Roy Castle, REN & STIMPY, ROBIN'S NEST, ROBINSON CRUSOE (Opening and Main Title), SAPPHIRE & STEEL, SEINFELD, SHOW JUMPING (BBC), SNAGGLEPUSS, SPACE: 1999, SPIDERMAN, SPORTSNIGHT, ST. ELSEWHERE, STRANGE REPORT, STREETS OF SAN FRANSISCO, SUPERCAR, SWAP SHOP, TARRANT ON TV, TELETUBBIES, THIRTYSOMETHING, THIS MORNING, TISWAS (Isn't It Good), TRIPODS, U.F.O., UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS, V - THE SERIES, STAR TREK: VOYAGER, WHAT'S MY LINE (Original), WHEN THE BOAT COMES IN, WHITE HORSES, WILLY FOG, WYCLIFFE, X-FILES, YOUNG DOCTORS, 999, 2 POINT 4 CHILDREN. PLUS: ATV IN COLOUR Jingle, TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, SHAKE'N'VAC AD (Shake Attack), SMASH AD (For Mash Get Smash), PUT THE CHAIN ON PIF, BULLY'S WORST DART SCORE, MR TICKLE, JESSIE'S DIET, BBC RUDE WARNING, TIME FOR BED - Zebadee, TEST CARD MUSIC.
EPISODE 4
CD 7	PASCAL MURRAY INTRODUCTION, THE ADVENTURER, ALBION MARKET, ANGELS, ASK THE FAMILY, AUF WIEDERSEHEN PET (Back With The Boys), BASIL BRUSH, BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, BIG MATCH (Theme 2), BIONIC WOMAN, BLOCKBUSTERS, BLUE PETER (50s/60s Version), BRADY BUNCH, CANDID CAMERA (Original), CAPTAIN PUGWASH (Original), CHANNEL 4 NEWS, CLARISSA EXPLAINS IT ALL, CORONATION STREET (Original 60s Version), CRACKERJACK (80s Version - Chas & Dave), CRIMEWATCH UK, CROWN GREEN BOWLS (BBC2), CRYSTAL MAZE, DID YOU SEE...?, DOGTANIAN (One For All And All For One), FOLLYFOOT (Lightning Tree), GENERATION GAME (Original 70s Version, Life Is The Name Of The Game - Bruce Forsyth), HERBS, HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN, HOLIDAY (70s/80s Version), HOW'S YOUR FATHER, IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU (Pink Panther Cartoon), INTERNATIONAL ATHLETICS, JIM'LL FIX IT (70s Original Version), LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE LIVER BIRDS (On A Mountain Stands A Lady - The Scaffold), LONDON MARATHON, LUDWIG, MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., ME AND MY GIRL (Peter Skellern), MIND YOUR LANGUAGE, MONKEY, MR MEN (Vocal Version), NATIONAL LOTTERY, NEWS AT TEN (1990s).
CD 8	ON THE MOVE, PEBBLE MILL AT ONE, THE PINK PANTHER SHOW (Opening & Closing), PLAYAWAY (Version 2), POIROT, RED DWARF (A Sung Version), ROBIN HOOD, SALE OF THE CENTURY, SUPERGRAN (Single Version - Billy Connolly), SURPRISE SURPRISE (Cilla Black), THINK OF A NUMBER, WACADAY, WIMBLEDON TENNIS, WOMBLES (Under Ground Over Ground - Mike Batt) TV ADS: OPAL FRUITS, WERTHERS ORIGINAL, TYPHOO TEA, SMARTIES, ULTRABRITE TOOTHPASTE, LIFEBUOY SOAP, JAYCLOTH, KRAFT MARGARINE, HARMONY HAIRSPRAY, CONDOR TOBACCO, ACTION MAN, BIRDSEYE BEEFBURGERS, CORONA SOFT DRINKS, YORKIE, BRITISH RAIL INTERCITY RADIO ADS: WEETABIX, SUNSILK, MACDONALDS PENGUIN, NME, HORLICKS, PLAYERS CIGARETTES, ISLE OF MAN TOURIST BOARD, WEETABIX (2nd Version), CONSULATE CIGARETTES, CAPE APPLES (Sid James) PUBLIC INFORMATION FILMS: CHARLEY SAYS NO TO PUPPIES, TUFTY THE SQUIRREL, FROZEN PONDS, STAY ALIVE, OLD PEOPLE DIE TV SOUNDBITES (MUSICAL): THAMES (70s Ident), OPEN UNIVERSITY (70s Jingle), THE ITCHY AND SCRATCHY SHOW (The Simpsons), TRUMPTON (Bandstand), TRUMPTON (Fire Engine), DICK BARTON, TOP CAT UNDERSCORE, MYSTIC MEG MUSIC TV SOUNDBITES (VOCAL): NEXT TIME, IT COULD BE YOU (You've Been Framed! - Jeremy Beadle), ESTHER'S TECHNICAL PROBLEM (That's Life!) (e), PETER'S EMPTY SACK (Camberwick Green), BASIL BRUSH LP, BASIL BRUSH IN THE STUDIO, HERE'S ANOTHER CATCHPHRASE (Roy Walker), BAGPUSS (Emily's Rhyme), IVOR THE ENGINE, BRIAN CANT'S YEAR, KICK THE BABY (South Park), DUDE - THAT KICKS ASS (South Park), OH MY GOD - THEY KILLED KENNY (South Park), TRUMPTON ROLL CALL, CHRIS WADDLE (Channel 9 - The Fast Show), BOB FLEMING (The Fast Show), 4 ALAN PARTRIDGE CLIPS ("REO Speedwagon, Soft Cell, OMD, Jurassic Park!, BAGPUSS 2 (Bagpuss wakes up), CLANGERS, HECTOR'S HOUSE, FROM NORWICH... (Sale of the Century), GOING FIRST (All Clued Up), ESTHER & CYRIL'S LAST THOUGHT (That's Life!) TV SOUND FX: WINDY MILLER'S SAILS, NATIONAL LOTTERY DRUM ROLL, COMEDY SOUND, COMEDY SOUND 2, COMEDY JINGLE (30 sec), COMEDY JINGLE (10 sec), CATCHPHRASE BUZZER, BLOCKBUSTERS BUZZER, BLOCKBUSTERS TIME-UP BUZZER, ALL CLUED UP BUZZER, FIFTEEN TO ONE BUZZER, FAMILY FORTUNES WRONG BUZZER
EPISODE 5
CD 9	LISTING CAN BE FOUND AT GRACENOTE.COM
CD 10	LISTING CAN BE FOUND AT GRACENOTE.COM
EPISODE 6
CD 11	LISTING CAN BE FOUND AT GRACENOTE.COM
CD 12	LISTING CAN BE FOUND AT GRACENOTE.COM

A guy named Russell has written to me about his time managing a record shop and the huge demand he discovered for cult theme music. He is now involved in a record company and has made releasing cult themes a top priority. He'd consulted with many fan clubs such as Gerry Anderson's 'Fanderson' And The Prisoner's Six of One and found that many of the fans had the original tunes and wanted new versions or that no version at all existed on record. So Russell came up with the bright idea of issuing cult TV themes by new, undiscovered bands. "This took off big," he writes, "and many people say these new versions are better than the originals..."

For more details including complete track listings, visit the Future Legend Records web site.

Not only are themes from TV programmes available on CD, but you can also find recordings that were played over the Test Card on the BBC. Chandos Records have released a series called Test Card Classics featuring that Big Band Sound that used to help the little girl concentrate in her game of noughts and crosses with her stuffed toy!

And if you still can't get enough, Apollo Sound have release ten volumes of test card music!

More details, including how to buy, at the Chandos Records and Apollo Sound web sites.
Mike Brown's web site features more information and a review of Test Card Classics Volumes 1 and 2 from Chandos.


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