The Wire: listen carefully!
Thanks to Spotify, the other day I discovered quite by accident, the version of Tom Waits‘s song ‘Way Down In The Hole’ by The Blind Boys of Alabama.
I’d only ever heard it before as the theme song from The Wire, and as I’ve only watched season one on DVD so far I’d never seen the credits for long enough to find out the identity of the artists.
It’s a fantastic song and it suits the opening credits of the show so well, it’s hard to think of one existing without the other. As a big Tom Waits fan I’m embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t heard his version of the song before and wrongly assumed it had been composed for the TV show.
Anyway, it got me to thinking that it’s probably my favourite TV show theme song ever. I’m specifying song rather than theme tune, as that accolade would have to go to the hot slab of funk that precedes each episode of Starsky and Hutch.
I’d also like to suggest that children’s TV programme themes are a different category too, but if we’re going there I’m voting for Banana Splits as the theme tune, and ‘White Horses’ (theme song to obscure ancient TV show about horses featuring a pretty girl who was my first crush, when I was five!) a version of which I tracked down last year and actually have on my ipod for nostalgia purposes.
Go on then, I’ve set my stall out, now shoot me down in flames with your own favourites.
For me it’s fitting that The Wire, the series most critics consider to be the best TV drama ever made, should also have the best theme song.
But you may beg to differ……….
Hi Gareth
I remeber BJ and the Bear (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AsqKQptTdQ) and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM0p9VHeoyA) with great fondness.
Cheers
Patrick
whoops, typo in the Buck Rogers link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM0p9VHeoyA
In agreement with you about the brilliance of The Wire’s theme song…
If it’s kid’s TV you’re talking about, I always remember having a special place in my heart for the Tangerine Dream-esque stylings of the Knightmare theme tune:
And to be honest I’m a big fan of the theme from the truly surreal Japanese 70s kids show “Kure Kure Takora”
You need to hear the full 2 minute version to appreciate it properly! Honest!!!
Actually now I think about it…the Knightmare theme kind of sounds like a poor-man’s version of the Airwolf theme, which is obviously fantastic. But Airwolf didn’t have Casper the Key.
Cheers Andy – I’m with you on Knightmare and it does remind me of Airwolf too. I’m intrigued by Kure Kure Takora – where can I find the full version? It looks like one heck of a show!
Now I know I shouldn’t be admitting this on the web, but right now I’m afraid it’s got to be ‘I’ll be ready’ from Baywatch by Jimi Jamison lol. However, this is cheating because it’s only because it reminds me of a prom I went to with a brilliant group of friends and nothing to do with the show! If we’re going for TV that I’ve actually watched, then possibly California by the Phantom Planets (OC- cheesey, but again, good memories!).
If you mean the full version of the song, I have an MP3 that I got from a website that doesn’t seem to exist any more. Let me know if you want it, I’ll hook you up mang.
All 200-odd episodes (each about 3 mins long) of the show are (probably) available on Youtube. You don’t need a knowledge of Japanese to appreciate the Benny Hill-meets-Magic Roundabout insanity and general surrealness.
Also, I forgot to mention my love of the original Doctor Who theme song.