Posted on 01/29/2014 9:40:48 PM PST by lee martell
One of the first television theme songs that caught my attention as a kid in Catholic School, was Route 66, written and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Route 66 was on Friday nights on CBS from Oct. 7 1960 to March 20 1964. It was shot on location, and though the show got it's name from that famous highway, very few episodes were shot on that actual highway. The program starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles, and for the first two seasons George Maharis as Buz Murdock. The show centered around the adventures of two young men who traveled across America in a Chevrolet Corvette sports car. Route 66 was a hybrid between episodic TV drama, which has continuing characters and situations, and the anthology format (i.e. Twilight Zone) in which each week's show has a completely different cast and story.
Route 66 had just three continuing characters, and no more than two of whom appeared in the same episode. Like Richard Kimble from The Fugitive, the wanderers would move from place to place, becoming entwined in the struggles and routines of the people in that town. Unlike Kimble, nothing was forcing the Route 66 guys to stay on the move except their own sense of adventure. This series helped set the tone of what an open ended format could be. Virtually any story could be incorporated. The original idea was said to involve two ex-army men who had left the service, and were looking to re-establish themselves in American life. Tod (Milner) was portrayed as clean cut, plainspoken, well educated and All American. Buz (Marharis) was based on a working class, loose, hip personality, close to the concept of the Beat Generation. Route 66 seems the epitome of perfect driving music, for when you're not in a hurry, but want to drive fast anyway, with all the windows down, and breezes blowing in. With this theme song, Nelson Riddle made the music speak. The song sounds like something I would think of and experience privately, from beginning to the end with it's splashy cresendoes, not like a bunch of noises coming out of some radio.
Thanks! That was well done.
IIRC she also did Marlboro commmercials...and she was SMOKIN'...LOL
Here's another oldie but goodie...great instrumental.. "Telstar"...The Tornados
Youtube is in one of it’s selfish and contrary moods, wont allow me to see the video now. I’ll try again tomorrow, maybe the Youtube Goblins will be napping then.
BTW..a few weeks ago..I posted a thread on "One Hit Wonders"..with some great links..we had a lot of posts to it..more good stuff..don't know if you saw it...I wanted to ping you to it...tried SEARCH..but can't find it..it's cranky for me...see if you can find it..
three summers ago my family left South Florida.
Drove the R.V. to Chicago’s Art Museum where across the street is the start to Route 66.
We drove the “Mother Road”, all the way to the end, The Santa Monica Pier where I use to hang out as a kid.
Most wonderful time was had by all.
Always wanted to do that. Take the few loops and abandoned sections that aren’t part of the expressway system now.
No one mentions George Maharis.
IIRC he was caught in a bus station bathroom. You can guess the rest.
Don’t recall him in any other show.
In today’s environment he’d be a superstar.
Did that several years ago when I flew to Phoenix to purchase a car and drove it back largely via old 66. Awesome trip - just wish I had taken more time....
Can't mention the Yardbirds without including "Heart Full of Soul"
Nelson Riddle’ s Route 66 has enough harmonic similarity with the version recorded by Nat King Cole, written by Bobby Troup, I hear them together.
This type of thing was done as a musical joke, in the Quodlibet, Goldberg Variation 30, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldberg_Variations#Variatio_30._a_1_Clav._Quodlibet .
I remember when they filmed in Memphis. It was a big deal all across the Delta. We all couldn’t wait for the episode to air. And when it did the opening scene was the Corvette driving across the Mississippi River Bridge. We were so proud to see something on TV that we recognized. You have to realize that it didn’t take a lot to get us poor Delta people excited.
As for the real Rt 66. If you’ve never driven it and ever get a chance to do so, do it. There are a few of the original parts of the road remaining. But get off I-40 and take the business routes through the towns. The old motels with “Air Conditioned Inside” signs really bring back memories. And there are still a lot of old signs. It’s a step back in time.
Nice !
And although I like the show's theme, the original song (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 by Bobby Troup shortly after WWII and sung by countless singers since was better. Especially Nat King Cole's version.
There are stretches out west (especially Arizona) where the old road is very well maintained. And as a further nostalgic treat, the state erected old Burma Shave signs along the road. The road is not maintained so well in California. The wife and I had a real jarring trip on a section from Barstow to near the Arizona border.
my parents live in Kingman, AZ...route 66 is the main drag through town.
Was out there a couple of years ago, and drove the old route through the mountain passes from Kingman to Loughlin, NV. very cool ride.
In spite of the fact that I was driving my mother’s 2001 Buick, and she was riding shotgun, nagging me the whole way not to drive off the side of the road, (no guardrails, you see), it was a very cool experience.
My favorite TV Theme of all-time is The Prisoner.
Did you know, that was the first song by a British act to reach Number 1 on the charts in the US?
It certainly wasn't the last.
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