"TV Guide" Top Television Themes

TV Guide Top Television Themes studio Warren Barker and Frank Comstock TVGuideTopTelevisionThemes.jpg 1959 Warner Bros. Big band, pop Warner Bros. Records TV Guide Top Television Themes is an LP of twelve musical themes from popular television programs of the late 1950s. Origin and concept In May 1959, Warner Bros. Records announced the release of an album produced in cooperation with the weekly television program listings magazine TV Guide. Warner Bros. Issues 'TV Guide' Album The Cash Box New York, NY May 16, 1959 33 World Radio History Warner was said to be intrigued by the growing popularity of TV theme songs and the "fresh, new sounds and extraordinary harmonies to be heard in these themes," and "asked the editors of 'TV Guide' to select a list of 12 outstanding TV shows whose themes are rapidly being written into our music folklore.""TV Guide" Top Television Themes W 1290 1959 LP record Warner Bros. Records Hollywood The record incorporated four themes from programs running on each of the three television networks ABC, CBS, and NBC. Promotional tie-ins that accompanied the release included featuring the album on the TV shows whose themes are heard, and distributing more than 500 copies of the album to TV columnists. By year's end, "TV Guide" Top Television Themes became the fifth best-selling album in the first year of the label's operation. First Year Builds Big for WB Label The Billboard New York, NY November 2, 1959 3 World Radio History Reception In its May 18, 1959, issue, Billboard magazine listed "TV Guide" Top Television Themes among its Spotlight Winners of the Week, describing it as having outstanding sales potential that could turn it into a big seller, with plenty of musical value. Spotlight Winners of The Week The Billboard New York, NY May 18, 1959 28 World Radio History Reviewing the album, The Cash Box magazine complimented the "swinging big band renditions" of "Mickey Mouse Club," "The Real McCoys", and "Playhouse 90," concluding that in light of "the present TV theme trend, this set could do exceedingly well." Album Reviews The Cash Box New York, NY June 6, 1959 28 World Radio History HiFi Review said, "The arrangements are good big band jazz, and stereo even goes television one better by spreading the sound out beyond the confines of a 21-inch screen."Stanley Green Stereo Entertainment: Theater, Screen, TV HiFi Review New York, NY August 1959 72 World Radio History Track listing TrackTitleComposersNetwork1"The D.A.'s Man" Frank ComstockNBC2"Perry Mason"Fred SteinerCBS3"77 Sunset Strip" Jerry Livingston, Mack DavidABC4"Pete Kelly's Blues”Ray Heindorf, Sammy Cahn NBC5"Mickey Mouse Club"Jimmie DoddABC6"Maverick"David Buttolph, Paul Francis WebsterABC7"Peter Gunn"Henry ManciniNBC8"Have Gun – Will Travel"Bernard HerrmannCBS9"Richard Diamond"Pete RugoloCBS10"Playhouse 90"Alex NorthCBS11"The Real McCoys"Harry RubyABC12"M Squad" Count BasieNBC References Category:Television theme song albums