Roddenberry's lyrics

[J.T.B.]

Wow. Faithful to the original arrangement (countermelodies etc.).

Todd's perfectionism coming through. The whole album (Disco Jets) is pretty fun, actually. Catchy instrumentals playing around with not only disco, but with other '70s touchstones like flying saucers, CB radio and pet rocks.

So, no example of a radio hit has been produced so far. I'm highly skeptical that there even is one.

No evidence of a record, even. No record, no radio play.

 

[Commishsleer]

I wonder if I still have the Space themes CDs I got in the 80s. I think it has a disco Star Trek theme on it.
Star Trekin is the closest I've heard on radio this century but I do recall in the ancient ancient past they did play instrumental music on the radio like space music themes. I'm pretty sure I've heard Star Wars grand chorus being played but can't recall any Star Trek ones.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I wonder if I still have the Space themes CDs I got in the 80s. I think it has a disco Star Trek theme on it.
Star Trekin is the closest I've heard on radio this century but I do recall in the ancient ancient past they did play instrumental music on the radio like space music themes. I'm pretty sure I've heard Star Wars grand chorus being played but can't recall any Star Trek ones.

Can you I.D. your CD from this search box and give us the link?

 

[Commishsleer]

Can you I.D. your CD from this search box and give us the link?

I'm very very sad because I can't find it and I never throw anything out, especially Star Trek related items.
However I still can't find my War of the Worlds Album so maybe they're together somewhere in my house.
OK I probably haven't seen the album for 15 years and it was a sort of TV/Movie theme science fiction album.
I'm thinking that it could be this album Greatest Science Fiction TV Themes Vol 1 by Neil Norman. (Available from Amazon for $209.00 or free on Youtube). Listening to the Album now. The cover looks similar but I'm not sure.

 

[plynch]

Just came across this from Memory Alpha:

"There wasn't any rift, really, with Gene. What happened with Gene was a I got a phone call once... it was Gene's lawyer, [Leonard] Maizlish. He said, "I'm calling you to tell you that since you signed a piece of paper back there saying that if Gene ever wrote a lyric to your theme that he would split your royalties on the theme." Gene and I weren't enemies in any sort of way. It was just one of those things... I think it was Maizlish, probably, who put him up to doing it that way, and it's a shame, because actually if he'd written a decent lyric we could have both made more money."

Taken from interview: https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/alexander-courage

 

[Commishsleer]

Just came across this from Memory Alpha:

"There wasn't any rift, really, with Gene. What happened with Gene was a I got a phone call once... it was Gene's lawyer, [Leonard] Maizlish. He said, "I'm calling you to tell you that since you signed a piece of paper back there saying that if Gene ever wrote a lyric to your theme that he would split your royalties on the theme." Gene and I weren't enemies in any sort of way. It was just one of those things... I think it was Maizlish, probably, who put him up to doing it that way, and it's a shame, because actually if he'd written a decent lyric we could have both made more money."

Taken from interview: https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/alexander-courage

Yes if the lyrics didn't suck we'd probably all forgive Gene...
I'm going to be (more) unpopular but while I think the Star Trek TOS theme is iconic and just wonderful and gets you in the mood for some space adventuring I actually like Voyager's theme better as a piece of music.
I hate ENT theme. It is the worst. Makes me not want to watch the episode. And its not just the lyrics. I reckon lyrics have no place in Star Trek themes except if they were like Gilligan's island.
Imagine if Get Smart or Mission Impossible or Dr Who's theme's had lyrics. It would spoil the whole thing.
Greatest American Hero theme was OK I-an exception maybe because it was comedic.

 

[fireproof78]

Definitely depends on the lyrics.

 

[Trekker09]

This interview with Alexander Courage is kind of interesting - didn't know he provided the sound effect personally -

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[Orphalesion]

It's a depraved song, probably did a lot of harm to some families.

Dunno what's so "depraved" about those lyrics. I can totally see a soldier trapped in a horrible war going through thoughts and feelings described in that song, especially since back then they were sending draftees to fight.

And at least these lyrics feel like they have *some* passion and thought put into them, rather than Roddenberry's cash grab about some woman whinging about her boyfriend having sex with aliens.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Nichelle Nichols took a crack at singing those lyrics too

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Sweet fancy Moses.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

It's a depraved song, probably did a lot of harm to some families.

It's satire, as a means of indicating the disconnect between rhetoric and reality in war.

 

[plynch]

Voy is a nice piece of music. Very coherent. I prefer upbeat/adventuresome, a la TOS/TNG.

Not a fan of wandering minimalism of nuTrek. Esp jarring when they tack on the fanfare b/c it’s like a requirement now so to do. What’s the abbreviation for Prodigy? Anyway, I like the swashbuckly vibe, but I couldn’t hum the tune if you paid me.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Space Patrol, Buck Rogers, and Lost in Space. None of them had melodic theme music, mostly eerie electronic sounds strung together.

Also the "electronic tonalities" of the B-movie, "Forbidden Planet", which was a film hugely influential on Trek.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I've read that there were at least 3 space tv shows before Trek - Space Patrol, Buck Rogers, and Lost in Space. None of them had melodic theme music, mostly eerie electronic sounds strung together.

I didn't even know there was a pre-Trek Buck Rogers TV series, just the 1930's serial and the Gil Gerard series. But you're right, I see there was a '50s cheapie that came and went very fast.

However, John Williams delivered solidly melodic main titles for Lost in Space. Two different ones in fact, because the third season got a whole new theme. No surprise, both are great tunes.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Lost in Space. None of them had melodic theme music, mostly eerie electronic sounds strung together.

That's untrue. The theme music of Lost in Space was written by none other than John Williams.

Despite the "weird" harmonization, the early theme has a definite melody:

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The later theme, written after Star Trek had been running, also has a definite melody. It still retains the "twinkly" harmony of the earlier theme, albeit that's now somewhat more subdued:

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Neither can be described as "mostly eerie electronic sounds strung together."

In fairness, perhaps in this case you are thinking of some of the incidental music.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

None of them had melodic theme music, mostly eerie electronic sounds strung together.

As has been illustrated, at least in the case of Lost in Space this is wrong.

However, this:

So Trek was the first to have a memorable instrumental - which also became a radio hit.

Well, that's just made up.

 

[Trekker09]

Hmmm...I’d still say Williams' first “Lost in Space” intro has hardly any melody - even Roddenberry couldn’t put words to that!

When I first watched Trek, it was the late 70’s in reruns-- maybe that’s when I heard it on the radio, TV show themes were commonly played. I couldn’t find out when the theme was released as a record you could buy. I agree it never became a chart hit.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Hmmm...I’d still say Williams' first “Lost in Space” intro has hardly any melody - even Roddenberry couldn’t put words to that!

Are you listening past the introductory "spacey" notes and getting to the main melody? I can't believe you can't hear the melody; it's not elusive at all. It's right up front.

 

[Trekker09]

I listened to the 2+ minute intro on the original theme with all the stacatto. Not a melody you could hum or sing, right?

 

[plynch]

I could hum both LiS themes as soon as I saw them mentioned. The first more disjointed, yes. The second, fairly conventional, very tv-theme like of its day.