Who was the TOS orchestra?

[jayrath]

We know the composers. But who actually performed TOS' iconic themes?

I was watching an old episode of "I Love Lucy" today, in which Ricky's band performs. I was amazed to see that it included two flutes, a harp and a bass clarinet. That was not exactly the standard orchestration of the day. This leads me to wonder if Desi Arnaz' own band was the basis of the Desilu orchestra that recorded TOS' scores.

 

[Christopher]

That's an interesting question. We know that Wilbur Hatch, the composer and musical director for Lucille Ball's shows, was Star Trek's music consultant during the first season, and he wrote the music for "Beyond Antares." But I don't know if that means Arnaz's band would've been part of Desilu's orchestra.

And I don't know if there was a permanent orchestra per se, or if they hired musicians as needed. The Music of Star Trek says that the size of the ensemble for a TOS episode could range from 10 to 30 musicians. There could've been some of the same people as in Arnaz's band occasionally as needed, I suppose.

One thing I have noticed watching reruns of Mission: Impossible's first few seasons is that the music sometimes has a very Trek-like sound, even when not by TOS composers like Gerald Fried and Jerry Fielding. So I suspect it used a lot of the same performers and instruments. Also, my father (who was in the music/broadcasting business) suggested to me once that the specific recording equipment used could affect how a piece of music sounded, so that could be part of it too.

 

[Captain Robert April]

It would explain the bongo drums...

 

[Nerys Myk]

It would explain the bongo drums...

Groovy

 

[Timewalker]

What kind of a bicycle wheel is she playing, and how could she do it with a straight face?

 

[number6]

Most likely the studio had session musicians that they used often for all Desilu productions. I recognize the trumpet in I Love Lucy having the exact same timbre and inflection as the one heard in the Star Trek theme. It's likely the same guy.. These were all LA session guys who probably did a lot of such gigs together. It's not at all uncommon, then or now.

 

[jayrath]

Most likely the studio had session musicians that they used often for all Desilu productions. I recognize the trumpet in I Love Lucy having the exact same timbre and inflection as the one heard in the Star Trek theme. It's likely the same guy.. These were all LA session guys who probably did a lot of such gigs together. It's not at all uncommon, then or now.

Agreed, but "I Love Lucy" was an odd show. Desi had his own nightclub orchestra on payroll for the whole series. I imagine that only Herb Solow can tell us at this point.

 

[EnsignHarper]

You were right about the trumpet player: http://everythinglucy.blogspot.com/2007/10/desi-arnaz-orchestra-member-tony-terran.html

Desi Arnaz was a very loyal guy, so it is not a stretch at all to imagine that he kept his orchestra together and use it as a base for the 'Desilu Studio Orchestra'. You can definitely hear that in the music for The Cage, in the Orion Slave Girl sequence, for instance - not to mention several other places in the first season and a half.

There is also a very distinct change right after Paramount bought Desilu in the middle of the second season - the shows that use original music have a different tone to them - Omega Glory, for instance.

 

[Christopher]

^Huh? The only "original" music in "The Omega Glory" is the arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Is that what you're referring to?

 

[EnsignHarper]

^Huh? The only "original" music in "The Omega Glory" is the arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Is that what you're referring to?

Exactly - those horns definitely have a different tone to them....

 

[Hambone]

But who actually performed TOS' iconic themes?

Professional Musicians Local 47. It would be a different set of musicians, week after week, who "got the call" to come in and record soundtracks for TV shows, movies or commercials.

Once in a while, a specific musician would be called if his skills were deemed appropriate for the project (i.e. jazz guitarist Barney Kessel for "Spock's Theme" in Amok Time).

 

[Christopher]

^Is the number actually 47? How fitting for Star Trek...

 

[Green Shirt]

What kind of a bicycle wheel is she playing, and how could she do it with a straight face?

I don't know how anybody kept a straight face in this ep.

 

[scotpens]

Is the number actually 47? How fitting for Star Trek...

Okay, what am I missing here?

 

[Christopher]

Is the number actually 47? How fitting for Star Trek...

Okay, what am I missing here?

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/47

 

[Timewalker]

So it's just an in-joke that has no in-universe meaning...

 

[Christopher]

^What does "in-universe" have to do with it? I was asking if that was the actual number of the musicians' union that recorded the incidental music to the television show. You can't get less in-universe than that.

 

[plynch]

"Exactly - those horns definitely have a different tone to them...." I think they're muted (iirc).

 

[Timewalker]

^What does "in-universe" have to do with it? I was asking if that was the actual number of the musicians' union that recorded the incidental music to the television show. You can't get less in-universe than that.

I was referring to the Memory Alpha article about the number 47. It's an in-joke, so there's no in-universe significance to it.

I wasn't even thinking about the musicians' union.

 

[M'Sharak]

We know the composers. But who actually performed TOS' iconic themes?

I was watching an old episode of "I Love Lucy" today, in which Ricky's band performs. I was amazed to see that it included two flutes, a harp and a bass clarinet. That was not exactly the standard orchestration of the day. This leads me to wonder if Desi Arnaz' own band was the basis of the Desilu orchestra that recorded TOS' scores.

The harp may not be that common, but sax players hired for band gigs would typically be expected to double as needed on other woodwind instruments - i.e., flute (soprano & sometimes alto,) clarinet (soprano & sometimes alto and bass) and on rarer occasions even oboe and bassoon (if working for Don Ellis, say.)

...

One thing I have noticed watching reruns of Mission: Impossible's first few seasons is that the music sometimes has a very Trek-like sound, even when not by TOS composers like Gerald Fried and Jerry Fielding. So I suspect it used a lot of the same performers and instruments. Also, my father (who was in the music/broadcasting business) suggested to me once that the specific recording equipment used could affect how a piece of music sounded, so that could be part of it too.

Not only equipment, but some recording/broadcast studio rooms had a very particular and identifiable sound quality to them.

^Is the number actually 47? How fitting for Star Trek...

That really is the number of the L.A. local.