Hennesey Theme - Hennesey (1959) Discussion

[–] slh1089 16 years ago

I found it under the Wave Themes web site. Leave an e-mail address and I'll send it to you.

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Do you know where to find The Adventures of The Seaspray?
Do you know who sang the original of the song "Today is The First Day of the Rest of Your Life'? It was not John Denver.

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[–] wsutton_49 16 years ago

I tried to get it from Wave Themes but could not download the theme. If you can let me know how to download it or can send the Hennesey theme file to me at [email protected] I would appreciate it.

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[–] orcegap-1 16 years ago

As an American Field Service exchange student from Argentina, I lived in the US during the 1962-63 school year. I had then the opportunity to watch "Hennesey" and found it to be a great TV program.

I would really appreciate it if you would send the "Hennesey" them to me via e-mail. The address is:

[email protected]

Thank you very much.

Gabriel Orce
Tucumán, Argentina

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[–] turgon1 16 years ago

There are two clips of the theme at sitcomsonline.com, about 30 secs of the opening theme and what sounds like the complete closing theme. Unfortunately, the sound quality isn't too good, but it's great to hear that snappy tune again. One of the greatest TV theme songs of all time! There's also a video compilation of old TV themes that someone's posted on Youtube -- the clip is called "TV Theme Songs Time Sweep Pt. 13" and the Hennesey theme (the same one at sitcomsonline, it sounds like) starts at about 5:49. It's accompanied by a still of Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton.

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[–] dspear7777 15 years ago

Thank you for the link at sitcomsonline.com . Listen closely and you hear this is a jazzed up version of "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms". I agree that it still rates as an all-time great theme.

My favorite memory is when, at the end of one episode, it builds up and I'm thinking "here we go, another typical Hollywood ending". Instead, just at that point, it stops and resumes it's normal calm mode. Genius!

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[–] ghostfan 15 years ago

I'd love to hear this whole tune again, too.

Back in the mid 70's -- frank Mills released it as one of the tunes on his Music Box Dancer album (I do mean, album, it was an LP) and I remember part of the tune's words:

It doesn't usually rain,
When it rains, it rains champagne
On Hennesey's Island
That's where I'm bound.

There's more than salt in the air
You should see what the girls don't wear
On Hennesey's Island
That's where I'm bound.

Unfortunately, when the album was rerealeased on CD that song was not on there. It had been replaced. Made me wonder if there were copyright problems?

Anyway, I still have the album, but no way to convert it! Last time I tried, I blew out my whole computer soundboard...

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[–] lousvr 12 years ago

The Hennesey theme was a jazzy rendition of a very old 'sailor' ditty...
In very old 'Popeye' cartoons (black/white) <30's.. occationally you'll hear it.. The actual name. ?????

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[–] cada123 11 years ago

Realizing this is an old thread
(last one almost a year ago to the day! And btw, Happy Veteran's Day),

The name of the original song from which the Hennessey theme comes is called The Sailor's Hornpipe (also known as the College Hornpipe). The original song dates back to the British Navy in the 1600's. The music accompanied a type of dance done in a small space (such as the deck of a ship).

... and yes, Popeye did use that theme, along with "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man."

The Hennessey theme, after the first phrase jazzed-up Sailor's Hornpipe, does go off into something that sounds a bit like "...those Endearing Young Charms," as somebody mentioned earlier.

I hesitate to give exact web sites, for so many of those tend to disappear over time.
But if you Google Sailor's Hornpipe, you will no doubt get information, as well as several renditions, from the sublime to the ridiculous.
As of this date, it is possible to get sheet music, and to listen to a rendition used at the Queen of England's diamond jubilee this past summer... as well as Groucho Marx dancing the hornpipe, a Disney sing-along version, interspersed with "Sailing, Sailing, over the bounding Main."
Enjoy!

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[–] Dtmg-518-907791 11 years ago

Just checked Utube and found the entire Hennesey theme song. Hadn't thought about it for years until I recently found a web site selling 30 of the old Hennesey episodes. It took only a few seconds of hearing the theme song for it all to come back to me from when I was around nine years old. I remember only a little but I know our family watched it regularly.

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