MovieChat Forums > Danger Man (1965) Discussion > Great Theme Music

Great Theme Music

posted 18 years ago by sherlock-37
14 replies | jump to latest

The background information says Steve Barri and P. F. Sloan wrote the theme. It's superb, a mixture of American jazz, English classical styles (with the harpsichord). I liked it so much I wrote a lift of it and arranged it for a big band. I put it in a medley of police/spy themes from the 60's / 70's - I Spy, Ironside, Get Smart, The Saint, and Danger Man. They have similarities to them, all great themes and I especially love the Danger Man Theme. Really establishes the mood, the intrigue, and the tongue in cheek. Brilliant work! Actually come to think of it, the Hockey Night in Canada theme borrows from these themes.
Doug
Toronto

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] claudg1950 17 years ago

I am not sure which theme Steve Barri wrote.

The one you mention is the one with which the series were released in Argentina (and, I assume, in the UK): the intriguing harpsichord sounds, with a negative/positive image of McGoohan's approaching the screen up to a close up. That music, in my view, was excellent and classy.

However, in the US (and in Montreal in the 90s), the series were shown with a totally different presentation. If my memory serves me well, the background images were also very different: a cartoon with lines moving quite fast, in step with a 60s-type rock-song, where a male singer repeated the line "secret agent man".
It was the type of dated rock you would hear in Frankie Avalon´s, Fabian´s or Elvis' sophomoric movies, where cute girls and surfers dance on the beach. Ugly.

By the way: the original 30 minutes' series (1960-61, when Drake worked for NATO) also had a very good musical presentation -albeit short. Not as enigmatic as the hapsichord thing, but it was a very intense, rythmic jazzy quick step, totally cool and in tone with the action to come.

[–] Moor-Larkin 17 years ago

A chap called Edwin Astley wrote both the original 1959/60 music and the later 1964-66 intro-tunes. He also wrote much of the incidental music. There's a nice page all about this talented man here: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/771888/index.html

The American song was written as mentioned but performed by Johnny Rivers. Being a Britisher, I'd never even heard it until I came across it on youtube recently and then realised it was the song featured in "Austin Powers", so it must have been a legend in the USA.

http://theatrical-mcgoohan.mysite.orange.co.uk/

[–] cork3256 17 years ago

Hi! As I understand it, Johnny Rivers had seen "Danger Man" while on tour in the UK. When plans were announced to somewhat "Americanize" it, he wrote "Secret Agent Man" based on what he knew of the series. The song became one of his greatest hits here, and the American packagers of the series gave it the animated opening with the "Secret Agent Man" theme.

We Americans sometimes do stupid things to British TV. A fair lot of our most sucessful situation comedies were lifts from similar British shows. Not much originality in American TV anymore. Even our most successful reality show, "American Idol" is based on a similar British show.

[–] bws042257 17 years ago

thanks for apologizing for americans and american television

we need more peope like you...in iraq

[–] dhenderson-2 14 years ago

Gotta face it, there's a lot of crap out there.

[–] Moor-Larkin 17 years ago

Hi! As I understand it....

Pretty much wrong every time. Johnny himself makes no claim for its creation: "P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri came up with it. http://www.johnnyrivers.com/jr/hits.html

So far as US TV is concerned, it is responsible for much creativity and originality. If you have a problem, it is too many channels.... Half of you probably never even get to see most of what you produce. It's getting the same in Britain - too many things to watch.

And I'm not sure commercial success is necessarily any recommendation of originality so I wouldn't beat yourself up about American Idol......

http://theatrical-mcgoohan.mysite.orange.co.uk/

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Moor-Larkin 16 years ago

The original theme by Edwin Astley was also great and was always played right after the opening credits in America.

I've never seen that noted anywhere else. How interesting

http://flickr.com/photos/11417707@N04/

[–] Madeline5 10 years ago

Yes, In the states, when they repeated the series on Public Television they'd have the "Secret Agent Man" song with the basic credits. Then, after a CUT, where there was to be commercial break? they returned to the opening sequence of setting, and play the harpsichord music perhaps with a few more credits added on. I love that piece of music. It's so quirky and perfect. So, at least both songs were given their due.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] John-367 8 years ago

It sounds like a title sequence with the US song was simply inserted in those cases. In the UK there was usually a fairly brief sting of music over Drake walking toward camera in negative and positive, then an animated still of Drake, before a pre-credits sequence, cut to black and then Astley's High Wire harpsichord music over shots of e.g. Drake's mini driving through London or other scenic shots with credits matted over.
There wasn't a regular title sequence over High Wire.

There are plenty of full episodes on YT at the moment and they all seem to be the originals, without the US song.

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] pjmcgill142 8 years ago

Many of these British shows had great themes. Danger Man, together with The Baron and Jason King... The Sweeney, The Avengers...