Day 42: August 28 - We're Going Meta
The theme today is themes: TV themes, themes for friends, themes of resistance, themes to dream to.
Henry Mancini - Pink Panther Theme
An absolute classic, the vibey theme just slinks right into your ears and stays there. And an absolute sax solo by Plas Johnson. 10/10 would evade Interpol again.
Charles Mingus - Theme for Lester Young (Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat)
Written as an elegy for friend and saxophonist Lester Young, who really loved pork pie hats, this ballad really tugs at you. Maybe this has to do with the depth of the recording, you really feel the space of the room, with instruments blooming into the sound. The movements between heterophony and polyphony are stunning, with brilliant colors coming out of Mingus’ 11-piece band.
Frederic Rzewski - The People United Will Never Be Defeated
The theme here, El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido (The People United Will Never Be Defeated), was written by Chilean composer and sound engineer Sergio Ortega for the Chilean president Salvador Allende’s socialist party Unidad Popular. It was the party’s anthem until 1973, when the CIA overthrew the democratically elected government and installed the dictator Pinochet, when it became the rallying cry of the resistance. In 1975, Ortega’s friend and composer, American Frederic Rzewski, wrote 36 variations on this theme which has since become a bastion of the modern piano repertoire. Clocking in at over an hour, it’s not only a testament to the power of the resistance, but also a massive display in compositional imagination. The work is grouped in 6 sections, which split up the 36 bar theme into six bar phrases. I’ve only included sections 1 and 5, due to time constraints, but I absolutely recommend you listen to the rest. Performed here by Lee Sangwook.
Reading Rainbow - Reading Rainbow Theme Song
I mean, the best theme.
Cliff Richard - Theme For A Dream
British Elvis, Cliff Richard, brings us dreamy 60s vibes classically about crushing. This very cute song features just the most delightful backing singers, who are either really playful or incredibly sarcastic. I rate this just for their doos during the guitar solo. 10/10 would dooh again.
VeggieTales - VeggieTales Theme Song
Will be stuck in my head for the next week or so now. What a tune. Plus, they do the capital T midword, like QuaranTunes. Respect.