Sunday, November 08, 2020

Jeopardy Theme (Griffin)--Merv Griffin w. Orch. Directed by Mort Lindsey (1974)


 


You wanted a Disco version of this theme by the man who wrote it.  You know you did.

From the 1974 Merv LP, Escape, shown above in a snapshot.  Musicians on the LP include director Mort Lindsey, Jack Sheldon, Pias Johnson, and Mundell Lowe.

R.I.P., Alex Trebek, who was apparently a terrific person.


DOWNLOAD: Jeopardy Theme--Merv Griffin, Mort Lindsey Orch., 1974.


Meanwhile, most sources claim that the Jeopardy theme came from A Time for Tony, a lullaby Merv wrote for his son.  However, as we can hear from this 1970 recording of the lullaby (featuring Merv at the piano), the two aren't at all the same.


DOWNLOAD: A Time for Tony (Griffin)--Merv Griffin, piano; Arr, and Cond, by Manny Kellem, 1970.

From Appearing Nightly at the Piano (Metromedia MD 1023; 1970)



Lee

11 comments:

Buster said...

OK, I'll admit I had no idea that Merv wrote the Jeopardy theme.

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Yup, and he earned a fortune from it. He alleged penned it in under 30 minutes. Merv's wife, Julann, actually came up with the concept for the show. I think (not sure) that Merv conceived of Wheel of Fortune, which is pretty much Hangman without the hangman.

I don't like Disco, but I like this version a lot. The crack musicianship helps.

Anonymous said...

Hi!

Thanx for these. F.A.I. "Jeoprady" related news. The host since 1984, Canadian Alex Trebek, has passed @ 80. R. I. P. His wiki page here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Trebek

Cheers!
Ciao! For now.
rntcj

Lee Hartsfeld said...

rntcj,

Thanks!

Ernie said...

Goodbye, Alex!

Anonymous said...

Hi!

Apologies. Did not see your R.I.P. to Alex in your comment & just didn't know if you'd heard the news. Guessing now that's why you U/L'ed the theme song, eh?!
Stephen Colbert (to wrap up his "Colbert Report Show") chose him, along with Abraham Lincoln & Santa Claus as people he'd spend Eternity with.

Cheers!
Ciao! For now.
rntcj

Lee Hartsfeld said...

mtcj,

No problem! I often inadvertently skip lines while reading. Love what Colbert had to say.

A man for whom Christ died said...

Lee,
Isn't this the theme they used on the show, back in the 80s and maybe later? I started watching it at the age of six, at GMS in Raleigh, NC, right after Wheel of course LOL! Thanks, love and prayin' for ya!


Romans 11:33-36 KJB

Josh
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Lee Hartsfeld said...

Hi, Josh--

Yes, this is the official theme for the show. I don't know if they used this particular Disco arrangement of it or not--I was never a Jeopardy watcher!

UncleB said...

"...the two aren't at all the time."

OR

the SAME?

R.I.P., George Alexander Trebek.

And that's my final answer...

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Uncle B,

Oops! Thanks much for pointing out that typo.