TV Theme Megapoll FINALS: "Peter Gunn" vs. "Mission: Impossible"

[TroutMan]

And then there were two! Good luck picking one, and may the best theme win.

Theme from Peter Gunn
NBC/ABC (1958-61)
Henry Mancini



Theme from Mission: Impossible
CBS (1966-73)
Lalo Schifirin

[What Exit?]

Peter Gunn should win.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by What Exit?

Peter Gunn should win.

[mjmlabs]

I'm a swayable independent voter; partisans, make your pitches and assume I haven't been paying any attention to what's been said before.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by mjmlabs

I'm a swayable independent voter; partisans, make your pitches and assume I haven't been paying any attention to what's been said before.

others will come along with a lot of Fancy Pants Words but it boils down to they are both excellent and MI is slightly more excellent.

did you listen to them both all the way through using headphones?

[TroutMan]

Originally Posted by mjmlabs

I'm a swayable independent voter; partisans, make your pitches and assume I haven't been paying any attention to what's been said before.

Since you haven't been paying attention, I can just copy/paste my previous comment comparing these without having to think about it again. Which is good, because I might come to a different conclusion this time. They're both really good and there isn't a wrong choice.

Originally Posted by TroutMan

It's a tough call which one I like better overall. Peter Gunn is fantastic, but it's pretty straightforward. And I don't mean that as a slight against it; knowing when to mix things up and when to play it straight is not as simple as it seems, and Peter Gunn does it exactly right.

In PG, Mancini came up with one of the greatest bass line hooks ever, and then added the expected rhythm section and simple horn call-outs over it. Even Mancini described it as "one chord throughout and a super-simple top line." It jumps right into things and rides that train to the end.

But there's just more to M:I musically. It builds energy and excitement throughout the tune, and as I've said elsewhere, it takes unexpected twists and turns.

I probably shouldn't say one is better than the other, because they are doing different things, both exceptionally well. But in a delusional state, I feel like I could write Peter Gunn (note: I absolutely could not), but I never in a million years could come up with something like Mission: Impossible.

[Pencil]

Peter Gunn is the better song. Something I could put on at a drunken party.*
But this is not a poll of best song. It's about best TV themes. And Mission: Impossible just slays. But I would never put it on at a drunken party. And both would make me crank up the volume in my car.




*Well, 30 years ago.

[Zeener Diode]

I'd put it on at my next party. But my friends all old, so there.

Originally Posted by What Exit?

Peter Gunn should win.

I've been forthright of my love of Mancini and it's an awesome tune with the right amount of menace and darkness that builds up to explode in a jazzy burst of excitement. (If you hate jazz, just replace the horns with guitars or keyboards.) But MI is the better TV theme. IMO it should be H50 in this matchup, but even so I'd still vote for MI.

[Borborygmi]

Fantastic final. Poll should have been multiple-choice.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Zeener Diode

But MI is the better TV theme. IMO it should be H50 in this matchup, but even so I'd still vote for MI.

YES, Zeener has it exactly right.

[mjmlabs]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

did you listen to them both all the way through using headphones?

Not yet; still have several hits left in this bowl.

All good things in all good time ...

[Borborygmi]

Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim
My boyfriend Tim
He's so tall... very tall... nothing fits... giant!
Eats a lot... cooks a lot... chops a lot... ETSY!

[What Exit?]

Need 3 Peter Gunn fans to finish this up correctly.

[mjmlabs]

Originally Posted by Borborygmi

Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim
My boyfriend Tim
He's so tall... very tall... nothing fits... giant!
Eats a lot... cooks a lot... chops a lot... ETSY!

You are six ...
I'm not six ...
What do kids like?!
HELP ME ETSY!!

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by mjmlabs

Not yet; still have several hits left in this bowl.

All good things in all good time ...

are you letting the suspense build or do you keep getting high and forgetting to vote?

or both!

[mjmlabs]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

are you letting the suspense build or do you keep getting high and forgetting to vote?

or both!

Probably both.

I'm well aware of the deadline, no worries. I have other IRL deadlines [ETA: tangentially] involving litigation on Monday so I'm concentrating on those for now.

ETA explanation, spoilered so as not to be a buzzkill (You've been warned! It's a huge buzzkill, but I myself am in no peril, rest assured):

I have some surveillance footage that I was reviewing for the eviction of Cuntopotamus, the Deranged Drunken Tenant Squatter from Upstairs Hell, and it became evident that I'd captured evidence of parental neglect on her part that should be forwarded to the appropriate authorities. I have subsequently become aware that her Baby Daddy has a custody trial in re: that child on Monday, and I sure would like to get these vids to his attorneys by EOD today so that justice be better served. Karma often acts through human vessels, y'know.

All good things in all good time ...

[JackieLikesVariety]

drama!

[SisterCoyote]

I voted MI. After a lot of thought.

Because it was a hell of a fight in my head, though, here is Art of Noise's cover of the Peter Gunn theme (Jump to 1:11 to skip the video intro):

[TroutMan]

Not theme related, but for fun here's a Peter Gunn episode I'm posting to share a couple minutes of great music fun. I love how the camera moves from instrument to instrument as each one picks up the theme.

I'm assuming this is a Mancini composition for the show, but that's a guess.

[mjmlabs]

Originally Posted by SisterCoyote

<snip> here is Art of Noise's cover of the Peter Gunn theme ...

Shit, if this gon' be that kind of party, [drowned out by passing emergency-vehicle sirens] mashed potatoes!! [IYKYK]

It's also simple enough to vamp over while stalling for time so that the frontmen's backstage getaway isn't immediately detected, and that's a handy tune to know:

[mjmlabs]

Odd time signature FTW!