I did eventually shell out for a copy of the complete DVD set when I saw one at around £70, which was the cheapest I've seen for a new copy of the set so far.
To be honest, I don't think time has been kind to the series. Many of the later seasons are full of two and even three parters (especially the Fred Freiberger-produced ones, ISTR), which wouldn't be so bad if they were particularly good episodes. But they aren't, in many cases.
The music is excellent a lot of the time though, and as I said before I include the later scores by J.J. Johnson in that assessment. The trick for any CD set would be to pick out the excellent material from the more routine stuff; not a job I'd like!
In many ways, The Bionic Woman is actually the better series. Joe Harnell did some nice work for those episodes.
The trick for any CD set would be to pick out the excellent material from the more routine stuff; not a job I'd like!
The only reasonable deal is to offer a season 1 set to test the market. If there are sufficient feedbacks from the buyers, then a season 2 set will follow a year later.
Finally picked up the first season DVD set. And Oliver Nelson's music is so good. I'd love a cd release. At least we have the great "Baja Bossa" from the Skull album. But there is absolutely a treasure trove of great music in the series.
Count me in. Closest I've gotten is six million dollar TV themes. John Gregory and his orchestra. Three minutes pure jot. That and his take on it takes a thief. Only one who got it right out of multiple TV theme compilation albums.
I agree about the John Gregory cover versions, very enjoyable
The Geoff Love Orchestra did an excellent SMDM too.
Well until those CD releases happen, why not talk about the music as it's heard in the show? I for one would be interested in learning what your favorite musical moments are.
Well until those CD releases happen, why not talk about the music as it's heard in the show? I for one would be interested in learning what your favorite musical moments are.
Lee Majors driving a dune buggy along with Sarah Fawcett and at the sound of Baja Bossa in "The Peeping Blonde". Lovely!
I'm still working my way slowly through the old DVDs. "Run, Steve, Run" was I believe the last of the first season episodes. It was terrible, made up largely of footage from previous episodes as Steve went into "flashback mode", thinking about his previous adventures whilst relaxing on a ranch in Utah. The (only) interesting thing about that episode was the use of Oliver Nelson's theme from DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER around the 35 minute mark. I don't know if it was reworked for THE SIX or just tracked in. Anyone know? Stefan? Major Sloan?
Best of all though is still the great Artie Kane (?) piano solos which grace so much of the action music as if he were performing live in concert. So much like ZIGZAG.
I'm still working my way slowly through the old DVDs. "Run, Steve, Run" was I believe the last of the first season episodes. It was terrible, made up largely of footage from previous episodes as Steve went into "flashback mode", thinking about his previous adventures whilst relaxing on a ranch in Utah. The (only) interesting thing about that episode was the use of Oliver Nelson's theme from DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER around the 35 minute mark. I don't know if it was reworked for THE SIX or just tracked in. Anyone know? Stefan? Major Sloan?
Best of all though is still the great Artie Kane (?) piano solos which grace so much of the action music as if he were performing live in concert. So much like ZIGZAG.
"Run, Steve, Run" is stock music galore. The music editor recycles previous cues from “Survival of the Fittest”, “Operation Firefly”, “The Rescue of Athena One”, “Day of the Robot”, “Eyewitness to Murder” and some western music cues.
Thanks! So do you reckon it's lifted directly from DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER rather than adapted for The Six Buck Man? It's the same theme, but not as heard in the Main Titles of the film. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the rest of Nelson's GUNFIGHTER score, beyond the Main Title and the pre-credits song.
I'm still debating whether or not to get S3 but I find myself enjoying seasons one and two more than I thought I would, seeing as TSMDM was quite cringe-inducing to me when I was watching these again after many years. Now, I enjoy them for what they are: comic book-style entertainment with a '70s vibe that is most definitely its own "world." The sound effects and use of those well-worn Universal back lot sets create a fun vibe. It's not the early 1970s world of the ITV-type programs I love so much nor is it the Star Wars-era 1970s even though the show overlaps into that side of things.
Oh! So musically does the show drop off post Oliver Nelson? I adore J.J. Johnson (who also met a sad end) as a jazz artist just as I do Nelson, so I'm curious as to the former's musical contributions to TSMDM.
Oh! So musically does the show drop off post Oliver Nelson? I adore J.J. Johnson (who also met a sad end) as a jazz artist just as I do Nelson, so I'm curious as to the former's musical contributions to TSMDM.
After Nelson's death, the music became flat as a pancake and Johnson tried vainly to emulate some of the season 3 cues but it lacked of the sparks and the integrity of Nelson. It sounded like a parody, I mean like a cheap ersatz. Johnson was paying his taxes and did a simple commission.
Nelson instilled a wide range of emotions to the characters, Nelson fleshed out Steve Austin. Try to watch the series without the music: it's bland.
After Nelson's death, the music became flat as a pancake and Johnson tried vainly to emulate some of the season 3 cues but it lacked of the sparks and the integrity of Nelson. It sounded like a parody, I mean like a cheap ersatz. Johnson was paying his taxes and did a simple commission.
Nelson instilled a wide range of emotions to the characters, Nelson fleshed out Steve Austin. Try to watch the series without the music: it's bland.
A matter of taste to some degree perhaps? I liked a lot of the music that JJ Johnson did (in the same way that sometimes Nelson could also write music that was less engaging - it would be amazing if he didn't fall below par now and again, given the heavy workload that he had).
From what I've read of J.J. his film and tv music understandably did not hold the same importance for him that his jazz work did - it was a way to make a living - and to that extent I agree with Thomas that he probably didn't invest as much of his soul in it as Oliver Nelson did.
Having watched several episodes now across various seasons (and again, I have to restate that I personally don't think the series has worn at all well) I'd agree wholeheartedly that in many ways the music makes the tv series. It certainly enhances and propels scenes that occasionally seem very weak to me. A bit like Derek Wadsworth's music for the second season of Space:1999 worked very well at enhancing (if not actually carrying) some amazingly weak episodes in that series too......
After Nelson's death, the music became flat as a pancake and Johnson tried vainly to emulate some of the season 3 cues but it lacked of the sparks and the integrity of Nelson. It sounded like a parody, I mean like a cheap ersatz. Johnson was paying his taxes and did a simple commission.
Nelson instilled a wide range of emotions to the characters, Nelson fleshed out Steve Austin. Try to watch the series without the music: it's bland.
A matter of taste to some degree perhaps? I liked a lot of the music that JJ Johnson did (in the same way that sometimes Nelson could also write music that was less engaging - it would be amazing if he didn't fall below par now and again, given the heavy workload that he had).
From what I've read of J.J. his film and tv music understandably did not hold the same importance for him that his jazz work did - it was a way to make a living - and to that extent I agree with Thomas that he probably didn't invest as much of his soul in it as Oliver Nelson did.
Having watched several episodes now across various seasons (and again, I have to restate that I personally don't think the series has worn at all well) I'd agree wholeheartedly that in many ways the music makes the tv series. It certainly enhances and propels scenes that occasionally seem very weak to me. A bit like Derek Wadsworth's music for the second season of Space:1999 worked very well at enhancing (if not actually carrying) some amazingly weak episodes in that series too......
I'd like to add some shades about J.J. Johnson. Season 3 featured two scores at the very end of that season after the passing of Nelson: two uneven but decent scores ("The Golden Pharaoh" and "Love Song for Tanya"). But from season 4, he got the promotion of leading composer—I should add a replacement composer that leads the series and tries to save from a collapse—and his music became frankly un-inspired. Johnson even re-arranged a score ("The Deadly Test") by Nelson but did it in a cheap way in "The Thunderbird Connection".
J.J. Johnson was not part of the original project and was used as a second bananas at the last minute. That was not his fault. He was doing a job.
Frankly, watching season 4 and 5 is highly difficult because the general level is low. Even season 3 started to be plagued by the silly scripts but hopefully Nelson's music was still very good.
Frankly, watching season 4 and 5 is highly difficult because the general level is low. Even season 3 started to be plagued by the silly scripts but hopefully Nelson's music was still very good.
Agreed. And yes, I think Nelson's scores frequently made the SMDM episodes far more dynamic and interesting than they actually were. But how many different ways can you score Austin in slow-mo combat with baddies, or running in slow-mo across a desert or field?
Frankly, watching season 4 and 5 is highly difficult because the general level is low. Even season 3 started to be plagued by the silly scripts but hopefully Nelson's music was still very good.
Agreed. And yes, I think Nelson's scores frequently made the SMDM episodes far more dynamic and interesting than they actually were. But how many different ways can you score Austin in slow-mo combat with baddies, or running in slow-mo across a desert or field?
Thanks! So do you reckon it's lifted directly from DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER rather than adapted for The Six Buck Man? It's the same theme, but not as heard in the Main Titles of the film. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the rest of Nelson's GUNFIGHTER score, beyond the Main Title and the pre-credits song.
I love that theme a lot. Nelson recycled the melody from GUNFIGHTER, but he arranged and recorded it especially for SMDM. My favorite use of it is at the top of Act I in "The Bionic Woman" Part 2, when Steve races Jaime back to the ranch. What a gorgeous and perfectly scored scene that was...
Thanks Zap. I didn't know that he used it in more than one episode. It is a great long-line melody, full of unexpected little twists. I'll try to track down the episode you mention (I only know it from "Run, Steve, Run"). I can't get much info on the original score for DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER. Haven't seen it since the late '70s, and I can only find the Lena Horne song on YouTube. Does anyone know how much music is in the film, its leanings etc?
Agreed. And yes, I think Nelson's scores frequently made the SMDM episodes far more dynamic and interesting than they actually were. But how many different ways can you score Austin in slow-mo combat with baddies, or running in slow-mo across a desert or field?
Steve Austin running is the Bionicverse equivalent of Dr Who's "running down corridors", only with funky underscore.
Johnson did do a few episodes that I remember well. The ending music for "Bionic Boy" is pretty good. The music isn't as rich as the Nelson stuff though. Season 5 was bad with regards to scripts & music!! The main theme is used less if I remember & everything sounds generic.
This is an extremely minor piece but there's a scene in "One of our Running Backs is Missing" where Steve frees Larry Czonka from chains. This slow version of the theme plays that I love! A similar slow cue is used in "Bionic Badge" when Steve is spying on a cop. Nelson was great at working with the tempo if the theme.
My favorite non Nelson work is the DeJesus work on the "Secret of Bigfoot".
