Friday Work Whistle: Top 5 TV Show Themes For Bass Players

TV show themes are awesome. They are songs, after all. Short ones, but good ones.

These are the top 5 television show themes every bass player should know that prominently features the bass guitar being heard.

5. NIGHT COURT

The moment you heard that two-note octave slap, you knew what was on TV. A funky, jazzy tune that basically didn’t change at all in the show’s nine-season run.

Jack Elliott penned this tune.

4. ARE YOU BEING SERVED?

This is one from across the pond in the UK, has a very “chuggy” bass line and it is the first instrument heard. Very groovy in that 1960s style (even though it was a show of the 1970s).

Ronnie Hazlehurst was the composer for this theme.

3. KOJAK

An amazing TV theme for bass lovers. The bass heard in this song is ultra-smooth, ultra-fine, and many lead notes are heard. To be cut through the mix better, most of what’s heard on the bass is using higher notes. And it totally works. This one will take you a while to learn; count on that.

To note, there are several variations of the Kojak theme, but the above is the most-known version from seasons 3 and 4, that being the second version of the main title theme. Billy Goldenburg scored the early arrangement, but it was John Cacavas that composed the second, and that’s the one people know best.

2. SANFORD AND SON

The actual name of this song is The Streetbeater, originally written and produced by Quincy Jones. The above is the extended full version you may not have heard before. The Sanford and Son theme is just a fantastic “growly” song all around, and while great, it’s doesn’t beat what’s in the top spot.

1. BARNEY MILLER

A lot of you saw this one coming and knew it would take the top spot. This is the best damned groovy TV show theme for bass that ever existed and nothing has topped it. Every bass player knows this one, and no, it doesn’t get old. Ever.

A warning, however. Barney Miller is to the bass world what Stairway to Heaven and Sweet Child O’ Mine is to the guitar world. In other words, it’s true that this theme song never gets old, but don’t play it in a music store or you’ll get a lot of dirty looks. 🙂

The studio musician who performed the bass line for famous Barney Miller song originally penned by Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson was Chuck Berghofer.

— HONORABLE MENTIONS —

These are good (great, in fact), but weren’t good enough to make the top 5.

KIDS IN THE HALL

Canada makes a presence with Having An Average Weekend, better known as the theme to the 1990s show The Kids In The Hall . The bass is heard loud, twangy and sounds great.

Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet is the name of the band that performed the song.

RAWHIDE

A very simple country tune, but the twangy bass can be heard loud and clear on the right (back when they actually separated the bass to a side during recordings).

This song existed before the show did. Written by Ned Washington (lyrics only), composed by Dmitri Tiomkin in 1958, and originally recorded by Frankie Lane.

HAWAII FIVE-O (NEW VERSION)

It’s rare I like a redo of the original, but this one kicks ass. The bass chords (yes, CHORDS) are heard nice and LOUD, are mixed perfectly, and the sound totally captures one of the best TV theme songs ever penned. And yes, I believe it’s even better than the Ventures version.

For comparison, here’s the original 1968 version that was composed by Morton Stevens. A fantastically great theme, but the newer version has way more punch to it – especially on the bass end of things.