JazzManJim
On the Downbeat
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2001
- Posts
- 27,360
The theme to "Jonny Quest" - the original theme.
It's clocks in at just a tad under two minutes, total. It requires a full jazz band to play and is, in itself, a jazz tune.
Close your eyes and think back. You know you can hear it.
It starts with drums and a light strumming gutar and walking bass. Then enter the trombones with the driving melody, in unison - minor key. They lay out for more drums. Then it's back to trombones, breaking into harmony. There's that bass 'bone slide you could almost anticipate before it happened.
You remembering this yet?
Now in come the trumpets taking over the melody, then back to the bones for the raucous finish.
But it's not over yet, because with a trumpet flourish, a new theme turns to the major key (Right there you can see the Quest Jet flying along. It's time to introduce the major characters now). Remember that smooth 'bone melody when they put up Hadji's picture? What other theme songs used a such a swinging flute? How about that bending Dick Dale-like guitar chord?
Even after they've introduced Bandit, we're not done. You're bouncing up and down in your seat because you just know after a theme song like this, the show is going to be really, really cool. More action scenes as the main theme takes over again and drives into the abrupt four-note ending, in a ripping jazz chord.
The voice over says "Jonny Quest".
Fade to black. Which episode's it going to be? Dr Zin? The invisible monster? The crazed dictator with the giant lizards?
You're going to have to wait, it's commercial time.
It's clocks in at just a tad under two minutes, total. It requires a full jazz band to play and is, in itself, a jazz tune.
Close your eyes and think back. You know you can hear it.
It starts with drums and a light strumming gutar and walking bass. Then enter the trombones with the driving melody, in unison - minor key. They lay out for more drums. Then it's back to trombones, breaking into harmony. There's that bass 'bone slide you could almost anticipate before it happened.
You remembering this yet?
Now in come the trumpets taking over the melody, then back to the bones for the raucous finish.
But it's not over yet, because with a trumpet flourish, a new theme turns to the major key (Right there you can see the Quest Jet flying along. It's time to introduce the major characters now). Remember that smooth 'bone melody when they put up Hadji's picture? What other theme songs used a such a swinging flute? How about that bending Dick Dale-like guitar chord?
Even after they've introduced Bandit, we're not done. You're bouncing up and down in your seat because you just know after a theme song like this, the show is going to be really, really cool. More action scenes as the main theme takes over again and drives into the abrupt four-note ending, in a ripping jazz chord.
The voice over says "Jonny Quest".
Fade to black. Which episode's it going to be? Dr Zin? The invisible monster? The crazed dictator with the giant lizards?
You're going to have to wait, it's commercial time.
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