Theme song changes

How many times was the theme song redone?
I know there are at least three versions...I can't remember where the break was.
I'll see what I can find out and post more.
POC

I think what ended up happening was when Adam and Albert were added to the cast, they needed to lengthen the song to have it last through the credits, so they extended the last few notes by a bit. The intro to the song was redone when it became Little House: A New Beginning. I believe they also speed up the tempo of the song then too.

There were several variations. Rather than try to explain it in words, I made audio recordings of each variation from videos I found on YouTube and posted them on my web site. Here they are:

• Season 1
  
• Season 2
  
• Season 3
  
• Seasons 4 and 5
  
• Seasons 6 and 7
  
• Season 8
  
• Season 9 and Movies
  

jes9 wrote:

There were several variations. Rather than try to explain it in words, I made audio recordings of each variation from videos I found on YouTube and posted them on my web site. Here they are:

• Season 1
  
• Season 2
  
• Season 3
  
• Seasons 4 and 5
  
• Seasons 6 and 7
  
• Season 8
  
• Season 9 and Movies
  

Aww that's really cool to hear! I never really noticed differences between the intro's of the first 7 seasons but now it's quite clear, seems to me that later on they speeded it up a lot compared to the original of season 1!

Thanks for sharing this John. I really never noticed.

A couple of other changes that were made to the opening for season 8:

• The script on the title card was made smaller.
  
• Melissa Sue Anderson was edited out. In the first seven seasons, after Charles and Caroline pull up in the wagon, we see a distant shot of Jack and the three girls running down the hill, follwed by closeups of Laura, Mary, and Carrie. In season 8, after the wagon shot, it goes directly to the closeups of Laura and Carrie.
  

I'm not sure, but I think there are also variations on the wagon riding into town, and I'm not sure if it's even consistent from episode to episode within the same season. For example, in some episodes, it seems it's shot from a higher angle. Also, it may run longer depending on how many of the supporting characters appear in that episode.

Of course, in season 9, the opening credits were completely different, except that they kept the shot of the wagon riding into town.

I'll have to give a listen when I goto work. Dialup here at home, music, etc. just takes too long!

What I really noticed was Season 2 or 3 I think, they changed to almost a "Swing Jazz" kind of feel...

I really like the season 2, 8, and 9 versions the best. Season 3 is very different.

Also for the first four seasons, guest stars were billed in the opening credits. For Seasons 5+ Guest star billing appeared during the opening scenes of an episode. (One notable expectation was “The Older Brothers” in Seasons 9 because very few regular cast members appeared in that episode.)

For the first four seasons members of “The Town” were billed in alphabetical order. In seasons 1-3 “The Town” were all billed on the same screen. In Season 4, if there were enough of them they’d billed “The Town” on two screens. In Season 5, Alison Arngrim, Jonathan Gilbert, Patrick Laborteaux, and Hersha Parady were promoted from the closing credits to the opening credits. Seasons 5 and 6 billed in “family groups” with all four Olesons being billed at once and then the three Graveys before the rest of the town credits. In Season 7, they would show two names onscreen at once. Starting in Season 7, Matthew Laborteaux always received final billing in the town credits onscreen by himself, which of course was a way to say “and introducing Matthew Laborteaux as Albert”. By season 8 they showed one name at a time and Katherine MacGregor started receiving her billing before Richard Bull. The Turnbaugh twins started being billed as Grace in the opening credits and unlike the Greenbush twins, they made it obvious there were two girls playing Grace.

One thing that bugged me was that while they correctly credited Charlotte Stewart as “Mrs. Simms” once her character got married, they still credited Alison Arngrim and Sherri Stoner as “Nellie Oleson” and “Rachel Brown” after their characters got married (except for the times when Alison was simply credited as “Nellie”). Did they really think it would confuse audiences to bill them as “Nellie Dalton” and “Rachel Oleson”? They could have written “Nellie Oleson Dalton” and “Rachel Brown Oleson” if they thought it would be that much of a problem.

Hey sorry for bringing this up, but what is different about the season 9 credits?

Theme music-http://redirectingat.com/?id=673X542464&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftennesseebillsotr.com%2Fotr%2F100%2520Greatest%2520TV%2520Themes%2520(With%2520Show%2520Years%2520and%2520Artists)%2F042%2520-%2520Little%2520House%2520On%2520The%2520Prairie%2520(1974-1983%2C%2520Music%2520By%2520David%2520Rose).mp3&sref=http%3A%2F%2Faussiefs.freeforums.org%2Flittle-house-on-the-prairie-t49.html

Quote :

Hey sorry for bringing this up, but what is different about the season 9 credits?

Everything up to the wagon riding into town (Charles and Caroline pulling up in the wagon and Jack and the girls running down the hill) is removed and replaced by still shots of Melissa Gilbert, Dean Butler, Katherine MacGregor, Richard Bull, and Victor French. The credits begin with a still picture of a young Melissa Gilbert (from the pilot movie I think) morphing into a picture of adult MG, followed by the pictures of the other stars. The wagon riding into town is the same. The closing credits of season 9 are the same as the other seasons -- Jack and Laura running down the hill with Laura doing the airplane/bird thing.

I've noticed how speed the music was in one of the seasons, and the cut out of Mary ...but not all the changes you've pointed out...Many thanks!

Vanesa.

There are a few season 4 episodes where the "swing jazz" version of the theme from season 3 is used. I noticed this when watching "I Remember, I Remember" yesterday. I wonder why they did that.

I was in Kroger yesterday and they played the earlier seasons theme....announced it as " a look back to yesteryear....what is this theme song?" Played it and then said "LHOTP"
My son works there and he said the first time he heard it he thought I was playing a joke on him. They did the same with the Waltons theme song too.

Thanks for sharing all of this. You really never think how much work went into putting on something as simple as a two minute intro.

I actually discovered the difference a couple of years ago when I found a website where I could download TV theme songs (yes, I am dorky enough to download them - I love TV themes ). There was a different listing for each season. I did notice a slight change a LONG time ago when I was watching the show, but TV shows have altered their music every now and then. So I didn't pay too much attention to it. It just wasn't until I was able to download these that I really took notice of it.

They also have the end credit music to each season, which I don't understand. When I listen to those, they all sound exactly the same. So, I only downloaded the first one for that.

MissOleson wrote:

I actually discovered the difference a couple of years ago when I found a website where I could download TV theme songs (yes, I am dorky enough to download them - I love TV themes ). There was a different listing for each season. I did notice a slight change a LONG time ago when I was watching the show, but TV shows have altered their music every now and then. So I didn't pay too much attention to it. It just wasn't until I was able to download these that I really took notice of it.

They also have the end credit music to each season, which I don't understand. When I listen to those, they all sound exactly the same. So, I only downloaded the first one for that.

Which site?

I've always like the theme songs to "Good Times" and " The Jeffersons".

I'm quite dorky too...I DO love to listen TV music!

Vanesa.

--EDIT--

site down...I can email you the mp3 if you want?

I love the way the music is composed in this recording. It's great!!

alexczarn wrote:

Which site?

http://www.televisiontunes.com/index.php
Just got to "L" and scroll down. They are all listed there.

Gin wrote:

I've always like the theme songs to "Good Times" and " The Jeffersons".

Two GREAT theme songs. I also really like "Taxi" (which I can't find anywhere - I want the short version and that seems to be impossible to find), "The Bob Newhart Show", "Hill Street Blues" and "St. Elsewhere". And yes, I really do love the "Charles In Charge" theme!

Vanesa wrote:

I'm quite dorky too...I DO love to listen TV music!

Vanesa.

Yes! Another dork in the world just like me!! And that website that I posted here has some great music. Although anything associated to the station CBS isn't posted on there because they just won't give permission. They have to be difficult about a 30 second piece of music!

Thanks!

I am a half dork...I like listening to my LHOTP theme music mp3 I have...A very nice arrangement...