"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale" of a time when television shows began with awesome TV Theme Songs. "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name" and sometimes you want to go back to when TV Theme songs were special. "Here's a story... of a lovely" time when TV Theme Songs served to identify, distinguish and set the stage for the television program that followed. "You take the good, take the bad, take them both and there you have" what unfortunately has become a lost artform. "Believe it or not", sadly it seems no effort or pride is taken in the TV Theme Song ever since Seinfeld proved a short synth-bass riff could be used instead. “Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!” This regular feature may not "make all our dreams come true", but it will remember some of the best TV Theme Songs from years past (with a focus on the '80s decade). "Come aboard, we're expecting you."
This time we will cover the theme song for 227 titled "There's No Place Like Home". "There's no place like home. With your family around you, you're never alone." 227 debuted in September of 1985 and ran five seasons and 116 episodes. The show's tremendous cast featured Marla Gibbs fresh off her run on The Jeffersons, but also made Jackée Harry into a star. I also always remember that 227 also had Alaina Reed who I had only known as Olivia on Sesame Street and this was the first time I realized the adults on Sesame Street were just actors. 227 also introduced us to Regina King who played a daughter.
The theme song "There's No Place Like Home" was written by Ray Colcord. Prior to his work in television and film, Colcord worked as a session musician and an A&R rep for Columbia Records who was responsible for Aerosmith's signing and co-produced the band's second album, Get Your Wings. He was the first music director of the Los Angeles improvisational comedy group The Groundlings and even played keyboards on "American Pie" by Don McLean. In addition to his work on 227, Colcord also composed music for other television shows including The Facts of Life, Silver Spoons, My Two Dads, Dinosaurs and Boy Meets World. It is a nice touch that they enlisted lead actress Marla Gibbs to show off her singing skills and perform the show's theme song (including the sassy final line). Here are the opening credits for 227 featuring the "There's No Place Like Home" performed by Marla Gibbs...
In 1987, Colcord won a BMI TV Music Award for his work on 227. This is another fine example of great theme songs from '80s television. "Cause there ain't no place like, there's no place like home. I mean no place child."
Hope you enjoyed tuning in for another "episode" of TV Theme Songs!