"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 Disney's DuckTales. "Life is like a hurricane here in Duckburg." DuckTales premiered in September of 1987 and ran for four seasons and 100 episodes through November of 1990. It was the first Disney cartoon produced specifically for syndication. It follows Donald Duck's nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie along with his Uncle Scrooge McDuck. Many kids who grew up in the late '80s hold DuckTales close to their hearts considering it one of their favorite cartoons of the time. It received Outstanding Animated Daytime Emmy nominations in 1988 and 1989. You can find out a little more about the series in our interview with Jymn Magon who was prominent with Disney Animation at the time and worked directly on the show.
The series theme song was written by Mark Mueller, an ASCAP award-winning pop music songwriter who also wrote the theme song to Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. It was sung by Jeff Pescetto. There are four different versions of the theme song. The original version, serving as the show's opening theme, contained one verse, chorus, bridge, and then a chorus. According to an interview conducted with Pescetto in 2009, he was originally approached by Mueller to cut a demo version of the theme song for Disney's approval. Although they were impressed with Pescetto's demo, Disney had originally decided to hire pop group The Jets to perform the theme song for broadcast. However, after recording a version with the group, Disney felt that the theme song needed a different vocal style, and instead went back and commissioned Pescetto to perform the theme. Be careful, once you hear this song, it could get stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Here is the opening theme for DuckTales performed by Jeff Pescetto…
I haven't watches DuckTales in many years, but I can still sing that whole theme song without a problem. The drum beat is pretty infectious and that might be because it sounds very familiar to the 1980 song “You Make My Dreams” by Hall and Oates (whether that is just coincidence or not). Either way and even though it is for an animated show, the DuckTales theme is still one of the most memorable of the decade. "DuckTales! Woo-hoo!"
Hope you enjoyed tuning in for another "episode" of TV Theme Songs!
Comments