"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 Roseanne. The sitcom debuted in October of 1988 originally running for nine seasons and 222 episodes. The show starred stand-up comedian Roseanne Barr as Roseanne Conner and revolves around her working-class family in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. It was revived for another season in 2018 before its namesake had to be removed from the show and it was relaunched as The Connors. In its second season beginning in 1989, Roseanne became the top-rated television show in the U.S. and remained in the top four for six of its nine seasons. It was created in the '80s, but became one of the most popular sitcoms of the '90s.
The instrumental theme song for Roseanne was composed by Dan Foliart and Howard Pearl, who were partners at Paramount Studios in the '80s. The duo has composed music for many different television series including Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Angie, Bosom Buddies, Joanie Loves Chachi, Madame's Place, and Brothers among others. But the only theme song they are credited for in the '80s is Roseanne. Foliart continued on his own into the '90s with work on Home Improvement (including the theme song), Beverly Hills 90210, 7th Heaven and many more. For the Roseanne theme song, they chose to feature the harmonica as well as the saxophone. Los Angeles-based musician John Juke Logan credited as the original harmonica player.
Here is the season 2 opening for Roseanne featuring the theme song...
After using the instrumental version for eight seasons, Roseanne got a new theme including lyrics performed by Blues Traveler's John Popper for its ninth (and final) season. It still had awesome harmonica, but I think I prefer the original instrumental version better.
Hope you enjoyed tuning in for another "episode" of TV Theme Songs!