Neal Hefti

[Larry Kart]

Love this part of the LA Times article, regarding Batman:

"I tore up a lot of paper," he told Jon Burlingame, author of "TV's Biggest Hits," a 1996 book on television themes. "It did not come easy to me. . . . I just sweated over that thing, more so than any other single piece of music I ever wrote. I was never satisfied with it."

"Batman," he said, "was not a comedy. This was about unreal people. Batman and Robin were both very, very serious. The bad guys would be chasing them, and they would come to a stop at a red light, you know. They wouldn't break the law even to save their own lives. So there was a grimness and a self-righteousness about all this."

Hefti said it took him "the better part of a month" to come up with the theme.

"I was almost going to call them and say, I can't do it," he said. "But I never walk out on projects, so I sort of forced myself to finish."

Hefti's "musical solution to a combined dramatic and comedic problem," Burlingame wrote in his book, "was perfect: bass guitar, low brass and percussion to create a driving rhythm, while an eight-voice chorus sings 'Batman!' in harmony with the trumpets. It was part serious, part silly: just like the series."

As others have said elsewhere, this account is baffling, perhaps even a put-on. Yes, the toy-like feel of the "Batman" theme is just right, but musically it could hardly be more simplistic, no?

[Lazaro Vega]

What about the Sun Ra version of Batman?

[Free For All]

One interesting thing about the Batman theme is the way Hefti had the top two voices a whole step apart, on the root and seventh of the chord. Usually the top and second voice parts are at least a third apart, but Hefti's use of this more dissonant close position makes for an interesting sonority and one that contributes to the "vibe" of the tune.

IMHBO.*

*(in my humble Bat-opinion)

Edited October 16, 2008 by Free For All

[Teasing the Korean]

As others have said elsewhere, this account is baffling, perhaps even a put-on. Yes, the toy-like feel of the "Batman" theme is just right, but musically it could hardly be more simplistic, no?

Sure, it's musically simple, but coming up with that musically simple idea was the difficult part.

And as other composers have said, coming up with a TV theme is a real challenge.

Edited October 16, 2008 by Teasing the Korean

[Larry Kart]

One interesting thing about the Batman theme is the way Hefti had the top two voices a whole step apart, on the root and seventh of the chord. Usually the top and second voice parts are at least a third apart, but Hefti's use of this more dissonant close position makes for an interesting sonority and one that contributes to the "vibe" of the tune.

IMHBO.*

*(in my humble Bat-opinion)

I see/hear what you mean and take it all back. That thing is f------ insidious, and what you point out is a big reason why. I wonder who the drummer is. Earl Palmer? He's a big part of it all, IMHBO.

[Larry Kart]

Yes, Earl Palmer. From the Earl Palmer discography:

1966 Ray Charles Let's Go Get Stoned, Jackie De Shannon I can Make it With You, Tim Hardin It'll Never Happen Again, Misty Roses, Neal Hefti Batman Theme, Marketts Batman Theme, Brenda Holloway Where Were You, PJ Proby Niki Hoeky, Righteous Bros. Soul & Inspiration, Ike & Tina Turner A Love Like Yours', River Deep - Mountain High.

[Jim Alfredson]

One interesting thing about the Batman theme is the way Hefti had the top two voices a whole step apart, on the root and seventh of the chord. Usually the top and second voice parts are at least a third apart, but Hefti's use of this more dissonant close position makes for an interesting sonority and one that contributes to the "vibe" of the tune.

IMHBO.*

*(in my humble Bat-opinion)

I think you've hit the nail on the head... old chum.

[AllenLowe]

weird thing about Earl Palmer is, if you read his autobiography, is that unfortunately, in that jazz-musician way, he puts down virtually all the pop people he played with as being beneath the music he really wanted to play - this really bugged me when I read it -