Once upon a time, the theme song of a TV show was supposed to make you believe what you were about to see was something truly special, as if you were about to go on a grand adventure for the next 30 to 60 minutes, and folks nostalgic for those days (or people with a taste for retro sounds of the '50s and '60s) will want to tune in to TV Is the Thing, a collection from Croydon Municipal Records that features the signature music from 23 long-canceled television series. (Most are from British programs, though a few American shows make the grade, including 77 Sunset Strip and Route 66.) Opening with
Dinah Washington's sexy tribute to the joys of home viewing, "TV Is the Thing," the rest of the set largely focuses on shows whose themes had a jazzy feel (what one might call "programming for your space age bachelor pad"), though there are obvious exceptions, such as the dramatic "Champion the Wonder Horse" (with suitably con brio vocals by
Frankie Laine) and the remarkably goofy "Eggheads" by Bryan Blackburn & Peter Evans (did British beatniks really try to establish their hip credibility by citing their love of
Mr. Acker Bilk?). The instrumentals are generally much more satisfying than the vocal numbers (
Craig Douglas' clumsy "Chick Shape" ranks with the most embarrassing girl watching music ever committed to vinyl), and listeners with a historical bent will want to know that the compilers have gone out of their way to find unusual alternate versions of some of these numbers rather than the ones you remember from broadcasts. But if you love program music from the '50s and '60s and have a sense of humor, you should find plenty to enjoy on this collection. As a bonus, the tracks are accompanied by a handful of vintage commercial jingles whose smarmy faux-sincerity is nothing short of hilarious. ~ Mark Deming