Soundtrack Saturday is taking a diversion this week away from cinema and films and into the world of television. Between 1981 and 1987 Hill Street Blues ran for 146 episodes, depicting the lives of the people in and around a police station in an unnamed American city. It was a favourite of mine in the mid- to- late 80s and even now the opening titles and theme tune bring a rush of teenage memories...
It was fairly groundbreaking as a show- gritty, realistic, people with messy lives having to deal with messy situations, the good guys not always winning. Visually and with its production it was groundbreaking too, the rapid cuts between storylines and background chatter and noise giving it a documentary feel. The theme tune, Mike Post's piano led instrumental, is as legendary as the programme...
It was released on 7". I have a copy, one of those records that has been with me for a very long time. The sleeve is so creased and battered it's barely a sleeve any more. If anyone's interested there are 180 copies on Discogs currently, the cheapest only 15 pence. Skyrocketing prices for second hand vinyl don't appear to have impacted on the Theme From Hill Street Blues.
The guitar solo in the full version was by Larry Carlton, a session musician who played with Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell among others. Theme From Hill Street Blues gained a second life when Alfredo played it as part of his sets at Amnesia in Ibiza, often playing it as his last tune before clubbers went out into the morning sun.
Let's be careful out there.
5 comments:
Two doors pushed for me: Hill St. Blues *and* Larry Carlton!
http://www.johnmedd.com/2019/11/off-peg.html?m=1
We have the dvd set of Hill Street Blues. (we also have the entire set of Buffy)
Good post John- the theme from Taxi is indeed a cracker too.
George- you've got me hovering over the keyboard now wondering if need to find the dvd set of HSB...
That's the 2nd time you've posted that anonymous, whoever you are. Bit weird tbh. Please stop.
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