"The Pink Panther Theme" is an instrumental composition by Henry Mancini written as the theme for the 1963 film The Pink Panther and subsequently nominated for the 1964 Academy Award for Best Original Score. The eponymous cartoon character created for the film's opening credits by David DePatie and Friz Freleng was animated in time to the tune. The tenor saxophone solo was played by Plas Johnson.
The song was included on the film's soundtrack album and issued as a single (in the United States) in 1964; the single reached the Top 10 on the U.S. Billboard adult contemporary chart and won three Grammy Awards.
Various recordings of the composition appeared in the opening credits of all The Pink Panther films except A Shot in the Dark and Inspector Clouseau. It has also been used in countless works in which the animated Pink Panther appears.
"The Pink Panther Theme", composed in the key of E minor, is unusual for Mancini's extensive use of chromaticism.
In his autobiography Did They Mention the Music? Mancini talked about how he composed the theme music:
I told [the animators] that I would give them a tempo they could animate to, so that any time there were striking motions, someone getting hit, I could score to it.
[The animators] finished the sequence and I looked at it. All the accents in the music were timed to actions on the screen.
I had a specific saxophone player in mind-Plas Johnson. I nearly always precast my players and write for them and around them, and Plas had the sound and the style I wanted.
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Personnel
- Ronny Lang, Ted Nash, Plas Johnson, Gene Cipriano, Harry Klee - saxophones
- Conrad Gozzo, Pete Candoli, Frank Beach, Ray Triscari - trumpets
- Dick Nash, Lloyd Ulyate, Jimmy Priddy, Lew McCreary - trombones
- Howard Roberts, Bob Bain - guitars
- Larry Bunker - vibes and percussion
- Jimmy Rowles - piano
- Red Mitchell - bass
- Shelly Manne - drums
- Carl Fortina - accordion
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Other versions
In the 1978 film Revenge of the Pink Panther, the theme, and much of the soundtrack from this entry in the series, draw heavily from the disco sound of the late 1970s. The theme itself was reworked to include a more dancy bassline, electric piano, and guitar solo. A similar thing was done for 1983's Curse of the Pink Panther, where it had more electronic sounds incorporated.
The theme was used in John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola's live version of Chick Corea's Short Tales of the Black Forest, from the 1981 album Friday Night in San Francisco.
In the 1993 film Son of the Pink Panther, the theme was rearranged and performed by Bobby McFerrin in the opening titles. This version was unique in being the only one to be performed a cappella.
The first episode of the Idol Defense Force Hummingbird anime series makes use of a cover version of the theme in a scene where two reporters sneak into the bedroom of protagonists Satsuki and Yayoi Toreishi for a "close-up" scoop.
Actresses Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz and The Pussycat Dolls dance troupe danced to the theme in the film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.
Christophe Beck rearranged the music for the 2006 reboot, as well as its sequel, The Pink Panther 2. Paul Oakenfold remixed the theme song for the 2006 film.
In 2007, saxophonist Dave Koz recorded a version for his album At the Movies.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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