"Backtimed" Themes, When the music ended, so did the show... Options

[davemackey]

It always sounded that Marshall's Hollywood Squares theme (the one that made it to the game show cd) was backtimed so when the credit roll was over, they were always at the part of the the theme when the vocalists first started to sing the da-da-da's, even though they were never at the end.

No, HS was never backtimed. Always started from the beginning, whichever theme they were using.

[Ian Wallis]

No, HS was never backtimed. Always started from the beginning, whichever theme they were using.

You're right about that, but there several episodes in the mid-late '70s where it did reach its conclusion. I also remember a Secret Square game where it was cued to the wrong spot during the prize description and it reached the conclusion there too.

[ActualRetailMike]

HS was never backtimed. Always started from the beginning, whichever theme they were using.

I'll have to agree. As someone who used to hover over the HS closing credits like a hawk, in hopes of hearing the end of the theme music, only once did I ever hear the modified "da da da" with the vocals on TV. This was because they cued the music that time so they only played the first/original "da da da" part once instead of the usual two times, and I knew I was in for something good when they were already into the keyboard part when the onscreen text message came on (this is that message that appeared against a steady background; not sure if it was the infamous "bluff answers" disclaimer, or "The following companies have furnished prizes to the production company...")

Also exactly once, I did in fact hear the "da da da-da da. Daaaaaaaa..." ending on the show, albeit cut off quickly. But that time, they somehow managed to avoid both the vocalized "da da da" part and the modified two-measure bridge between the two iterations of the opening strain (i.e., "da-da, hawww, da da-da da-da"; don't you just love onomatopoeia?) which ends in a rapid string of snare drum beats.

[Don Howard]

for years, I would try desperately to hear the end of the Hollywood Squares theme. Now, it's not hearing that piccolo strain in the middle that bugs me.

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere, but for those who may not know, the full second theme to The Hollywood Squares---piccolo strain and all---is at this link: http://www.tvpmm.com/documents/54.html (#3 on the left).

[ChrisLambert!]

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere, but for those who may not know, the full second theme to The Hollywood Squares---piccolo strain and all---is at this link: http://www.tvpmm.com/documents/54.html (#3 on the left).

I'm about to lose my job on account of screaming "YES!" repeatedly at the top of my lungs in the office!

[davemackey]

for years, I would try desperately to hear the end of the Hollywood Squares theme. Now, it's not hearing that piccolo strain in the middle that bugs me.

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere, but for those who may not know, the full second theme to The Hollywood Squares---piccolo strain and all---is at this link: http://www.tvpmm.com/documents/54.html (#3 on the left).

Wow. Thanks for the update... has this been posted in the A/V club yet?

[TimK2003]

for years, I would try desperately to hear the end of the Hollywood Squares theme. Now, it's not hearing that piccolo strain in the middle that bugs me.

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere, but for those who may not know, the full second theme to The Hollywood Squares---piccolo strain and all---is at this link: http://www.tvpmm.com/documents/54.html (#3 on the left).

WOW! Are those tracks clean or what?? Plus this full version doesn't repeat the first 'verse'. This is yet another early Christmas Gift for all of us on TVPMM.

Also worth noting is the game/match win cue!!

Sounds like there is still some hope for the original "Storybook Squares" theme to surface someday.