Friday, January 16, 2009

A Prayer From the Hood: OSF TV Theme Songs

In the 1980s we began to see some small fruits of our struggle to achieve integration, but we found out that even after success new problems and challenges awaited us. Our arrival in corporate suites and boardrooms, suburban neighborhoods, and new upwardly mobile social networks did not eliminate racism or other problems. So in 2009, the theme song from this 1981-1987 situation comedy remains not only a ghetto prayer but a prayer that has transcended race and class to spread to the hearts and lips of people all across America! The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Gimme A Break, Nell Carter




and Tales from Five-O:

Theme from Hill St. Blues




Theme from Baretta



And just to lighten it up a little,

Theme from "Maude" by Donny Hathaway

15 comments:

Hey Shae! said...

Hey Rev, You already know that the Gimme A Break theme song was a classic. I used to make sure I caught the very beginning just so I could sing the theme song.

And I'm too through at Maude. I completely forgot about that one but that theme song was one I used to butcher when the fast part came up. LOL Too bad there was no internet then so I could search the lyrics. :-)

Believer said...

Is that Sammy Davis Jr. singing Baretta's theme song? Cool, if it is!

I'm enjoying this theme especially, and reminiscing about all the good old shows.

Edirin said...

i dont know any onf these ones, but still nice chocies

hope u have a great weekend

pjazzypar said...

Great minds think alike. I chose Maude as well. I had forgotten all about "Gimme a Break". Nell Carter was awesome. Happy OSF!

Tha Connoisseur said...

Ms Nell and Maude both seem to be a fav on the OSF circuit. Classics indeed.

Happy OSF. :)

achoiceofweapons said...

Double R,
I totally dig the hill street blues theme and Barretta!
Rodney Franklin was one of my favorite players in the mid eighties.
Jaycee

Anonymous said...

Rev!

Man, you had me at Hill Street Blues. Not only a great theme song but one of my favorite shows from back in the day. Loved that show.

Gotta admit I wasn't a big fan of "Gimme a Break" but I'd forgotten how good the song was.

Great stuff, and Happy OSF!

Prof. PC said...

If forgot about Gimme a Break. Good picks!

Sankofa said...

Those opening chords from the HSB theme made me so nostalgic. Ah man...

I googled Nell Carter - forgot she died in 2003.

I looked up Taurean Blaque - the brotha really hasn't worked a lot over the years.

Michael Warren? His credits go back to 1965 when he was on Days of Our Lives, but his last gig is dated 2007.

Ah man...

Unknown said...

Very nice picks! I was such a big fan of Hill Street Blues! And loved Gimme A Break!

Marvalus said...

Nell was fine and sassy...and her and my moms looked a lot alike...I loved that show!

Oh the Baretta theme song! Wow...I liked this one!

Kimberlythinks said...

The Maude theme song is cool. And Gimme A Break is so on point for right now. Great picks!

SjP said...

OMG! I use to love HSB and Barretta! These are great picks. Just don't make 'em like they use to anymore!

msladyDeborah said...

Talk about back in the day!

I loved HSB when it was on television. I still watch episodes on line. I especially like Taurean-the brother's voice was all that!

Great choices Revvy!
It was fun remembering those days in television land.

Old School Fridays said...

I watched and love all these shows. I hate I was out of town for this theme. The only one I did not watch was Beretta.


Thank God for re-runs because most of these shows were before my time. I loved TV so much, I use to watch That's My Mama and Julia reruns.

It's not too many black TV shows that I haven't seen.