Steve Carlisle -- WKRP in Cincinnati Main Theme

 

This is a rare ROY article on a Monday but seeing that I not only got my quota two articles published earlier this afternoon but I have a bit of extra time tonight, I decided why the heck not. Plus, it was something that I did want to get out onto the blog in fairly short order. You might consider this a follow-up of sorts from the April 8th Reminiscings of Youth article that I did on Earth Wind & Fire's classic "After the Love Has Gone" since the first time I heard the ballad was through the American sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati".

"WKRP in Cincinnati", from what I remember as a pre-pubescent kid, was a sitcom that despite its four seasons on the air (1978-1982) never really got the fame or respect that it deserved from the originating network, CBS, for whatever reason. It had funny scenes (including the famous turkey drop scene in the video above), a number of flawed but likeable characters, and being a show based around a radio station, there were some great pop songs played (although legal wrangles apparently stifled at least some of them from being brought back on the DVDs).

One of the other things that I liked about "WKRP" was the theme song. Although I wouldn't realize my love for AOR, soft rock or yacht rock or however people want to describe the genre for some years down the line, the opening theme song remains one of my favourite themes for any of the TV programs that I used to watch. Composer Tom Wells and the lyricist who just happened to be the creator behind "WKRP in Cincinnati" itself, Hugh Wilson, knew what went into a typical harmony-laden radio identification jingle and extended it into a pleasant late 1970s soft rock number with all of the prime instrumental ingredients.

The thing about the vocals was the source of an urban legend that I remember well. One of the actors, Richard Sanders, who played the nebbishy and slightly deranged news reporter Les Nessman, was once assumed to have sung the theme since his voice sounded remarkably similar to the actual singer Steve Carlisle. Apparently, Wilson finally put the legend to rest in a commentary for the DVD set for the first season. But wouldn't it have been something if the nerdy Nessman actually had those smooth and velvety vocals?

Anyways, according to the Wikipedia article for the show, in an example of life imitating art, the theme song actually scored No. 65 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in 1981 and then No. 29 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1982 when it was released as a 45' single all the way back in 1979.

So, what got released in September 1978 when "WKRP in Cincinnati" first burst onto the air? Well, two of the three singles supposedly came out in August according to what I had written for them in their own articles but they have shown up for September in "Showa Pops". I think that this will probably be something that will happen now and then, and personally I'm cool with it.

Hideki Saijo -- Blue Sky Blue（ブルースカイブルー）

Higurashi -- Aki no Tobira （秋の扉）

Mari Sono -- Nagasarete（流されて）