TromboneChat

Posted: **Sun Jan 11, 2026 4:09 pm**

Something to have a bit of fun with that isn't trombone-specific.

In My Very Humble Opinion, the greatest just might be Police Squad. I ran across this live recording of the Tom Kubis Big Band performing it:

The tune starts at about 0:32

Posted: **Sun Jan 11, 2026 7:21 pm**

Speaking of the X-Files, I believe that show had one of the best instances of using a popular music track within the show:

Posted: **Sun Jan 11, 2026 9:23 pm**

AndrewMeronek wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 4:09 pm Something to have a bit of fun with that isn't trombone-specific.

In My Very Humble Opinion, the greatest just might be Police Squad. I ran across this live recording of the Tom Kubis Big Band performing it:

The tune starts at about 0:32

Hey, there's my old buddy Rich Bullock on bass trombone.

I got to play that theme for the first Naked Gun movie.

Posted: **Mon Jan 12, 2026 5:16 am**

Mannix had a good theme song, and there is a big band arrangement available for it. I think the original version was a bit faster...

Posted: **Mon Jan 12, 2026 5:25 am**

The Professionals was a British TV series that aired in the 1970s and 1980s with a pretty good soundtrack.

Posted: **Mon Jan 12, 2026 2:15 pm**

Here’s one for the bass trombone fans.
This was a British show in the late 90s
I’ve been led to believe the trombonist is UK legend Dave Stewart

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2026 2:42 am**

And I always liked this one as well.

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2026 3:22 pm**

tbdana wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 9:23 pm Hey, there's my old buddy Rich Bullock on bass trombone.

I got to play that theme for the first Naked Gun movie.

Please do tell more!!!

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2026 3:59 pm**

Kingfan wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 5:16 am Mannix had a good theme song, and there is a big band arrangement available for it. I think the original version was a bit faster...

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2026 4:41 pm**

AndrewMeronek wrote: Tue Jan 13, 2026 3:22 pm
tbdana wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 9:23 pm Hey, there's my old buddy Rich Bullock on bass trombone.

I got to play that theme for the first Naked Gun movie.
Please do tell more!!!

Ah, sorry, let me explain: The Naked Gun movies were a spinoff from the Police Squad TV show. The movies used the same theme as the TV show, with the same big band general sensibility to the soundtrack. I didn't get to play the music for the TV show, but did for the first movie. And I do think it's a great TV theme. The triplets were awkward to play though.

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2026 5:53 pm**

What makes a TV theme great?

I mean, besides featuring trombone(s)?

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2026 6:05 pm**

tbdana wrote: Tue Jan 13, 2026 4:41 pm Ah, sorry, let me explain: The Naked Gun movies were a spinoff from the Police Squad TV show. The movies used the same theme as the TV show, with the same big band general sensibility to the soundtrack. I didn't get to play the music for the TV show, but did for the first movie. And I do think it's a great TV theme. The triplets were awkward to play though.

I meant, more info on the session.

Even if it was actually super mundane.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2026 4:18 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2026 4:28 pm**

Pretty much all the Gerry Anderson stuff, but Stingray is my favourite theme.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2026 5:22 pm**

Posted: **Thu Jan 15, 2026 4:57 pm**

If all you're looking for is tremendous trombone playing then the theme from the old "Matlock" series takes the cake

Posted: **Thu Jan 15, 2026 7:17 pm**

A bunch of great themes!

That Route 66 one really hits the spot for me, although I still have to go with my favorite being Police Squad.

Posted: **Fri Jan 16, 2026 5:40 pm**

Schultz wrote: Tue Jan 13, 2026 2:42 am And I always liked this one as well.

This one sounds like the soundtrack from one of the old NFL highlight films: “The 1975 Denver Broncos were mired in a sea of ineptitide as they strode into Giants stadium.”

Posted: **Sat Jan 17, 2026 4:23 pm**

Oldies but really goodies:

The Streets of San Francisco

Ironsides

The Mod Squad:

Posted: **Sat Jan 17, 2026 5:06 pm**

Here's one from a rather forgettable (and now mostly forgotten) sitcom that's pretty fun:

JTeagarden wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 5:40 pmThis one sounds like the soundtrack from one of the old NFL highlight films: “The 1975 Denver Broncos were mired in a sea of ineptitide as they strode into Giants stadium.”

Ah, the legendary Sam Spence. The theme song he composed for the then-Oakland Raiders is etched into my brain:

Ah, the Madden years, when the autumn wind truly was a Raider...

Posted: **Sat Jan 17, 2026 9:29 pm**

Posted: **Sat Jan 17, 2026 9:37 pm**

You know, these recommendations are making me interested in looking at these actual TV shows to see what the vibe is. Looks like, the complete episodes of Route 66 are on Youtube, for example.

Posted: **Sun Jan 18, 2026 1:45 pm**

To me, the greatest was Barney Miller, made me want to play electric bass

The Jetsons of course

And obviously the Flintstones

Johnny Carson's Tonight Show

Star Trek original

And just because you can never feed kids enough violence, Looney Tunes

Mission Impossible

The Simpsons

Hill Street Blues

Everybody loves the Pink Panther

Gotta love that bass slappin Seinfeld

Posted: **Sun Jan 18, 2026 4:08 pm**

Wow, yeah - that Barney Miller theme is BAD!

Posted: **Sun Jan 18, 2026 9:17 pm**

Posted: **Tue Jan 20, 2026 1:21 pm**

Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show with Johnny Carson theme

The Streetbeater aka the Sanford and Son Theme. '70s funk! yeah!

Posted: **Wed Jan 21, 2026 10:42 am**

Here's a great one:

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2026 9:23 am**

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2026 3:52 pm**

Posted: **Sun Jan 25, 2026 12:11 pm**

Posted: **Sun Jan 25, 2026 3:17 pm**

Posted: **Thu Jan 29, 2026 1:58 pm**

Posted: **Sun Feb 01, 2026 1:08 pm**

Posted: **Fri Feb 13, 2026 7:43 pm**

Everyone who sailed The Love Boat, from Aames to Zmed

Posted: **Sun Feb 15, 2026 2:49 pm**

The Lennon Sisters singing a quick medley of then-current TV themes.

These are not necessarily the greatest TV themes but get a load of the big big band they assembled for this occasion. I presume every face we see is a significant figure.

Terrible video quality, but... oh well.

TV scriptwriter Mark Evanier has brief commentary on the clip here and here.

OT but, if any of you watched the Lawrence Welk Show and thought, "I bet those Lennon girls would look good in black corsets and fishnet stockings," well... this is your lucky day:

Posted: **Sun Feb 15, 2026 2:57 pm**

I'm definitely not a fan of medleys, but that medley video is actually a pretty neat find!

Posted: **Sun Feb 15, 2026 3:11 pm**

I can't see the thread title without thinking of this one, my favorite show for several years:

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