jakelope – Prima did indeed do the original version of “Sing Sing Sing,” but Goodman ended up having a bigger hit with it. It made a star out of Goodman drummer Gene Krupa, which is more than it ever did for Prima drummer Sam Weiss.
On that topic, Leave it to Beaver plays on TVLand 'round these parts, and with that tenous connection established, TVLand has a nice instrumental theme used in several of their commercials, particular the one with Beaver saying ‘Gee Dad’ while Barbara Billingsly flits back and forth in the background (they also used it in an earlier ‘Better living through TV’ commercial) - is this just a theme written expressly for TVLand, or a song appropiated by them?
Fortunately, Sam Weiss later secured a prominent role in the Lord of the Rings books.
Hey, most of you have heard that late-'70s blue-eyed soul hit “I Came Back to Let You Know”, right? The singer was one-hit wonder Bobby Caldwell. Well, the actual title of that song is “What You Won’t Do For Love”. I Came Back to Let You Know is the boldly-delivered main line of the refrain, while What You Won’t Do For Love is a subdued, semi-indistinct verse scattered here and there throughout the song.
These are great, I love the way this thread is turning out.
Ugh, don’t remind me of Take Five. Brubeck went to school here at the University of the Pacific and it was recently some sort of aniversery. Anyway, the guy came down here for several concerts and Brubeck, Brubeck, brublech is all that I have heard of for weeks.
Besides, after the opening the song sucks.
BTW Wumpus I do not think that there is an e in Copland.
Another good one. It is called Ashokan Farewell
Here are the good folks that wrote it.
You’re absolutely correct; it’s just that it looks like a Sylvester Stallone movie if I spell it correctly…
Gee, why didn’t I put that in my post? 
Two more:
John Philip Sousa: “The Liberty Bell March” aka the Monty Python theme.
Charles Gonoud: “Funeral March of a Marionette” aka the Alfred Hitchcock theme.
“Hearts and Flowers”. Go here and scroll down.
Schubert’s Der Erlkönig. Go here and scroll down.
If I ever did this song in a recital, I’d like to introduce it this way:
“My first song is one everyone knows: Schubert’s Der Erlkönig. Now there are probably one or two of you in the audience who are saying ‘What the heck is he talking about? I’ve never heard of it.’ For their benefit, my accompanist will play the opening bars. [music] You see now I was right: you all know it. It’s just that you didn’t know what it’s called.”
Just before this thread appeared, I was surprised to learn the title of a song I like is Life During Wartime. Having remembered the title for this thread, let’s see if I can remember enough of the lyrics for you guys to know which one I mean. Ah yes, here’s a bit of the chorus:
This ain’t no party.
This ain’t no disco.
This ain’t no foolin’ around.
No time for dancin’
Or [not understood]
I ain’t got time for that now.
I think it might be by the Dire Straits, but I can’t swear to that, either.
CJ
It’s by Talking Heads.
How about Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis, used as the theme song in the movie 1492. I bet you’ve all heard it but have no idea what it is.
J. S. Bach: “Presto” from Trio Sonata in G major, a. k. a. the “Delicious Dish” theme.
Biffy’s right, it’s by Talking Heads, from the album Fear of Music. The lyrics in the chorus are:
No time for dancin
Or lovey-dovey
I ain’t got time for that now
That section of the chorus actually changes every time it is sung. Full lyrics here–you have to scroll down a bit.
I think the one you mean is Hungarian Rhapsody by Liszt. Anyone?
I’d heard Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty a bunch of times before I knew what it was. In fact, it got to the point where I could play the theme and ask everybody what it was. 
Criminy, does anyone read the posts in this thread? :rolleyes:
The music tracer was looking for, the one he so vividly described, the music that served as the opening theme of the Merrie Melodies cartoons from 1936 onward is
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
“What’s This?” written and sung by Danny Elfman from the soundtrack of The Nightmare Before Christmas. You may or may not recognize the lyrics, but the instrumental intro is used in dozens of movie trailers as a magical, wonderous, emotional mood-setter.
I see it all the time and wonder how it became the standard for that.
How about the snippet of scary piano music that is always used for some villan sneaking up on our hero or heroine:
bum Bum BUM BUM BUUUUUUUUUUM (slowly and rising)
bum bum bum bum (falling and much faster)
Telemark:
Are you sure the intro to “What’s This” is the same tune you’re thinking of? I know I’ve heard that instrumental intro many many times, but I think it predates the release of TNBC.
I think TNBC used that intro, or the two intros are slightly different.