I read something online recently about Woody Harrelson having sung the theme song to Cheers.
Of course, that’s not true - Harrelson didn’t even join the show until a few seasons in. But at the same time…yeah, if I had to guess at any of the cast members as having sung it, it would be Woody. It also reminded me that when I was a kid I assumed that Rue McClanahan sang the Golden Girls theme, though I don’t believe that’s true, either.
Anyone else experience this? What TV theme songs did you imagine were sung by actors on the show which actually weren’t?
There’s a brief passage in the closing theme for “Gilligan’s Island” (the earlier ‘folkie’ version, not the later ‘sea chanty’ version). The words are, “The first mate and his skipper too, will do their very best”.
As a young kid, I always assumed it was Bob Denver singing that passage, because it sounds just like him. In fact, it’s sung by the folk group the Wellingtons.
It’s far more common for someone other than the stars of a show to sing the theme song. Other than All in the Family and variety shows staring a singer (The Dean Martin Show), I can’t think of many.
The cast of Family Guy sings their own theme song (in character).
To get back to the OP, The Partridge Family’s theme fits. I remember hearing it on The Wrecking Crew documentary a while ago and checked wiki to confirm that it was one of the things they mentioned. Most of the music they made on that show (including the theme) was all studio musicians with David over the top as the lead singer. As far as I know, David was the only person that made music on that show. The rest of ‘the family’ had nothing to do with the music.
To be fair, David Cassidy does sing the lead in the show’s theme song, and the studio musicians that sang back-up no doubt varied, but always went for the same type of sound.
I recall seeing a TV interview with Shirley Jones in which she said all throughout the run of the series, people kept coming to her telling her “You and those kids have to go out on the road and really MILK it! Look at how much those Brady Bunch kids are making!” And Jones had to explain again and again that “there really ISN"T a Partridge Family.”
I always assumed Cindy Williams sang the theme song to “Laverne & Shirley.”
I always thought that the actor Gary Sandy, who played Andy Travis on WKRP sang its theme song. It certainly seemed to be about his character, judging by his role as the new guy in the pilot episode, but I also thought the voice seemed to match.
It wasn’t him, it was Steve Carlisle.
Wikipedia says popular trivia had it as Richard Sanders singing it. Les Nessman? Really?
In the UK there is a joke (most specifically a running joke in the comedy show Little Britain) that Dennis Waterman sings the theme tune to all the shows he’s been in. He doesn’t by the way.
His first theme tune was to comedy drama Minder and the song “I Could Be So Good For You” which was released as a single and became a top three hit. He later did the theme tunes for his sitcoms Stay Lucky, On The Up and police drama New Tricks.
He’s even managed an album of songs but while he isn’t marketed as a novelty act his singing, and tastes will vary, is arguably pretty poor.
