50s generic happy modern machine music

what is it? is it a distinct style/genre? is there a term for it? an artist? an album?

Everyone has heard this at some point: that upbeat pizzicato violin and chimes (maybe a harp thrown in too) music that they now use to indicate a sort of happy 50s America everything and everything is modern and perfect well oiled machine. like, you step out of bed onto a conveyor belt and it takes you through the day... a mechanical hand with a white glove brushes your teeth for you, etc. you know, the 50's version of the near future.

The only example I can think of is in the simpsons episode "last exit to springfield" when burns and smithers are running the factory by themselves.

so...clues?

no joke, this is one of my very fave things in the world (as is Last Exit)

supposedly, the last exit piece was taken from the movie Tucker. it's been reused at least 3 more times.

yeah, me too (for both!). i just heard it today somewhere and thought that the ilxors might know... been wondering about this for years and years. sort of like Raymond Scott's Powerhouse, which I may have also discovered here.

i have always called this "kitchens of the future" music. and yeah it is great.

i always associate this with the "new sounds of stereo!" stuff - persuasive percussion and some of the wierder wings of the 101 strings style stuff

as far as i can tell at this point, "Holiday for Strings" is the granddaddy of them (although I'd imagine some film score from the 40s set the template).

It was used as the theme for the Red Skelton show beginning in 1951, the same year Walter Schumann had a hit with it.

also, Henri René's "Roller Coaster" came out the same year as Holiday.

Voices of Walter Schumann - Holiday for Strings

xxxp

"Ultra-Lounge Volume 3: Space Capades" is full of this kind of thing (includes a version of "Powerhouse").http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Lounge-Vol-3-Space-Capades/dp/B000002TZL

http://www.punknews.org/images/covers/modern_machines-take_it_somebody.jpg

(does not actually sound like what you're looking for)

Also, Roy Webb should get a major nod for this style of arrangement

He scored a huge chunk of the THIS IS CINERAMA presentation in 1952 (as did film scorer Max Steiner). Roy had a couple pieces based on "water ballet" in this presentation, which kinda says it all.

The Sherman Brothers did a couple pieces commisioned by Disney in this vein (Wonderful World of Color, and especially, the Monorail song)

xp (yeah, there are a couple pieces on ultra lounge 3 that fits the bill, but overall, a mixed bag)

wonderful. this is definitely where its at. thanks for the direction.

yes, it's also got a very synchronized swimming quality to it.

didn't realize Roller Coaster was the theme to 'What's My Line", which debuted in 1950.

Maybe Roller Coaster predates Holiday for Strings?

Les Baxter's "Shooting Star" and "The Commuter" from his 1957 Space Capades album are perfect for this.

This montage has Shooting Star @ 1:59:

Oh, DUH, I should've just looked at my folder of this to identify my earliest piece I have....especially since it's Les Baxter (and does appear on Ultra Lounge 3/Space Capades)

Les Baxter - Moon Moods [from the Music Out of the Moon collection]

http://www.ele-mental.org/~ecc/exo/exotica/outerspace/Music%20Out%20of%20the%20Moon.jpg

(1958) The Donna Reed Show theme

I got Paul Tanner's Up to Jupiter from some space age pop comp that I don't remember, but learned it originally came from his 1959 album "Music for Heavenly Bodies"...yet, I failed to seek out the album yet.

Maybe now's the time.

http://lostandsound.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/cover-heavenly-bodies.jpg

Youtube is failing me on this hunt...

Bob Thompson has a 1960 album called "The Sound of Speed" that has a number of related, especially the song "Star Fire":

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41X3ADQN1AL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

^^ omg love that cover

Oddly, Nino Oliviero and Riz Ortolani's 1962 score for Mondo Cane have a few pieces that most definitely fit the bill (especially 'Ragazze e marinai')

Heard here in the trailer @ 1:24 (of course, during the 'bathing beauty' portion):

FINALLY, a substantial youtube find...

This appeared on a collection titled...wait for it...Holiday for Strings.

David Rose & His Orchestra - Gay Spirits

The Sherman Brothers did a couple pieces commisioned by Disney in this vein (Wonderful World of Color, and especially, the Monorail song)

Oh, yeah, of course...Miracles from Molecules (from the extinct Disneyland attraction Adventure Thru Inner Space)

This version isn't the heavily scored/arranged piece, but you can get it from the melody, theme, and bouncing bassline:

Vic Mizzy is one of my favorite scorers. All the quirky/kooky sounds from 60s TV themes/queues are his. Anytime you heard a harpsichord paired with a bass harmonica in 60s tv, chances are, it was his.

My very first fawning over this type stuff was his "sophisticated" queue form Beverly Hillbillies. Finding good examples online is a bitch though.

Frankly, the Star Trek theme isn't that far off...

The HAZEL theme is absolutely this

Duh, how could any of us forget Bewitched theme

(obv, 50s/60s tv themes is a trove of this sound)

As are movie theater refreshment bumpers

freakin jetsons theme

tons of this stuff on TV, actually

Gotta bring up Lawrence Welk sooner or later...

My Little Margie

David Rose and his Orchestra - Manhattan Square Dance

Lawrence Welk 70s Holiday for Strings (pizzicato in action @ 0:34)

I read Andre Previn's memoirs on a whim before knowing his work.

Later, I watched Sunday in New York and was in awe of his score. Recognized a sample used by Pizzicato Five. Tracked down the sdtk and got into his work more.

Andre Previn & Orchestra - "I Remember You"

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

so far that click from Lawrence Welk at 0.34 most closely matches what I have in mind. so is there a genre or specific stylistic term for this stuff?

thanks PWV for your extensive search.

No problem. I'm doing this as much for me as I am for your request.

I don't think there's any 'yacht rock' type retronym for it. Basically, lumped in the 90s packaging of Space Age Pop occasionally, and most info about these songs can be found on those Bachelor Pad/Space Age sites.

I occasionally dwell on the evolution of arrangements. How the 40s were so woodwind heavy after Fletcher Henderson gave way to Duke Ellington, or how Nelson Riddle downplayed woodwinds for extreme brass in the 60s. This sound just seems to be an arrangement style of primarily David Rose (who wrote Holiday for Strings), and those who felt his style broadened the palette of arrangements overall.

Being David Rose was the musical director of the Red Skelton show from 1950 onward, his style was highly visible to insiders, and adopted.

Or maybe this is waaaay off. Les Baxter may have arrangements in this vein predating the Red Skelton show. I need to dig further. And I'm still trying to figure out Roy Webb's role in all of this.

I wish I could find a video of Roller Coaster. It's pretty much the twin to Holiday for Strings stylistically and timewise.

BTW, The Last Exit/Tucker que was first used on the Simpsons when Homer goes to the Land of Chocolate in season 3. I've been in love with it ever since then. Still don't know much about it.

yes yes that's right, the chocolate dog and so on.

i think you're right about it being an arrangement style - i've heard some other versions of Holiday for Strings and it sounds absolutely nothing like that (eg. the Lawrence Welk version) unless it is exactly that. the composition itself sounds just plain 40s-50s lounge/pop/movie soundtracky. the arrangement of pizzicato violin, harp, chines, and that driving rhythm section are the key.

the show that recently reminded me of this was It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but that doesn't help because I cant find any music credits - other than the main theme song, which isnt exactly this either.

"Happy Go Lively" by Laurie Jonhson is the song in the Land of Chocolate.

Whoa! Will obtain much hard copy one. Thanks!

Nice thread! Glad that people-in-the-know can attach titles and composers to this sort of thing.

The Moody Blues (ok, The London Festival Orchestra, actually) recorded a track of this very sort ("Lunch Break") on Days Of Future Passed

an album called "music for tv dinners" on Scamp (?) records has several tracks in this vein. the writeup calls this genre "Production Music" - the original elevator music. apparently most of the composers are british, which is ironic since it seems like such an american mode.

'Production Music' is synonymous with 'Library Music'. The term is not a description of any particular musical style but refers to its intended use - as 'off-the-peg' music for use in film/TV/advertising.

I do have the "music for tv dinners" comp. Not exactly in this vein, but I do like it. There was a vh1 retrospective (one of the last before reality tv set it) that used it for its bumpers.

http://www.dovesong.com/MP3/MP3_Popular.asp

The "String" Instrumentals

Holiday for Strings composed by David Rose. Played by David Rose's Orchestra. Victor 27853. Reached Number 2 on the charts on February 19, 1944. This was the first of the great instrumentals that made use of the sounds of the string section of the orchestra

Picnic for Strings composed by Malcomb Lockyer. Orchestra conducted by the composer. Mercury 70383

No Strings Attached played by the Boston Pops, Arthur Fielder, conductor. RCA 49-3890. This tune was written by Richard Hayman, who had his own recording on Mercury. Like Leroy Anderson, Hayman was also an arranger for the Boston Pops when he first started out.

Tic-Tac-Toe played by Hugo Winterhalter's Orchestra. RCA 47-4851

Vanessa played by Hugo Winterhalter's Orchestra. RCA 47-4691. This beautiful record reached Number 12 on the charts on July 12, 1952.

The Magic Touch played by Hugo Winterhalter's Orchestra. RCA 47-5209

Flirtation Waltz played by Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra. London 45-1406

It's Only a Paper Moon played by the David Rose Orchestra. MGM K30850

Curtain Time played by Acquaviva's Orchestra. MGM 30668. Acquaviva was singer Joni James' husband.

I love shit like this. Les Baxter's "Moon Moods" is one of my favorite pieces of music.

pappawheelie - are you able to DL anything off that site? tried and cant...

i failed at the dl also :-(

HUGO WINTERHALTER "VANESSA" "SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY"

xp- "The DoveSong MP3 Library is no longer in Service
Stay Tuned for Further Developments"

The Simpsons has forever altered that as Jasper tries out for the B Sharps with made up lyrics
(eg "theme...from summer place, from summer place, the theme, from summer place, the theme, from summer place...")
http://www.snpp.com/episodes/9F21.html

At some point, research in the lab gives way to products for consumption.

Ha, after I created the above which includes all of the following titles, I found this site/blurb:

http://www.bobthompsonmusic.com/the_sound_of_speed.htm

"Starfire and Early-Bird Whirly-Bird from The Sound of Speed are among the classic 'music-on-the-move' titles that would include Henri Rene's Rollercoaster and David Rose's Holiday For Strings."
--Joseph Lanza, author, Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-Listening, and Other Moodsong

I didn't realize others put those two songs together before I began posting to this thread, but patting myself on the back here...

as far as i can tell at this point, "Holiday for Strings" is the granddaddy of them (although I'd imagine some film score from the 40s set the template).

It was used as the theme for the Red Skelton show beginning in 1951, the same year Walter Schumann had a hit with it.

also, Henri René's "Roller Coaster" came out the same year as Holiday.

Voices of Walter Schumann - Holiday for Strings

xxxp

― ro✧✧✧@il✧✧✧.c✧✧ (PappaWheelie V), Monday, January 19, 2009 2:40 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark

ahhh i love it! thanks! "Star Fire" is like, surreal.

A few in this montage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqrVgxf9P3k

http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/redSkelton.html

Main Theme: "Holiday For Strings"
[This was an instrumental hit in 1943 which made David Rose
and His Orchestra a household name; many LP albums followed
on the MGM label;

In the ASCAP Repertoire database, there is also a listing
for "Holiday For Strings Sig[nature] Closing" credited to
David Rose and Jack Lloyd (who also has Red Skelton Show
cues in his ASCAP listings.) Presumably it was Lloyd who
made the most well-known arrangement used on the air in
later years...]

Composers: music by David D. Rose (ASCAP), with
lyric added by Sam ("Sammy") Gallup (ASCAP)

1978 Publisher: Bregman, Vocco & Conn, Inc. (ASCAP)

1999 Publisher: Bregman, Vocco & Conn, Inc. (B V C Inc.)
c/o WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)

Unpublished Copyright Date: 1942, in piano folio book
Published Instr. Copyright Date: May 5, 1943; EP 113 645.
Published Vocal Copyright Date: Mar. 14, 1944; EP 121 201.

Recordings: numerous, including
LP - "David Rose plays David Rose"
MGM E3748
by David Rose and His Orchestra

Re-released on:
CD - "The Very Best of David Rose" (1997)
Taragon TARCD-1015
by David Rose and His Orchestra

CD - "Space Cadets (Ultra-Lounge Volume 3)" (1996)
Capitol 2438-35176-2
by The Voices of Walter Schumann (chorus vocal w/orch.)

Newly recorded on:
CD - "Television's Greatest Hits (Vol. 4):
Black and White Classics" (1996)
TVT Records TVT 1600-2
by an uncredited studio orchestra (not a very good
performance, amateur recording and mix, and an
arrangement that seems to stop in the middle.)

you can hear "rollercoaster" here btw

http://www.televisiontunes.com/Whats_My_Line_-_Rollercoaster.html

thoroughly enjoyed those drive in movie ads

Thanks a lot for this thread.

I was hoping someone might know the music of this recent Post-It Labels commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvYR2RyhFVI

This thread makes me think of the category: unexpected ways that 90s may be revived.

(Which probably sounds snarkier than I mean it.)

xxpost: Asked and answered here. And if you're involved with the Borbetomagus, thanks for the show at Terrastock 1, my ears rang for a long long time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SUeE7dpMWg

Anyone know what this tune is from?
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Oops, that didn't work. Let me try again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N0lfprZ5iU

Glad this thread showed up as I've been wondering about something along these lines for a while.

The futuristic 50s kitchen vibe has been sort of revisited by people like Money Mark, Harmonic 33 and other kitsch/library music fetishists.

But it seems that one of the few retro aesthetics that hasn't been plundered by new music is that '50s American tropical holiday King Creole/Sultana/Hawaii!/Santo & Johnny vibe. The secondhand sound of good looking girls and boys dancing the Technicolor hula on a beach-bound cruiseliner backed by Tijuana brass, swinging cymbals and pedal steel guitar.

Is anyone working with this now? Maybe the last time it was referenced might have been the Cramps, B52s and Pere Ubu, but these were reimagined by punks, where the seaweed rots and the dancers have become toxic mutants.

its been really bugging me because it's such a well-known theme, but who is this by and where is it from? (Forgive crappy laptop mic and crappier piano playing please )http://vocaroo.com/?media=vvM8OCaq9bjbPWsUb

XP Dog Latin, Yoshinori Sunahara is the closest thing I can think of, there's lots of his stuff on YouTube but the track I had in mind isn't on YT, here is a soptify link tho'.

spotify:track:2ididn84VeUewdEN6OBygD

thanks maresnest! will check it out.

tom - arrrgh! i know this so well but it escapes me.

http://www.andmas.co.uk/radio/children/favs/puffin_billy.ram

It's called Puffin' Billy

brilliant, thankyou

More songs in this style:

Werner Tautz - Off Broadway
Heinz Kiessling - Blue Blood
Heinz Kiessling - Hotsy-Totsy
Werner Tautz - Derby Day
Werner Tautz - Glitterati Party

These can be found in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Theme and Filler Music"

Answered my own question about the song in that deadly spiders video.
It's Ivor Slaney - Window Gazing
found in "Retro Shopping Vol. 1"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdMOfApad7k

Merry Xmas!!

Does anyone know what the first song in this commercial is?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKokoCTp1WM

Uh, not the second one...

Thanks.

The moment I read this thread title the exact kind of music popped right into my head.

I like to call it Sims Buy Mode music.

You mean this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObCgwGR__wE

Yes, exactly!