Fred Steiner - Perry Mason Theme (Park Avenue Beat)

[carmendlb]

They don't write 'em like that anymore!!!

[yooperlooper]

One of the very best TV show themes

[nebishes]

love this song,,,,, in blues bros 2000,,,, bari sax was good

[clarkhum]

This, I believe, is the Tee Vee Toons recording.

[sleedolfine15]

Great theme song and a great example of formulaic ensemble acting. It amazing how closely the series mirrored the novels.

[godkingzulu]

He also did the score for the Amazing Stories ep Life on Death Row and a couple of episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures.  Oh, yeah, he did the themes to Dudley Do-Right and the Bullwinkle Show. Talk about versatile!!

[fldhckymom]

Thanks for the memory! I loved Perry Mason and watched it all the time. You knew when you heard the song what show was coming on. Certainly part of the American experience.

[Yardidol]

I love this theme. For a while I was having trouble finding it because I wasn't sure if it was from Perry Mason or Matlock. lol

[ivory1029]

Fred Steiner was a musical genius. This pice of music was artful in so many ways. The tension and conflict worked in such a beautiful way...the melody fought with the harmony in most of the song, and it worked so beautifully. RIP to a master of his craft...thank you, Mr. Steiner.

[G8GT364CI]

@ivory1029 Yes it set the mood for this show.

[avantisprod]

As a child I found this theme very mature and scary. Today I just think it's great -- it sounds very legal and pretty cool, with considerable tension in it.

[luuvstain]

where's ozzy?

[44032]

Why "Park Avenue Beat" if it's the theme from Perry Mason? What does he ahve to do with Park Avenue?

I always thought it spounded like somehting s tropper would dance to. And Mason strips away the falsehoods to get at the truth..

[Nocaro]

@44032 I don't think the music was originally written for the Perry Mason show although it was obviously used as its theme. But you'd have to ask the writer why "Park Avenue Beat".

[drsteerforth]

@44032 I think Perry Mason's office was located on Park Avenue in New York City.

[44032]

@drsteerforth No it was in Los Angeles. I've been watching the show for eyars and have many of the epsiodes on tape.

[drsteerforth]

@44032 Yes, I just did a search, and Wikipedia mentioned "Los Angeles". In that case, I have no idea why "Park Avenue Beat" is the theme song, but it's one of the greatest in TV history along with Jackie Gleason's "Melancholy Serenade". Same genre of music, I think.

[44032]

@drsteerforth Ironically it was Perry Mason that filled the Saturday Night timeslot when the original "Jackie Gleason Show" went off the air in 1957.

[drsteerforth]

@44032 Fred Steiner, who wrote the theme, was also an arranger for TV shows, but I don't know if he wrote "Park Avenue Beat" especially for "Perry Mason" or it was among his repertoire of music that he composed and was just adopted for the show. Incidentally, Fred died last June (2011) at the age of 88. He was born in New York City, so that may explain the Park Avenue connection.

[altfam56]

This just drips cool!

[XamIIamX]

Perry Mason, Peter Gunn and Dragnet. The top three TV shows themes of all time. (I hate anything with lyrics. TV theme-wise, that is.) All crime based shows, coincidentally.. Twilight Zone changed form the beginning to the end of its run. Regardless, thank you Fred Steiner. RIP.

[LordRavenwolf]

Rest in Peace Fred

[RogerCG1]

One of the greatest TV theme songs ever, written back in the day when you instantly knew the opening sounds of The Fugitive, Gunsmoke, and I Love Lucy.

[TheSpaghetti64]

RIP Fred 2/24/1923 - 6/23/2011.

[iceman971965]

The Pimp and Ho Stroll Theme

[hammeron39]

loving your post in greater "Roswell New Mexico" a home of Raymond Burr ,

[GaryFTaylor]

It's easy to forget how "adult" and "controversial" Perry Mason was during its run. This was the 1950s and 1960s--but the plots included illegitimate children, adultry, drug use, implied homosexuality, abortion, and a host of other subjects that wouldn't become "acceptable" on television for another decade or more.

[manifesto2000]

@GaryFTaylor Today's episode on TAC TV entitled "The Case of the Meddling Medium" dealt with ESP and included a genuine parapsychologist. Perry Mason was a superbly interesting show, that was styled on a unique premise in each episode. I long for the days when TV will once again have even a fraction of the class and worthiness of that series.

[BuddyNovinski]

It's the first time I heard the entire theme.

[distressed7]

Ha! I remember this score was the cue for me to hit the sack. Mom made sure of it. "Okay. Let's go. School tomorrow." My! How times have changed.

[schuller51]

An absolute all time classic theme, superb orchestration !

[JubalCalif]

Heavens to Hamilton Burger! My all time favorite TV theme song! I never tire of hearing it! If it was any cooler, it would be frozen! Many thanks for posting this....the original "Perry Mason" series is ALSO my all time favorite TV show! You have MADE my day & my weekend! May ALL your wishes & dreams come true in the New Year!

[tubecoatue]

Really, really great. Angry, tragic, incredibly emotional. I love it.

[antaresrichard]

I confess! I done dood it! I'm guilty!

;-)

[dovermoreno]

I haven't seen this show in YEARS and I surprised myself by remembering the names of the characters Della Street, Paul Drake, Lt Tragg and Hamilton Burger !

And I actually did some research and District Attorney Hamilton Burger won only TWO times against Perry Mason. Who voted for this guy anyways ???

[lorensoide]

@dovermoreno

What it is the name of the theme?

[dovermoreno]

@lorensoide Park Avenue Beat. It says it in the Doobly Doo up above !!