M Squad Theme - Count Basie - 1959

[TCUNC76]

Marhvin was a combat veteran of The Fourth Marine Division in WW II...wounded on Saipan.... great series...now out on DVD !!!!!

[therwright123]

R.I.P Lee Marvin 1924-1987 one of the world best actors he inspired me to become a drama teacher.

[georgethedj]

I bought this album in mono.

It's the first album I ever bought.

I still have it.

It's all great stuff by Count Basie.

[punkfilmjunky]

lee marvin BOSS



[compsecure77]

This was the sprinboard for Lee Marvins stellar career and such epics as the Killers and Point black that followed in the late 60s. The count was the master of this type of music and has never been bettered quincy Jones included and thats a big call although I admit they go together well.

[jimaroo100]

If my memory holds, I think that M Squad and Peter Gunn were on against each other...  too bad both had great music. I was a little kid but i liked M Squad better... Lee Marvin was way cooler than pretty boy Craig Steven as Peter Gunn.

[spacepatrolman]

@jimaroo100 M squad was like a modern day untouchables the modern days of 1960 like lt. frank ballinger said m- squad can be assigned to any unit robbery homicide protecting material witnesses

[UnBalloinMaschera58]

Engineering by the great Al Schmitt at RCA Studios, Sunset & Vine, Hollywood, California.

[cluny]

Living Stereo wasn't just just Arthur Fieldler and Anna Moffo...veddy nice !

[leo2nd74]

It really swings.

[WillDrache]

this is so awesome lol.. mp3.. now

[aydencamdyn]

get's my cardio going at any time.Thanks.

[digivintz]

thank you for the vinyl rip! muchos grassy ass

[boswell69]

Great theme.

[wiseguymaybe]

Now compare this to the theme to Police Squad.

[TheEldoradoKid]

@wiseguymaybe Oh yeah, freakin' amazing... yeah the M Squad theme is the more "boss" sounding of the two and of course more of a complete theme, but the Police Squad theme hits a little harder with its punctuated riffs, but is almost an obvious rip-off of this classic Police Noir series show!

[wiseguymaybe]

@TheEldoradoKid You got it Kid. Hey, EldoradoKid. Elderado Kid, huh. That's a COOL NAME. I like it!!!!

. 

[TheEldoradoKid]

@wiseguymaybe Hey Pally!....yeah youse... Soo whatareyuh? Sum kinda wise guy or sumthin? FUGGETABOUTIT! So why don't we just go down to Paulies, find a couple a broads, order up a Jack and Coke to relax with, and maybe I can find this boss tune to play on the 'ol jukebox? Ehh? P.S, I get the redhead..

[wiseguymaybe]

@TheEldoradoKid ME??? A wiseguy. Surely you got me confused with..... Oh that's right the name. Actually, you definatly got me pegged. So like redheads do you. You better watch it bub. They have fierce tempers. You ever marry one...wellll GOOD LUCK!!!! I'm not much of a drinker, but listening to the juke box...that sounds cool. I'll teach all I know about women. That should take about 30 seconds. You see I picked up this book on "HOW TO PICK UP CHICKS." I know how to pick up little chickens.

[TheEldoradoKid]

@wiseguymaybe BADDA BING, BADDA BOOM, SHA BOOM, OK Pal.....I got the picture!, I'll see your 30 seconds and raise you another 30, that's about all I know about about the inner workings of women! One thing I do know, I lived with a Jersey Girl for nearly 10 years and boy was she tough. When she got mad, the veins would stand out on her head! But boy, she was good looking, classiest broad in the room usually, but one look from her if you were doing wrong let you know you were dead meat.

[partisanrangers]

I completely forgot that I watched this show all of the time when I was a kid. WOW this post brought back memories!

[andersport]

@LooMinn It was Joe Flarhety as the sax player that couldn't hit a note. That was funny.

[LooMinn]

@andersport

You're right andersport...my bad.

Eugene Levy played the piano playing hipster with the cool beatnik beard.

[zippymicropia]

Lee Marvin was a terrific actor and man. Few people know that Lee was a decorated WWII War Hero, who would downplay his award and never bring up the subject. As tough as he was on the streets of Chicago, he was even tougher in real life fighting for the USA.

[xxmoviemakerxxx]

@zippymicropia

Apparently even fewer people know that Lee Marvin actually lived in Chicago for a time, and that was one reason the show was set in Chicago. Although it's not mentioned in most of his biographies, Marvin stated during a 1950s TV Guide interview that he moved to Chicago to attend school after he got out of the service. He liked Chicago as a location, even though only 5% of each show was actually filmed there -- the rest was filmed at Revue's Hollywood back lot.

[spacepatrolman]

@zippymicropia they called him captain marvel in the marines the everly brothers enlisted in the marine reserve because if they were drafted their carrearr would be hung up for 6 years this way they train for 3 months a year and still perform

[furtherdefinitions]

FYI: The theme is composed by Benny Carter, whose alto sax solo you can also hear on this.

[TheEldoradoKid]

Lee Marvin......undoubtably the toughest baddass cop to hit the airwaves back in the day. He only nailed his rep even more firmly in place when he played opposite The Duke in The Man who Shot Liberty Valance a little later. The guy was a gifted actor, doing a variety of roles, but man did he ever become the archetype of the fist-swinging detective, or what! Only Dirty Harry might have been tougher!

[edybeast]

I only remembered the opening of the show when I was a kid. When I saw the occasional "M Squad" episode as an adult, I could really appreciate the gritty plots and that great Count Basie jazz.

[rogermwilcox]

... IN COLOR!

[fishscale83]

my girlfriend got the record for me a few weeks ago, this is AWESOME!

[leo2nd74]

The song really swings. Count Basie did the tune on one of his albums.

[imthebrother]

@leo2nd74 for the album Atomic Basie or something

[ferlenarab]

I watched this show as a young child. Thanks for bringing back the memories.

[THEPUMP10]

Yes, this theme (plus the opening video sequence) was the inspiration for the Police Squad TV show.

[sixtieskid062]

@THEPUMP10

Not to mention all "The Naked Gun" movies.

[prydonian460]

I loved this tune as a kid watching Lee Marvin jump out of his squad car and blast off a couple rounds with that three foot long flame out of the end of his gun barrel. Why don't they have music with such class and style these days ? Thanks for posting this .

[sixtieskid062]

@prydonian460

Not to mention all "The Naked Gun" movies.

[moonchildiva]

the first album i ever got! i was crazy about lee marvin after liberty valance (?) and i was TEN. my parents bought me this album so i'd have a picture of him BUT we all fell in love with the music we already liked from the tv show! This album rocks. i have it on CD now (japanese import).

[Hickey66]

That is the magic. When a band tarnsports you to a palce you have never been.

[kennyrocksable]

Boy, do i remember this--the album, not the series--which i believe i saw only once on TV Land. If anyone has a copy of this album, please post more tracks from it. Next best thing to having it again. Much abliged 4 the post.

[crispycritterz]

This is amazing! The Count shined in everything that he did.

[82259317]

one of the best tv themes, thanks for posting

[andersport]

I always got Lee Marvin confused with James Colburn. They look similar.

[spacepatrolman]

@andersport They both did twilight zone episodes lee marvin did 2

[gocadets]

This whole album is very cool. There's even some fantastic cuts of tunes by John Williams (Star Wars and Superman fame).

[spacepatrolman]

@gocadets watch the rifleman the superman

[LooMinn]

What a swingin' tune!

I'm probably not the sharpest knife in the drawer but was this the main inspiration for the 1980's series Police Squad that starred Leslie Nielson?

[pap4456]

Actually, the "M" Squad theme was definitely the inspiration behind Ira Newborn's theme to the Police Squad TV Series and series of films and I've read an interview with Newborn where he said the "M" Squad Theme gave him the idea to do a theme that had that kind of attitude, similar feel and instrumentation of the so-called "crime jazz" genre.

[RonsterW58]

yes absolutely! watch the intro for abc's 'n.y.p.d.' (1967) and the same for M Squad and voila! you have the opening sequence for Police Squad!

[srtgrayfrance]

@LooMinn I just watched the commentaries for Police Squad, and the writers/producers say that the whole thing was heavily influenced by M Squad, as well as dragnet, Peter Gunn et al.

[abobjob]

@LooMinn

It surely ws. AND watch the opening credits..... Police Squad rips M Squad virtually shot for shot... even the guy doing the voice over is the same...... makes it twice as funny knowing where it comes from i think

[DAngelo136]

@LooMinn You would be right...check out the "M Squad" opening title sequence. The Zuckers are comedy geniuses.

[themredweirdoshow]

@LooMinn You are correct, sir. However, the spoof show also borrowed from several other cop show styles, including Peter Gunn.

[Mannock]

@LooMinn Darn right it is. Glad you like it. This theme is too hip for the house.

[mattao555]

@LooMinn

yes. that is correct. great inspiration song indeed.

[spacepatrolman]

@LooMinn yes it was

[jmreisser]

NO. It's a tune composed by Count Basie yes but the piano player is Jimmy Rowles ! Most ot the arrangements and compositions are by BENNY CARTER, playing alto.

[Hickey66]

Don't shout. If you shout no one will ever hear you. You are a good chap nevertheless.

[ncurson]

The 'Orchestra conducted by Stanley Wilson' sounds like Basie's with the Count at the piano.