Guiding Light opening theme 1992-Hold on to Love

[dbrooks12009]

This was a great period for Guiding Light.

[whorepeace]

Best theme song EVER!

[NBK1122]

I wish this jazzy trumpet version was longer. I don't like the slower closing tune.

[4biz]

loved loved loved this show back in the they.mom got me hooked on this&ome other soaps on cbs.miss this show,bring it back.

[vinster7997]

glad they changed that pic of Nick later on.This one was very bad!!!!

[njlee8785]

@vinster7997 this pic of Nick I did NOT mind...but it would make me think of LuJack.

[tanyia22]

That is Vincent Irizarry he played Nick McHenry Spaulding

[vegasbaby92]

I know them all except the last guy at the end, right before Harley. at 0:28. Who is that?

[deevadeeva]

Hands down, one of the best opening credit sequences ever in the history of soaps.

[schs1977]

I have 3 older sisters. Growing up, we had only 2 TV's one in the den and one in our parents bedroom. When I got home from jr high school, they were already home watching GL, first watched because it was the only thing on and later because I like it.

[laminage]

Hampton Speakes was Billy Lewis's Best Friend and Business Partner. They ran a Nightclub called Heartbreaker and Hamp would later be the owner of Top Of The Towers aka TOTT. His TV Daughter was Nia Long who played Katherine "Kat" Speakes and here's another fact. He made History by being the First African American Actor on "Contract" at Guiding Light.

[AdArmand]

Guiding Light... remember it THIS way.

[GriffinElliot]

We will NEVER forgive CBS

[Cyclops236]

@GriffinElliot Stop blaming it on CBS next time blame it on the ratings.

[nobillclinton]

@Cyclops236 Sorry to say Cyclops that the demise of this show was engineered. . .

It was incremental. . .decline in the quality of writers. . .moving it from it's time slot. . .experimental video techniques. . .all of these things were done over time to alienate veiwers and fans of the show so that P&G & CBS could get rid of it. The poor ratings were achieved by design. Guiding Light's demise was a HUGE SHAME.

[Cyclops236]

@nobillclinton That's what's gonna happen if TV loses writers I will agree with you on that all I have left to ask you now was do I owe GriffinElliot an apology?

[BytomGirl]

I missed 2 months of it as I was away from the States. How did Jeffrey die?

[Jude1968]

He didn't......he went undercover to lure Edmund out from hiding and to try and kill him.

[BytomGirl]

Thanks! Did he kill him?

[Jude1968]

Well.........the show left us all hanging--they were not even shown in the final episode.....so Jeffrey and Edmund's story was not resolved and a lot of fans are pissed.

[BytomGirl]

I thought maybe I missed something....

And did have to let Alan die at the end?

[mjguz]

This show being canceled is BULL. I can't believe it. I am seriously bummed.

[j5bata]

I got a acoustic version of Hold on to Love. Do you guys know in anyway who sang this version? All I got from the net is Darryl Tookes and Bill Channock but it's not a male-female duet version just a male-voiced guitar strummed rendition of the song.

[crpcrp2]

Sept. 18, 2009 is the last day, but not if GL fans have anything to say about it.

[DorvellTStewart]

Thing is, will they even listen to us?

[crpcrp2]

Go to CBS web site there is a message board. Go to Guiding Light.

This site has all the latest information Ive posted a lot of information post name is craigcp. Tell them that you would like to see this theme and bring back the lighthouse.

[crpcrp2]

Still may go to Life Time, P&G and Head producer are doing everything they can to save the show, After a bad day in school as soon as I walked in the door I herd that theme I knew I was home, in the hospital for 2Wks.the nurses would come to my room, got to date nurses thanks to GL.

[BytomGirl]

I had no idea it's been cancelled. When is it supposed to be off the air?

[NEXTGENSKYN]

its last episode will air on september 8th 2009

[IchigoMontgomery]

It's sad to watch this knowing Guiding Light has been cancelled.

[bingbongstar]

at 0:18 who is that man? i always forget.

[tanyia22]

You must be talking about Hamp

[BytomGirl]

bingbongstar, It's Roger. The actor who played him died few years ago. He was also in a movie

You Light Up My Life.i

[thewillofthe313]

This is the opening I remember seeing as a little boy when my mom would watch. Me being 5ish I was more interested in seeing the actual lighthouse than the show lol

[DarthSnoopy96]

@thewillofthe313

LOL!

yeah, this scrolling lighthouse effect with the cast montage and THIS song were awesome. In fact, the original first version of this debted January 2 1991 and won the daytime Emmy for Best Opticals, Theme and Titles sequencing!!

This 1992 version is identical to the first '91 version, with just a coupld of the images replaced.

[tslman1979]

Agree that this was a great theme and open...and the show at that time was very strong and had a lot of class and classy actors. For the past several years the producers seem to be experimenting with virtually everything. To me, the current "look" of the show is very flat and uninteresting. I don't think it can survive going down this present path...

[Romanjezabel]

This was the best time of Guiding Light for me. I wish it could have grown from this and not changed to what has happened in the last 5 years.

[juliansmall94]

it is such a great disappointment to see harley and ricky move to all my clildren.

[oppzorro]

I must say, this is the greatest GL theme that ever existed.

[thejukejoint]

I can't understand how the people in charge can't see that it's the viewers who keep the shows ratings up. We want to see this theme song, we want better stories. We have told them that we hate the new GL. But they keep on going. Then when everyone stop watching and they get canceled, they want to blame it on the fans and say we were'nt watching. Stop showing crap and we will watch!

[DorvellTStewart]

It's because they're bigtime people who make bigtime money, LOL!

[thejukejoint]

LOL (Well, if they keep getting a 1.5 in the ratings, they are gonna be little time people, making no money.)

[TXNews]

sad to see what the show has become now.

[Laura1115]

I know! It's so sad to see it now. I miss the ole' days of GL! Now, it's weird and feels like the classic GL has died....which soaps should NEVER feel like they have.

[thejukejoint]

I agree. I wish CBS would just cancel it and begin showing reruns of Guiding Light classics. The ratings would have to be better than a 1.5 it's been getting. I think these episodes on youtube have a higher ratings than the Guiding Lights that one now.

[schs1977]

I agree. GL writers need to be fired. Please get off the Lizzie, Bill, Daisy, Grady and Cyrus theme that has been on going for a year. Hopefull with Philip and Edmund coming will help. GL writers----- Please bring back Alexandra and Vanessa back. Re-cast Harley, Gus and bring back Ross from the dead!

[DorvellTStewart]

Not only that, but bring back that fucking theme song! Not just the opening, but the closing one as well. Also bring back the old jingle for the PGP Logo.

[083197dpw]

me to use to watch this with my mom shes not here anymore i moss those days

[boodsm]

the good old days...oh how I miss them :(

[proud2Bprude]

Who was that VERY famous lady who played Alex years ago, she had dark hair and for the life of me I can not remember her name.

[tanyia22]

Joan Collins played Alexandra

[DarthSnoopy96]

@tanyia22

yes she did, and it was a pathetic publicity stunt on the part of CBS/P&G. Joan C. is ridiculous....so cheesy and full of herself, and not a good actress.

RIP and thank heavens for Beverlee McKinsey and thank you Marj Dusay for giving an honest effort, and for being so forgiving of GL when they shafted you and then asked you back.

[sneezyize]

@tanyia22 But only for a very short time and quite long while after this opening, from September to December 2002.

[DarthSnoopy96]

@proud2Bprude

The role of "Alexandra Spaulding" was created SPECIFICALLY for actress Beverlee McKinsey (the blonde Alexandra) and she joined the show in 1984 as the Baroness von Halkein back from Europe. She played the part until an abrupt resignation in August 1992. Mrs. McKinsey had previously made a huge impact in daytime television whle portraying "Iris Cory Carrington" on Another World from 1970-1979.

[DarthSnoopy96]

@proud2Bprude

...then, Beverlee McKinsey reprised the role of Iris in the AW spin-off series "TEXAS" which was created for her, and to this day McKinsey is the only daytime actor to receive sole, star billing of a show. It aired 1980-1982.

Marj Dusay took over the role of "Alexandra" in September 1993 and played it off-and-on until the end of Guiding Light, although there were gaps: 1993-97, 98-99, 2002-09.

Joan Collins BRIEFLY played "Alex" from Sept. 2002-Dec. 23 2002.

[sny625]

Hope the bring back a updated version of this theme it was the best one of the lot so much energy and a great visual and musical score come GL get rid of those ghostly looking hands opening

[olemoneybags]

Does anyone have any of the other openings, somewhere between 1994 and 1997 when Annie and Wendy Moniz's Dinah were on the show? Also there was another version of this song that had a somewhat rock sound to it. If anyone has those please post!

[olemoneybags]

Actually I was able to answer my own question. If you type in "Billy & Reva 1997" you will find a clip from that time containing that opening.

[DarthSnoopy96]

@olemoneybags

there was a "jazzier" version of this that ran during 1996/97. Is that what you are thinking of? Otherwise, there was the old "My Guiding Light" theme which ran from 1986-1989 and it was what you could call an uptempo rock version.

[JFB617]

What a great theme,intro that was back then. The theme they have going now is lousy. The cast and stories back then was also top notch.

[datboioutda7th]

i sure do miss bridget and david. i wonder if the producers will ever bring back their characters back.

[stout30]

The theme that ran from 1983-1984, roughly, is my favorite, but this one comes in second. I especially like this opening because it contains the great Beverlee McKinsey and Michael Zaslow. Can anyone suggest any actresses or actors who compare to these two? I'd start watching the show just to see the performers who could match up to these two!

[DarthSnoopy96]

@stout30

don't you wish we could rent, purchase or watch online the Guiding Light episodes during the Zaslow/McKinsey era? Sigh...

[sr71ablackbird]

@DarthSnoopy96 Zaslow aka Roger Thorpe ?

[DarthSnoopy96]

@sr71ablackbird

Yes! Michael Zaslow played "Roger Thorpe" from 1971-1980, and 1989-1997. The character of Roger was very briefly played by another actor in 1997. "Roger" died off-screen in 2004.

[Ian16545]

This would definitely work great as a CBS News theme...

[Copper20]

I used to watch this every afternoon in 1996-2001! I totally forgot about this show! This show kicks ass!

[closetgalfan]

best opening ever. takes me back to when i was 12 and totally getting addicted to the show. :) those were the best years.

[thirtymphs]

That little teeny clip right before the opening titles, that was Jenna, correct? Why was she all dressed up?

[serious22]

yes that was the late great Jenna Bradshaw. she always dressed really fancy because she was a glamorous jewel thief! once when Springfield had a blackout, Jenna had just done a diamond heist & hid a bunch of jewels in little Michelle Bauers hair so the cops wouldn't find them!

she was truly fabulous.

[thirtymphs]

Oh, I remember that. The little girl was like "Are you related to Princess Di?" Yeah, all British people are related to Princess Di, little girl. Dumb.

[DarthSnoopy96]

@serious22

oh my gosh, speaking of....the "Springfield Blackout" story of June 1992 was Huge - it was an event and was heavily promoted in commercials and soap magazines. Alot of "big" stuff happened to all the characters during the BLACKOUT. I still remember one of the commercials: "it's gonna be a hot summer night when the lights go out in Springfield - turn on the Light, Guiding Light" LOL

They tried to recapture some of that with the infamous January 1993 "Whiteout" when Maureen died

[finn3602]

I really liked this intro. All the wonderful faces from GL's past. Oh how I miss those days.  It's funny...I hated this intro back then...but now I love it. Kinda how I feel about the show too.

[amyanda]

I love this for nastalgic reasons, but I didn't like it that much back then... I liked the one before this where they showed the lighthouse, but they showed full screens of the actors instead of cropping them to fit the circles. Thanks for posting this.

[DarthSnoopy96]

@amyanda

The lighthouse opening you are talking about is actually the one that came AFTER this one. Yours ran from 2002-2003. Prior to the "Hold On To Love" Lighthouse scroll that ran from 1991-1997 (shortened 1997-2002), there was not a "lighthouse opening". It was the theme "My Guiding Light" and just showed clips of scenes with the actors cropped to center. That opening, with alternating "character versions" ran from 1983-1990, but with 3 variations of the theme.

[laminage]

This was a fantastic opening sequence because they could "switch" the people as cast members were replaced. I remember when it started out as Nadine, Eleni, Buzz, Blake, Holly, Roger, Jenna, Vanessa, Dylan, David & Bridget, Tangie, & Alan Michael.

[DarthSnoopy96]

@laminage

It sounds like the group of "faces" in the opening you are mentioning would be the GL opening which ran roughly around 1993/1994.

[vvmowen5]

watch out for the light! haha j/k but seriously, this is the Guiding Light intro that i remember as a kid, and I was 4 during 1992.

[JPGroleau]

same thing for me. I remember when I was young, my mom watched this tv program, and this is the opening that i remember, with the light, and that music. When you're a kid, you love every kind of music !

[1pixie]

yup. this is my all time favorite. you were four? wow, you make me feel so old:P

[californiabound0812]

This is my all-time favorite GL opening! Probably because it's the first soap theme I remember - I just love it!

[wedge8874]

My favorite opening of the show. And this one has the greats like Roger and Alex. I especially love Harley's little dance at the end.

[DarthSnoopy96]

@wedge8874

LOL wedge, EVERYONE love the "Harley dance" at the end of this. It was memorable. The person who put this sequence together originally deserves BIG props for this. The way Harley is moving is perfect for the way the image is rolling from the right. It would not have worked as well to have the Harley clip anywhere else in the montage.

Did you know the 1991-1997 opening of GL won the 1992 Daytime Emmy for "Best Opticals, Theme and Titles Sequencing" ?

[DarthSnoopy96]

@wedge8874

Roger Thorpe (Michael Zaslow) and Alexandra Spaulding (Beverlee McKinsey) were looking great in this opening (they're right next to each other). So classy, and they had gravitas. GL was soooo blessed to have them both.

May they both rest in peace.

[ABTCdirector]

This is the GL that I remember. I love this, it's dramatic and the best one yet!

[jwjones967]

I just loved this theme, it's way better than the current one. "Hold On to Love", that's all we can do