Television Theme Songs - EP

Quincy Jones works are heavily guarded to begin with, so Post had to tribute there, but the rest seem original.

Those of you claiming that this is not the original are off-base. This is the original 1982 Elektra Mike Post album containing the original versions of "Hill Street Blues" and "Magnum P.I." For those of you claiming that these are not the originals, I am not sure what you are looking for. These are absolutely the original versions of those two songs that were released as singles by Elektra (in these exact same versions and lengths), released to radio, and charted in Billboard. If what you are looking for is the watered down mono edits that were actually played over the credits of the tv shows themselves, then I guess you are right... these are not them. Instead, these are the actual, original full-length songs. So, to be clear, these are the original 1981-82 hits and this is the original 1982 album they came from. Now, "Rockford Files" needs a bit more of an explanation. That song was released as a single by MGM in 1975 but did not have a parent album at the time. Single only. By the time Mike Post got around to making this album in 1981, he had switched record labels from MGM to Elektra and MGM, obviously, was not about to license the original version of "Rockford Files" to its competitor. Now, Mike Post and Elektra both knew that a Mike Post album called "Television Theme Songs" would lose a lot of credibility if it did not contain some version of Mike's biggest hit to date, "Rockford Files." So, to round out the album, Mike re-recorded that song for this album to go along with his new, original Elektra recordings. Get it? Oh, and that also explains why "Dixie Lullaby" is not on this album. That was a 1975 MGM recording. So, to recap, "Hill Street Blues" and "Magnum P.I." are absolutely 100% the originals. This is the 1982 parent album they came from. This is not, however, the 1975 MGM hit version of "Rockford Files." This is the 1982 Elektra version. I hope that educates a bit and clears things up.

Mike Post released an EP of full length versions of six of his TV theme songs in 1982. These are what you get here. Of course they're not the short mono versions on the TV shows themselves. If you want those, get the TVT "Television's Greatest Hits" CDs. Volume One of that series has the 60 second original versions of Magnum, Hill Street Blues, and Rockford (as well as the original A-Team theme). That being said, I've had this LP for almost 30 years, and to me, these are "the" versions to have. They're not the horrible re-recordings from no name studio musicians that you can find elsewhere on iTunes. They are 100% Mike Post. The short mono versions are neat little artifacts of the era, but what you get here are real full-length songs in full stereo with extended solos that sound fantastic cranked up in your living room! For some reviewers to act as if this is some recent collection of "imposter versions" is laughable. This is a long out-of-print collection of great music that as of May 2011 has *never* been released on CD. Taken for what it is, this is a great collection.

If you really like Magnum Pi the original version is not hard to find. But to also have a remake by Mike Post and accomplished guitarist Larry Carlton is just great to add to your collection. Enjoy it for what it is.

I was happy to convert an LP of this I found... but even then, the Rockford Files version on the ORIGINAL LP wasn't the same as the 45! And the flipside, "Dixie Lullaby" is nowhere to be found at all. Years ago, I bought another "close but not quite" CD version of this LP... and I'm still looking.

Pathetic. This is a slap in the face of any fan of Mike Post's work. Do not buy these tracks, as they are not the ORIGINAL songs, but terrible newer versions. I've been trying to find the Magnum, P.I. theme for years, and I rejoiced when I saw it here. Upon previewing it, I was disgusted. It is not the original. No, I'm not talking about how it is an extended version; I mean instrumentally. This is not the same version from the actual show. We fans of these shows deserve the original themes, as played on the actual shows, not some redubbed, "close enough" versions. Mike Post, should you read this, do your fans a favor, and release all your wonderful work, in their original form! These imposter versions are an insult to us fans, and to your carreer as the best TV show theme song composer of all time.

My dad bought this cassette years ago to take on vacation. For the most part, these songs are all classics in their own right. The Hill Street Blues Theme in the Top 10 on the Billboard Charts and The Greatest American Hero Number 1. And "School's Out" has a Beach Boys feel. You will not be disappointed in this purchase.

I have been Looking for this album for YEARS!!!!! It's FINALLY ON digital!!!! I wore the needle OUT on my record player / then killed all the backup tapes I'd made of this YOWZA!

I had this record (yes vinyl) back in elementary school in the 80s. What great songs and great memories. If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, and loved TV, this is the record for you!

what meaningless crap....!