"Johnny's Theme" is an

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

song played as the opening

theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical appearance for certain software. * Theme (linguistics), topic * Theme ( ...

of ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Johnny Carson, it aired from October 1, 1962 to May 22, 1992, replacing ''T ...

'' from the show's inception in 1962 through its finale in 1992. The piece was composed by

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter and actor. His songs include " Diana", “ You Are My Destiny", “Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wr ...

and

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, and writer best known as the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson is a cultural phenomenon and w ...

, based on a previous composition by Anka. It was performed by

The Tonight Show Band The Tonight Show Band refers to the house band on the American television variety show ''The Tonight Show'', which has created an important showcase for jazz on American television. The Tonight Show Band has changed in form and composition since ...

, which released an arrangement by

Tommy Newsom Thomas Penn Newsom (February 25, 1929 – April 28, 2007) was a saxophone player in the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', for which he later became assistant director. Newsom was frequently the band's substitute dir ...

in 1986 as part of its

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

-winning debut album. The

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

release also earned a Grammy nomination. "Johnny's Theme" has since been released in cover versions and on compilation albums. It has appeared in several films, and been played live in concert by school bands and by amateur and professional musicians, including

Doc Severinsen Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) ...

's Big Band.

Development and evolution

1959: Two songs

"Johnny's Theme" began life as "Toot Sweet", a

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

instrumental composed in 1959 by Paul Anka and recorded by Tutti's Trumpets. It was released on

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

's Buena Vista label as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

to The Camarata Strings' single "Lost In a Fog"."Toot Sweet (It's Really Love)". B1. F-356 (Buena Vista Records). 1959. (Title as printed on the 45'
label
Anka published the lyrics in March 1959.) "Tutti" Camarata, who was

Annette Funicello Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. She began her professional career at age 12, becoming one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original ''The Mickey Mouse Club, Mickey Mouse Cl ...

's producer at the time, asked Anka to write some songs for Funicello's first album to follow her work on ''

The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and briefly returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first te ...

''. Anka added lyrics to "Toot Sweet" and published them under the title "It's Really Love", and the song was released as part of ''Annette Sings Anka''. He recorded his own version of "It's Really Love" that same year for the French film ''Faibles Femmes''; it was released on seven-inch EPs in France, Italy and Spain."Faibles Femmes (It's Really Love)". A1. ABC 45.9807 (ABC-Paramount). 1959."Faibles Femmes (It's Really Love)". A1. SCMQ 1198 (Columbia Records). 1959."Amor Sincero (It's Really Love)". B2. HP-9706 (Hispavox). 1959.

1962: Johnny Carson

When

, a fan of jazz music, was preparing to take over as the permanent host of ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...

'' starting in October 1962, he recognized that he would need a theme song. Carson and Anka had worked together in England on the television special ''An Evening with Paul Anka'' in 1961; when they happened to meet up again in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

the following year, Carson manager Al Bruno mentioned needing a theme. Anka created a new instrumental arrangement for "It's Really Love" and sent a demo to Carson and

Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the American Bro ...

, who were in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...

, making preparations for the show. McMahon said "it was the first time either one of us heard

he song He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...

��and magic."

1962–92: ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''

Shortly after sending the demo, Anka received a telephone call and was told that ''Tonight Show'' bandleader

Skitch Henderson Lyle Russel "Skitch" Henderson (January 27, 1918 – November 1, 2005) was an American pianist, conductor, and composer. His nickname "Skitch" came from his ability to "re-sketch" a song in a different key. Bing Crosby suggested that he sho ...

was angry because Carson wanted to use a theme song written by a "20-year-old kid." Anka said he then offered to let Carson write and publish new lyrics in order to claim a songwriter's credit along with half of the royalties every time the song was played which would earn each man an average of about 200,000 per year. ''

Orange Coast The Orange Coast is the string of cities and neighborhoods fronting the Pacific Coast in Orange County, California. From northwest to southeast, these cities are Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San ...

'' estimated in 1999 that "Johnny's Theme" had been played more than 1,400,000 times. The song was retired along with Carson in 1992; his iteration of ''The Tonight Show'' was called "the last widely public big-band forum." Incoming bandleader

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ens ...

composed a more "funky" theme for successor

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...

because "a swing tune doesn't reflect Jay at all ndjazz doesn't come to mind either."

Releases

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flutist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, ...

and his orchestra recorded a arrangement of "Johnny's Theme" in 1972 for the German EP ''Theme from Nicholas and Alexandra''."Johnny's Theme (Theme from the 'Tonight Show')". B2. LSP 4630 (APRS-6426) (RCA Victor). 1972. A version also appeared as part of Mancini's 2010 compilation ''Big Screen, Little Screen''.''Big Screen, Little Screen''. 7 (CD). (RCA Records). 2010. Paul Anka produced a recording by Top Brass for

Buddah Records Buddah Records (later known as Buddha Records) was an American record label founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's foundin ...

in 1973."Johnny's Theme". A1. BDA-364 (BDAS-364-A) (Buddah). 1973.

Lawrence Welk Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the ...

and his orchestra performed the song for their 1976 album ''Nadia's Theme''."Johnny's Theme". B1. R-8165 (Ranwood). 1976.

and the band recorded "Johnny's Theme" and 12 other tracks for their album ''The Tonight Show Band'', released in 1986. Amherst Records also released the track as a single, titled "Johnny's Theme (The Tonight Show Theme)","Johnny's Theme (The Tonight Show Theme)" is the single's title as printed on the 45'
label
At least tw
survivingcopies
of the accompanying picture sleeve used the title "The Tonight Show Theme (Johnny's Theme)". which debuted at #27 on the ''

Radio & Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...

'' Jazz Top 30 chart. The song has been released on compilations of television themes,''Television's Greatest Hits Vol. 1: 50s & 60s''. 64. (Tee Vee Toons). 1985.''Television's Greatest Themes, Vol. 13''. 14. (TV Tunesters). 2013. the 1995 compilation ''25 Years of Chrysalis Music'',''25 Years of Chrysalis Music''. 11 (CD). (Chrysalis). 1995. and ''The Very Best of Doc Severinsen'' (1998).''The Very Best of Doc Severinsen''. 16 (CD). (Amherst). 1998.

Reception

"Johnny's Theme" earned a

nomination for

Best Pop Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as th ...

, losing to " Top Gun Anthem" at the awards presentation in 1987. ''The Tonight Show Band'' was honored for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band.

Legacy

In 2005, Doc Severinsen, Carson's bandleader starting in 1967, said the song worked so well because it was "accessible. People could understand what it was, and it was associated with Johnny."

Larry King Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American TV and radio host presenter, author, and former spokesman. He was a WMBM radio interviewer in the Miami area in the 1950s and 1960s and beginning in ...

called it "one of the most familiar themes in American television history." Paul Anka said the song was played for only a short time each night, "but everybody knows it. Simplicity is indeed royal." ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' in 2008 said the days of the television theme song were fading into nostalgia, though they "used to abound" with or without lyrics. For example, "Anka's ''Tonight Show'' theme was inseparable from late night and Johnny Carson." "Johnny's Theme" has been included in numerous films including '' This Is My Life'', '' Isn't She Great'' and '' Talk to Me''. The song has been performed live by musicians at varying skill levels from student to professional.

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represents Iowa State University (ISU) and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The Cyclones play their home games at Hilton Coliseum on Iowa State's campus. History Early years ...

coach Johnny Orr came onto the court pumping his fist as the pep band played "Johnny's Theme" before games at the

Hilton Coliseum James H. Hilton Coliseum, is a 14,267-seat multi-purpose arena located in Ames, Iowa. The arena opened in 1971. It is home to the Iowa State University Cyclones men's and women's basketball teams, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball teams. Over ...

. Orr's tenure ran from 1980 to 1994. Doc Severinsen has kept the song alive on tour. His Big Band opened its shows by playing the theme in its entirety, "just to let you know who we are." Severinsen and

The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...

played "Johnny's Theme" during a 2015 episode of ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...

''.

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

* Cited as Cox 2002. * Cited as Kerley 2013. {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnny's Theme 1959 songs Jazz songs Songs written by Paul Anka Television talk show theme songs The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson