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41-603: MFSB , officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia 's Sigma Sound Studios . They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell , and backed up Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes , the O'Jays , the Stylistics , the Spinners , Wilson Pickett , and Billy Paul . In 1972, MFSB began recording as

82-416: A TAG Heuer stopwatch . Another recent exception is Body of Proof which has no theme song, and barely even has a title sequence. In most television series, the theme song is played during the opening sequence. One exception to this rule is Regular Show , the theme music of which is played only during its ending credits in most episodes. In lieu of its theme music, its opening sequence instead features

123-620: A brief demo song, or as long as several weeks if an album or film score is being recorded. Musicians' associations and unions often set out the remuneration terms. Some musicians may get the minimum scale rate set out by the union. Heavily in-demand session musicians may earn much more. The union rates may vary based on whether it is a music recording versus a film/television recording. While the film/television rates may be lower, there may also be residual payments to compensate them for reruns, DVD sales, streaming usage, and so on. Session musicians often have to bring their own instruments, such as in

164-501: A feature of the majority of television programs since the medium's inception. Programs have used theme music in a large variety of styles, sometimes adapted from existing tunes, and with some composed specifically for the purpose. A few have been released commercially and become popular hits. Other themes, like the music for The Young and the Restless , Days of Our Lives , and Coronation Street have become iconic mostly due to

205-659: A named act for the Philadelphia International label. " TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) ", also known as the Soul Train theme, was their second and most successful single. Released in March 1974, it peaked at number one on the US Billboard pop and R&B charts . "TSOP" was influential in establishing the disco sound. The track sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by

246-417: A national scandal when broadcaster CBC Television lost the rights to use the theme in 2008. Most television shows have specific, melodic theme music, even if just a few notes (such as the clip of music that fades in and out in the title sequence for Lost , or the pulsing sound of helicopter blades in the theme music for Airwolf ). One exception is 60 Minutes , which features only the ticking hand of

287-532: A nuanced sense of the playing styles and idioms used in different genres. For example, a sax player who mainly plays jazz needs to know the R&;B style if they are asked to improvise a solo in an R&B song. Similarly, a bass player asked to improvise a walking bassline in a rockabilly song needs to know the stock lines and cliches used in this genre. Regardless of the styles of music session musicians play, some qualities are universal: punctuality in arriving at

328-519: A part to fill a last-minute time slot. In the 1960s, Los Angeles was considered the top recording destination in the United States — consequently studios were constantly booked around the clock, and session time was highly sought after and expensive. Songs had to be recorded quickly in the fewest possible takes. In this environment, Los Angeles producers and record executives had little patience for needless expense or wasted time and depended on

369-470: A recording career for the band under their own name. MFSB albums and singles were released for the rest of the decade. MFSB recorded a cover of the Nite-Liters 's 1971 instrumental "K-Jee", which gained some popularity later when it was featured in a key scene in the film Saturday Night Fever (1977). It is also included in the soundtrack to that movie. "Sexy" (1975) was later used as a prize cue for

410-405: A sub-specialization within trumpet session players is "high note specialist." The working schedule for session musicians often depends on the terms set out by musicians' unions or associations, as these organizations typically set out rules on performance schedules (e.g., regarding the length of sessions and breaks). The length of employment may be as short as a single day, in the case of recording

451-519: A tone played on a synthesizer overlaid with a ticking sound effect. Notable is the theme for the game show The Price Is Right , reimagined as Crystal Waters 's " Come On Down " which marked the first time that lyrics were added to The Price Is Right theme song and was the first song based on a television theme song (and the first to come from a game show) to reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart on

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492-536: A wider range of musical situations, genres, and styles. Examples of "doubling" include double bass and electric bass , acoustic guitar and mandolin , piano and accordion , and saxophone and other woodwind instruments. Session musicians are used when musical skills are needed on a short-term basis. Typically, session musicians are used by recording studios to provide backing tracks for other musicians for recording sessions and live performances, recording music for advertising , film, television, and theatre . In

533-493: Is often used to introduce each segment, and the music (usually popular music of some sort) will often relate to the topic being discussed. John Batchelor is noted for his use of highly dramatic orchestral scores leading in and out of each segment of his weekly show. Many video games feature a theme song that is distinctive to the series. A popular one to date is the " Prelude Theme " from the Final Fantasy series, which

574-584: The Olympic Games ) and the theme to ESPN 's sports highlight show, SportsCenter . A notable theme that was once associated with a sport, but because of its popularity, spread network-wide was the NFL on Fox theme, which was used for Major League Baseball on Fox (2010–2019) and NASCAR on Fox (2011–2015) and Fox UFC (2012–2018) and Premier Boxing Champions (December 2018 to July/August 2019) and Jr. NBA Championships (unknown-2018) broadcasts, and

615-647: The RIAA in April 1974. MFSB formed in 1971 and disbanded in 1985, three years after Teddy Pendergrass ' car accident, which left him paralyzed. Assembled by record producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff , MFSB was the house band for their Philadelphia International Records label and originated " Philly sound " that dominated the early 1970s for the artists who recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios, including The O'Jays, The Spinners, Harold Melvin &

656-406: The title sequence , opening credits , closing credits , and in some instances at some point during the program. The purpose of a theme song is often similar to that of a leitmotif . The phrase theme song or signature tune may also be used to refer to a signature song that has become especially associated with a particular performer or dignitary, often used as they make an entrance. From

697-510: The video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas , playing on funk radio station, Bounce FM . An episode of the television series Pose named after the song aired on July 18, 2018, and the song appeared prominently in the episode. Due to a disagreement with Gamble & Huff over finances, several members of the group moved on to Salsoul Records , where they became known as the Salsoul Orchestra . Other members began performing as

738-519: The "Big Deal of the Day" on the 1980 version of Let's Make a Deal . Another popular MFSB number, "Love Is the Message", has been a favorite of dance/disco DJs since its release; countless remixes , both official and unofficial, exist of the song. On September 20, 2004, the record became among the first to be inducted into the newly formed Dance Music Hall of Fame . In October 2004, the song appeared in

779-775: The "clean" version of the MFSB name means "Mother, Father, Sister, Brother", because according to Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, despite the diversity at Philadelphia International Records, all were connected musically. This was in line with their spiritual views at the time. The "other" version was "mother-fuckin' son-of-a-bitch", an expression which was used among the musicians to compliment a person's musical prowess. Session musician Many session musicians specialize in playing common rhythm section instruments such as guitar , piano , bass , or drums . Others are specialists, and play brass , woodwinds , and strings . Many session musicians play multiple instruments, which lets them play in

820-406: The 1950s onwards, theme music, and especially theme songs also became a valuable source of additional revenue for Hollywood film studios, many of which launched their own recording arms. This period saw the beginning of more methodical cross-promotion of music and movies. One of the first big successes, which proved very influential, was the theme song for High Noon (1952). Theme music has been

861-450: The 2000s, the terms "session musician" and "studio musician" were synonymous, though in past decades, "studio musician" meant a musician associated with a single record company , recording studio or entertainment agency . Session musicians rarely achieve mainstream fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders . However, top session musicians are well-known within the music industry . Some have become publicly recognized, such as

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902-639: The Bluenotes, the Intruders , the Three Degrees , Jerry Butler , and Teddy Pendergrass . Later in the decade, the collective would become known for the hi-hat -dominated disco sounds that became popular in the late 1970s with groups such as the Trammps , First Choice , Ripple and Double Exposure . It was the 1973 release of their first album, MFSB , that put them on the map. This marked

943-523: The Day , Grandstand and The Big Match theme tunes), cricket (" Soul Limbo " by Booker T. & the M.G.'s ), motorsport (Roger Barsotti's Motor Sport and the bassline from Fleetwood Mac 's " The Chain "), tennis ( Keith Mansfield 's "Light and Tuneful"), snooker (" Drag Racer " by the Doug Wood Band), skiing ( Sam Fonteyn 's "Pop Looks Bach", the theme to Ski Sunday ) and gaelic games ("Jägerlatein" by James Last ). Themes in

984-410: The M.G.'s . The benefit of having a regular group, an approach which typified Southern soul , is that the group has much more experience playing together, which enables them to get a better sense of ensemble. Theme music Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming , television shows , video games , or films and is usually played during

1025-490: The Philly suburbs. Musicians on the session were Earl Young on drums, Bobby Eli and Dennis Harris on guitars, Jimmie Williams on bass guitar, Rikki Hicks on percussion and T G Conway on keys. Two songs have been released from that session: "Soul Recession" by Double Exposure and "There I go falling in love again" by Chiquita Green. According to the book A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul , by John A. Jackson,

1066-554: The Ritchie Family orchestra, and John Davis and the Monster Orchestra . Not to be outdone, Gamble & Huff replaced them with a new rhythm section consisting of Charles Collins on drums, Michael Foreman on bass guitar, and Dennis Harris on lead guitar. They also employed Dexter Wansel and others on MFSB's latter recordings for the label. First recommended by news anchor Jim Vance , MFSB's "My Mood" has been

1107-529: The United States that have become associated with a sport include Johnny Pearson 's " Heavy Action " (used for many years as an intro to Monday Night Football ), " Roundball Rock " (composed by John Tesh ) as the theme for the NBA on NBC during the 1990s and early 2000s, and for Fox College Hoops (from 2018–19 to present) and Jr. NBA Championships (2019–present), " Bugler's Dream " (used in ABC and NBC's coverage of

1148-587: The Wrecking Crew , the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and The Funk Brothers who worked with Motown Records . Session musicians may play in a wide range of genres or specialize in a specific genre (e.g., country music or jazz ). Some session musicians with a classical music background may focus on film score recordings. Even within a specific genre specialization, there may be even more focused sub-specializations. For example,

1189-762: The beginning of a string of instrumental hits that brought major attention to a large orchestra who laid the foundation for the Sound of Philadelphia. The line-up of musicians included Karl Chambers, Earl Young , and Norman Fearrington on drums; Norman Harris , Roland Chambers, Bobby Eli , and T. J. Tindall on guitar; Winnie Wilford and Ronnie Baker on bass; Vincent Montana Jr. on vibes , timpani , orchestra bells , chimes , percussion, arrangements and conductor, and Larry Washington on congas and bongos , Harold Ivory Williams on keyboards, plus Leon Huff and Thom Bell on keyboards and Don Renaldo on strings and horns featuring Rocco Bene on trumpet. MFSB's disco sound first hit

1230-431: The case of guitar, bass, woodwinds, and brass. It is expected that studio musicians will have well-maintained professional-tier instruments. In some cases, larger or heavier instruments may be provided by the recording studio, such as a grand piano or Hammond organ and Leslie speaker . In certain cases, a session musicians may bring some instruments or musical gear and use them with larger instruments that are provided by

1271-700: The closing theme music for the Friday 6:00 p.m. newscast on WRC-TV (NBC4), the NBC -owned television station in Washington, D.C. since 1975. MFSB's "TLC" (Tender Lovin' Care) was used for decades as the closing credits theme for the Washington, DC, version of the It's Academic quiz show recorded at WRC-TV. In 2008, some of the members appeared together on new recordings made at Bobby Eli’s Studio E/The Grooveyard in

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1312-678: The era, the two groups of musicians in Memphis, both the Memphis Boys and the musicians who backed Stax/Volt recordings, and the Funk Brothers in Detroit, who played on many Motown recordings. At the time, multi-tracking equipment, though common, was less elaborate, and instrumental backing tracks were often recorded "hot" with an ensemble playing live in the studio. Musicians had to be available "on call" when producers needed

1353-427: The service of reliable standby musicians who could be counted on to record in a variety of styles with minimal practice or takes, and deliver hits on short order. A studio band is a musical ensemble that is in the employ of a recording studio for the purpose of accompanying recording artists who are customers of the studio. The use of studio bands was more common during the 1960s with groups such Booker T. &

1394-683: The session; rhythmic and intonation precision; ability to play with good ensemble and excellent blending with the other performers; willingness to take direction from bandleaders , music directors , and music producers ; and having good musical taste in regards to choices with musical ornaments and musical phrasing . During the 1950s and 1960s, session players were usually active in local recording scenes concentrated in places such as Los Angeles , New York City , Nashville , Memphis , Detroit , and Muscle Shoals . Each local scene had its circle of "A-list" session musicians, such as The Nashville A-Team that played on numerous country and rock hits of

1435-483: The shows' respective longevities. Unlike others, these serials have not strayed from the original theme mix much, if at all, allowing them to be known by multiple generations of television viewers. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, iconic sports shows have such strong associations with their theme music that the sports themselves are synonymous with the theme tunes, such as association football (The Match of

1476-466: The spring of 1974, Philadelphia International released an instrumental track which had been recorded by the band as the theme music for the television show Soul Train as a single. The record, titled " TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) ", reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the R&B chart and the adult contemporary chart . The success of "TSOP" launched

1517-428: The studio, such as a synthesizer player, who might bring rack-mounted synth modules and connect them to the studio's MIDI controller stage piano . Similarly, if the studio has a selection of well-known bass amplifiers , and speaker cabinets, a bass player may only have to bring basses and effect units . The requirement to read different types of music notation, improvise and/or " play by ear " varies according to

1558-541: The top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts as the backing band for the O'Jays ' " Love Train " in March 1973. In 2005, drummer Keith Benson (who along with Charles Collins and Quinton Joseph, had joined the group in 1975 upon Earl Young's departure) revived the group with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s help. The lineup included himself on drums, Jimmy Williams and Stacey McGee on bass,|Dennis Harris and Barton French on guitars, Carla Benson and Michael Clark on vocals. In

1599-570: The type of recording session and the genres of music being performed. Classical musicians and many jazz and popular music musicians are expected to read music notation and do sight-reading . In jazz, rock, and many popular music genres, performers may be expected to read chord charts and improvise accompaniment and solos. In country music, performers may be expected to read Nashville Number System charts and improvise accompaniment and solos. In many traditional and folk music styles, performers are expected to be able to play by ear. Session musicians need

1640-538: The week of December 29, 2001. Radio programs with notable theme music include Just a Minute , which uses a high-speed rendition of the Minute Waltz by Frédéric Chopin ; The Archers , which has Barwick Green ; Desert Island Discs which has By the Sleepy Lagoon , and The Rush Limbaugh Show , which uses the instrumental from " My City Was Gone ." In talk radio , a different theme song

1681-538: Was regarded as the network's single theme by October 2010. CBS's longtime March Madness theme is considered one of the masterpieces of Americans sports theme music, said to deliver a euphoric feeling to many sports fans. In Canada, the soaring backbeats of the Hockey Night in Canada theme, " The Hockey Theme ", became so iconic that the piece was sometimes called Canada's second national anthem. It became something of

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