The Pink Panther Theme
| "The Pink Panther Theme" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
RCA Victor | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Henry Mancini | |||
| Producer(s) | Joe Reisman | |||
| Henry Mancini singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "The Pink Panther Theme" on YouTube | ||||
"The Pink Panther Theme" is a
Overview
The tune was included on the film's
Various recordings of the composition appeared in the opening credits of all
"The Pink Panther Theme", composed in the key of E minor, is unusual for Mancini's extensive use of chromaticism.
In his autobiography Did They Mention the Music?, Mancini talked about how he composed the theme music:
I told [the animators] that I would give them a tempo they could animate to, so that any time there were striking motions, someone getting hit, I could score to it.
[The animators] finished the sequence and I looked at it. All the accents in the music were timed to actions on the screen.
I had a specific saxophone player in mind—Plas Johnson. I nearly always precast my players and write for them and around them, and Plas had the sound and the style I wanted.[1]
Personnel
- Plas Johnson – tenor saxophone
- Ronny Lang, Ted Nash– flute, saxophones
- Frank Beach, Conrad Gozzo, Jack Sheldon, Ray Triscari – trumpets
- Karl DeKarske, Dick Nash, Jimmy Priddy – trombones
- John Halliburton – bass trombone
- Al Hendrickson – guitar
- Larry Bunker, Frank Flynn – vibes and percussion
- Jimmy Rowles – piano
- Rolly Bundock – bass
- Shelly Manne – drums
- Pete Jolly – accordion
- Ramon Rivera – congas, percussion[2]
Other versions
From 1976 to 1991, the theme served as the think music for Safe Crackers, a
In the 1978 film Revenge of the Pink Panther, the theme—and much of the soundtrack from this entry in the series—drew heavily from the disco sound of the late 1970s. The theme itself was reworked to include a dancier bassline, electric keyboard, and a guitar solo. A similar treatment was given to 1983's Curse of the Pink Panther, where the music featured considerably more synthesized elements.
The theme was used in John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola's live version of Chick Corea's "Short Tales of the Black Forest", from the 1981 album Friday Night in San Francisco.[3]
In the 1993 film
Actresses Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz, along with Los Angeles–based entertainers The Pussycat Dolls, danced to the theme in their film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003).
Christophe Beck rearranged the music for various uses in the 2006 reboot and its sequel, The Pink Panther 2—DJ Paul Oakenfold remixed the theme song for the 2006 film. Mancini is given a posthumous credit in the opening titles for the theme.
The theme was featured in the film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004).
A rearranged guitar version of Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme", composed by David Ricard, was used for the short-lived Pink Panther and Pals series in 2010.
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[4] Mastertone |
Gold | 500,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Did They Mention the Music?, Henry Mancini with Gene Lees, Published by Contemporary Books, Inc., 1989, page 141.
- ^ "Henry Mancini – The Pink Panther". Discogs. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ Greenberg, Donna (2002-11-18). "John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco DeLucia: Friday Night in San Francisco". Allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
- ^ "American single certifications – Henry Mancini – Pink Panther Theme". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
