Talk:Peter Gunn (song)

Spy Hunter video game
I added information about the Spy Hunter video game, which features this song extensively and it was removed. I feel the information is pertinent, as it is one of the more popular uses of the song, and the song and the game have become synonymous with each other to some people. If this information is not allowed on the Peter Gunn page itself, it should at least be mentioned here. If there's no objections I will add the information back. Animedude (talk) 18:17, 31 May 2014 (UTC)


 * I agree that this information should be added back as long as a source it cited. That might be the reason it was removed from the page.LongLiveMusic (talk) 03:20, 1 June 2014 (UTC)
 * How does one go about citing that? It's in the game, and you can hear it if you play the game, but I'm not sure if that fact is documented anywhere. 162.194.216.174 (talk) 09:23, 19 June 2014 (UTC)
 * I was able to locate a reference on Gamespot's website.LongLiveMusic (talk) 07:46, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Glad to see there is an existing consensus amongst editors on this. I have just provided a cited reference.Mikalra (talk) 21:44, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

At some point, someone removed the reference to Spy Hunter. Unaware of the history, I added it back. Another user removed it, objecting to my placement of the mention in among the cover versions of the song and use of the Wikipedia page on Spy Hunter as a reference. I re-added the reference, correcting it to answer those objections. Spy Hunter is a fairly prominent video game, and to many people born in my generation, if they are unfamiliar with classic television or the work of Henri Mancini, they would recognize the music as "the theme from Spy Hunter"--the use in the game should be recognized. OP Punster (talk) 00:04, 14 August 2018 (UTC)

Music Analysis
I'd like to see a discussion by a knowledgeable musician about the composition itself. The entire song uses the same drum riff and famous bass line without a single chord change, and it is only the jazzy horns that provide color and interest.Graywriter (talk) 17:01, 24 March 2015 (UTC)


 * I'd like to see that, too -- especially in regard to whether the tune is "rock" or "jazz" or some hybrid of the two. There is a quote in the article from Mancini himself, saying "The 'Peter Gunn' title theme actually derives more from rock and roll than from jazz...." but the quote isn't supported by any evidence -- that is, by any analysis involving music theory.  (He mentions things like guitar and piano playing in unison, and the use of ostinato, but I don't think any of that makes it more of a "rock" composition than a "jazz" one.) Captain Quirk (talk) 21:08, 19 December 2015 (UTC)

,, Re: Music analysis. Since its beginning, the infobox has listed Rockabilly as the genre. A quote by Mancini himself identifies the song as Rock and roll with a Jazz tinge. I changed the entry accordingly. Tapered (talk) 06:58, 4 September 2017 (UTC)

covers
Is there a reason (other than brevity) to exclude the Monkees' version? —Tamfang (talk) 01:04, 25 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Or Emerson,_Lake_%26_Palmer_discography? --2001:A62:1541:6C01:BC:8A:7DF5:9613 (talk) 00:47, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Neither of those versions is notable. See WP:COVERSONG. GA-RT-22 (talk) 05:43, 15 August 2021 (UTC)
 * the E.L.P. version is not notable??? I know the song by their version when I was a child! Dostazas (talk) 17:03, 1 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Same here. IIRC, it was the single off of that album and got a lot of play in AOR radio stations in my market (NYC/LI). They opened their concerts with that song that year as well. Frunobulax (talk) 18:06, 2 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Knowing a song by a version as a chid is not WP:RS. Neither is "lot of play in AOR radio stations in my market"? Maybe something written down? Martinevans123 (talk) 18:28, 2 May 2024 (UTC)

A brief analysis of Henry Mancini’s original soundtrack recording of "Peter Gunn".
Characteristics of Rock and Roll:


 * The repetitive eight-to-the-bar riff played by the piano and guitar. The bass plays a simpler version of the riff with fewer notes.
 * The limited harmonic language consisting of only one chord throughout.
 * The steady 8th note drum pattern with a heavy snare drum backbeat on beats 2 and 4.
 * The “bluesy” alto sax solo has many qualities of the early rhythm and blues players such as Earl Bostic and Louis Jordan.

Characteristics of Jazz:


 * The brass parts are written in tightly-voiced four-part harmony in a shouting, big band jazz style.
 * The song is written in the key of F major, but the harmony has an F dominant seventh sound.
 * The brass is voiced as an F 9th chord but the root, the F, never appears in the four-part voicing, an example of extended chords found in jazz writing.
 * The melody is based on the blues scale and contains elements of the soul jazz style.

JaneOlds (talk) 16:31, 22 September 2017 (UTC)


 * To Whom It May Concern. This section is a sort of overflow/escape valve for the article. As original research this information can't be included in the article, but as per WP:TALK, it can be "parked" here until such time as it can be verified by some secondary source. Tapered (talk) 06:16, 4 March 2018 (UTC)

Requested move 17 July 2018

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: Not moved. Clearly no consensus to move. Other titles were proposed but failed to gain support, a new RM could put forward Peter Gunn (TV theme) if desired. (non-admin closure) &mdash; Frayæ (Talk/Spjall) 10:37, 26 July 2018 (UTC)

Peter Gunn (song) → Peter Gunn (instrumental) – or — per WP:DABSONG; most versions of the piece have no human voices. —  AjaxSmack 01:17, 17 July 2018 (UTC)


 * I have no position on this proposal. —  AjaxSmack 01:17, 17 July 2018 (UTC)


 * The article should be probably be titled Peter Gunn ( TV theme). This would provide the clarity that some have found missing. JaneOlds (talk) 01:39, 17 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Oppose not sure that instrumental and composition are really beneficial here. It has lyrics in any case. In ictu oculi (talk) 23:27, 17 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Oppose mostly per In ictu oculi. There are lyrics, even if they aren't usually used. Cf. Moanin' (song). Dekimasu よ! 00:58, 24 July 2018 (UTC)
 * How about "Peter Gunn Theme", a commonly used natural disambiguation?--Cúchullain t/ c 14:46, 25 July 2018 (UTC)
 * I support "Peter Gunn Theme" per User:Cuchullain. Evidently, this was the title of the first release.  What about other participants? —  AjaxSmack  03:38, 26 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Peter Gunn Theme makes me think the article is about one specific recording, but I could accept it if necessary. I understand that natural disambiguation is preferred, but I still don't really see a significant issue with the current title. Dekimasu よ! 05:43, 26 July 2018 (UTC)


 * The correct title of the composition is simply "Peter Gunn," not "Peter Gunn Theme," in spite of what may be found on one particular sleeve for a 45 rpm version. I've studied Mancini and his music for close to 60 years and have numerous LPs and CDs containing the composition, as well as Mancini's orchestration book Sounds and Scores and his autobiography "Did They Mention the Music". The word "theme" is descriptive and not part of the correct title. I strongly urge everyone to seriously consider my proposal of Peter Gunn (TV theme) as this preserves the correct title and clearly shows its function in the TV show. JaneOlds (talk) 05:51, 26 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Indeed, that is clearly wrong. And per below In ictu oculi (talk) 08:09, 26 July 2018 (UTC)
 * In ictu oculi, while we're on the subject, can we do something about Milestones (instrumental composition) and Impressions (instrumental composition) that were the result of bold moves some years ago? Those aren't what WP:SONGDAB asks for, and either one of the two disambiguators is sufficient for disambiguation. Dekimasu よ! 10:04, 26 July 2018 (UTC)


 * Oppose. I cannot imagine how WP:DABSONG allegedly supports this move. There's no need for a song to have words (nearly all do, admittedly, but see scatting, and note that it is a form of singing). Love is Blue is a song, and the fact that most English speakers know it as an instrumental doesn't change that. If we needed to disambiguate, we'd call it a song, and we should do the same here, to make the title as a whole as recognizable as possible. Andrewa (talk) 07:05, 26 July 2018 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Blues Brothers
Can someone show me a citation or link an article here as to the release of Peter Gunn & Think as a medley by the Blues Brothers? I know that those two songs were on the movie soundtrack, but they're not even next to each other in the track list. Peter Gunn was the second track and Think was the seventh.

Perhaps this was a single (A & B sides) but I can't see them as a "medley". The Blues Brother page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blues_Brothers#Singles) only shows that they ever released five singles, and Peter Gunn/Think is not listed. Thank you in advance. FiggazWithAttitude (talk) 20:45, 15 October 2018 (UTC)

Emmy Winner?
I checked the Emmy website to verify this. The Peter Gunn song was nominated for an Emmy for BEST MUSICAL CONTRIBUTION TO A TELEVISION PROGRAM - 1959. It lost to An Evening with Fred Astaire with David Rose winning the Emmy. I checked the other music categories but did not find it in any others. Unless someone has information that says otherwise I believe a correction is warranted. Here is the source link. https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1959/outstanding-original-music-and-lyrics CLOaker2 (talk) 09:17, 18 November 2023 (UTC)