Rockford Theme

[Paul]

The Rockford Files" is a 1975 instrumental by Mike Post and co-composer Pete Carpenter. The song is the theme from the American detective drama TV series The Rockford Files, starring James Garner. It appears at the opening and ending of each episode with different arrangements. Throughout the show's tenure, the theme song went through numerous evolutions, with later versions containing a distinct electric guitar bridge section played by session guitarist Dan Ferguson.[1]

The Instrumental features a blues harmonica solo, dobro guitar, an electric guitar solo heard in the bridges, plus a Minimoog synthesizer, heard in the refrains. This was one of the first popular song appearances for the synthesizer.[2]

I recently posted a question to facebook, "In one sentence, be creative and tell me why you love music so much."

I was moved by the flood of people that felt compelled to respond. The comments were all great and confirmed that I'm not alone with my love for this form of art.

The responses all shared a common theme:

"Music moves me" -KWJ, "It can be soothing to the soul" -JJC, "Transports me to a different state of mind" -DF, "It's my bridge to creativity" -YK, "Music for me is a time machine. If I want to go back in time to a different place, era, or setting I just change what I am listening to." -MG, "Music makes me come alive." -LV.

Whether I'm going out for dinner with friends, working hard at the office, cleaning my house, shopping or, of course, driving in the car...music seems to add to the ambiance and alters my mood at any given time. Music changes the soul, it motivates, it spurs creativity, it's conducive to happiness.

I love reading through the list of things to do in Rockford only to find that so many of our local sites and attractions support our local musicians and performers. They understand the importance of going above and beyond to create a special experience.

When you combine dining at Abreo with friends, then add in the Vince Chiarelli Band playing in the background, you can't help but feel chill and relaxed. Or hanging in Kryptonite's loft while listening to a story-tellers type of performance by Rockford native, Clark Kelly, it just spurs something inside of you that makes you want to dance and sing along. How romantic is dinner at Franchesco's when Harlan Jefferson performs his Jazz so smoothly? I can't list enough examples here, but one of the most unique live shows I've been to in recent, was sitting in Veteran's Memorial Hall, built in the early 1900's, listening to Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts make their magic on stage. There was so much rich Rockford culture and history around me and as I reflected on that, the songs playing just put me in a different moment for a few minutes. I wasn't thinking about any of the stresses of the day or what responsibilities I had to meet, no, I turned off to any cares and realized how fortunate I was to be sitting in such a venue gathered with many individuals full of stories and experiences. And that is why music means so much to me, it breeds collaboration, it fosters creativity, it feeds the soul, it brings people together for a common good, it opens the mind. What in the world could be better?

In the late 70s (or early 80s?), the Rockford, Illinois Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored a songwriting contest for the locals. An LP was produced, funded by Pepsi. One of the judges of the contest was Rick Nielsen (spelled "Neilson" on the back) from Cheap Trick.

Here's where I'm asking for a little help. Riley and I are going to be playing all these songs on the morning show all next week. 2 a day every morning at 5:35 during our usual musical theme week segment. We need some background on this album. Do you know anything about it? Do you know someone who was on it? Do you have a copy? There's a lot to talk about with this album and we don't want to leave any stone unturned.

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ARCHIVED TOPIC: The Rockford Files

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I know Mike Post wrote all the theme songs back in the day. I dont seem to recall much banjo in the music but then again that was the early 70s and i was about 8 years old,haha. Im thinking Doubs guesses are pretty accurate. Can you post a link to any particular episode?

I remember reading somewhere (maybe in an old bluegrass Unlimited or Muleskinner News) that Alan Munde played on the soundtrack for "The Rockford Files". Don't know if it was for a specific episode or not. Seems like it was in an article on the Country Gazette back in the mid 1970's. But I could be wrong.

Eric Ellis

I do recall that David Lindley, Jackson Brown's guitar player did the the wonderful guitar on the theme, at least I read that was the case. He also was a banjo player and won a few early contests in CA, but I'm not positive that he was the banjoist of record.

To the confusion of visiting fans, no Rovers home game can begin without this ceremonial blast of The Rockford Files theme tune. And while the seventies detective show has long escaped British fascination, it will always have a home on the Wirral and a place in the folklore of Tranmere Rovers.

The British public was still mildly fascinated by the curious world of American television in the 1980s, and The Rockford Files was syndicated on BBC One with many repeats on BBC Two. Britain only had three television channels in those days and shows developed passionate audiences far easier than today. Indeed, The Rockford Files is still occasionally repeated around the world as nostalgia for its era persists.

The theme song was composed by Pete Carpenter and Mike Post, a prolific artist who worked on similar projects for Law & Order and The-A Team, among others. It won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Segment in 1975, and was released as a single around the same time. The Rockford Files reached number ten in the American charts, where it lingered for four months. There was something extremely catchy about the song, and it obviously resonated with many people.

The common explanation is that Rovers played their home games on a Friday evening during that era, at the same time as The Rockford Files was shown on TV. Many people interpreted it as a tongue-in-cheek reminder to fans that they could have been cosy at home, watching the box with a cup of cocoa rather than freezing their tits off in the Cowshed, sipping Bovril and watching lowly Rochdale play some virtuoso stuff.

Some say that using the theme tune was a satirical jab, with Tranmere luring people to Prenton Park because they were only missing Jim Rockford on the telly. Peter Bishop, co-author of Tranmere Rovers: The Complete Record, offers a more plausible hypothesis, however.

I continued as DJ until the early eighties, when Richie took over. I lent him my vinyl copy of The Rockford Files, by Mike Post, so that he could tape it to use at the games. I still have my original vinyl copy.

The biggest threat to tradition came in 2015, however, when Rovers used an obscure piano piece called Moving Mountains before a pre-season match with Blackburn. Widespread consternation followed and the club was forced to climb down.

Ryan Ferguson is a writer, author, blogger and journalist.

His written journalism has been published by the Guardian, BBC Sport and Liverpool Echo, while his radio experience includes appearances on talkSPORT, BBC Radio Merseyside and Radio City Talk.

Ryan has been featured by MLB.com, Optimal Living Daily, and the New York Post. His work has also been cited by Wikipedia, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Wirral Globe, Wirral Council, and Last Word on Sports.

When this series first aired, there were only a few channels on the tube. There was little cable, no video rental, no cell phones, no internet, no social media, no video games. Almost everyone in my demographic watched some of The A-Team. The theme was truly part of the charm: As my little 2020 project acquired momentum, everyone wanted me to play The A-Team, for everyone has fond memories of the show.

Also for the record: The recent elevation of intellectual property with nostalgia value into outsized cinematic fantasies is a dubious proposition. The entirely forgettable The A-Team (2010) had a budget of $110 million and featured a stupendous amount of violent death onscreen (unthinkable on the original mild-mannered family show). It would have been better for all concerned to let our childhood memories fade away.

In the summer of 1984, I was eleven. For the costume contest at the Doctor Who/Star Trek convention in Chicago, I dressed as Jon Pertwee. Mary Tamm (the first Romana) was the judge and awarded me third prize.

I walked in the park for an hour with the track on loop in my headphones, trying to learn it, and the piano reduction ended up being pretty banal. Still, it was a special request from my nearest and dearest (as a girl, Sarah watched it religiously with her brother Dan) and that was certainly reason enough to give it a try.

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