RIP Neil Hefti, composer of the Batman TV series theme

And a lot more besides. LA Times story here.

a genius. rest in peace.

I like that the story of the theme tune is that it was difficult and arduous and terrible and impossible and almost didn't happen. Somebody make a movie.

It was the lyrics of the Batman theme song that really gave him trouble. Finally, it came to him in a dream:

BATMAN!
BATMAN!
BATMAN!
BATMAN!

BATMAN!
BATMAN!
BATMAN!

BATMAN!
BATMAN!
BATMAN!
NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA!

BATMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

In all seriousness, though, RIP. I loved that song when I was a kid and I love it just as much if not more now. The Batman song used to make run around the house in pandemonium.

i played like a million neil hefti charts in high school jazz band

college too. he did those 'atomic basie' tunes? fuck batman, he's a genius for real.

The new drummer of the band I used to be in is his grandson. RIP.

Yeah, agreed - "Li'l Darlin'"

No! Boo! RIP.

Also, NEAL. I thought so.

Yeah yeah whatever. Uh.

I sold Martin M. my Neal Hefti CD when I moved. It was all Batman stuff. There was a chase theme which was the same as the main theme but FASTER.

:-( RIP

Dude wrote some great big band tunes. Search "Cute"

:( :( :(

Aside, his soundtrack to the Synanon movie is worth seeking out

http://www.oldtownrecords.com/catalog/047d_1_429_1.JPG

I've got this one on vinyl:

http://bp1.blogger.com/_PRD4IKePTlY/SCC8qHRzDUI/AAAAAAAAB1k/Z6DApkp7_L8/s400/Count+Basie+-+Basie+Plays+Hefti.jpg

I like the soundtrack he did for the western Duel at Diablo. Distorted electric guitars in the Old West; can't beat that.

Odd Couple theme > Batman

I can't quite figure if he's taking the piss here:

"Batman," he said, "was not a comedy. This was about unreal people. Batman and Robin were both very, very serious. The bad guys would be chasing them, and they would come to a stop at a red light, you know. They wouldn't break the law even to save their own lives. So there was a grimness and a self-righteousness about all this."

Hey hey guys, how does Batman's Mum call him in for his tea when he's out playing footie in the back garden?

"DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER BATMAN!!!"!!!!

lol Bruce Wayne footie

plz post Odd Couple lyrics (real)

batman's mum is dead

i played like a million neil hefti charts in high school jazz band

― Jordan, Tuesday, October 14, 2008 7:30 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

college too. he did those 'atomic basie' tunes? fuck batman, he's a genius for real.

― Jordan, Tuesday, October 14, 2008 7:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

otm me too

RIP. First Earl Palmer, then Neal Hefti. I wonder who will be the third man associated with the Odd Couple theme song to pass?

*shhhh Klugman*

lyrics by Sammy Cahn!

No matter where they go
They are known as the couple.
They're never seen alone
So they're known as the couple.

As I've indicated
They are never quite separated,
They are peas in a pod.
Don't you think that it's odd.

Their habits, I confess
None can guess with the couple.
If one says no it's yes
more or less, with the couple.

But they're laugh provoking;
Yet they really don't know they're joking.
Don't you find
When love is blind
It's kind of odd.

There's a funny story about Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne writing "High Hopes" in They're Playing Our Song by Max Wilk.

Sometimes I thought I was hallucinating those lyrics.

are those lyrics heard in the film? I think I heard em once on a Muzak station my mom would listen to.

long blog post about him at jazz.com

If there is any song that has ever been scat-sung by me for over one hundred hours (throughout the course of my life), that song would be ODD COUPLE THEME. And also it also is.

Somewhere on the web I saw something about the chart for "Batman" reading "Word and Music by Neil Hefti"

Pardon My Doo-Wah from 1954 is !!!