Batman Theme

Infobox Single
Name =Batman Theme


Cover size =
Border =
Caption =
Artist =Neal Hefti
Album =Batman Theme and 11 Other Bat Songs
A-side =
B-side ="Batman Chase"
Released =1966
Format =7", 45rpm
Recorded =
Genre =
Length =2:16
Label =RCA Victor
Writer =Neal Hefti
Producer =
Audio sample? =
Certification =
Last single =
This single ="Batman Theme"
(1966)
Next single ="Gotham City Municipal Swing Band"
(1966)
Misc = "Batman Theme", the title theme to the 1966 "Batman" TV series was composed by Neal Hefti. The song is built around a guitar hook reminiscent of spy film scores and surf music. It has a twelve bar blues progression using only three chords until the coda. The lyrics to the theme consist of ten cries of "Batman!", which were originally thought to be sung by a female chorus; however, Adam West's book "Back to the Batcave" reveals the "voices" to actually be instrumental, rather than vocal. These ten repetitions of "Batman!" were then followed by a coda of "Na na na na Na na na na BATMAN!"

The theme was the most recorded song of 1966. In addition to Neal Hefti's original version, and the television soundtrack version by Nelson Riddle [http://www.nelsonriddlemusic.com/nr_tv.htm nelson Riddle discography] , versions were covered by The Marketts (single "Batman Theme" and album "The Batman Theme by The Marketts"), The Ventures ("The Ventures Play the "Batman" Theme", Dolton BST8042, 3/1966), Al Hirt, The Standells and actor/musician David McCallum. There were also versions by groups who seemed to exist solely for covering the song, such as "The Sensational Batboys" and "Bruce and the Robin Rockers".

The famously minimal song has been widely parodied in the decades since its debut, and remains a prominent pop-culture subject to this day. The theme has been re-recorded by dozens of artists, the most notable including Link Wray, The Who, The Kinks, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Eminem, John Zorn, Sun Ra, The Flaming Lips, Voivod, Alien Sex Fiend (as "Dynamic Duo"), Mucky Pup and The Jam. Fact|date=June 2007

The opening theme of this series can be heard at the 10th stage of the arcade game "City Connection".

Adaptations

*Jan and Dean released an entire (self-written) concept album titled "Jan and Dean Meet Batman" with a song titled "Batman".
*The song is also reminiscent of the Beatles song Taxman, from the album Revolver
*In 1966 an album called "Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale" was released featuring members of the Sun Ra Arkestra and The Blues Project [ [http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Robin-Sensational-Guitars-Dale/dp/B00005K9XU Amazon.com: Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale: Sun Ra, The Blues Project: Music ] ] , but the music has only little to do with the tune.

*In addition, artists Prince and R.E.M. used the variations of (but did not remake) the TV show theme in their work: Prince, in the song "Batdance" (which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1989 movie), and R.E.M. in a rejected song for the "Batman Returns" soundtrack, later released under the title "Winged Mammal Theme," as a "B-side" to the single "Drive." [http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=5131351&s=143441] . In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince played the theme on a piano in response to the question "What was the first song you taught yourself to play on the piano?"

*Careful listeners will notice a higher-pitched version of the tune in the theme music for the third season of "The Batman" by The Edge.

References