In this web exclusive, singer-songwriter Sonny Curtis tells "Sunday Morning" correspondent Mo Rocca how the assignment for one of his most memorable tunes - the theme to the classic sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" - came to be.
One of the best TV theme songs ever written and sung. Hearing it now conjures up such emotion and nostalgia for a time that seems light years away. The world has changed so much since Mary and the gang navigated their way through the daily grind.
Last night I was binge watching the MTM Show on Me TV's tribute to Betty White and this was the first thing that I saw when I got up this morning. What a wonderful way to start the day!
That was one of the more memorable t.v. theme songs out there. Theme songs are more important to the success of a television show than most people realize. They either prepare you for a nice and comfortable 30- or 60-minute break from reality or they want to make you change the channel.
Met Sonny a few times in the UK as a fan watching him performing with “The Crickets”❤ I consider Sonny, John Phillips, and Brian Wilson to be the best pop song writers in the world.
I think sometimes we don't realize how important theme songs and opening credits designs are to setting the tone of a TV show or movie. Especially TV shows because they tend to be only 20 some minutes long. This intro was one of the best ever. It gave the viewer a lot of background for the character in 30 seconds...and...it just makes you feel damn good watching it! It's simply amazing how many great pop songs have been written for TV.
To women and men alike. And as a 52 year old man, I need this song as a pick me upper. It reminds of me when i was very small and seeing the images of this lovely lady and her world and the song just makes you feel happy.
Yes, four of the cast passes in 2021, all in their 90's: Cloris Leachman 94 (January), Gavin MacLeod 90 (May), Ed Asner 91 (August), Betty White 99 (December). God rest their Souls.
Probably the best theme song for a TV show ever (although there are some justified contenders out there!). This song and this show spoke to me somehow and helped me eventually accept who I was and what I was meant to be. Bravo Sonny Curtis, you're one of my musical heroes.
I remember going up to Sonny's room with some friends in Dubuque, Iowa after the Crickets were the opening act for a Waylon Jennnings concert. We kind of surprised him as he was in his shorts, talking to his wife. He excused himself from her saying "honey I have some friends here and will call you back later." We went down to the bar and had a drink and nice conversation. They opened with the theme song to MTM and dumb me asked why he sang that song?? "Because I wrote it" Will never forget. Thanks for the memory Sonny
Q: Opening with “how will you make it?” adds doubt into the equation. A: Yeah, it's doubtful. And at the very end, when it says, “Love is all around, no need to waste it/ You can have the town, why don't you take it,” on the first season it ends, ‘You might just make it after all.' And for the second season we changed that to, ‘You're gonna make it after all.' ” Q: It's much more hopeful. A: Yeah, because she's made it.
It brings tears to my eyes hearing this. I watched both this show and Bob Newhart as a young kid (age 7 to age 14) with my parents, and loved the humor in both shows. Hearing this song brought some special memories back, as they are both gone now.
Reporter didn't question about him changing the lyrics from "You might just make it after all" to " "You're gonna make it after all". I caught that as a kid.
Note to post boomers: The "Meow" sound was emulating the MTM logo with the kitten inside of it at the end of the show, which popped up after the final credits rolled as the song played. The MTM logo itself had essentially parodied the MGM logo (of Metro Goldwyn Meyer Studios), which had a lion roaring in the logo.
Which version of the first line of the song did you love more? Season 1: "How will you make it on your own?" OR Seasons 2-7: "Who can turn the world on with her smile?"
Great TV theme song & fun to harmonize with. Figures Sonny Curtis also wrote The Everly Bros hit Walk Right Back. He also wrote I Fought The Law, recorded by Bobby Fuller Four & The Clash & if that's not enough, he was also a member of Buddy Holly's band The Crickets, no less.
Posting 5-9-23. Another song Sonny Curtis wrote was Leo Sayer's "More than I can Say." Happy 86th birthday, Mr. Curtis, and if you don't have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it would be well worth considering, IMHO.
Don't forget this man was also the guitarist on the blue days Black nights record I'm 21 years old Sonny Curtis is one of my favorite guitar players besides Luther Perkins Chet Atkins and Buddy Holly and Robert Johnson
The greatest TV theme song ever! All of season's versions are excellent but the first season's is the most special thanks to the amazing keyboard intro.
I had the same sentiment after sge played tgat brooding horror of a mother in " Ordinary People" and then lter I realized what a damn fine job of acting it took to elicit that reaction!! She was supurb!
