Anybody know the story re: music for "Monk"

[tradivoro]

Hi, I watched some of the early shows on DVD and these had great music, a great instrumental guitar theme, loved it enough to want to learn to play it. Also loved the music during the show. Recently, I watched one of the later dvd's, and now it had some awful song at the beginning, sung by an awful singer. Turns out it was Randy Newman (why hasn't anyone told Randy Newman he can't sing, never has been able to sing, to stop singing publicly immediately if not sooner). So, I gather he's doing the scoring as well. So, does anyone know when was the transition from Jeff Beal to Randy Newman? Just curious.

[JohnnyP]

Monk is one of my wife's (and mine) favorite shows.

I believe Jeff Beal, who chimes in at Northern Sounds now and again, still writes the cues. I believe it's just the theme song that has changed.

Jeff is pretty cool and tells what he uses on the show (ie GOS, clarinet player etc.)

Sincerely,

Jonathan

[Hawkes]

This was brought up here once in the past. At the time there was a petition going to get the original theme back. Guess it didn't work though.

I signed - I really like Jeff Beal's music. In fact I have a bunch of mp3s on my HD that I got off of his page, and I listen to them quite often. I especially like his Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan music. (Very different form the Monk stuff, though).

And, Randy Newman... well, if you don't have anything nice to say...

[Garritan]

I too miss the catchy original theme song. The irony is that soon after Jeff's theme song was replaced by a the Randy Newman song, Jeff received a Prime Time Emmy Award for best main title theme for his work on MONK!

For fans of the original theme song here are some resources:

There is a MONK Theme song online petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_pe...ed.cgi?monk123

And the MONK Theme Song Debate website: http://www.geocities.com/monksongdebate/

Even the Daily News yearned for the old theme song: "What it doesn't need, by the way, is a new theme song. But it gets one this season, courtesy of a bouncy new tune by Randy Newman. I'm as big a Newman fan as you can get - but the show's original jazz-guitar theme, still heard as the closing credits roll, was perfect for the tone of "Monk." Sometimes, change isn't an improvement. It's just a change." NY Daily News Originally published on June 17, 2003

There was even an episode of Monk that centered on the replacement of a theme song.

Jeff Beal was kind enough to grace the Northern Sounds forum with an Interview a short while back and answered many questions from forum members. You can read Jeff's Interview here:
http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/...ad.php?t=14014

Jeff's website is at www.jeffbeal.com

Gary Garritan

[robgb]

Yes. Beal's music is GREAT. I urge everyone to go to his website and enjoy the material he has posted. I love his originality. No matter what style he's writing in, he has a very distinctive and quite wonderful sound.

[midphase]

I must second the dislike for Randy Newman's music and voice. With the only exception of "I Love LA" everything else sounds exactly the same and he sounds as if he hasn't blown his nose since the 70's.

I have no idea what the Pixar guys are so infatuated with!

[bluepasture24]

I have a Jeff Beal liberation cd (love the trumpet)and it's great ! have yet to hear new monk theme but I did like the old one.

[josejherring]

I have no idea what the Pixar guys are so infatuated with!

It's that fun lovin' pot smoking, beansprout eating, beatnik music those ex-Apple hippie rebels at Pixar dig.

[tradivoro]

Well, gee wilickers, I didn't know I was going to get so many responses... Well, I'm glad that I'm not alone in loving that title tune...

Johnny: I'm fast becoming a fan...

Gary: thanks for the link to for the petition and discussion on the tune, and I'll check out the Beal interview

Others: I guess I"m just going to have to buy some of Jeff's CDs...

Re-peat: Well, somebody has to like Randy Newman, otherwise, who's buying the albums... But I gotta tell you, I used to think that Randy was a genetic mutation of his family, considering his background, until I heard his scoring... I like his scoring, I've yet to hear a Randy Newman song I like, performed by him or not...

[-Ed]

Turns out it was Randy Newman (why hasn't anyone told Randy Newman he can't sing.

I like his voice. Shoot yo' mouth boi!

Ed