Tony Palmeri's Media Rants: Ten Bold Cover Tunes Part XII: Theme From Peter Gunn Edition

Welcome to another edition of Ten Bold Cover Tunes. (See the links below for access to previous editions.).

One of the most important songs in the history of rock-and-roll is bandleader Henry Mancini's "Theme From Peter Gunn." Peter Gunn was a private-eye television series that ran from 1958-1961. Mancini won an Emmy and a few Grammy awards for the soundtrack, and the music became more memorable than the actual show.

The great Henry Mancini, known mostly for jazzy soundtracks, composed and recorded a rock classic with "Theme From Peter Gunn" in 1959

Because he was thought of mostly as a jazz composer, few in 1959 considered "Theme From Peter Gunn" to be a rock-and-roll song. Thirty years later in his 1989 autobiography, Mancini revealed the rock roots of the song:

The Peter Gunn title theme actually derives more from rock and roll than from jazz. I used guitar and piano in unison, playing what is known in music as an ostinato, which means obstinate. It was sustained throughout the piece, giving it a sinister effect, with some frightened saxophone sounds and some shouting brass. The piece has one chord throughout and a super-simple top line.

Henry Mancini's Original Theme From Peter Gunn

I believe the Theme From Peter Gunn is important in the history of rock-and-roll for three main reasons. First, it helped to establish that purely instrumental music could be included in the rock genre; the instrument only style would later proliferate in the surf era (early 1960s) and then the progressive rock era of the 1970s. Second, the song was a breath of fresh air for AM radio. By 1959, mostly because of racist pressures, radio programmers banished the early rock stars like Chuck Berry and Little Richard and replaced them with sappy "teen idol" music (think Frankie Avalon and Fabian) that did not offend bigots or parents (the bigot and the parent were often the same person). Third, Theme From Peter Gunn has some nasty horn playing that helped keep brass in the rock genre at a time when it was gradually being phased out in favor of the basic garage band guitar/bass/drum framework. To this very day rock has a kind of love/hate relationship with horns--songs like Theme From Peter Gunn helped to guarantee that brass would never completely disappear from the genre.

Covering any song, as the Ten Bold Cover Tunes series has pointed out repeatedly, is no easy task. Covering an instrumental is doubly difficult, as the "personality" of rock songs is typically thought of in terms of vocal stylings. In order to cover an instrumental successfully, the cover artist has to find a way to stay true to the melody, but bring something fresh to the effort so that listeners don't experience the aural equivalent of watching someone paint a moustache on the Mona Lisa. In other words, when covering an instrumental the danger of dishonoring the original is quite high.

Below are ten cover versions of Theme From Peter Gunn that, in my humble view, honor the original tune while bringing something fresh to it. In no particular order:

#10 Guitar Hero Version: Roy Buchanan. The late Roy Buchanan, one of the most underrated guitar players in history (his name should be mentioned along with Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, Page, and Van Halen) was known for his gritty riffs and wailing solos. Theme From Peter Gunn was the perfect vehicle for his style.

Roy Buchanan Live: Theme From Peter Gunn

#9 Progressive Rock Version: Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Keith Emerson's legendary keyboard chops were on full display when progressive rock icons ELP incorporated Theme From Peter Gunn into their set list in the late 1970s. They introduced an entirely new generation of listeners to the tune--many thought it was an ELP original.

ELP Live: Theme From Peter Gunn

#8 Soul Version: The Blues Brothers. The soundtrack to the iconic 1980 Dan Aykroyd/John Belushi Blues Brothers movie featured some of the best musicians from the Memphis Stax records label. The band recorded a version of Theme From Peter Gunn that stayed true to Mancini's original while simultaneously sounding like a Booker T & the MGs revival.

The Blues Brothers: Theme From Peter Gunn

#7 Vocal Version: Joe Jackson. Lyrics to Theme From Peter Gunn were actually added in 1965 by composers Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. The great Sarah Vaughn then did a vocal version of it in that year. I personally prefer British New Wave artist Joe Jackson's 2019 version. Not only is Joe Jackson still in great voice (he has been performing and recording since the late 1970s), but his band absolutely kicks ass in this number.

Joe Jackson Theme From Peter Gunn

#6 Disco Version: Deodato. Eumir Deodato, the Brazilian multi-instrumentalist arranger and producer, rode the disco wave with this 1976 version of Theme From Peter Gunn. It's actually one of the most fun versions of the tune ever recorded, and of course the most danceable.

Deodato: Theme From Peter Gunn

#5 Surf Version: Dick Dale. Jimi Hendrix listed Dick Dale as among his biggest influences. Listen to Dale's version of Theme From Peter Gunn and you will know why. "The father of surf guitar" brings Peter Gunn to the beach in a raucous, raunchy, memorable version of the tune.

Dick Dale: Theme From Peter Gunn

#4 Jazz Version: Dave Grusin. In terms of sheer innovation and originality, pianist/arranger Dave Grusin's version of the tune might be the best on the list. If Henry Mancini had decided to stick to his jazz roots in 1959 instead of producing a rock number, the end result might have been what Grusin came up with many years later. Truly amazing.

Dave Grusin: Theme From Peter Gunn

#3 Synth Pop Version: The Art of Noise Featuring Duane Eddy. In 1986 British synth pop group The Art of Noise brought Peter Gunn into the MTV era. They invited guitar icon Duane Eddy (who had recorded his own version of the tune in 1959) to jam it with them, and the band won a Grammy Award for their efforts.

The Art of Noise Featuring Duane Eddy: Theme From Peter Gunn Live

#2 R & B Version: King Curtis. The late King Curtis was a saxophone wrecking machine, and played on a number of classic records including Aretha Franklin's version of "Respect." His sax playing does not disappoint on Theme From Peter Gunn.

King Curtis: Theme From Peter Gunn

#1 Horniest Version: The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. I became aware of this version about 3 or 4 years ago, when I was searching online for Mancini's original version and came across Qatar's in the search results. It's really remarkable: ten horn players held together by a brilliant drummer. Great version.

The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra: Theme From Peter Gunn