Author Topic: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff  (Read 5602 times)

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Offline penny_ante

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Did a search and it looks like no one has shared this yet, so here goes...

Podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz did an interview with Edd Kalehoff, television theme composer extraordinaire. The episode is called, "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)". In it, he explains how he was duped out of millions for the royalties of the theme.

Other takeaways:
  • He was hired directly by Mark Goodson to write the theme and other music for the show.
  • The interviewer goofs up "Spinning the Big Wheel" and "The Showcase Showdown" as not being the same thing.
  • It was Drew who asked that the theme to be redone into stereo sound.
  • Kalehoff was responsible for *all* of the sounds on the show, including the winning bells.
  • While the original '72 version was recorded with master musicians in London, the '07 remake was recorded in New York--also with live musicians.
  • Kalehoff considers the Moog to be an essential part of the theme.

There are other goodies, but I'll let you discover them yourselves.

H/T to a 2019 article on Genius.com found via Wikipedia (naturally).
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Offline pricefan18

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2020, 02:47:06 AM »
Wow, I never knew that the melody to the main theme literally can be played to/is based off the words "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)" I'll never be able to unhear it now.....lol. I can't believe I never picked up on that before.

Offline Superballer

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2020, 10:42:14 AM »
Truthfully, if one listens close enough, many classic game show themes seem to say the show's name, which makes for a nice touch.  Among those I feel do this from what I've heard of their themes: 

-Family Feud
-Tic-Tac-Dough
-Wheel of Fortune's Changing Keys theme
-Scrabble 
-Sale of the Century (roughly around the part where Jay or Don would declare the day's winner could win the car or the $50,000 in cash) 
-Lange $100,000 Name That Tune 
-80s $25,000 Pyramid 
-Eubanks/Rafferty Card Sharks 
-Martindale High Rollers 

Offline RatRace10

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2020, 10:54:25 AM »
  • The interviewer goofs up "Spinning the Big Wheel" and "The Showcase Showdown" as not being the same thing.

Like 98% of the public...  :roll:

Offline GRWHAMMY the 2nd

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2020, 11:22:57 AM »
i know some have said that thing about "saying the show's name" in interviews talking about Edd's (Nick) Double Dare theme

Offline TVC

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2020, 11:37:02 AM »
It sounds like Edd Kalehoff composed the show’s main theme under a “work for hire” arrangement with Score Productions. This gives the producer (Score Productions) control/ownership over the composition and recordings. Charles Fox had the same type of relationship with Score Productions when he composed the music package for the syndicated What’s My Line? He was paid a flat $1,000 for his work, and Score retained ownership of his creations and collected the royalties.

It would be interesting to know how much of the 1972 and 1974 Price Is Right music packages that Edd Kalehoff composed. Given the large number of distinct melodies they contain, it seems likely that multiple composers were involved.

Offline Thatgameshowguy

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2020, 11:55:49 AM »
Edd likes to hide words in his songs. Like for example the Double Dare theme. This is the second time he's confirmed there's words behind the melody.
YES! You have them all right! You win $2,500! You will putt from the closest line!

Jhc2010 putts from the closest line and WINS!!!

Congratulations! Those 2 cars are yours! Now we go to the Showcase Showdown! You will spin first. Pick a number between 1 and 20.

Offline tybuki

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2020, 12:14:07 PM »
Truthfully, if one listens close enough, many classic game show themes seem to say the show's name, which makes for a nice touch.  Among those I feel do this from what I've heard of their themes: 

-Family Feud
-80s $25,000 Pyramid 

These two I don't see.... one was composed before the show existed, the other I can't place.

Offline penny_ante

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2020, 05:26:38 PM »
i know some have said that thing about "saying the show's name" in interviews talking about Edd's (Nick) Double Dare theme

When introducing Edd Kalehoff and Jimmy Bones (guitarist) performing the Double Dare theme live on stage, Marc Summers acknowledges that the words "Double Dare" are embedded in that show's theme.

Watch, and listen, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWGg1J-LQlY. They play the newer theme of the original show, though I'm more partial to the older 1986 version.
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Offline ClockGameJohn

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #9 on: December 12, 2020, 06:28:58 PM »
  • It was Drew who asked that the theme to be redone into stereo sound.

While I certainly don't want to discredit Mr. Kalehoff, I'm certainly perplexed by this statement.  I was personally in the studio in early 2007 while Edd Kalehoff was meeting with Stan Blits to discuss a new music package for the 36th Season.

With no formal announcement of Drew's hiring until months later, I would have a hard time believing that the theme was commissioned after Drew was hired.
John

Offline pannoni1

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #10 on: December 14, 2020, 08:57:37 AM »
The big exception to hiding the lyrics of course was the 1969-78 run of To Tell The Truth.

But I wonder if indeed many of those other cues have hidden lyrics on them as well. Of course, Splendido had fan-written lyrics added to them to describe how a showcase used with this cue tends to have "nothing but furniture" (and possibly a trip).

Lange's $100,000 NTT actually did have lyrics since the same melody was used one season during the Kennedy run, with Kathie Lee Johnson (Gifford) singing the theme during the close.

I'd also add the '70s Tattletales theme to those that have the show's title in mind. Classic Supermarket Sweep also has that "lyrics in the title" feel too (especially noticeable when coming out of a commercial break). The Weakest Link's dramatic four-note stinger is another dead ringer. But my final answer to this thread is another that just seems about as obvious as the $100 question: Who (F) Wants (G) To (G-sharp) Be (F) a (G) Mill (G-sharp) ion (B-flat) aire? (C)
« Last Edit: December 14, 2020, 09:03:05 AM by pannoni1 »
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Offline Chief-O

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2020, 01:12:28 PM »
I'd also add the '70s Tattletales theme to those that have the show's title in mind.

Being the same composer around the same period, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

I'd also have to think Kalehoff's theme from the 1972 "I've Got a Secret" would apply as well. (for those of you who've seen the show, or have TVPMM memberships, I'm referring to the bumper/close theme, *not* the "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" arrangement used for the intro.)

Offline Superballer

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2020, 10:21:32 PM »
These two I don't see.... one was composed before the show existed, the other I can't place.
 


Listen to the segment of the theme we hear when the logo disappears and the set lights go up at the beginning of the show; as I've heard it from several go-rounds, it does sound roughly like the music's saying, "It's the $25,000 Pyramid/yes, the $25,000 Pyramid..." 

Offline jericho

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2021, 03:49:44 PM »
The original theme to Pyramid wasn't even written for that show.  It was from a generic production library track "Tuning Up" by Ken Aldin.  A similar song theme was later recorded exclusively for Pyramid in 1982 by Bob Cobert. 

Offline ooboh

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Re: "The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)": An interview with Edd Kalehoff
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2021, 04:00:29 PM »
Truthfully, if one listens close enough, many classic game show themes seem to say the show's name, which makes for a nice touch.  Among those I feel do this from what I've heard of their themes: 

-Family Feud
-Tic-Tac-Dough
-Wheel of Fortune's Changing Keys theme
-Scrabble 
-Sale of the Century (roughly around the part where Jay or Don would declare the day's winner could win the car or the $50,000 in cash) 
-Lange $100,000 Name That Tune 
-80s $25,000 Pyramid 
-Eubanks/Rafferty Card Sharks 
-Martindale High Rollers

More shows that come to mind are Russian Roulette and Get the Picture (Nickelodeon). The latter one seemed way to obvious to me as a kid.