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The Music from Peter Gunn

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The Music from Peter Gunn
The album cover for the soundtrack album "The Music from Peter Gunn"
Soundtrack album by
Henry Mancini
ReleasedJanuary 1959
RecordedAugust 26, 31, and September 4, 29, 1958
StudioRadio Recorders (Hollywood)[1]
Genres
Length39:52
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerSimon Rady
Henry Mancini chronology
Sousa in Stereo
(1958)		 The Music from Peter Gunn
(1959)		 The Mancini Touch
(1959)
More Music from Peter Gunn
Cover art for More Music from Peter Gunn (1959)
Soundtrack album by
Henry Mancini
Released1959
StudioRCA Music Center of the World (Hollywood)[1]
GenreJazz
Length49:01
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerDick Peirce
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllmusicStarStarStarStarStar[3]

The Music from Peter Gunn is a soundtrack album to the TV series Peter Gunn, composed and conducted by Henry Mancini, and released in January 1959 by RCA Victor (LPM/LSP-1956). It was the first album ever to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1959. The album was followed by More Music from Peter Gunn, released on RCA Victor in July 1959. In 1998, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[4]

The opening theme music is notable for its combination of jazz orchestration with a straightforward rock 'n roll beat. In his autobiography Did They Mention the Music? Mancini stated:

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.[5]

In 1977, RCA reissued The Music from Peter Gunn in the mid-priced "Pure Gold" series under catalog number ANL1-2143. RCA first reissued the album on compact disc in 1988.

The Music from Peter Gunn was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[6]

The theme from Peter Gunn has been featured in the films The Blues Brothers, Sixteen Candles, and The Lion King 1½.

Track listings

[edit]

The Music from Peter Gunn (1959) RCA Victor LPM/LSP-1956

  1. "Peter Gunn" – 2:06
  2. "Sorta Blue" – 2:57
  3. "The Brothers Go to Mother's" – 2:56
  4. "Dreamsville" – 3:51
  5. "Session at Pete's Pad" – 3:57
  6. "Soft Sounds" – 3:35
  7. "Fallout!" – 3:13
  8. "The Floater" – 3:15
  9. "Slow and Easy" – 3:04
  10. "A Profound Gass" – 3:18
  11. "Brief and Breezy" – 3:31
  12. "Not from Dixie" – 4:09

More Music from Peter Gunn (1959) RCA Victor LPM/LSP-2040

  1. "Walkin' Bass" – 4:20
  2. "Timothy" – 2:35
  3. "Joanna" – 2:39
  4. "My Manne Shelly" – 2:35
  5. "Goofin' At The Coffee House" – 4:09
  6. "Odd Ball" – 3:22
  7. "Blue Steel" – 3:39
  8. "The Little Man Theme" – 3:12
  9. "Spook!" – 2:55
  10. "A Quiet Gass" – 3:01
  11. "Lightly" – 3:21
  12. "Blues For Mother's" – 3:16

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians vary from song to song, but include:[7]

Certifications

[edit]
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[8] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Schmitt, Al; Droney, Maureen (2018). Al Schmitt - On The Record: The Magic Behind the Music. Lanham, Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 36. ISBN 9781538137666.
  2. ↑ Stanley, Bob (2022). "The Strength of Strings: Film Soundtracks". Let's Do It - The Birth of Pop Music: A History. New York: Pegasus Books. p. 539.
  3. ↑ "Allmusic review".
  4. ↑ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  5. ↑ Did They Mention the Music?, Henry Mancini with Gene Lees, Published by Contemporary Books, Inc., 1989, page 87
  6. ↑ "The National Recording Registry 2010". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  7. ↑ Adapted from booklet for 1999 Buddha Records CD reissue
  8. ↑ "American album certifications – Henry Mancini – Peter Gun". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 20, 2021.


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