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Calendar Events / Announcements '16 II / Re: Halloween in Hollywood
« on: November 01, 2016, 04:31:19 PM »
Make that BOB Cobert, and he made us practice calling him that. He made a 3 hour trek to get there from his home in Palm Desert and so far this event is still running on time! Pierson said his score for Curtis’ The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde would debut next month (and not at this Fest as announced in Shadowgram).
“Don’t get to be 92,” Cobert said after slowly getting into his chair. “It’s a pain in the ass.”
Question: How did he make such fantastic music on a small budget? He said he used midgets, then that he hoped there were no midgets there. [sigh] Then, “I’m a genius.” Finally, he said that while the show had a small budget, he didn’t. He used anywhere from a small orchestra-- 5 or 6 musicians-- on up to 45 to 50 piece orchestras. Then he joked that nah, he’d hire a kid for $9 and head to his penthouse on Park Ave.
How much time was he given to compose music for the show? He wasn’t backstage five days a week; he’d compose libraries, and Sybil Weinberger, who WAS at the studio every day, had his entire library to decide from. He never had to write something overnight for the show. He heard ahead that a vampire was coming onto the show, and within a couple of weeks he had a couple of hours of vampire music for the show to use. Sybil was the one that had DC sitting behind her in the booth; “she had to live through all that,” he said.
Quentin’s Theme? Dan Curtis said he had a new spook coming. Cobert was called in and asked to come up with music for Quentin’s Theme, as Curtis was already calling it-- something from the 1885/1890 period. He knew Curtis’ need for instant gratification and said he had something and began to hum it for him (and also for us). Curtis: “It’s f**king fantastic. I love it.” But it did sound a little familiar to him, and Cobert told him it’s because he’d written it for Jekyll & Hyde. “And the rest is history,” he said.
When did Cobert meet DC? He was working for David Susskind, and Bob Costello was associated with the same show. During Father’s Day at the Manhattan School where both men had kids, Costello asked if he had time for another show (in addition to the five he was already working on). He was brought in and clicked with Curtis immediately. Cobert thought the idea for Dark Shadows smelled like a hit and he liked the nuthead. He told Curtis that the theme would have to come to him as he had to get the feel for the show. While shaving, it did and he later whistled it for Curtis (though not for us because he can’t whistle anymore). “I f**kin love it,” Curtis told him. The following day, he brought in 6 musicians to play it for him. All Curtis had done previously, he explained, was a golf show, so he told Curtis “would you go sit in the control room and shut the f**k up?” After hearing it, Curtis told him, “You’re the greatest f**king composer in the whole f**king world.” What do you really think?, Cobert said about that.
Did the DS theme really utilize a theremin? “Does anybody give a shit?” Cobert responded. [I'm asking myself the same question as I type this whole writeup.] The answer is no, not for the theme. It was a specially built Yamaha piano with a synth string on the end of it. Dick Hyman was the pianist. It was spooky on top, and the bass flute (3 octaves down) was what gave it the balls… the juice. There was a bass player, a harpist, a vibraphone player. The theme, at that point, had not been written down.
A fan mentioned seeing a clip of Cobert on the set during filming of the 1991 series. The ’91 series, Cobert explained, is not a library; it was done like a real movie. The music had to be spotted frame by frame, word by word by himself, the music editor, and DC. For the ’91 series, he had only 2 or 3 days to compose, orchestrate, and get it recorded. “I was killing myself.”
A fan said he often hums Cobert’s theme used on Password when he sees others changing seats. Cobert acknowledged that he wrote that.
A stage musical of DS? There was talk of one but nothing ever happened. Money changed hands but it just fell apart. Now it’ll never happen, he said, because DC was the only one who knew how to handle Dark Shadows.
His favorite work? The Winds of War and War and Remembrance.
Why use London Bridge for Sara Collins instead of something new? “I don’t have the vaguest idea.” Actually, they called in Dan Curtis and London Bridge was what he wanted.
Was Dick Hyman involved with Star Trek as well? “I have no idea.” Using the piano for the theme was Cobert’s idea but Hyman contributed a lot.
The final question was from a pleasant fan named Jane, but before she could ask it, Cobert began a one-way conversation that went something like this: “What’s your phone number? Okay, after the show. Let me tell you something… shut the hell up… I’m 92, don’t expect a whole lot. Now what was your stupid question?” Finally, “What was your question?” The poor thing handled it quite well and got her question out about DS ringtones. As if it had never happened, he answered that he’s been bringing the subject up to Pierson since ringtones first came out. He said to call Jim and he’ll tell you. David Selby could make a penny, he added. (Jane was okay, and things were smoothed over later at Cobert’s autograph table.)
“Don’t get to be 92,” Cobert said after slowly getting into his chair. “It’s a pain in the ass.”
Question: How did he make such fantastic music on a small budget? He said he used midgets, then that he hoped there were no midgets there. [sigh] Then, “I’m a genius.” Finally, he said that while the show had a small budget, he didn’t. He used anywhere from a small orchestra-- 5 or 6 musicians-- on up to 45 to 50 piece orchestras. Then he joked that nah, he’d hire a kid for $9 and head to his penthouse on Park Ave.
How much time was he given to compose music for the show? He wasn’t backstage five days a week; he’d compose libraries, and Sybil Weinberger, who WAS at the studio every day, had his entire library to decide from. He never had to write something overnight for the show. He heard ahead that a vampire was coming onto the show, and within a couple of weeks he had a couple of hours of vampire music for the show to use. Sybil was the one that had DC sitting behind her in the booth; “she had to live through all that,” he said.
Quentin’s Theme? Dan Curtis said he had a new spook coming. Cobert was called in and asked to come up with music for Quentin’s Theme, as Curtis was already calling it-- something from the 1885/1890 period. He knew Curtis’ need for instant gratification and said he had something and began to hum it for him (and also for us). Curtis: “It’s f**king fantastic. I love it.” But it did sound a little familiar to him, and Cobert told him it’s because he’d written it for Jekyll & Hyde. “And the rest is history,” he said.
When did Cobert meet DC? He was working for David Susskind, and Bob Costello was associated with the same show. During Father’s Day at the Manhattan School where both men had kids, Costello asked if he had time for another show (in addition to the five he was already working on). He was brought in and clicked with Curtis immediately. Cobert thought the idea for Dark Shadows smelled like a hit and he liked the nuthead. He told Curtis that the theme would have to come to him as he had to get the feel for the show. While shaving, it did and he later whistled it for Curtis (though not for us because he can’t whistle anymore). “I f**kin love it,” Curtis told him. The following day, he brought in 6 musicians to play it for him. All Curtis had done previously, he explained, was a golf show, so he told Curtis “would you go sit in the control room and shut the f**k up?” After hearing it, Curtis told him, “You’re the greatest f**king composer in the whole f**king world.” What do you really think?, Cobert said about that.
Did the DS theme really utilize a theremin? “Does anybody give a shit?” Cobert responded. [I'm asking myself the same question as I type this whole writeup.] The answer is no, not for the theme. It was a specially built Yamaha piano with a synth string on the end of it. Dick Hyman was the pianist. It was spooky on top, and the bass flute (3 octaves down) was what gave it the balls… the juice. There was a bass player, a harpist, a vibraphone player. The theme, at that point, had not been written down.
A fan mentioned seeing a clip of Cobert on the set during filming of the 1991 series. The ’91 series, Cobert explained, is not a library; it was done like a real movie. The music had to be spotted frame by frame, word by word by himself, the music editor, and DC. For the ’91 series, he had only 2 or 3 days to compose, orchestrate, and get it recorded. “I was killing myself.”
A fan said he often hums Cobert’s theme used on Password when he sees others changing seats. Cobert acknowledged that he wrote that.
A stage musical of DS? There was talk of one but nothing ever happened. Money changed hands but it just fell apart. Now it’ll never happen, he said, because DC was the only one who knew how to handle Dark Shadows.
His favorite work? The Winds of War and War and Remembrance.
Why use London Bridge for Sara Collins instead of something new? “I don’t have the vaguest idea.” Actually, they called in Dan Curtis and London Bridge was what he wanted.
Was Dick Hyman involved with Star Trek as well? “I have no idea.” Using the piano for the theme was Cobert’s idea but Hyman contributed a lot.
The final question was from a pleasant fan named Jane, but before she could ask it, Cobert began a one-way conversation that went something like this: “What’s your phone number? Okay, after the show. Let me tell you something… shut the hell up… I’m 92, don’t expect a whole lot. Now what was your stupid question?” Finally, “What was your question?” The poor thing handled it quite well and got her question out about DS ringtones. As if it had never happened, he answered that he’s been bringing the subject up to Pierson since ringtones first came out. He said to call Jim and he’ll tell you. David Selby could make a penny, he added. (Jane was okay, and things were smoothed over later at Cobert’s autograph table.)