SHADOWGRAM – THE OFFICIAL DARK SHADOWS NEWS ONLINE UPDATES
Sunday, February 23, 2020
SHADOWGRAM UPDATE # 434
BOB COBERT, “DARK SHADOWS” MUSIC COMPOSER – IN MEMORIAM
It is with great sadness that ShadowGram reports the passing of Robert “Bob” Cobert, composer of the original Dark Shadows soundtrack music. He passed away on February 19, 2020 from pneumonia at the age of 95.
Cobert’s career was characterized by its breadth and versatility. An accomplished musician, composer, musical director and arranger, Cobert distinguished himself with imaginative musical scores for film, television, theater and ballet. His work embraced jazz, classical, folk, pop, rhythm-and-blues, rock and even disco.
Few musical themes in television history are as memorable as Cobert's for the original cult 1966-71 daytime drama Dark Shadows. In addition to the scores for House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows – the 1970 and 1971 motion pictures based on the series – and the 1991 primetime mini-series revival, Cobert's genre work includes a wealth of other iconic projects with producer-director Dan Curtis such as The Strange Case of Dr. Jeykll & Mr. Hyde, The Night Stalker, Trilogy of Terror, Burnt Offerings, Dracula and Intruders. Cobert is also responsible for the sweeping soundtrack to the epic 1983 mini-series The Winds of War and was Emmy-nominated for its 1988-89 sequel, War and Remembrance, creating the largest musical score in the history of television or film.
Cobert was born October 26, 1924, in New York. As a child, he studied piano and later mastered the clarinet. He received a scholarship at the Juilliard School of Music. Cobert eventually focused on a major in composing and conducting. Later, he studied composition at Columbia University. At the end of his training, he found work in various orchestras and dance bands as a clarinet player and arranger, including gigs at the famous Stork Club. Soon, he found himself busy as a composer and orchestrator for radio and television and for experimental and documentary films.
Cobert collaborated on several pop songs in the 1950s, recorded by artists such as Freddy Martin and Frances Wayne, in addition to the folk musical Frankie And Johnny for M-G-M Records, followed by Mediterranean Suite.
Producer David Susskind’s Talent Associates and Score Productions enlisted Cobert to write a variety of television productions such as the suspense series Way Out and special presentations of The Heiress, Scarlet Pimpernel and Heaven Can Wait
Cobert also achieved great success composing a number of game show themes ranging from the original Password and the long-running $25,000/$100,000 Pyramid. His other credits include The Last Ride Of The Dalton Gang, The Love Letter, The Kansas City Massacre, Bonanza: The Next Generation, and the daytime drama The Doctors. His final score was the 2005 Showtime film Our Fathers. In his retirement, Bob composed, arranged, conducted. and recorded an all-string orchestral composition entitled Requiem For Helen in memory of his late wife.
Quentin's Theme from Dark Shadows became a major hit record in 1969, bringing Cobert a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Theme. Recorded by dozens of artists including Henry Mancini, Lawrence Welk, and Mantovani, the song earned Cobert a Special Citation of Achievement by Broadcast Music Incorporated for over 100 million radio broadcasts. The vocal version, entitled Shadows Of The Night, was introduced on the TV series by David Selby, who portrayed the haunting and tormented character of Quentin Collins. Cobert’s 1969 record album, Original Music from Dark Shadows also became a hit and remains one of the top ten best-selling television soundtracks of all time.
Cobert taught courses in composition for film at the University of Southern California Graduate School. He was preceded in death by his wife Helen, who he married in 1950 after meeting when she was a singer and he was a musician. Bob is survived by his children William, Holly, and Suzy. plus six grandchildren.
From the 1980s into the 2010s, Bob was a frequent and beloved guest at many Dark Shadows Festivals and related events. His jovial presence and creative passion will be deeply missed by his many fans.
