The Pink Panther Theme

"The Pink Panther Theme"
SinglebyHenry Mancini
from the albumThe Pink Panther
Released	1963
Recorded	1963
Genre	Jazz,big band
Length	2:40
Label	RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)	Henry Mancini
Producer(s)	Joe Reisman
Henry Mancinisingles chronology
"Charade" (1963) "The Pink Panther Theme" (1963) "A Shot in the Dark" (1964)
Audio
"The Pink Panther Theme"onYouTube
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"The Pink Panther Theme"is ajazzcomposition byHenry Manciniwritten as the theme for the 1963 filmThe Pink Pantherand subsequently nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Original Scoreat the37th Academy Awardsbut lost to theSherman BrothersforMary Poppins.Theeponymous cartoon charactercreated for the film's opening credits byDavid DePatieandFriz Frelengwas animated in time to the tune. The tenor saxophone solo was played byPlas Johnson.

Overview

The tune was included on the film'ssoundtrack album(originally issued as RCA Victor LPM/LSP-2795) and available as asingle(in the United States) in 1964; the single reached the Top 10 on the U.S.Billboardadult contemporary chartand won threeGrammy Awards.

Various recordings of the composition appeared in the opening credits of allThe Pink Pantherfilms exceptA Shot in the DarkandInspector Clouseau.It has also been used in theatrical shorts, television cartoons, commercials and other works in which the animated Pink Panther appears.

"The Pink Panther Theme" is composed in the key ofE minor,temporarily moves to the key of G minor for abridge,and finishes back in the original key.

In his autobiographyDid They Mention the Music?,Mancini talked about how he composed the theme music:

I told [the animators] that I would give them a tempo they could animate to, so that any time there were striking motions, someone getting hit, I could score to it.

[The animators] finished the sequence and I looked at it. All the accents in the music were timed to actions on the screen.

I had a specific saxophone player in mind—Plas Johnson. I nearly always precast my players and write for them and around them, and Plas had the sound and the style I wanted.

Personnel

• Plas Johnson– tenor saxophone
• Gene Cipriano,Harry Klee,Ronny Lang,Ted Nash– flute, saxophones
• Frank Beach,Conrad Gozzo,Jack Sheldon,Ray Triscari – trumpets
• Karl DeKarske,Dick Nash,Jimmy Priddy – trombones
• John Halliburton – bass trombone
• Al Hendrickson– guitar
• Larry Bunker,Frank Flynn– vibes and percussion
• Jimmy Rowles– piano
• Rolly Bundock – bass
• Shelly Manne– drums
• Pete Jolly– accordion
• Ramon Rivera– congas, percussion

Other versions

From 1976 to 1991, the theme served as the think music forSafe Crackers,apricing gamefeatured on the American game showThe Price Is Right.

In the 1978 filmRevenge of the Pink Panther,the theme—and much of the soundtrack from this entry in the series—drew heavily from thediscosound of the late 1970s. The theme itself was reworked to include a dancier bassline, electric keyboard, and a guitar solo. A similar treatment was given to 1983'sCurse of the Pink Panther,where the music featured considerably more synthesized elements.

The theme was used inJohn McLaughlinandAl Di Meola'slive version ofChick Corea's "Short Tales of the Black Forest", from the 1981 albumFriday Night in San Francisco.

In the 1993 filmSon of the Pink Panther,the theme was rearranged and performed byBobby McFerrinin the opening titles, the only version of the theme to be performed ina cappellastyle. The credits featured the theme in the traditional style, similar to its appearance inReturn of the Pink Panther,with an electric keyboard bassline.

ActressesDrew Barrymore,Lucy LiuandCameron Diaz,along with Los Angeles–based entertainersThe Pussycat Dolls,danced to the theme in their filmCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle(2003).

Christophe Beckrearranged the music for various uses inthe 2006 rebootand its sequel,The Pink Panther 2—DJPaul Oakenfoldremixed the theme song for the 2006 film. Mancini is given a posthumous credit in the opening titles for the theme.

The theme was featured in the filmThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers(2004).

A rearranged guitar version of Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme", composed by David Ricard, was used for the short-livedPink Panther and Palsseries in 2010.

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) Mastertone	Gold	500,000*
*Sales figures based on certification alone.