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
Released1959
RecordedIn Hollywood August 26 and 31, and Sept 4 and 29 1958
GenreJazz
Length39:52
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerSimon Rady
Henry Mancini chronology
Sousa in Stereo
(1958)
The Music from Peter Gunn
(1959)

(1960)
More Music from Peter Gunn
Cover art for the 1959 companion album, More Music from Peter Gunn
Cover art for More Music from Peter Gunn (1959)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic5/5 stars[1]

The Music from Peter Gunn is a soundtrack album to the TV series Peter Gunn, composed and conducted by Henry Mancini, and released in 1959 on RCA Victor. 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, also released on RCA Victor in 1959.

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.[2]

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".[3]

Track listings[]

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)[]

  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[]

Musicians vary from song to song, but include:[4]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[5] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ "Allmusic review".
  2. ^ Did They Mention the Music?, Henry Mancini with Gene Lees, Published by Contemporary Books, Inc., 1989, page 87
  3. ^ "The National Recording Registry 2010". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  4. ^ Adapted from booklet for 1999 Buddha Records CD reissue
  5. ^ "American album certifications – Henry Mancini – Peter Gun". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
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