The Music from Peter Gunn

The Music from Peter Gunn
The Music from Peter Gunn
Soundtrack album by Henry Mancini
Released	1959
Recorded	In Hollywood August 26 and 31, and Sept 4 and 29 1958
Genre	Jazz
Length	39:52
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Simon Rady
Henry Mancini chronology
More Music from Peter Gunn
	Cover art for More Music from Peter Gunn (1959)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[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)

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

More Music from Peter Gunn (1959)[]

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

Personnel[]

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

Trumpets: Pete Candoli, Ray Linn, , Uan Rasey, Conrad Gozzo
Trombones: Dick Nash, Jimmy Priddy, Milt Bernhart, Karl DeKarske
French horns: John Graas, Vincent DeRosa, Richard Perissi, John Cave
Reeds: Ted Nash, Plas Johnson, Ronny Lang, Paul Horn, Gene Cipriano
Piano: John Williams
Guitar: Bob Bain, Al Hendrickson
Vibraphone: Victor Feldman, Larry Bunker
Bass: Rolly Bundock
Drums: Shelly Manne, Alvin Stoller, Jack Sperling

Certifications[]


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[5]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

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

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[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

[United_StatesHenry_ManciniPeter_GunalbumCertRef-5] "American album certifications – Henry Mancini – Peter Gun". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 20, 2021.

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show v t Henry Mancini
Albums	The Blues and the Beat (1960) Uniquely Mancini (1963) Our Man In Hollywood (1963) A Merry Mancini Christmas (1966) A Warm Shade of Ivory (1969)
Soundtrack albums	Peter Gunn (1959) Mr. Lucky (1960) Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) Hatari! (1962) Experiment in Terror (1963) Charade (1963) The Pink Panther (1964)
Collaboration albums	In the Pink (1984)
Songs	"Peter Gunn" "Moon River" "Baby Elephant Walk" "Charade" "Days of Wine and Roses" "The Pink Panther Theme" "Dear Heart" "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" "All His Children"
Related	Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini Sarah Vaughan Sings the Mancini Songbook Two for the Road (Dave Grusin album)

show v t Grammy Award for Album of the Year
1959–1979	The Music from Peter Gunn – Henry Mancini (1959) Come Dance with Me! – Frank Sinatra (1960) The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart – Bob Newhart (1961) Judy at Carnegie Hall – Judy Garland (1962) The First Family – Vaughn Meader (1963) The Barbra Streisand Album – Barbra Streisand (1964) Getz/Gilberto – Stan Getz & João Gilberto (1965) September of My Years – Frank Sinatra (1966) A Man and His Music – Frank Sinatra (1967) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles (1968) By the Time I Get to Phoenix – Glen Campbell (1969) Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears (1970) Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel (1971) Tapestry – Carole King (1972) The Concert for Bangladesh – George Harrison & Friends (1973) Innervisions – Stevie Wonder (1974) Fulfillingness' First Finale – Stevie Wonder (1975) Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon (1976) Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder (1977) Rumours – Fleetwood Mac (1978) Saturday Night Fever – Various Artists (1979)
1980–1999	52nd Street – Billy Joel (1980) Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross (1981) Double Fantasy – John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1982) Toto IV – Toto (1983) Thriller – Michael Jackson (1984) Can't Slow Down – Lionel Richie (1985) No Jacket Required – Phil Collins (1986) Graceland – Paul Simon (1987) The Joshua Tree – U2 (1988) Faith – George Michael (1989) Nick of Time – Bonnie Raitt (1990) Back on the Block – Quincy Jones and Various Artists (1991) Unforgettable... with Love – Natalie Cole (1992) Unplugged – Eric Clapton (1993) The Bodyguard – Whitney Houston (1994) MTV Unplugged – Tony Bennett (1995) Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette (1996) Falling into You – Celine Dion (1997) Time Out of Mind – Bob Dylan (1998) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1999)
2000–2019	Supernatural – Santana (2000) Two Against Nature – Steely Dan (2001) O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Various Artists (2002) Come Away with Me – Norah Jones (2003) Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – Outkast (2004) Genius Loves Company – Ray Charles & Various Artists (2005) How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb – U2 (2006) Taking the Long Way – Dixie Chicks (2007) River: The Joni Letters – Herbie Hancock (2008) Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (2009) Fearless – Taylor Swift (2010) The Suburbs – Arcade Fire (2011) 21 – Adele (2012) Babel – Mumford & Sons (2013) Random Access Memories – Daft Punk (2014) Morning Phase – Beck (2015) 1989 – Taylor Swift (2016) 25 – Adele (2017) 24K Magic – Bruno Mars (2018) Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (2019)
2020–present	When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish (2020) Folklore – Taylor Swift (2021)

show v t Billboard Year-End number one albums
1956–1975	1956: Calypso – Harry Belafonte 1957: Music from My Fair Lady – Original Cast 1958: Music from My Fair Lady – Original Cast 1959: The Music from Peter Gunn – Henry Mancini 1960: Music from The Sound of Music – Original Cast 1961: Camelot – Original Cast 1962: West Side Story – Soundtrack 1963: West Side Story – Soundtrack 1964: Music from Hello, Dolly! – Original Cast 1965: Mary Poppins: Original Cast Soundtrack – Soundtrack 1966: Whipped Cream & Other Delights – Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass 1967: More of the Monkees – The Monkees 1968: Are You Experienced – The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1969: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly 1970: Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel 1971: Jesus Christ Superstar – Soundtrack 1972: Harvest – Neil Young 1973: The World Is a Ghetto – War 1974: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John 1975: Greatest Hits – Elton John
1976–2000	1976: Frampton Comes Alive! – Peter Frampton 1977: Rumours – Fleetwood Mac 1978: Saturday Night Fever – Soundtrack 1979: 52nd Street – Billy Joel 1980: The Wall – Pink Floyd 1981: Hi Infidelity – REO Speedwagon 1982: Asia – Asia 1983: Thriller – Michael Jackson 1984: Thriller – Michael Jackson 1985: Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen 1986: Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston 1987: Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi 1988: Faith – George Michael 1989: Don't Be Cruel – Bobby Brown 1990: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson 1991: Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey 1992: Ropin' the Wind – Garth Brooks 1993: The Bodyguard – Soundtrack 1994: The Sign – Ace of Base 1995: Cracked Rear View – Hootie & the Blowfish 1996: Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette 1997: Spice – Spice Girls 1998: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture – James Horner 1999: Millennium – Backstreet Boys 2000: No Strings Attached – NSYNC
2001–present	2001: 1 – The Beatles 2002: The Eminem Show – Eminem 2003: Get Rich or Die Tryin' – 50 Cent 2004: Confessions – Usher 2005: The Massacre – 50 Cent 2006: Some Hearts – Carrie Underwood 2007: Daughtry – Daughtry 2008: As I Am – Alicia Keys 2009: Fearless – Taylor Swift 2010: I Dreamed a Dream – Susan Boyle 2011: 21 – Adele 2012: 21 – Adele 2013: The 20/20 Experience – Justin Timberlake 2014: Frozen – Soundtrack 2015: 1989 – Taylor Swift 2016: 25 – Adele 2017: Damn – Kendrick Lamar 2018: Reputation – Taylor Swift 2019: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish 2020: Hollywood's Bleeding – Post Malone