Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Confusement Has Occured


What's a'popping within this medley of madness? If the idea of a bespoke title theme for an Italian airing of George & Mildred (which surely should have been titled Giorgio & Moroder) isn't brain scrambling enough - consider these points...

Was the Italian G & M a straight export version just refitted with dandy new theme?

Or more jarringly perhaps, reworked as a continental adaptation?

And are those two pictured (Abba meets Borat) the actors or singers?

How did the 'composers' get away reformatting 10CC's Dreadlock Holiday into this number without getting walloped?

Where does 'Gin and Tonic' come into it?

*Goes purple and faints from the giddy overload*

11 comments:

Keith said...

I've never heard of them before at all. Wow! Thanks for sharing that with us. I actually like it.

A Kitten in a Brandy Glass said...

The magic of Google and some very wobbly Italian language skills have enabled me to resolve this mystery.

This was the theme tune that the Italians stuck onto the original George & Mildred, after it had been dubbed into Italian. Gin & Tonic is the name of the grinning singing duo who performed it (pictured).

They are not the same people who dubbed the Italian voices of G&M, who were Anna Miserocchi and Gianfranco Bellini.

The two blokes who wrote the theme also wrote Italian theme songs for Dallas and The Dukes of Hazzard, among other things. (This sort of sticking songs onto dubbed shows, whether or not they originally had songs, is still weirdly common on European TV.)

Does that ease your mind?

Kolley Kibber said...

My mate in Madrid tells me that "Los Ropas" (Spanish dubbed version of G&M) is enormously popular right now in Spain. They don't even see it as 'dated', apparently, which may say more about Spanish sexual politics than about Yootha's enduring allure.

I'll ask him what theme tune they use!

Mondo said...

You've missed a treat Keith - I picked up a DVD of a few episodes for 99p last year and become hooked (for about a fortnight) you can catch some clips on youtube...

Kitten - you're a superstar. I was clearly too scrambled to dig deep enough. Truly amazing. I'll sleep easy tonight.

ISB - I stumbled onto the EspaƱol version while trying to find some info - and it works, it really does have a peep here..

Cocktails said...

You know, I never really associated 10cc with George and Mildred. It just doesn't quite work compared to the orginal theme does it?

Not that I'm a huge fan in the first place. Give me Man About the House anyday. Now there's a theme tune!

Mondo said...

I'm such an anthem fan Cocktails my internal ready-reckoner converts 'Man About The House' to it's real title of 'Up To Date' without missing a beat..great show.

Although this, Orson Welles/John Barry obscurity, is possibly one of the greatest themes ever ..

Orson Welles Mysteries

Cocktails said...

well, you've got one over me there. I didn't realise it HAD another name. And thanks to the old interweb I've discovered that its available on this fab compilation for a mere £70...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sound-Gallery-Vol-2/dp/B000000IAZ

Mondo said...

I've got both Sound Gallery volumes and they are wallopers (didn't realise they were that collectable though)..as are the In Flight Karminsky comps which came out around the same time..you can grab 'Man About/Up To Date' here if you don't fancy lobbing 70 earth pounds...

Although as extensive as that site is - it's still missing the Two Ronnies music - the Holy Grail of theme tunes...

Cocktails said...

Oh, that is a great site! It's got everything. Almost. No Two Ronnies and no Executive Stress (oh, there's a guilty pleasure - Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's sappy theme for a lame Penelope Keith sitcom).

That's the rest of my night gone!

Piley said...

deffo 10cc in there... weird toon tho isn't it? Sounds way too 'serious' to be the theme for a light-hearted (fairly shit) comedy doesnt it?? Not up-beat enough.

P

Mondo said...

Mad isn't P - sounds like a 'Not The Nine O Clock News' tune...have you checked that 'Los Ropers' clip out yet - you'll love it. Link is in the comms above ...