Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Disney-ABC Domestic Television, Sony Pictures Television Distribution
My heart is on a roller coaster ride with music licensing, tortured by love with limits. I've fangirled Alexandra Patsavas who has sprinkled her musical fairy all dust over my favorite tv shows and I've given props to binge watching outlets like Netflix. All should be right and peaceful in my dreamy-eyed, fangirling, pop culture kingdom. Instead, I am heartbroken, surrounded by empty boxes of chocolates and a slew of expired music licensing agreements. Innocently re-watching familiar episodes, I'm shocked to realize I no longer know all the words.
The greatest casualties of expired music licensing agreements are shows from the 80's and 90's. Unfortunately, they fell victim to a lack of foresight. They couldn't see the digital and streaming tidal wave headed towards them. Here’s some top let downs of that gross misstep – remember I warned you of the low brow:
ALIAS Season 2, Episode 5, the closing track was once Joni Mitchell’s River is now…it just doesn’t matter, it’s not Joni Mitchell. Our hero, Sydney walks in the rain after being absolutely devastated by her father. When set to Joni Mitchell, this scene once leveled me, now I’m completely detached, the arrangement doesn't match nearly as well.
21 JUMP STREET Season 3, Episode 9, the closing track was once once Blind Faith’s Can’t Find My Way Home is now an empty instrumental. I specifically looked up this episode a few month’s ago, must have been on a Johnny Depp tear. I remember the scene as hard hitting with the track, but upon finding it with the new instrumental, I hardly recognized it. In fact I kept searching for the right scene before realizing I had already passed it.
FELICITY Season 1 Episode 11, once Ella Fitzgerald’s Wishing You A Swinging Christmas, is now the Swingtips’ Santa Swings. This holidays/finals cram session episode was especially fun featuring tracks entirely from the Ella Fitzgerald album – the best damn holiday album ever (close tie is A Charlie Brown Christmas). The episode zipped and crackled to Ella’s playfully festive beats. I purchased the album immediately after watching and ever since, it has been a holiday staple at family gatherings.
I recently referenced this episode, so I had to do a little digging to reacquaint myself. I was highly disappointed to find the tracks had been replaced – no zip, no crackle – just some holiday tracks to check off the holiday box.
DAWSON’S CREEK Holy crap. This is the worse offender – yes, dear reader, I know, in many ways. The music license for – not just a mere episode or scene – the music license for the theme song expired. The Paula Cole 90’s hit, synonymous with Dawson’s Creek, I Don’t Want To Wait, is now only used in the two-part series finale. The rest of the six season series opens with a featherweight track, Run Like Mad by Jann Arden. I can't even get through the new opening credits. And I can't believe new viewers will never know the simultaneous love and torture that is Paula Cole's I Don't Want to Wait. Sure it bore it's way into my ears like a virus, but that doesn't mean it doesn't belong in lockstep with Dawson, Pacey, Joey, and Jen!
Other shows that lost their theme songs: Charmed and The Andy Griffith Show
I mean no disrespect to the artists whose tracks now replace the originals. But I'm a purist and I have memories with the original tracks. To distort those with something else, as if I wouldn’t notice, is ludicrous.
When it comes to music licensing let's take this relationship to the next level – in perpetuity. Music often provides the words we can't bring ourselves to say. Same goes for our favorite TV characters. To change the track, is to take away their words. All meaning of a scene gets evaporated and all we're left with is a pretty picture. While pictures in the 80's and 90's were pretty, I'd much rather them be accompanied by their gut wrenching, musical counterparts. Help me put down this box of chocolates and restore our friends of yore to their original music and artistic intention. Come on people, I don't want to wait.
