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Five Jays Music presents THE BIONIC WOMAN: 50TH ANNIVERSARY, featuring music composed and conducted by Joe Harnell for the 1970s cult television show, THE BIONIC WOMAN. The series was created and developed by Kenneth Johnson (THE BIONIC MAN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, V - The Original Mini-Series), starring Lindsay Wagner, Richard Anderson, Martin E. Brooks, Ford Rainey, Martha Scott, and Jennifer Darling.
THE BIONIC WOMAN: 50TH ANNIVERSARY also includes the original main title, end credit themes and two first season episode scores by composer Jerry Fielding, well known for his work on films such as THE WILD BUNCH, THE MECHANIC, THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, as well as his scores for television, such as KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER.
Also, we were fortunate enough to discover what is known as "tracking cues", material that the composers recorded specifically as a music library for the series, as well as, in some cases, "musical effects" which depict Jamie Summers in various bionic actions, a true treat for long-time fans of the series.
Joe Harnell's music is featured on Disc 1 and includes music from the episodes 'Sister Jaime' and 'Jaime And The King'. Disc 2 features music composed by Jerry Fielding for the first season episodes 'Welcome Home, Jaime, Part 2' and 'Claws'.
Born in The Bronx, New York, Joe Harnell was the son of a vaudeville performer. His professional career began early at age 14 playing piano with his father's jazz and klezmer (traditional Ashkenazi Jewish music) groups. Upon completion of a music scholarship at the University of Miami, he entered military service in 1943, joining the United States Army Air Forces where he frequently performed as a member of Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band.
During the 1950s, Harnell was as a "pianist for hire" for several major artists including Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, and Peggy Lee, with whom he became her full-time accompanist. He joined ASCAP in 1959, scoring pop hits with "Cinderella Twist" and "Funny Bunny." His arrangement of "Fly Me to the Moon" in 1963 became a major hit, winning a Grammy Award for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance."
As in-house pianist on THE DINAH SHORE CHEVY SHOW, Harnell would frequently appear on-screen during sing-along segments. After a turn as Musical Director for THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW, Harnell relocated to Hollywood for new opportunities. He soon teamed up with writer/producer Kenneth Johnson on several memorable TV projects including THE BIONIC WOMAN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, CLIFFHANGERS!, the original V mini-series, HOT PURSUIT and the pilot for ALIEN NATION (1989). Harnell also composed music for the soap opera SANTA BARBARA.
Jerry Fielding was born on June 17, 1922, in Pittsburgh. As a child, he studied trombone, clarinet, sax and piano. Given a music scholarship for gifted instrumentalists, he attended the Carnegie Institute for a short time, before an illness forced him to be bedridden for two years. Recovering from his illness, he took a job working in the pit band at Pittsburgh's Stanley Theater. He studied composition and arranging with conductor Max Adkins, who also taught Henry Mancini and Billy Strayhorn. Under Adkins' guidance, Jerry wrote arrangements for the Stanley Theater band. Adkins introduced Jerry to guitarist/swing band leader Alvino Ray. At the age of 17, Jerry left Pittsburgh for Los Angeles to join Ray's band as an arranger.
When Alvino Ray's band was drafted in the army, Jerry found work with Kay Kyser's band, becoming the chief arranger in 1945. He went on to arrange for the big bands of Claude Thornhill, Jimmie Lunceford, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, and Les Brown. Fielding also wrote extensively for radio and was eventually named musical director of THE JACK PAAR SHOW. By 1952, Fielding helmed his own jazz orchestra, which was the house band on Groucho Marx's popular television game show, YOU BET YOUR LIFE. Called to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, Fielding took the Fifth Amendment, refusing to divulge the names of any colleagues who might be suspected of 'Communism', knowing that pleading the Fifth would damage his thriving radio and television career, which it did. Fielding was blacklisted by the national television and radio networks and sought refuge in Las Vegas, where he served as musical director for acts including Abbott & Costello and Debbie Reynolds. Fielding returned to Hollywood in 1962 and at the recommendation of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, he was hired to write his first feature score for Otto Preminger's political thriller ADVISE AND CONSENT.
In 1966, he teamed with Sam Peckinpah for NOON WINE, inaugurating an often-contentious creative partnership that won Fielding Academy Award nominations for THE WILD BUNCH and STRAW DOGS. Clint Eastwood was also well served by Fielding's scores to THE ENFORCER and THE GAUNTLET. The composer responded to their hard-edged urban milieu with full-on jazz compositions that featured some of the best jazz players in the business. In 1976, Fielding received his third and final Oscar nomination for Eastwood's THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES.
Five Jays Music presents THE BIONIC WOMAN: 50TH ANNIVERSARY, on two CDs, featuring music composed by Joe Harnell and Jerry Fielding for the classic television show. The music has been mastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland.
- BSX
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