On the record, Aug. 20
By Susan Pugh on Aug. 20, 2008
By Bradford Brady and John Maron
Q: My family and I have really been enjoying watching the Olympics. I have always wondered who wrote the famous theme music (the one with the drum opening that leads into the brass) that has become synonymous with the Olympics.
A: The widely-recognized, stately theme that most Americans associate with the Olympics is actually a piece called “Bugler’s Dream” and was written in 1958 by Noël “Leo” Leon Marius Arnaud. Born July 24, 1904, in Lyon, France, Arnaud studied music with Maurice Ravel (“Bolero”) and Vincent D’Indy before immigrating to the United States in 1931. He settled in Hollywood where he worked as a composer, arranger and orchestrator for the film industry. In 1958, he was commissioned by the famed violinist/conductor Felix Slatkin to write a piece for an album of military music called “Charge!” Arnaud responded by writing “Bugler’s Dream.” ABC was the first network to use the piece when they broadcast the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. ABC also used it for its show, “ABC’s Wide World of Sports.” It was so popular and distinctive that NBC retained the rights to use the music when it won the broadcasting rights in 1992. With the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, John Williams composed “Olympic Fanfare and Theme,” which is often played as a medley with Arnaud’s theme. Arnaud retired in 1980 to his wife’s hometown of Hamptonville, North Carolina, where he lived until his death in April 1991.
Q: I recently saw the movie “Get Smart” and it reminded of the old Toto song “99.” I’ve heard that it’s about Agent 99, and I’ve also heard that it isn’t. Which is right?
A: For many years, it has been suggested “99,” Toto’s Top 40 hit from 1980, is about “Get Smart’s” Agent 99. Rather it is based on a 1971 movie called “THX 1138.” The movie is famous for being George Lucas’ first feature-length film. In the futuristic movie, people have numbers rather than names. It is based on a short film that Lucas made while he was college student in 1967. In the video for the song, the members of Toto dress in white outfits against a white background similar to some scenes in the movie.
Q: Can you tell me about the monument on the cover of the Who’s “Who’s Next” album? What is it?
A: The “monument” is a concrete slab protruding out of the ground at the mines near Easington Colliery in northern England. Opened in 1899, the mines were the site of a massive explosion that killed over 80 men in 1951. Photographer Ethan Russell originally told the band members to act out a scene from the movie 2001 in which apes approach a mysterious monolith. During the photo shoot, Pete Townshend relieved himself on the slab thus providing the idea for what would be the photo used for the album cover. The concrete slabs are used to keep the grounds from shifting.
What’s the name of that song? Where are they now? What does that lyric mean? Send questions to or visit http://www.musicontherecord.com. Brady and Maron are freelance music writers based in Raleigh, N.C.
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