ATWT MUSIC HISTORY

This section was last updated on December 23, 2003.

These are some of the people who have been responsible for the music of As the World Turns over the last forty-plus years:

• Charles Paul was ATWT's organist from 1956 to 1973. Vacation substitute organists during this period included John Winters, Lee Erwin, and Billy Nalle, all accomplished and prolific soap opera organists.
• Prerecorded orchestrations replaced organ music in 1973. This new prerecorded music was composed by Charles Paul and produced by Mi-Voix. Music supervisors during this period have included his daughters Pamela Paul Dufallo and Carlina Paul Della Pietra.
• Elliot Lawrence Productions took over the music of ATWT in the Fall of 1981, soon after Mary Ellis Bunim became executive producer. Jill Diamond joined ATWT around this time as music supervisor, a position she would hold until early 1997. Music directors during the Elliot Lawrence Productions period have included Judy Fowler, Robert Bard, Jody Savin, and others.
• After Elliot Lawrence went into semi-retirement in the late-1980s, music for ATWT and other Procter and Gamble soaps was done by RTG Music. Composers associated with RTG have included John Henry, Wes Boatman, and Elliot Lawrence's son James Lawrence.
• The music directors for ATWT as of late-1998 were Gary Deinstadt and Robert Bard, and much of the background music is now done by Earl Rose, a composer 1996-1999 ATWT executive producer Felecia Minei Behr worked with on Ryan's Hope and All My Children.
• As of December 2003, 1982-1996 Music Supervisor Jill Diamond-Chastain has returned to ATWT.

ATWT Theme Music History

• Theme #1: "Theme for 'As the World Turns'"
  Composer: Charles F. Paul (ASCAP)
  Original Publisher: Emil Ascher, Inc. (ASCAP)
  Current Publisher: [unknown]
  Copyright Date: February 18, 1965. EU 867631.
  Dates of Usage: April 2, 1956-October 30, 1981 (roughly the first 6605 episodes)
  Published Sheet Music:
  Recordings:
• L P: "Original Themes from the Great Soap Operas"
  Charles Paul
  Realm Records (A division of Columbia House) 2V-8056 (1977)
• LP: "The Great Soap Opera Themes"
  The New Christy Minstrels
  Capitol SL-8076/ Springboard TVP-1011 (1976)
• LP: "Great Love Themes from Daytime Television"
  D'Arneill Pershing
  Nova LPS-00001 (1978 UK release)
• LP: "Soap Opera Favorites"
  D'Arneill Pershing
  Sine Qua Non SQN-5053 (1986)
  This is a 1986 US release of a 1978 UK Album.
• Theme 2: "Simple Melody"
  [Source of info: Craig W. Pattillo's TV Theme Soundtrack Directory, which lists it as a closing theme for ATWT during its first ten seasons (circa 1956-1966). However, the pre-1970s episodes I've viewed used Charles Paul's main theme over both the opening and the closing. Thus, "Simple Melody" is more likely to have been the mid-program station break bumper music.]
  Composer: Charles F. Paul (ASCAP)
  Original Publisher: Emil Ascher, Inc. (ASCAP)
  Current Publisher: [unknown}
  Copyright Date: [unknown}
  ASCAP Surveyed Dates of Usage: First Quarter (January to March) 1943 to Second Quarter (April to June) 1980
  Approximate Dates of Usage on ATWT: April 1956 to Spring 1980.
  Published Sheet Music:
  Recordings: none.
• Theme 3 (1961 - 1962): "As The World Turns"
  ASCAP Title Code # 310085646
  I discovered this new ATWT theme information via a recent visit to David Jackson Shields' "ClassicThemes.com" website. Mr. Shields was able to verify that the above title WAS a theme for ATWT via correspondence with publisher J. Krieg on Nov. 27, 2000; apparently this THEME was only used for one season. My guess is that this short-lived theme, which was an early attempt at a vocal theme by a daytime soap, was used for the end credits only during the 1961/62 season.
  Composers: music by Dick Charles (ASCAP) [pseudonym of Richard Charles Krieg], and lyric by Fay Tishman (ASCAP)
  Orig. Publisher: Lear Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
  2001 Publishers: Hartley Music Co. (ASCAP), of Marco Island, FL
  Copyright Date: July 30, 1962; Eu 730 389. Renewal Date: Jan. 10, 1990; RE-466-393.
  Published Sheet Music: Unknown
  Recordings:
• Theme 4: "The World Turns On and On"
  a.k.a. "As the World Turns (Theme)" [Cross-referenced title in ASCAP Database]
  Composer: Jack Cortner (ASCAP)
  Original Publisher: Elliot Music Co. (ASCAP)
  Current Publisher: Fountain Square Music (ASCAP)
  c/o Signature Sound Inc.
  West 23rd Street, Suite 902
  New York, NY 10010
  Copyright Date: 1981. Registered with Copyright Office on November 1, 1982 under PA-154-613.
  Published October 20, 1981.
  Dates of Usage: November 2, 1981 (episode #6606) to February 2, 1993 (episode #9436)
  Published Sheet Music:
  Recordings:
• LP: "Your Favorite Soap Opera Themes"
  MMR Productions. MMRP-2200 (1986)
• CD: "Themes of Our Lives"
  Hollywood TV Pops
  Intersound PCD-510 (1990)
  Re-released in 1991 on CD as "Hits of the Soaps" on First Choice FC-4522
• CD: "TV Soap Opera Themes"
  Laserlight 12-229 (1993)
• Theme 5: "As the World Turns Theme" a.k.a. "Jelinda's Theme"
  Composers: Barry DeVorzon (BMI)
  Richard Hazard (BMI)
  Publishers: Screen Gems-EMI Music, Inc. (BMI)
  Riverfront Music Publishing Co. (BMI)
  c/o Signature Sound Inc. of New York
  Copyright Date: [unknown]
  Dates of Usage on ATWT: February 3, 1993 (episode #9437) to October 29, 1999 (episode #11,122)
  Published Sheet Music:
  Recordings: None that I know of.
• Theme 6: "As the World Turns Theme (Opening Closing)
  [Misspelled AS THE WORL TURNS THEME (OPENING CLOSING) on ASCAP's "ACE on the Web" Database]
  ASCAP Title Code #: 310455764
  Writers: David Nichtern and Kevin D. Bents
  Publishers/Administrators: FOUNTAIN SQUARE MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY INC C/O SIGNATURE SOUND INC.; 71 WEST 23 STREET - SUITE 902; NEW YORK , NY, 10010.
  Phone Number: (212) 989-0011
  Dates of Usage: November 1, 1999 (episode #11,123) to July 5, 2002 (episode #11,793)
  Recordings: None that I know of.
  Published Sheet Music: Unknown
• Theme 7: New As the World Turns Theme (The actual title is, as yet, unknown.)
  Composers: David Nichtern and Jamie Lawrence
  Publisher: Fountain Square Music
  Copyright date: 2002
  Dates of usage: July 8, 2002 (episode #11,794) to present

I hope to expand on this information in future weeks by offering in-depth commentary on ATWT's music over the years. If you have any help to offer me toward that end (i.e. audio or video tapes of old episodes, especially from 1977 through 1985) please let me know by e-mail at drjackso@suffolk.lib.ny.us. Thank you.

© 1997 drjackso@suffolk.lib.ny.us

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