1st Technical Director: 15 seconds to air. Stand-by all cameras. 2nd Technical Director: Ready for slow-motion with isolated cameras. 1st Technical Director: Stand-by videotape and roll tape. 2nd Technical Director: The tape is rolling in less than 5...4...3...2...1. 1st Technical Director: Taping.
I use to get ready for bed at 14yrs, old and watch mnf, I promised myself I would do my homework at halftime, never happened and ended up loosing my privileges to have a TV in my room. Lol ,I use to love that intro song, k.jackson and the Gifford were great announcers, there terminology to describe the plays were awesome, 54 yrs later, I still remember ty for the video
Anyone that agrees with the original commenter is a complete and utter m o r o n, and if anyone has a problem with that statement (Jim Johnson's "Protection" begins to play)...well, any questions?
Great to hear the entire theme music. It should have been released as a single. It probably would have been one of the top instrumental hits of the early 1970's!
always made sure to catch the opening music for this when I was a kid. If i didn't i had to wait until next week. no VCR's back then in households. we were lucky to have a TV.
Good music is good music. Top notch players, many of them jazz veterans, great rhythm sections, brass, etc. Keith Mansfield, Charles Fox, KPM in general. Love the hammond B3 and rhodes and clavinet too.
Probably wanted to differentiate and make (that was then this is now) a distinction between ESPN and ABC Sports amid the multi conglomerate stew mixture started when Disney was buying up whatnot back in the '90s.
Welcome to the National Football League on ABC in COLOR! Lol. This deserves a “those were the damn days.” Love it. Old-school and awesome. Funky, epic goodness.
So much better than the celebrity openings (Hank Jr., etc.). This and the second opening theme were fantastic----they should have never moved away from these great intros.
You get what you pay for... Nothing like urban myths > www.classictvsports.com/2017/11/the-myth-about-fair-hooker-comment.html < By the way Fair Hooker was a fairly decent reciever for the Browns, as Cleveland got six years out of him.
What a great post! I've always wondered who did the original theme. Many people mistakenly think it's "Heavy Action" by Johnny Pearson, but that's the later version - not the original. I just figured it was a KPM production. Charles Fox makes total sense since he did so much TV themes ("Love American Style", "Happy Days', etc.). Totally cool tune...
Though "Heavy Action" wasn't really the theme either. They'd play "Heavy Action" under Cosell's opening narration but then they'd segue into the actual theme.
Charles Fox also wrote the theme to "Love American Style" (you can kind of hear a connection to this). What surprised me was when I just found out he also wrote the music to "Killing Me Softly," the hit by Roberta Flack and, in the '90s, The Fugees.
Thank you so much for putting the wonderful video on TH-cam.com showing pictures of Monday Night Football with one of the Monday Night Theme music used for the show. Good Karma To You
NFL Monday Night Football theme from 1970 to 1975. Because of that theme music with a final seasons of those former stadiums * Dallas Cowboys - This was a final season at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in 1970 before moving to now-gone Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas (1971-2008). * Pittsburgh Steelers - This was the first season at the now-gone Three Rivers Stadium in 1970 (until 2000). * New Orleans Saints - This was the final season at the old Tulane Stadium in 1974 before moving to Louisiana Superdome (now Mercedes Benz Superdome). * Detroit Lions - This was the final season at the old Tiger Stadium in 1974 before moving to the old Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan (1975-2001).
Now the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is the Caesar's Palace Superdome...you might want to update your video. However, Mercedes-Benz sponsors the new home of the Atlanta Falcons, which replaced the old Georgia Dome.
Search "ABC Monday Night Football - 1978 Pro Bowl (New Copy)". Not sure of the title of the song, but this (and different variations of it) were used as the opening theme during that time.
It was sent to radio as a promo copy ( see it at the beginning of the video); I have a copy but its cracked a little- Thanks posting a clean copy. I dont recall Atlantic releasing it commercially. I used to use it backtime in news.
Yes...a local soul station played the long version as a backtimed song into Monday evening's 6 pm news in season. "Backtime" means starting the musical piece which is, say 2:30 long at 5:57:25 so it ends at 5:59:55-with :05 to spare for a clean station ID. At 6:00:00, up comes your net news sounder.
I've never commented on a video, but I had to for this one. For YEARS, I have been trying to find this version. As pmanis9 mentioned, when I looked for it, all I could find was "Heavy Action." Thanks, Stratman!!! P.S.- Loved the lapels on Danderoo. :)
"Heavy Action" was never the theme though. It was played under Cosell's introductory narration introducing the teams, etc. Then they'd segue to whatever theme was being used that year. Do some searching on here for late 70s and 80s MNF openings and you'll see what I mean.
@@richcarreiro9594 , I did, and Heavy Action is the theme. Also, another nickname for Rich is D i c k , which is what you are acting like in your comment.
it's odd listening to this 70s composition and hearing bits and pieces of things he would pick from it for future compositions he would bring to the table.
My mother work at a record shop in 1969 1970 I was about 9 years old when I heard this song after The Rookies. I was so exited to see this intro and the game. But I had to go to bed for School the next day. So I only could watch the first half of the game between my New York Jets and Cleveland Browns . I wish I had that song at the shop. My mother could had buy it .I just wish ABC could had save them to MNF. the best them song Monday Night Football had ever had.
@tvgator1 Not true. "Heavy Action"(a.k.a. "Superstars") was composed by Johnny Pearson in 1974, and was not purchased for use (or used) by ABC on Monday Night Football until 1978. So that was a full eight seasons into the show's run. The lead-ins and intro music varied prior to '78....for example, featuring "Leader of the Pack" by John Fiddy during the 1976 season.
So, Great Entertainment Television, Rewind TV, Antenna TV, Timeless TV, Heroes and Icons Television, and Cozi TV don't offer enough 1970s programming for you?
Used to LOVE this theme! Never knew there was a 45 record of this. This was back in the day when football was great. Now it's just an over-hyped sports program like WWE's "Sports Entertainment".
@MrCooolg, et al, did you use your fake sock puppet username/ChatGPT/AI bot accounts to give your complete and utter dumpster fire of a comment up votes?
King Bee, You've done William Devaughn proud! I still listen to "Be Thankful for What You Got". You totally knew where I was going with that comment, lol. The 70s were special.
@pmanis09 "Heavy Action" was used from nearly the beginning, but only as 'feature' music for lead-ins, meaning Cosell's voice-overs on action. THAT was a perfect combination. It now is pretty much used for everything else except the stupid, worn out (for over a decade) intro song.
I guess it was groovy for it's day.i could imagine someone coming tired from work taking his boots of opening a cold coca cola and before the game enjoying this theme.
@pmanis09 "Heavy Action" was a pre-credits tune, never the actual MNF theme song....as someone on a posting of a 1973 MNF opening said, you feel cooler just listening to this.
Roone Arledge wanted Curt Gowdy (who was a very good friend of his) to be the first announcer for Monday Night Football in 1970 when it premiered on ABC. However, NBC wouldn't let Gowdy out of his contract so Keith Jackson was hired instead.
And to think, all these years, I thought the "Bob" in Bob's Band was Bob James, for James wrote and performed a similarly football-themed song, "Touchdown," which was the title track to his 1975 album.
Charles Fox also wrote the Love American Style theme as well.Hank Williams and Faith Hill is way to much and what does that have to do with Monday Night Football.Love the original theme.
![แฉกลโกงงานวัด 2024 [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.106 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/taC5dpP3HXA/mqdefault.jpg)
1st Technical Director: 15 seconds to air. Stand-by all cameras.
2nd Technical Director: Ready for slow-motion with isolated cameras.
1st Technical Director: Stand-by videotape and roll tape.
2nd Technical Director: The tape is rolling in less than 5...4...3...2...1.
1st Technical Director: Taping.
Total Recall. Very nice.
RIP Keith Jackson. And that ends the original MNF Era announcing crew...never see another like those guys.
Amen
Except he only did it for one year till he realized college football was more exciting to announce.
@@Mrcharles.He Was A Hell of Better Than Howard Cosell
Brings back memories of the good old days
I need this to be remixed/re-corded and brought back. This is fire!!
RIP Keith Jackson the original MNF lead announcer.
I use to get ready for bed at 14yrs, old and watch mnf, I promised myself I would do my homework at halftime, never happened and ended up loosing my privileges to have a TV in my room. Lol ,I use to love that intro song, k.jackson and the Gifford were great announcers, there terminology to describe the plays were awesome, 54 yrs later, I still remember ty for the video
"Stand by all cameras..."
Ready tape....take tape! Roll 'em!
This folks is the true MNF theme song……there is nothing better…..😇
I definitely agree with at the above!
Yep first impression always the best
Anyone that agrees with the original commenter is a complete and utter m
o
r
o
n, and if anyone has a problem with that statement (Jim Johnson's "Protection" begins to play)...well, any questions?
Great to hear the entire theme music.
It should have been released as a single.
It probably would have been one of the top instrumental hits of the early 1970's!
always made sure to catch the opening music for this when I was a kid. If i didn't i had to wait until next week. no VCR's back then in households. we were lucky to have a TV.
Man that was groovy back then!
Groovy now
Recorded by Bob’s Band.
Good music is good music. Top notch players, many of them jazz veterans, great rhythm sections, brass, etc. Keith Mansfield, Charles Fox, KPM in general. Love the hammond B3 and rhodes and clavinet too.
Thanks for uploading this. I was 13. I thought it was called "Frosty."
ESPN should start and end each MNF season with the 1970 version of their open.
this was the real monday night football.
"Hi, I'm Bob! This is my band that I didn't take time to name!"
Keith Jackson, RIP
RIP Frank Gifford
Why did they ever change this classic.
So much better than the Hank Williams crap.
@@GozarianGozar because heavy action is timeless
@@Moltar_Railfan Amazingly, back-to-back timeless classics.
Because Heavy Action is better.
Splitting hairs. Both awesome
15 seconds to air, stand by all cameras, stand by videotape, stand by slo-mo. Stand by roll videotape in 5. And rotate, 4, 3, 2, 1. TAKE TAPE!
I
Feel
So
Old
Thanks for posting I may have watched this over 100 times. When football was FOOTBALL.
Too bad that when MNF celebrated their 40th anniversary ESPN didn't used this theme in tribute.
Probably wanted to differentiate and make (that was then this is now) a distinction between ESPN and ABC Sports amid the multi conglomerate stew mixture started when Disney was buying up whatnot back in the '90s.
Welcome to the National Football League on ABC in COLOR! Lol. This deserves a “those were the damn days.” Love it. Old-school and awesome. Funky, epic goodness.
Without doubt, the best opening theme music to Monday Night Football ever!
Nope, "Heavy Action" is, which is why it lasted longer...not that this song is bad, but "Heavy Action" is THE iconic Monday Night Football song.
So much better than the celebrity openings (Hank Jr., etc.). This and the second opening theme were fantastic----they should have never moved away from these great intros.
Brings back memories and anticipation of the MNF game!
WOW I never thought Id hear this again!!! I love this !!!!
thank you again stratman78! I have listened, watched and danced to this clip dozens of times! It never fails to give me a lift!
This gets me through the week thanks for posting !!!!!!!!!!
"Fair Hooker. Well, I never met one!" Dandy Don
You get what you pay for...
Nothing like urban myths > www.classictvsports.com/2017/11/the-myth-about-fair-hooker-comment.html <
By the way Fair Hooker was a fairly decent reciever for the Browns, as Cleveland got six years out of him.
Petition to bring this theme back :)
...at least for the first and last musical piece heard every season on MNF.
To Retro 64:And that exact quote won Dandy Don Meredith an Emmy.Reportdly Howard had a s***t fit when Dandy Don got the award.
No.
Gimmie this and all the others used at random each Monday Night. Best of ALL worlds.
What a great post! I've always wondered who did the original theme. Many people mistakenly think it's "Heavy Action" by Johnny Pearson, but that's the later version - not the original. I just figured it was a KPM production. Charles Fox makes total sense since he did so much TV themes ("Love American Style", "Happy Days', etc.). Totally cool tune...
Though "Heavy Action" wasn't really the theme either. They'd play "Heavy Action" under Cosell's opening narration but then they'd segue into the actual theme.
Charles Fox also wrote the theme to "Love American Style" (you can kind of hear a connection to this).
What surprised me was when I just found out he also wrote the music to "Killing Me Softly," the hit by Roberta Flack and, in the '90s, The Fugees.
You can hear his classic Wonder Woman TV theme in the Horn Stingers.
Rest In Peace:
Howard Cosell
Frank Gifford
“Dandy” Don Meredith
The only music that means mnf is on. The hype was real, the crew was extroidnary good.
Thank you so much for putting the wonderful video on TH-cam.com showing pictures of Monday Night Football with one of
the Monday Night Theme music used for the show.
Good Karma To You
NFL Monday Night Football theme from 1970 to 1975.
Because of that theme music with a final seasons of those former stadiums
* Dallas Cowboys - This was a final season at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in 1970 before moving to now-gone Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas (1971-2008).
* Pittsburgh Steelers - This was the first season at the now-gone Three Rivers Stadium in 1970 (until 2000).
* New Orleans Saints - This was the final season at the old Tulane Stadium in 1974 before moving to Louisiana Superdome (now Mercedes Benz Superdome).
* Detroit Lions - This was the final season at the old Tiger Stadium in 1974 before moving to the old Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan (1975-2001).
Now the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is the Caesar's Palace Superdome...you might want to update your video. However, Mercedes-Benz sponsors the new home of the Atlanta Falcons, which replaced the old Georgia Dome.
I'd never heard the full-length version of this great theme song! thanx 4 posting!
Absolutely AWESOME!!!! THANK YOU!!!!
Charles Fox+ABC Monday Night Football=GROOVY!
THANKS for posting this, and the excellent quality - I've been looking for it for a looooong time!
Great post!!! Thank you
by the way dude...stratman78, sweet upload. i've been rockin this on monday nights in hope of the lockout ending. thanks.
Priceless ! ! ! __ Thank You !
What happens when Wonder woman teams up with Starsky and Hutch And Jim Rockford from the Rockford files
Monday Night Football theme (1970-1975).
soooo groovy! soooo funky! can't get enough of it! thank you! wish I could have better appreciated those times when they were happening!
Search "ABC Monday Night Football - 1978 Pro Bowl (New Copy)". Not sure of the title of the song, but this (and different variations of it) were used as the opening theme during that time.
It was sent to radio as a promo copy ( see it at the beginning of the video); I have a copy but its cracked a little- Thanks posting a clean copy. I dont recall Atlantic releasing it commercially. I used to use it backtime in news.
Yes...a local soul station played the long version as a backtimed song into Monday evening's 6 pm news in season. "Backtime" means starting the musical piece which is, say 2:30 long at 5:57:25 so it ends at 5:59:55-with :05 to spare for a clean station ID. At 6:00:00, up comes your net news sounder.
I've never commented on a video, but I had to for this one. For YEARS, I have been trying to find this version. As pmanis9 mentioned, when I looked for it, all I could find was "Heavy Action." Thanks, Stratman!!!
P.S.- Loved the lapels on Danderoo. :)
That's because Heavy Action was the best MNF theme of all time!
"Heavy Action" was never the theme though. It was played under Cosell's introductory narration introducing the teams, etc. Then they'd segue to whatever theme was being used that year. Do some searching on here for late 70s and 80s MNF openings and you'll see what I mean.
@@richcarreiro9594 , I did, and Heavy Action is the theme. Also, another nickname for Rich is D
i
c
k
, which is what you are acting like in your comment.
it's odd listening to this 70s composition and hearing bits and pieces of things he would pick from it for future compositions he would bring to the table.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 dang its fire funk ... awesome
I miss the matching ABC Sports jackets, especially the canary yellow ones. (lol)
jazz and funky as o' hell !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excellent use of Peignot font in the intro.
Love is, indeed, all around.
My mother work at a record shop in 1969 1970 I was about 9 years old when I heard this song after The Rookies. I was so exited to see this intro and the game. But I had to go to bed for School the next day. So I only could watch the first half of the game between my New York Jets and Cleveland Browns . I wish I had that song at the shop. My mother could had buy it .I just wish ABC could had save them to MNF. the best them song Monday Night Football had ever had.
@pacmannick Ha! Perfect timing! Ol'Hank. Time to go retro anyway...this would be SICK!
The keyboard and those soaring horns sound so tough 👍👍👍
@tvgator1 Not true. "Heavy Action"(a.k.a. "Superstars") was composed by Johnny Pearson in 1974, and was not purchased for use (or used) by ABC on Monday Night Football until 1978. So that was a full eight seasons into the show's run. The lead-ins and intro music varied prior to '78....for example, featuring "Leader of the Pack" by John Fiddy during the 1976 season.
Awesome theme.
Very retro.
Awesome!!! Even though it is very much of its time, which only adds to its greatness. Thanks for uploading!!
We should request that tv stations put in a nostalgic TV station just for the 70s erra memories
So, Great Entertainment Television, Rewind TV, Antenna TV, Timeless TV, Heroes and Icons Television, and Cozi TV don't offer enough 1970s programming for you?
hard to imagine that Monday Night Football debuted 40 years ago.
Currently 50 years and running
@@docfrazier99 Now 52 years!! 53 season overall.
I Have the 45rpm record of this (not the promo one shown--the commercially sold one) Could never find this on any CD or mp3. Great post!
Used to LOVE this theme! Never knew there was a 45 record of this. This was back in the day when football was great. Now it's just an over-hyped sports program like WWE's "Sports Entertainment".
No it's not.
@MrCooolg, et al, did you use your fake sock puppet username/ChatGPT/AI bot accounts to give your complete and utter dumpster fire of a comment up votes?
Sounds like Kieth Emerson on the keyboards. Why do these studio musicians get no credit?
Absolutely fantastic!
Awesome...now I haven't heard that since I was 7. Miss you Howard, mostly throwing the fake bricks at you in the TV with my dad.
This is SO funky 70s!
Sansabelt- butterfly collar-platform shoe-wearin' jam music. Warm up the Eldorado.
"Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean-woo, woo..."
King Bee, You've done William Devaughn proud! I still listen to "Be Thankful for What You Got". You totally knew where I was going with that comment, lol. The 70s were special.
The only things I like about MNF now are C'mon Man, You Got Mossed, and looking at Lisa Salters
@pmanis09 "Heavy Action" was used from nearly the beginning, but only as 'feature' music for lead-ins, meaning Cosell's voice-overs on action. THAT was a perfect combination. It now is pretty much used for everything else except the stupid, worn out (for over a decade) intro song.
Great tune.
Curious this appears to have been the template for the Wonder Woman TV show theme.
R. I. P. Alex Karras
Man, those were the days! Hank Williams Jr. ruined night ball.
Yowza! Thanks!!
This is much better than the crap they use now!
You must be at least 50
Nigel Thornberry myself 49
So hard to compare library tracks like this against one another. I dig the KPM stuff so...
I guess it was groovy for it's day.i could imagine someone coming tired from work taking his boots of opening a cold coca cola and before the game enjoying this theme.
This is the only musical piece that gives life. Amén. 🤝🏈🤣🔥🔥🔥🔥🌿🌿🌿🌿❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈
Sounds a lot like the Lynda Carter "Wonder Woman" TV series intro theme in some places.
You're right ha-ha
So was NBC, if my memory serves me correct.
Turn out the ,lights ........
Howard Cosell with them CBs, Tho! 👍😎🔥😃
This music was in sharp contrast to the marching band style music NBC and CBS used for their coveraga of games.
Thank goodness ABC purchased the rights to "Heavy Action."
@pmanis09 "Heavy Action" was a pre-credits tune, never the actual MNF theme song....as someone on a posting of a 1973 MNF opening said, you feel cooler just listening to this.
I really liked Dandy Don,then I found out he was a Cowboy. Lol
Same here. I thought I have to hate him right? but I didn’t. Loved it when he sang turn out the lights
Roone Arledge wanted Curt Gowdy (who was a very good friend of his) to be the first announcer for Monday Night Football in 1970 when it premiered on ABC. However, NBC wouldn't let Gowdy out of his contract so Keith Jackson was hired instead.
Wow Happy Days, Love Boat and this? Charles Fox wrote this too? wow it seems like he wrote the themes to all the old ABC Shows.
Wonder woman comes to mind
Those funky horns
And to think, all these years, I thought the "Bob" in Bob's Band was Bob James, for
James wrote and performed a similarly football-themed song, "Touchdown," which was the title track to his 1975 album.
Which I wish somebody had used for a football theme song, jazzed up a little.
Keith Jackson’s voice *_was_* sports.
I will miss the old MNF gang. RIP Frank.
I have the stock 45. the B-Side is "Theme from Police Surgeon".
Excellent pics accompanying the music. Not enough of Fran Tarkenton, however.
Song like a song on the SNES
It does - a jazzy version.
Charles Fox also wrote the Love American Style theme as well.Hank Williams and Faith Hill is way to much and what does that have to do with Monday Night Football.Love the original theme.