Out, Out, Damned Song!

A while ago, a friend posted on her blog some songs that came to her mind within a period of time. Naturally, one of them got stuck in my head for a good part of the day. I just read an obituary for an American TV show music composer, and there were a plethora of songs from which I could choose. Naturally, the one which stuck in my head first was the most annoying, although I'm sure they all could be after five hours.

MILWAUKEE (AP)—Will H. Schaefer, a composer whose music accompanied hit television shows such as "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Flintstones," has died. He was 78.

Schaefer died Saturday of cancer in a nursing home in Cathedral City near Palm Springs, Calif., said Danny Flahive, a family friend.

The Wisconsin-native wrote background music, which is different from theme songs, for such TV shows as "The Flying Nun," "Hogan's Heroes," "The AristoCats," "The Jetsons," "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" and "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.

He composed and recorded music for more than 700 commercials, including ads for companies such as Ford, Chevrolet and Pillsbury. He also reworked the song "It's a Small World" for Disney to give it an international flavor corresponding to different rooms in the theme park ride.

His professional accolades included three Clio Awards for his work on commercials. He also was nominated for an Emmy Award for his score to the Walt Disney TV movie "The Skytrap," and for a Pulitzer Prize for his concert piece "The Sound of America," commissioned for the 1976 bicentennial celebration.

Which TV show theme is stuck in your head?