In the 60s through the mid-70s, TV theme songs we’re often used to provide a backstory to the show so new viewers could get a handle on what the circumstances surrounding the characters were that led them to wind up on–er–TV. Actually, these storyline themes also gave regular viewers a little comfort food handle on the “why” of the show they enjoyed watching. Often, these songs were considerably better than the show–I can’t tell you anything about ‘F Troop’ (other than Larry Storch was in it) but I can sing you the whole intricate opening lyric describing the absurd set-up of the show. Anyway, I thought a little survey of this pop TV phenomenon might be a relaxing sort of experience for this already oddly unrelaxing week (if you’re foolish enough to watch the news that is…which I am). Enjoy the opening theme to ‘The Partridge Family’, an admirably succinct rendering of the circumstances that led Mother Partridge (Shirley Jones) to wind up fronting a band consisting of her five children. I loved this show as a kid–it ran on KTTV at 6PM every night (in syndication of course) which coincided with my dinner time. As I watched this a couple of hours ago I found myself hungry for dinner–fifty years later and sense memory is still hard at work! (I should mention that I’d just eaten a large, undigestible lunch). Below is the closing credits featuring a kicking bunch of L.A. studio musicians doing an up-tempo instrumental rehash of the tune.