When the CBS Evening News debuted an elegant new look this Monday, an old favorite returned. The optimistic and majestic music that introduced the broadcast for a few years starting in 1987, made a comeback. Composed by John Trivers, Elizabeth Myers & Alan Pasqua, this classical piece is instantly recognizable to longtime CBS viewers. But it is actually not the first time it was revived. In 2011 the theme also returned for a few years. Twice it’s been retired, and twice it’s made a comeback, proving its enduring appeal.
The theme sounds familiar because, a few years ago, it had been reimagined in a more contemporary arrangement by the music company Antfood. But now, the original composition has been reinstated.
Missing oboe
It’s rare for a news theme recorded in the 1980s to be in use today. Even John Williams’ iconic theme for NBC Nightly News was updated and rerecorded after two decades on the air. The continued appeal of the CBS composition lies in its timeless, classical style. It does not contain elements, such as teletype-like sounds, which were common in news themes back then but have since fallen out of favor. Its classical roots give it a lasting relevance.
The theme was recorded at 20th Century Fox’s soundstage, with a full orchestra. The recording session lasted six hours, during which each cue was performed multiple times. Interestingly, for the version of the closing they had chosen as the master, the oboe is absent. Just as they were about to play this cue, the oboist’s reed broke. There was no going back at that point and it turned out to be the winning take. It is customary in recording sessions like these for the performers to never ask for another take, so the oboist said nothing. As it turns out, the oboe part as the melody was covered adequately by the other instruments. For this oboist silence truly is golden because all musicians are paid, even if their parts are silent.
Remastered versions
When the theme was brought back for Scott Pelley’s debut in 2011, the old recordings were remastered. They were made to sound crisper and more polished. Additionally, a few arrangements were added to accommodate specific timings in the broadcast. Since Monday’s relaunch, these remastered versions have returned, unchanged. Viewers might hear variations they have not heard before because the package contains over twenty different versions, including opens in different lengths and bumpers in a range of styles—from energetic to somber to regal.
This was the first theme the CBS Evening News ever used. Prior to 1987, the program adhered to a no-music policy, a legacy from the early days of television when news broadcasts relied on inexpensive syndicated footage paired with production music. The lack of music was a way for CBS to signal its high journalistic standards. Over time, however, music became a standard feature of news broadcasts. Reviving a theme from the Dan Rather era now serves as a means of projecting stability during a period of rapid change in the network news landscape–especially for CBS, which has seen three anchor changes in the past decade.