For Katie Couric’s transition to the anchor chair, the CBS Evening News underwent a complete makeover. Following in NBC’s footsteps, CBS turned to a renowned film score composer for their new theme: James Horner, famous for his scores to blockbuster films such as Titanic, Aliens, and Avatar. CBS asked Horner to create a theme that would distinguish the Evening News from other broadcasts, including its previous theme. The result was music that felt sweeping, regal, and cinematic.
Despite scoring hundreds of films and winning both Oscars and Grammys, Horner had never worked in television. Television cues presented unique challenges, as they are generally much shorter—only a few seconds long—compared to the expansive 15-minute cues typical of film scores. Additionally, TV requires many special cues, such as bumpers, billboards, and opening themes. To help Horner adapt his music to these requirements, Joel Beckerman of Made Music Studio, a specialist in TV music, worked alongside him to transform the compositions into a complete theme package. Beckerman contributed, for example, the three-note motif that opens the headline cue.
The music was recorded in Los Angeles over an eight-hour session with a 90-piece orchestra, many of whom were regular collaborators of Horner’s. This theme wasn’t exclusive to CBS Evening News—it was also used for CBS Morning News and Up to the Minute.
James Horner – CBS Evening News close
Below is the headline cue open to the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.
James Horner – CBS Evening News headline cue
James Horner – CBS Evening News open
There were multiple versions of both the headline cue and the open. At first there was a plan to use different opening cues, depending on the news of the day. That plan ultimately did not materialize but Horner did compose opens with different moods. Here’s the open for when a war breaks out.
James Horner – CBS Evening News open (alternate)
In a nod to the past, former CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite voiced the opening for Couric until shortly after he died.
The war theme was actually used on air, for the Virginia Tech shootings.
I agree with that.
Morgan Freeman succeeded the late Walter Cronkite as the announcer of the CBS Evening News.
I forgot that James Horner was CBS News’ go-to-man composing the music for the CBS Evening News, CBS News’ coverage of the 2006 midterm election and CBS News’ Special Reports, also, after his debut on the NFL on CBS, James Brown begin appearing on the CBS Evening News as a substitute anchor, JB also anchors CBS News’ Special Reports, JB is still at CBS News and CBS Sports, previously, he was at Fox Sports from 1994-2006 where he was the host of Fox NFL Sunday, he was also the host of Fox NHL Saturday.
JB also serves as a CBS News special correspondent.
Also, I think the opening and closing themes sounds triumphant and dramatic.
James Horner also scored the CBS Television Studios and CBS Films logos.
He also scored the Universal Pictures logo.
Victor, you haven’t fixed yet, also, BTW, James Horner also scored The Amazing Spider-Man.
This was recorded in the summer of 2006.
I love this Era song but it’s bad that Katie couldn’t get the ratings