Here is the part of the site where you can download and listen to MP3 stereo themes from the various versions of Hollywood Squares, as they become available.
The first theme was "The Silly Song," composed by Jimmie Haskell. Lyrics were added later by Steve Allen. Two commercially recorded versions were released on Dot Records: the original instrumental, by the composer himself on the album "Haskell's French Horns, Vol. 2
(Dot DLP-25860)" and the vocal by Peter Marshall on the album, "For The Love of Pete." (Audio unavailable)
A few years into the NBC run, Heatter-Quigley commissioned a new theme, which is the one we're more familiar with,
composed by William Loose. The audio for this theme is unavailable on this site, but you can hear a slightly (?) edited stereo track of the closing theme on the second Varese Sarabande collection of game show themes, "The Best of TV Quiz and Game Show Themes (Varese Sarabande 302 066 159 2)" (According to some sources, the reason the piccolo and organ solo is missing from the middle of the theme is, simply, this was the only copy they could find in usable condition.) The opening and closing themes were named for producers Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley: "Merrill's and Bob's Theme" (Opening) and "Bob's and Merrill's Theme" (closing).
1980 Opening Theme - The disco version of "Merrill's and Bob's Theme," arranged and performed by the late Stan Worth.
1980 Closing Theme - And Stan's disco version of "Bob's and Merrill's Theme."
When The New Hollywood Squares debuted in 1986, Stormy Sacks handled the music chores. You can hear the opening, car/ticket plug and 2 versions of the closing themes in Real Audio at The 80s TV Themes Super Site.
1988 Opening Theme - Written by Paul Weinberg and Jenni Muldaur, produced by Mambo Music, and sung by none other than Whoopi Goldberg, this cut contains the rarely heard opening lyric (which was cut out at the beginning of the second season).
1988 Closing Theme - The complete closing theme from the 1998 version.
To hear the complete Teena Marie theme for the current version, "Hollywood Square Biz," click on this link to the Hollywood Squares' Official Website. The theme will show up in a little pop-up window, which you can hear by clicking on the radio.
You can hear classic zingers from the original Squares
at Dixon Hayes' Hollywood Squares site. Just click on the banner below:
THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES, created by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley, was a Heatter-Quigley Production in association with Filmways Television.
