It was Thursday, July 24, 1986.
A week or so earlier, Don had put out the call – we needed a new theme song.
He had sown the wind. He was reaping the whirlwind.
We had been deluged with tapes – or as close as any station drawing a four share ever gets to being deluged with anything.
Some of the tapes were obviously the work of very talented musicians, who did the work in actual recording studios, and put serious time into writing and arranging their efforts.
Totally wrong. Dave and I – both of us actual musicians who appreciated the effort that’d gone into the productions – shuffled uncomfortably as Don flipped past them. “It’s just not right for the show.”
On the other hand, some were too low-fi – a guy had written a fair long, involved, folky song which he’d recorded and sung on, apparently, a cassette tape. Hissy, with mistakes and missed notes and about two minutes too long…
Close!
And then – on the second-to-last day of the contest – we cued up a cassette. Over the home-cassette hiss, we heard a needle cueing up on a turntable – the guy was obviously sitting in front of a record player with a cassette deck…
…and the opening strains of the Bonanza theme, swelled up to the familiar tune…
…over which a schlemiely-sounding guy began singing with comic gusto
“Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel, it’s the Don da da Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel Show!
(then up a fourth)
“Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel, it’s the Don da da Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel Show!
(then into the bridge)
Oh ah uh, oh ah uh, the Round Mound of Sound,
Oh ah uh, oh ah uh, the Round Mound of Sound!(then back to the tune)
“Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel, it’s the Don da da Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel Show!
You could tell when Don liked something – he’d start laughing with this sudden, sharp cackle, and then keep guffawing uncontrollably.
“That’s the one!”
There were two more days to the contest, but Bill Kramlinger of White Bear Lake had us at “Don da da Don…”