“I can name that tune in two notes.”

I was reminded of this familiar game show phrase after my column on “Jaws” last week. In it, I mentioned John Williams’ ominous two-note ostinato that signifies approaching danger for the many who saw the movie and even the many who have not. A reader also pointed out the simple yet famous “Dun Dun” sound effect made by Mike Post for “Law and Order.” And that got me thinking about other short, catchy musical scores that can be identified in just a few notes.

Darth Vader’s “Imperial March” certainly comes to mind. So does “The Twilight Zone” theme. And we most all can quickly name the “Think Music” from Jeopardy. In fact, many TV theme songs are identifiable in a few notes.

Some people, though, claim they can truly identify many songs in one note, including “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Day Tripper” by the Beatles, “Echoes” by Pink Floyd, “Roundabout” by Yes and “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John.

Others have told me that some quickly identifiable songs from the 2000s include “Clocks” by Coldplay, “The Pretender” by Foo Fighters, and “American Idiot” by Green Day.

I remember watching the “Name That Tune” television music game show in the 1970s, and I assumed that was the original version. It wasn’t. The show was originally created and produced by orchestra conductor Harry Salter and his wife, Roberta Semple Salter, and aired on the NBC Radio Network from 1952-1954. It made the move to television in 1953 on NBC. CBS picked it up from 1953-1959.

The version I remember ran from 1974-1981 and offered a top prize of $100,000 to a lucky winner. Some of you may recall two short-lived daytime revival attempts in the 1970s and another in 1984 and several renditions starting again in 2020. Despite the nostalgic ties, none seemed to catch on like the 1970s version.

Meanwhile, I find it amazing that our brains can identify so many songs in just a few notes, but I still struggle to remember my zip code, my garage door entry numbers and the log-in password to my computer.

Have a memorable Monday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

Best Local Irish Pub

1. Sully’s Irish Pub

2. Magee’s Irish Pub & Eatery

3. Cooney’s Tavern

Back to Biz
"The McBee Dynasty," a TV series about the cattle ranchers of northern Missouri who gave Iowa the McBee Meat Company super butcher store in Lamoni, returns for season II tonight on BRAVO. 

Deals today 
• Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free egg drop soup and crab Rangoon with lunch entrees today.
 
• G Mig's (126 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has $11 smashburgers today with a side.

• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a Monday special Graziano grinder with a side for $12.

FEATURE STORY
Six degrees from the ‘Stairway to Heaven’

By Jim Duncan

This month, the Italian American Cultural Center of Iowa (IACCI) breaks ground on a redesign of the majestic Butler Mansion. When complete, it will bring a museum, educational center, event space, cooking school, café, speakeasy, indoor and outdoor meeting places, suites, offices, commons, an Airbnb, and bocce ball courts to the historic mansion on Fleur Drive with the best views of downtown Des Moines anywhere.  ...

Surviving and thriving
Local cancer survivors share their stories of strength and resilience.

By Rachel Harrington

As has been widely reported in recent months, Iowa continues to have the second highest age-adjusted rate of new cancers in the U.S. and is one of only two states — the other being Kentucky — with a rising rate, according to the Cancer in Iowa Report produced by the Iowa Cancer Registry (see full report here). An estimated 21,200 Iowans will be diagnosed with new, invasive cancers this year. Yet, with cancer screenings and improved treatment methods, more Iowans are joining the estimated 171,535 cancer survivors living in the state now.

A whirlwind

Tara Osborn has been cancer free for a year, but her journey has been a rocky one.

“The day after Thanksgiving 2022, I started bleeding really badly,” she recalls. “The week after, it happened again, and I ended up in the ER and received two pints of blood. My hemoglobin level was at a 4, and normal levels are between 12-15. They sent me to a gynecologist, and they found a mass in my cervix. A few days later, I found out that I had cervical cancer.”

The mass was too large for a hysterectomy, so Osborn’s medical team recommended both external and internal radiation to shrink it....

These celebrities were born on this date: Mike Tyson, Michael Phelps, Monica Potter, Matisyahu, Cole Swindell, David Alan Grier, Fantasia, Rick Gonzalez, Tony Rock

SUBMIT: Send your local birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to the last riddle: How did the Space Teddy Bear cross the road? EWOKED! - Gail Tomlinson

Today's riddle: What’s a baseball player’s least favorite "Star Wars" movie? 

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Johnston Living magazine, contact:

Andrea Hodapp
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 322
Mobile: 515-883-0523
andrea@iowalivingmagazines.com

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