OT: Favorite Sam Spence / NFL Films music

[Noah Bonner]

I thought this would make for an interesting distraction for the NFL fans on the board.

While he was before my time, I’ve always enjoyed the compositions Sam Spence made for NFL Films. I’d assume many of the posters here grew up listening to them through the NFL’s Game of the Week highlights while others first heard them through the NFL Network documentaries.

A few of my favorites...





What’re some other good ones?

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Love this topic. I will find mine and post.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Potentially one of the greatest topic threads on this forum. I will start looking for my favs. I’d like to think growing up and paying attention to this in my formative years (7-14) coincided with the absolute glory years of NFL Films music)

By the way, all 3 of the OP songs would make my top 25. The last 2 are definitely top 10 for me.

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

Really miss those days. There is so much video now that you get saturated with it. I used to remember looking so forward to the NFL replay shows and the music. Of the 3 listed above, I would rank them:
1. Round Up
2. Pony Soldiers
3. Ramblin Man

 

[McKee Place]

I loved all those themes! Probably the first you posted is the fav.

I remember some network, was it NBC, would feature what I later learned was the beginning of a Chicago song, "Alive Again" at the start of its NFL shows circa late 70s ... I loved that intro. I was startled when I heard the entire song, which i don't think i did until many years later... the rest of the song was kind of lame, didn't fit the intro, lol...

 

[FireballZ]

I really enjoy when I forget to switch the NFL Red Zone channel off after the last game and then realize 30 minutes later that I've been unknowingly listening to nothing other than these songs and others for such a long time with any video images on the screen. And, I've gotta say that it always sounds a little bit better if your team has won that week.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I loved all those themes! Probably the first you posted is the fav.

I remember some network, was it NBC, would feature what I later learned was the beginning of a Chicago song, "Alive Again" at the start of its NFL shows circa late 70s ... I loved that intro. I was startled when I heard the entire song, which i don't think i did until many years later... the rest of the song was kind of lame, didn't fit the intro, lol...

View embedded media

This was my favorite:

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

There were some other composters during this era also, people think it was all Sam Spence. But these are my favorite Sam Spence songs from the glory days....

 

[Panther Parrothead]

A great topic indeed. I recall buying the NFL music on vinyl over 30 years ago. (At the time, I was so excited because I couldn't believe that it was available.)

I'm thoroughly convinced that some of the main reasons why the interest in the NFL spiked as it did were because of the NFL highlights + the music; and the team of Howard, Frank, and Dandy Don on Monday Night Football.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

im so frustrated, there is a great one and I cant find it..

classic battle is my #2

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I found it. I love this one..

 

[pittdan77]

I found it. I love this one..

View embedded media

THAT'S IT! Journey to the Moon!

I swear there was a formula that called for this song to be played when a team was putting a game away. This song plays when Stallworth makes the over-the-shoulder catch to clinch the Super Bowl.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

THAT'S IT! Journey to the Moon!

I swear there was a formula that called for this song to be played when a team was putting a game away. This song plays when Stallworth makes the over-the-shoulder catch to clinch the Super Bowl.

yep, this was the Victory is clinched song. I remember it with a steeler nfl film when we clinched a win against the rams I think in '79..

 

[pittdan77]

yep, this was the Victory is clinched song. I remember it with a steeler nfl film when we clinched a win against the rams I think in '79..

Some cold Saturday in college, I think ESPN was running every Super Bowl film, in order, all day long. It didn't take long to notice the formula.

By the way, John Facenda, who narrated these films, was a legend.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I found it. I love this one..

View embedded media

Yeah that was a great one. I think that was the one being played as the Steelers closed out the Rams in SBXIV

 

[poconopanther]

Really miss those days. There is so much video now that you get saturated with it. I used to remember looking so forward to the NFL replay shows and the music. Of the 3 listed above, I would rank them:
1. Round Up
2. Pony Soldiers
3. Ramblin Man

I remember watching them back in the day with my Dad. I believe the highlights from the previous week were on a Saturday in my area.The music , game highlights and dramatic voice of (John Facienda) I believe were outstanding. Really miss those days.

 

[Rugger]

The autumn wind was a Raider

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-11-best-over-the-top-nfl-films-tunes-2015-01-28

 

[happjack]

A lot of the music they used was from the UK and it was never composed with NFL Films in mind, basically any production company could have paid to use it. That NFL Films was able to go through all of those production music reels to find the right music to fit the clip was amazing.

This Week in Baseball used this song too.


Another great one that NFL Films used.

 

[Rugger]

I remember watching them back in the day with my Dad. I believe the highlights from the previous week were on a Saturday in my area.The music , game highlights and dramatic voice of (John Facienda) I believe were outstanding. Really miss those days.

I used to rush home from Sunday school to catch "This Week in the NFL". Sam Spence and John Facenda made NFL highlights feel like they actually meant something.
The current NFL doesn't have enough kettle drums or tubular bells.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

There was a great documentary on Steve Sabol and his Dad that aired on pay TV (HBO, I think).
In my search for it, I found this.

 

[McKee Place]

This was my favorite:

View embedded media

I think this was right before the years I began to watch with real focus but I do recall, probably hearing it when my dad had the game on.

It strikes me how overall the networks put a lot of fluff at the beginnings of their programs in general, including tv show theme songs. They don't do that today, likely to fit in more commercials. But those themes are what stay in the psyche and produce the most nostalgia. Most times, the games we watched, or the episodes of most of the shows, were not classics... probably most of em were dogs, realistically. You were more likely to get a 23-10 snooze fest vs. A last second thriller. But the familiar music was so effectively matched to the introductions and the highlights, it evokes the positive memories in general.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

You know, these songs......I can remember as a kid playing "self football" in the backyard throwing the ball to myself, dodging imaginary tacklers while playing this music in my mind.

 

[ncyajleel]

Heavy Action (Old MNF)
Best Endeavors
Capital City
Glass Tubes (sounds like the Exorcist)
Gathering Crowds
Horizontal Hold
Good Company
Printout
The Raiders (puke)
New Horizons

 

[ncyajleel]

Waterbug
The Connection
NFL on NBC
Street Warfare
Big Wheels
Proud Heritage
Heroic Mission
Continuum

 

[Panther Parrothead]

I used to rush home from Sunday school to catch "This Week in the NFL". Sam Spence and John Facenda made NFL highlights feel like they actually meant something.
The current NFL doesn't have enough kettle drums or tubular bells.

I remember when someone gave John Facenda the nickname, “The Voice of God”. That was the impact that his voice-over had on those videos...

 

[happjack]

Thanks for sharing, I had no idea about the UK roots. I love the first one and had completely forgotten about it until now.

They used production music from the U.S. too, with the amount of content NFL Films was putting out they used every resource available.

They also commissioned Sam Spence and a few other composers to come up with original music.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Actually my all time favorite was not from Sam Spence. This is #1 on my list of all the NFL Films music

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

William Loose is also the other big one from back in the 70's.

 

[McKee Place]

Ugh. Larry Seiple. Probably the main reason the steelers don't have a 7th Super Bowl.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Ugh. Larry Seiple. Probably the main reason the steelers don't have a 7th Super Bowl.

Or Larry Brown

 

[Rugger]

William Loose is also the other big one from back in the 70's.

View embedded media

View embedded media

View embedded media

View embedded media

Were these pre - Spence/Facenda? They sound somewhat familiar but may be slightly before my time.

 

[Rugger]

Not a Raider fan but I love this.

The Autumn Wind

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Were these pre - Spence/Facenda? They sound somewhat familiar but may be slightly before my time.

No. I mean definitely not pre Facenda. Probably between 1972-1977

 

[Rugger]

I remember when someone gave John Facenda the nickname, “The Voice of God”. That was the impact that his voice-over had on those videos...

I remember when someone gave John Facenda the nickname, “The Voice of God”. That was the impact that his voice-over had on those videos...

This is classic Facenda / NFL Films

The Power and the Glory

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

You know, these songs......I can remember as a kid playing "self football" in the backyard throwing the ball to myself, dodging imaginary tacklers while playing this music in my mind.

All the time! Me and my brothers used to play in slow motion with the music going trying to replicate a one handed catch or a great hit.

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

William Loose is also the other big one from back in the 70's.

View embedded media

View embedded media

View embedded media

View embedded media

I really like those first 2. The first one was always used when a team, who had a lead, had to fight off a comeback, but prevailed. They'd usually play it when the team had salted away the victory.

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

Not a Raider fan but I love this.

The Autumn Wind

View embedded media

That was a good one. Such poetry!

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

Once Facenda retired, Harry Kalas took over. Harry was another guy who had a great voice and sounded awesome too. I grew up listening to Harry as a Phillies fan.

 

[ncyajleel]

 

[ncyajleel]

Howard Cosell doing MNF halftime highlights.