The Music from Peter Gunn


The Music from Peter Gunn is a 1959 album by Henry Mancini, RCA Victor LPM/LSP-1956, the soundtrack of the TV series Peter Gunn. It was the first album ever to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1959. It was followed by More Music from Peter Gunn, RCA Victor LPM/LSP-2040. Jack Sheldon played trumpet on the original album.
The opening theme music is notable for its combination of jazz orchestration with a straightforward rock 'n roll beat. In his autobiography Did They Mention the Music? Mancini stated:

The Peter Gunn title theme actually derives more from rock and roll than from jazz. I used guitar and piano in unison, playing what is known in music as an ostinato, which means obstinate. It was sustained throughout the piece, giving it a sinister effect, with some frightened saxophone sounds and some shouting brass. The piece has one chord throughout and a super-simple top line.

The Music from Peter Gunn was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Track listings

The Music from Peter Gunn
  1. "Peter Gunn" – 2:06
  2. "Sorta Blue" – 2:57
  3. "The Brothers Go to Mother's" – 2:56
  4. "Dreamsville" – 3:51
  5. "Session at Pete's Pad" – 3:57
  6. "Soft Sounds" – 3:35
  7. "Fallout!" – 3:13
  8. "The Floater" – 3:15
  9. "Slow and Easy" – 3:04
  10. "A Profound Gass" – 3:18
  11. "Brief and Breezy" – 3:31
  12. "Not from Dixie" – 4:09
More Music from Peter Gunn
  1. "Walkin' Bass" – 4:20
  2. "Timothy" – 2:35
  3. "Joanna" – 2:39
  4. "My Manne Shelly" – 2:35
  5. "Goofin' At The Coffee House" – 4:09
  6. "Odd Ball" – 3:22
  7. "Blue Steel" – 3:39
  8. "The Little Man Theme" – 3:12
  9. "Spook!" – 2:55
  10. "A Quiet Gass" – 3:01
  11. "Lightly" – 3:21
  12. "Blues For Mother's" – 3:16

    Personnel

Musicians vary from song to song, but include: