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Name That Tune

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Name That Tune was a television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. Originally premiering in the United States in the early 1950s, the show was originally created and produced by Harry Salter and his wife Roberta.

Name That Tune ran from 1953 to 1959 on NBC and CBS in prime time. The first hosts were Red Benson and Bill Cullen, but George DeWitt became most identified with the show. DeWitt could sing well, which was vital to the show's success; Benson and Cullen did not possess such talents.

The best-remembered version aired once a week in syndication (expanded to twice a week for its final season) from 1974 to 1981 with host Tom Kennedy. Another version aired weekdays during 1984 and 1985, hosted by Jim Lange; this version was heavily rerun on cable TV for almost a decade. The orchestra was conducted by Bob Alberti (1974-76), Tommy Oliver (1976-79, and the entire run of the Lange version), and Stan Worth (1979-81); a second band, Dan Younger and the Sound System, was also featured from 1978-81. These versions were both titled The $100,000 Name That Tune.

NBC also aired two versions of Name That Tune in the 1970s. The first, hosted by Dennis James, ran from July 29, 1974 until January 3, 1975. The show was killed in the ratings by the CBS hit The Joker's Wild and never got off the ground. NBC tried again from January 3 to June 10, 1977, with Kennedy at the helm. Essentially, both were lower-paying versions of the better-known nighttime program, a fact which may well have turned viewers off. The NBC failures made Tune distinctive for that era in that it represented a syndicated success that did not rely on a well-established concurrent run on a network.

Legendary television producer Ralph Edwards packaged the versions between 1974 and 1981; Sandy Frank, a syndicator, staged the one-season Lange version in the mid-1980s. Veteran voice-over artist John Harlan announced Tune during the entirety of this period.

CBS is developing a new primetime version of the show with Donny Osmond as host. The pilot includes a new bonus round that allows contestants to earn a grand prize of $1,000,000. A pilot will be taped in December 2006; if the show is picked up, it is slated to air sometime in 2007.

The Different Versions

1950s Version

The contestants stand across the stage from a large ship bell and the band starts playing tunes. When a contestant knows the tune s/he runs across the stage to "ring the bell and name that tune!" Four tunes were played every game.

Each tune was worth increasing dollar amounts:
Tune #1 - $5
Tune #2 - $10
Tune #3 - $20
Tune #4 - $40

Note: In the George DeWitt era, there were only three tunes, paying $10, $20, and $30 respectively.

The player with the most money after four tunes wins the game & goes on to the bonus game called "The Golden Medley." In the DeWitt era, when there was a tie (not possible under the first scoring scheme, except at 0-0), both players played as a team.

1970s and 1980s Versions

These two versions allow contestants (whom were selected from the studio audience) to score points as well as cash and prizes by winning music-related games.

The Games

Regularly played sub-games on the show included:

  • Ring the Bell - Seen only on the Dennis James version, this was a throwback to the original 1950s version; two bells were suspended from the ceiling, with each contestant about 20 feet away. The first contestant to correctly "ring the bell and name that tune" scored. Five tunes were played, and the player who correctly guessed three (or the most) tunes won the round and 10 points.
  • Cassette Roulette - This was played during the first season of Kennedy's version. Eight oversized 8-track tapes were displayed, each containing a category, with a corresponding tune played (the contestants alternated in choosing). Four of the "cassettes" also contained a bonus prize, which would be awarded to the contestant who chose it. Seven tunes were played, and the first player to name four (or the most) tunes won the round and 10 points.
  • Money Tree - Featured early in the Kennedy run, this game had both players given their own "tree" with a hundred $1 bills on it. While one player tried to guess a tune (up to three were played), his/her opponent would remove bills as fast as possible from the first player's tree until that player guessed correctly or ran out of time; the player with the most money left on his/her tree at the end of the round won (though it wasn't uncommon to see both trees stripped clean). The game was retired because the producers didn't like its greedy nature, not to mention contestants having a tendency to cut their fingers on the metal edges that held the bills in place.
  • Melody Roulette - This was played in both versions (replacing Cassette Roulette for the second season of Kennedy's). A two-level wheel (originally just a one-level wheel) was spun onstage to determine a cash prize for identifying the tune. Early in the Kennedy run (as well as the daytime show with Dennis James), the inner wheel contained categories, with the contestants selecting one before each spin and receiving $100 if theirs was landed on. However, this was soon changed to the inner wheel containing money amounts ranging from $20-$1,000 (later $100-$1,000) in the Kennedy version ($50-$500 in the 1977 daytime version). Also, in the early days of the Kennedy run, each player selected a $200 space on the wheel, and if it landed on one of those spaces, the player would win $200 right there, in addition to the tune's value. In the Lange version, the dollar amounts initially ranged from $100-$500, with money being awarded after every tune and the wheel spun again for the next tune. This rule was changed about halfway through the Lange run - the spaces on the wheel were now worth between $250 and $1000, but the wheel was spun only once and the money was awarded to whomever won the round. In 1976, an outer wheel was added, which held a space or spaces marked "Double" and was spun in the opposite direction of the inner; in the '70s version, it also featured a space offering a new car, but it could be won only once. Five tunes were played (seven in the first half of the Lange version). The first to name three out of the five tunes (or 4 of 7) won 10 points. If this amount had not been reached after all tunes were played, the points were awarded to the player who had named more tunes correctly. In case of a tie, five points were given to each contestant on the Kennedy version, while the Lange version (later) had a final tiebreaker tune played. In the Kennedy version, all contestants win or lose get to keep the cash in this round, but only the winner of Melody Roulette got to keep the cash in the Lange version.
  • Sing-a-Tune - This was played in the Kennedy version. Contestants wrote down the names of tunes sung by the show's vocalist, a then-unknown Kathie Lee Gifford (known by her married name at the time, Johnson). Gifford would famously and humorously replace the titles in the lyrics with 'la-la-las'. Five tunes were played; the first to name three tunes or the player whom named the most tunes wins 10 points and a prize package (again splitting the points in case of a tie). Kathie Lee left the show around 1978, and was replaced by the team of Monica Burns and Steve March Tormé, the son of legendary crooner Mel Tormé and stepson of The $64,000 Question emcee Hal March.
  • Build-a-Tune - This was played only on the short-lived 1977 daytime version; the orchestra would play a tune, starting with minimal instrumentation and more gradually added until it became a typical full orchestral arrangement. Five tunes were played; as usual, the winner received 10 points and a prize package, and a tie saw the points being split.
  • Tune Countdown - This round was used in the pilot episodes for the Lange version, and was the replacement for Sing-a-Tune until it was finally scrapped for Tune Topics. Players simply buzzed in and named tunes for the duration of 20 seconds, with the clock stopping as soon as someone rang in. At the end of 20 seconds, the contestant who had named the most tunes correctly won 10 points and a prize (a variant of this format was used as the final round on Kennedy's version from 1978-81, only the contestants were given 30 seconds).
  • Tune Topics - This was the mainstay second round during the Lange version. All of the song titles fit into a given category selected by a randomizer (which in reality was pointless since only one topic was used per day, and the five topics from which the randomizer chose were changed every episode as well.) Five tunes were played; the first to name three or the most tunes won 10 points and a prize.
  • Bid-a-Note - This was the show's signature game played as the third and final round of the main game in both versions (the next to last round on the Kennedy version from 1978-81 and during the tournament in the Lange version). Here, the host would read a clue to a song, and the players would alternate bidding as to how few notes they needed to identify the song (as in "I can name that tune in three notes"). Bidding ended when one contestant finally challenged the other to "Name That Tune", or when one player bid one note (in one pilot episode of the Lange version, the male contestant actually bid zero notes twice, and then correctly identified the tune both times). After bidding, the pianist's hand would show up on split screen to play the notes, after which the player had to name that tune. If the player was correct, he/she scored the tune, but if the player could not name it, the tune went to his/her opponent. The first player to score three tunes won 20 points (10 in the non-finals of the tournament in the Lange version) and a prize.

The player with the most points at the end of the three rounds proceeded to the "Golden Medley" bonus round. If there was a tie at the end of the game, one last tune was played; the first player to buzz-in and name that tune then went to the Golden Medley.

Golden Medley (All Versions)

The Golden Medley was a bonus round where the day's winner attempted to identify seven tunes in 30 seconds or less.

1950s Version

In the 50s version, all the tunes played here were selected by home viewers. Each correct tune won money for the winning contestant as well as the home viewers. The first correct answer was worth $25 and every subsequent correct answer doubles the money. Naming all seven won $1600 and gave a home viewer a chance to come to the New York studio where the show was taped at that time, and play along with the studio contestant in a special round called the "Golden Medley Marathon".

The Golden Medley Marathon

In the Golden Medley Marathon, the winning home viewer and the winning studio contestant worked as a team. They had 30 seconds to name five tunes, and doing so won $5,000 each. They come back for up to four more weeks, meaning that five successful Golden Medley Marathons won them each $25,000.

1970s & 1980s Versions

In these versions, prizes were awarded for each correctly identified song. If the contestant gave an incorrect answer at any time during this round, the game ended immediately. However, the player could pass on a tune by buzzing in and saying "pass". If time remained on the clock after all tunes were played, the contestant could attempt the passed tune(s) again. Naming all seven tunes in 30 seconds won the entire prize package, plus the chance to return to the show in a later episode (or episodes) in an attempt to win the $100,000 grand prize.

Kennedy's Version

In the 1970s version, any contestant who named all seven tunes won $15,000 ($2,000 on the 1974-1975 daytime edition and $10,000 on the 1977 daytime version) in cash and prizes. Starting in 1976, a $15,000 winner would return at the end of the next week's show and try to identify one more "Mystery Tune" for a $100,000 cash prize (paid in ten annual installments of $10,000).

The $100,000 Mystery Tune

The contestant entered into a Gold Room backstage. A security guard named Jeff Addis opened a safe to reveal a wheel with manila envelopes on it. After the contestant selected an envelope, Addis then escorted the contestant onstage into an isolation booth (which was wired so that he/she could only hear Tom and the piano). Then Addis opened the selected envelope, handed a pianist the sheet music for the song, and handed Tom a sealed business-size envelope. The pianist then played the song for 20 seconds, after which the contestant in the booth guessed the song's title and then exited the booth. Tom then opened the envelope and read the background information and copyright for the song. An audio recording of the contestant's guess was played, and Tom announced the song's title. If the contestant guessed correctly, he/she won the $100,000 grand prize ($10,000 a year for the next 10 years); this was also a feature of the short-lived 1977 NBC daytime version and played exactly the same, only the payoff was a lump sum of $25,000.

Lange's Version

On the Lange version, Golden Medley winners qualified to return for a monthly tournament. The rules were modified for this version; the non-final games began with three or four of the month's winners competing for two spots in the main game (Melody Roulette wasn't played until the finals.) Then, Tune Topics and Bid a Note were played for 10 points each. The final round was a two-player version of the Golden Medley called the "Golden Medley Showdown" (which was also played in the last season of the Tom Kennedy version). Contestants competed to name as many tunes as possible in 30 seconds. The contestant naming the most tunes correctly received twenty points, and whoever had more points (or won a single-tune tiebreaker, if needed) advanced to the finals.

The finals was played with all three upfront games with their regular point values, including the Golden Medley Showdown which was worth 40 points.

The winner at the end of the tournament won over $100,000 in cash and prizes including $10,000 in cash, a new Pontiac Fiero, an emerald and diamond necklace, a Schaefer and Sons grand piano, a Hitachi home entertainment center, a pair of Jules Jurgensen watches, a spa from Polynesian Spas, a Caribbean vacation and one week a year in perpetuity at a timeshare resort in Palm Springs. The runner up, however, went home with a fairly decent consolation prize, which usually was a trip worth about $2-3000.

The Lange version premiered with a "Super Champions" tournament, featuring fourteen $100,000 winners from the most recent version, who competed for a second $100,000. Elena Cervantes claimed the $100,000 top prize.

Name That Video

There was a variation on Name That Tune that aired on VH-1 called Name That Video. For more on this version, see its article.

Foreign Versions

A British version of the show started on ITV originally as a slot on the popular entertainment series London Night Out but because the game was so popular the producers Thames Television decided to turn Name That Tune into a half hour weekly series that started in 1983 with Tom O'Connor as the host. Lionel Blair took over for O'Connor later on until the series was dropped from the ITV schedules in 1988. Maggie Moon sang the songs that contestants had to guess. In 1998 the series was revived on five with Jools Holland as the host.

Versions also aired in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, and Spain.

Recently, Romania and Hungary launched versions of the show. Other countries to get versions include Morocco, Portugal, Slovakia, and Turkey.

Episode Status

The NBC 1950's version is unknown, The Tom Kennedy daytime version is unknown the $100,000 synidcated version is unknown also, The Jim Lange version is completely intact, and has been seen on the Family Channel, but GSN doesn't not have the rights to Jim's version.

Arcade game

In 1986, a coin-operated arcade game based on the show was released by Bally Sente, created by Owen Rubin. The player's task was to guess the tune being played from among four choices. It also featured a two-player mode. While playable, some gamers consider the machine's difficulty to be high due to the technical limits of the very basic synthesized music the machine was capable of. More Info on Owen's website.

Memorable contestants

  • One of the first $100,000 winners was the charismatic Tommy Simmons, an older gentleman who usually wore a glittering gold suit coat when he competed. He also appeared on Name That Tune's "sister" show, Face the Music, as well as Match Game '76.
  • Another contestant, featured on several game show blooper tapes in the trading circuit, was noted for heckling his female opponent during Bid-A-Note, saying things like "Oooooh... I'm SHAKING!" and other smart remarks, using goofy hand gestures, and loudly announcing his bid. The tactic seemed to work as he soundly defeated her, but not without Lange and the other contestant chiding him on his technique after the game ended. The contestant failed to win the Golden Medley.
  • Another contestant was a woman who correctly named the tune "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" - seconds before she fell down herself.

Additional notes

  • Name That Tune featured many unusual buzzer sound effects throughout its run, especially in the Lange version. In the pilot episodes, the buzzers have a spacey "warbling" effect during the upfront game, then have a different effect (similar to an electronic telephone ring) during the Golden Medley. When the actual season began on Lange's version, they alternated between these effects and several versions of the "phaser" type sound used for most of this season (however, only one effect was used per episode.) At about the same time the format for Melody Roulette was changed, the buzzer effects changed again slightly, but the difference is only noticeable to those listening for it. On the Lange version, there were three sets of two podiums each with different colors-- during Melody Roulette, the scoreboards were red and the ring-in lights were pink, while Tune Topics had dark blue scoreboards and light blue ring-in lights. In Bid-a-Note, the scoreboards were brown, and the ring-in lights were sort of pale blue (only during the tie-breaker, obviously).
  • When a contestant lost the Golden Medley in the Lange version, some of the lights on the show's large logo between the main stage and the orchestra remained steady while the credits rolled; a bonus win resulted in a full flashing "animation" of the logo.
  • A $100,000 win in the Kennedy version resulted in every kind of siren imaginable going off and the set lights flashing wildly. In the Lange version, there were no sound effects; however, strobe lights would go off, followed by streamers descending in a curtain from the frame of the show's logo, and finally enough confetti and balloons being released from various spots in the ceiling to nearly smother the host, contestants, and audience. In addition, the new Pontiac Fiero would roll in, and after that, a second "avalanche" of balloons and confetti would drop.
  • One strange moment happened before the day's Golden Medley in the Kennedy version. This involved the safe for the $100,000 Mystery Tune. For the security guard Jeff Addis was entering the combination to the safe, but he couldn't open it. Host Tom asked him why he couldn't open the safe, then he told everyone that the security guard forgot the combination and everyone including Tom & the security guard broke out in laughter.
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