How many different versions of the titles?

[skidmark]

A question: how many different versions of the opening H&M titles are there, and what are the key differences? I can think of a few right now:

-Version 1: With the opening explaining the show showing the courthouse building. Theme: "Drive."

-Version 2: Same, but with H&M out front and McCormick walking away. Theme: "Drive."

-Version 3: "Back to Back," season 2, first half.

-Version 4: "Drive," season 3.

I seem to recall another version without the engine revving at the beginning of the "Drive" credits. Can anyone confirm & give an episode where that happened, or provide any other credit variations?

Thanks,

~Skid

[theyankeeclipper]

Okay here's how I remember it. There's 9 versions I believe.

Season 1 (1983-84):

Version 1: Engine rev, song extended. Theme: "Drive"
Version 2: Engine rev, song short. Theme: "Drive"
Version 3: Opening narration of just the courthouse, engine rev, song extended. Theme: "Drive"
Version 4: Opening narration of Milt & Mark in front of the courthouse, engine rev, song extended. Theme: "Drive"

Season 2 (1984-85):

Version 5: Joey Scarbury. Theme: "Back To Back"
Version 6: country version. Theme: "Back To Back" (this is something new in the last year)
Version 7: new picture arrangment, same opening narration at late S1, engine rev, song extended. Theme: "Drive"

Season 3 (1985-86):

Version 8: new arrangement, narration cut, engine rev, song extended. Theme: "Drive"
Version 9: new arrangment, short edit, no engine rev, song short. Theme: "Drive"

Version 9 is the version you are speaking of, and I do not know how many episodes it appeared in. The intro opens with a synth line on keyboards, as the camera pans the Coyote from the race in "Outlaw Champion". It then cuts to the new intro, but cuts out several extended scenes, and includes a redone beginning & middle section changing the lyric "if you wanna survive" to "if you're gonna survive". It then cuts to the "time will tell" part, and an extra beat and "livin' to drive!". The beginning of the intro features longer vocal holds on the end for "you're on a hard road" & "nobody cares!".

Hope you can make sense of this. But H&McC had the most changed intros in a shorter period of time than any show on TV.

[skidmark]

To bring this back on topic for the DVD thread...without having to go through every single episode on my own discs, anyone else know what episodes the more rare versions of the titles are on?

~S.

[theyankeeclipper]

I went through the episodes, and shockingly that alternate theme is not available on any of the episodes. It's the extended theme/intro for every episode.

I'll go through my original episodes that I have on DVD-R, and check, but if I remember at least half of Season 3 had the alternate shorter theme.

It's a real shame, because that was my favorite version of the "Drive" opening.

[theyankeeclipper]

She May Not Be Deep... (my old copy actually has "Back To Back")
Faster Hearts
The Yankee Clipper
Do Not Go Gentle
Games People Play
You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful, and You're His
Duet For Two Wind Instruments
When I Look Back On All The Things
Brother Can You Spare A Crime
Round Up The Old Gang
McCormick's Bar and Grill

All of these, in my old collection, carried the alternate rare short rearranged version of "Drive" from Season 3. I was wrong, almost the entire season had this version, at least in my copies.

This is just plain weird. First with the country version of "Back To Back" in Season 2 (when seeing how the intro is exactly the same, they could've just put the Scarbury version audio on those episodes), and now this short-version of "Drive" which was apart of the original airing has been completely cut in favor of the longer-version running throughout.

I notice the S3 DVD's have a warning when each disc starts up, warning of anamolies associated with the source material. I wonder if this is the reason the long version was stuck on every episode all season?

Anyways, i've got a decent quality version of this intro. I could've hooked 'em up...