BONANZA
Bonanza is an NBC television western series that ran from 1959 to 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, Bonanza is NBC’s longest-running western, and ranks overall as the second-longest-running western series on U.S. network television (behind CBS’s Gunsmoke), and within the top 10 longest-running, live-action American series. The show continues to air in syndication. The show is set around the 1860s, and it centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the area of Virginia City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe. The show’s theme song, also titled “Bonanza”, became a hit song in its own right. In 2002, Bonanza was ranked No. 43 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time; and in 2013, TV Guide included it in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time. (More from Wikipedia)
The statistics about the Wrecking Crew are staggering, with various members appearing on tens of thousands of recordings. Hal Blaine is believed to be the most recorded drummer in history, while Tommy Tedesco is said to be the most recorded guitarist. And their talents were not limited to records; again from Wikipedia: “Tedesco’s credits include the iconic brand-burning accompaniment theme from television’s Bonanza, The Twilight Zone, Vic Mizzy’s iconic theme from Green Acres, M*A*S*H, Batman, and Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special.”
(February 2015)
