Tommy Johnson

Tom Holtz · Post by **Tom Holtz** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:41 am

Here's the Silverado clip, and the levels are pretty low on this one, so you're getting a ton of hiss. Bummer, but you can still read along with JB's scans. I need to get this to one my audiophile colleagues in the USMB to transfer it as cleanly as possible. My old P.O.S. tape player isn't helping the cause. Of course, this is a twenty-year-old cassette, so for the most part, you get what you get.

About the same time Bruce Broughton scored "Silverado," he scored a low-budget sci-fi comedy called "Ice Pirates." A total bomb at the box office, but the one track had a humongous tuba part. JB, is that in the music that TJ gave us?

JB · Post by JB » Sat Oct 21, 2006 1:42 pm

Tom Holtz wrote:Here's the Silverado clip, and the levels are pretty low on this one, so you're getting a ton of hiss. Bummer, but you can still read along with JB's scans. I need to get this to one my audiophile colleagues in the USMB to transfer it as cleanly as possible. My old P.O.S. tape player isn't helping the cause. Of course, this is a twenty-year-old cassette, so for the most part, you get what you get.

About the same time Bruce Broughton scored "Silverado," he scored a low-budget sci-fi comedy called "Ice Pirates." A total bomb at the box office, but the one track had a humongous tuba part. JB, is that in the music that TJ gave us?

Tom, Ask and ye shall receive:

Tom Holtz · Post by **Tom Holtz** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 10:28 pm

Awesome. The Ice Pirates clip is really cheesy, but TJ just plays the piss out of it. Now I'll have to get that one, too...

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 2:44 am

Does someone have this Ice Pirates clip? Looks like the soundtrack was never issued.

...D

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 5:23 am

W wrote:ya if any of you guys that have recordings of Tommy, I would really appreciate it if you can post them up. I never had the chance to hear him in person but only heard of his amazing sound. If not, then I would be glad to send you a blank CD with postage.

Excerpts from E.T. of Tommy on his Mirafone 190 CC, not long after he had Bell's Palsy:

viewtopic.php?t=8191&highlight=mirafone+190

As mentioned in this thread, Silverado is another great one, as well as his recording of Tubby the Tuba Meets the Manhattan Transfer. Also check out Batman Forever, The Incredibles, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (split principal with Roger Bobo), the LAPO/Leinsdorf recordings of the Ring Cycle (190), Beetlejuice, Poltergeist, Jaws, the Back to the Future Trilogy, The Natural, Toy Story, Star Trek 1, The Fugitive, Last Starfighter (190). I'm sure I'll think of others as the days go on.

Of course, these are all commercially available releases. Unfortunately I don't have anything like symposium or masterclass recordings.

...D

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 5:28 am

For those interested in attending, there will be a musical tribute honoring Tommy's life at USC on Sunday, December 3rd at 3:00 p.m. It's in Bovard Auditorium, right next to Tommy Trojan. It will be almost entirely musical in nature, and as I have more details, I'll share them with the forum.

He didn't want any type of "memorial service", per se, but rather a musical celebration. Should be a very special event...

...D

tubapress · Post by **tubapress** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:47 am

JB wrote:
Doc wrote:I always wondered how many TV themes, if any, Tommy did...
I may be incorrect in my recollection -- this dates back to when I was a very little kid. Wasn't there a show featuring William Conrad (as the character Frank Canon) as a detective on a program entitled "Canon" for which the theme was a tuba feature. I've always figured that must have been TJ.

Anybody else recall something like this, and was it Mr Johnson?

(Any recordings of the theme or transcriptions of the part out there?)

Yes...this would have been 1989 or 1990. One of my housemates at the time, Eric Fritz (now tubist in Xalapa), came home and told us that we had to watch "Cannon" that evening. He had had his lesson with Tommy that afternoon and TJ said that we should check it out..that there was "some pretty good tuba stuff" in this episode. So, we tuned in. Sure enough, there he was...sounding just amazing.

One of the most amazing things about the man was that he would speak about himself with such an air of humility. He was never boastful in the least. In spite of his incredible musicianship and fame, he never lost his sense of "being a regular guy".

He was a true role model for all of us.

JB · Post by JB » Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:44 am

tubapress wrote:
JB wrote:
Doc wrote:I always wondered how many TV themes, if any, Tommy did...
I may be incorrect in my recollection -- this dates back to when I was a very little kid. Wasn't there a show featuring William Conrad (as the character Frank Canon) as a detective on a program entitled "Canon" for which the theme was a tuba feature. I've always figured that must have been TJ.

Anybody else recall something like this, and was it Mr Johnson?

(Any recordings of the theme or transcriptions of the part out there?)
Yes...this would have been 1989 or 1990.

Hello Gary. Any chance that this would have been 79 or 80 rather than 89-90? I wasn't such a "little kid" by the latter dates, and also would have been living in Phoenix by that time. Cannon would have been long off the air by then. Or, maybe the reference was to a rerun in syndication?

Hoping all is well;
JB

PS I just Googled "Frank Cannon" -- the show ran Sept '71 through March '76, with a tv-movie 'return show' appropriately titled "The Return of Frank Cannon" in 1980.
Thus, maybe what you speak of is a reference to "Jake and the Fatman" (in which Conrad played the character Jason Lochinvar "Fatman" McCabe) that ran 1987-1992.

(Google, the answer for all your trivia needs and a wonderful way to waste time instead of practicing...

)

Eric Fritz · Post by **Eric Fritz** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 2:23 pm

Gary, it was "Jake and the Fatman" as the previous poster pointed out. I remember that lesson. I also graduated USC in spring 1989. So many great stories to remember. We`ll miss you GREATLY Mr. J.

tubapress · Post by **tubapress** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:05 pm

Eric Fritz wrote:Gary, it was "Jake and the Fatman" as the previous poster pointed out. I remember that lesson. I also graduated USC in spring 1989. So many great stories to remember. We`ll miss you GREATLY Mr. J.

Ahhh...my memory is a bit sketchy, but I think it is clearing now! Yes..it had to have been either 1989 or 1988, because I left LA in January of '90. And now I seem to recall the show was actually Columbo! Does that ring a bell, Eric? Or am I just totally off?

Tom Holtz · Post by **Tom Holtz** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:24 am

poomshanka wrote:For those interested in attending, there will be a musical tribute honoring Tommy's life at USC on Sunday, December 3rd at 3:00 p.m. It's in Bovard Auditorium, right next to Tommy Trojan. It will be almost entirely musical in nature, and as I have more details, I'll share them with the forum...

Hope that gets recorded.

porkchopsisgood · Post by **porkchopsisgood** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:37 am

Tommy....you will be missed, but I'm glad that your legacy will live on in your body of work.

Thank you, and Rest in Peace, Sir.

Tom Holtz · Post by **Tom Holtz** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:25 pm

poomshanka wrote:Does someone have this Ice Pirates clip? Looks like the soundtrack was never issued.

I've got it, but I still have to lift it off of the tape. I'll get at it tomorrow, sked permitting. Judging by the clip, the lack of a soundtrack release is no great loss.

Uhhh... Not that I don't love your tuba concerto, Mr. Broughton, sir!!

tubapress · Post by **tubapress** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:57 pm

I found this short piece on Tommy Johnson on Variety.com and thought you all might be interested:

Variety.com

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:56 pm

From the L.A. Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/printeditio ... 6908.story

...D

circusboy · Post by **circusboy** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:57 pm

Nice piece in the L.A. Times today:

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/ ... obituaries

In the print edition, it takes up an entire half-page with a large picture of the man.

It was always exciting to have him show up and play at the local TubaChristmas.

The Impaler · Post by **The Impaler** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:34 pm

As I was packing for my upcoming trip to Jacksonville tonight, the eleven o'clock Atlanta news came on, which I always turn off. I've hated the local news for a long time. So, as I went to change the channel, I heard the ATL 46 anchorwoman run a short eulogy for Mr. Johnson. A bit late, to be sure, but how cool all the way across the country. I wonder if anyone here helped get it on somehow.....if you did, thanks.

chipster55 · Post by **chipster55** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 3:09 pm

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/ ... index.html

Better late than never in remembering a great one -- RIP & thanks, Mr. Johnson.

graybach · Post by **graybach** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 8:02 pm

Neil Cavuto, of FOX News Channel's "Your World With Neil Cavuto," did a short and very respectful segment yesterday (Thursday- 10/26) on Mr. Johnson's passing, and even played the "Jaws" clip. Thank you for your huge contributions to the tuba world, Mr. Johnson: You will be missed.
Gray Bach

Northern · Post by **Northern** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 1:05 am

This is message is from USC, where Tommy Johnson taught. ABC News will have a segment on Tommy Johnson this coming Sunday (provided FedEx-ed images arrive tomorrow morning to DC) on â€œThis week with George Stephanopoulosâ€