I never noticed it until now, but the rhythm part* on “Lily Was Here” is similar to Jeff Beck’s, “The Pump,” which was also featured in an ’80s film, “Risky Business.” Seems almost certain Dave Stewart would have seen the film and the scene with the Porsche where Beck’s song is featured.

*… and lead guitar.

Yes the idea of just an instrumental from an album went away with the seventies I guess. Another TV theme was ‘Hill Street Blues’ by legendary session guitarist Larry Carlton which made the top ten in 1981.

The only one from nineties I can think of was ‘Lily Was Here’ another song from a movie by the Eurythmics David Stewart and Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer which made it to #11. That’s a really cool song.

Just one of those once popular art forms that has just gone away I guess.

I think I remember Lee Mendelson stating he heard Guaraldi’s song on his car radio as he was crossing the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco and recognized it as the type of music he wanted in the Peanuts Christmas special he was working on.

And two of your ’80s cites were movie themes and one was a TV show theme.

I think “Sanford & Son” charted fairly high as a ’70s, TV show instrumental. The Star Wars, disco infused, alien bar scene instrumental was another movie associated instrumental* that got a lot of airplay in the ’80s. As did the theme from Magnum P.I. Didn’t either “Rockford Files” and/or “Mannix” also chart as instrumentals?

*At least until Bill Murray added lyrics as Nick Winters on SNL.

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