The Adam-12 Generic Rock and Roll Party Music
Generic but memorable.
I really like the TV show Adam-12 and regularly rewatch it. It’s a quirky show filled with great performances that are worth checking out again and again. If you embark on this journey, one thing that you will quickly notice is the ongoing reuse of a loop of very generic rock and roll party music.
This music recurs whenever Malloy and Reed are called out to investigate a noise complaint. Usually a party is happening, and the sound is cranked up to eleven. Once you hear this music, you will never forget it. If you do watch the show, you won’t need to wait long to hear it. The music makes an appearance in the very first season of the show.
Adam-12 has been removed from YouTube and other video services, but the Internet Archive still has a full copy of Season 1 available. Here is the last episode of that season, where Reed needs to respond to a noise complaint at a party. It turns out to be an old high school friend who doesn’t take too kindly to the request to turn down the music at the party. Jump to the 20-minute mark to hear the music.
Jack Webb, who produced Adam-12, was known for his sparseness when it came to production. Which would explain not only the generic nature of the music, but also its CONSTANT reuse.
It is funny to hear the music time and again. Even after watching the series completely multiple times, I am surprised at how it makes me smile. I am pretty sure it’s because in addition to being nondescript, the music is also bad.
Okay, maybe that is harsh. I am not a music critic, but I feel like they selected abrasive, loud music on purpose. If Malloy and Reed were called out to some pleasant sounding party, shutting down the music would not have been as satisfying as it is when we finally get some quiet.
While the music might not be great, it’s memorable, and as a fan of the show, I have always wanted to know more about it. Sadly, all my efforts to get more information about the song have failed. But my ongoing searches haven’t been completely unfruitful.
Just this week, I was watching an episode of the show, when the music came on. It was a reminder to do a few searches and see if anything new had shown up anywhere.
Nothing new about the music, but I did find an amazing video by YouTube user offroad77. In a video, this talented musician, playing all the instruments, recreates the song. What’s even better is he gives the song a perfect name, “Irresponsible Party Music.”
Adam 12 was a great show. When the officers went to investigate a rowdy party, this music was often playing. I decided to make my own version of what I called the “Irresponsible Party Music”. Enjoy
The world might not know the origins of this music yet, but thanks to a fan of the show, we now have a clean standalone version that we can rock out to in the privacy of our own homes.
Just try to keep the volume to a sensible level. Because if that music gets loud enough that your neighbors consider it irresponsible, you might get a visit from your local equivalent of Adam-12.
To me, it sounds like a jazzed up version of the Hawaii 5-O theme. They were both out at the same time.