OVER THERE THEME SONG

THE TITLE SONG

The title song for the show OVER THERE was written by Chris Gerolmo two years before the show was conceived.

In fact, it was well into the process or working out the storyline for the pilot before Chris asked Steven Bochco if he was willing to call the show OVER THERE.
Chris Gerolmo

When he said yes, Chris smiled and told him "I have a song we may be able to use. I want to sing it, too."

Steven was amused. He was tolerant of the idea that Chris wanted to sing songs in the show. He figured if Mike Post - the dean of American television music, who had agreed to compose the score- would go along with the idea, then he would too.

Which set up quite a first meeting between Chris and Mike Post. There was a lot riding on that encounter; whether or not Chris would get his song, and whether or not he'd get a chance to sing it, too.

**If you like the way it turned out and would like to hear other songs by Chris Gerolmo, check out The Album page on this website, or go to this link.**

In his gorgeous studio in Burbank, Mike Post heard a demo of the song and loved it.

Then he heard that Chris wanted to sing it, and he blanched.

He reminded Chris that a lot of people had a lot riding on this show. Chris responded that he'd never hurt his own show in any way. Mike told him in that case he should think about getting a great singer to sing his song. Maybe Michael McDonald or Keb Mo.

It looked like the answer was No.

Until Chris finally just flat out asked Mike for his help. "Please. Let's just try it. If it doesn't work out, we'll all know. We'll hear it." At that, Mike blinked, then said, "Okay, man. You're on."

Thereafter Mike threw himself into producing the track with a vengeance. He recorded Chris' acoustic guitar and voice so brilliantly that even he started to think it might work out.

At which point he decided to go ahead bring in some of the best studio musicians in the country.

He asked his friend John "JR" Robinson- arguably the most-recorded drummer in rock and roll- to come in play the drums. John kicks ass on the song.
He asked session veteran George Doering to come and play electric guitar. The day he came, Chris brought in his own Fuzz Factory*, a wild fuzz pedal designed by Zachary Vex, and asked George to run his guitar through it. George did so, to amazing effect.

Including the last note of the play-out, which was an unplanned result of George trying to end his solo by turning down his guitar's volume knob, not knowing what it would do to the Fuzz Factory*.

Finally, Mike Post brought in Amy Keyes (who sings on the road with Phil Collins) and Maxanne Lewis, a couple of pros who may sing together better than any other pair of singers in the country. Their contribution to the final track is immeasurable. Amy's high singing in the end of the song is hair-raising.

And we were done.

Again, if you like the way the song turned out, check out The Album page on this website, or go to this link.

* Chris's Fuzz Factory is one of the ten pedals that Zachary Vex had sitting on workbench waiting to be painted on September 10 th , 2001. When the buildings came down on 9/11, he was moved to paint them all in the colors of the flag, date them and write on the bottom "I love NY." When this one, ..8, came on sale on eBay two years later,
Chris bought it.