Thursday, September 17, 2009

"Guiding Light' Opening Themes: Which One Was Your Favorite?

My favorite Guiding Light opening will always be "My Guiding Light" by Rob Mounsey which debuted in August 1983. What is your favorite opening theme and sequence from over the years?


  1. My favorite GL opening/theme has to be the original "My Guiding Light". IMO, it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

  2. "Hold on to Love" with Harley doing a shimmy shake was such a revelation because up until that point I was so used to the static shot of leaves and then "The Guiding Light" - it really meant that this was a new period for the show.

  3. I think the one from the late 90's was my favorite followed by the 2006 version

  4. Thank you Roger for asking this question and posting all these openings. I just love it.

    My favorite is the opening that debuted in 2005. I loved the theme music and the graphics and how the characters were featured. That is my all time favorite!

  5. Wow! Great question.

    I've always been partial to the disco opening complete with Nola's scream and Tony's "Yaaah" karate kick. That was the one they used when I first started watching the show, so it holds a special place in my heart.

    The one they adopted in 1983 when Gail Kobe/Pam Long assumed control took a while to adjust to since the music was so much slower. But since so many of my fondest GL memories came during that era, I fondly remmember that one. It also holds a place of note since it was the first time any soap used two different sets of images on alternating days.

    The early 90s lighthouse one complete with Harley shimmy shaking seemed to best use the lighthouse motif. Again, it holds a fond place in my heart since so many wonderful stories were happening when it was first being used.

    And while it was unpopular with many viewers (and not even included in the You Tube choices offered here), the John Conboy opening circa 2003 with the letters to Guiding Light superimposed as images of the characters went by was also a favorite. I tend to like faster, upbeat themes.

    The 70th anniversary theme with Rev. Rutledge's sermon was nice for about 6 weeks, but grew old quickly after that.

  6. I'm going to say Hold On To Love (the original), followed by the disco opening.

  7. I posted all those versions of the opening and more with my Retrospective Tribute to GL at, and for me, "My Guiding Light" is the best opening. It was epic, sweeping, and romantic -- everything a soap opening should be.

    However, even though I've seen some Internet sources attribute it to Rob Mounsey, I do believe it was Elliot Lawrence who composed the theme. He was the only one credited in the closing credits to the show at the time. Rob did "Hold on to Love," though.

    As a bit of trivia, Elliot also did the second theme to "Texas," that has always been a fan-favorite.

  8. I'll continue by naming my top 5 in order:

    1. "My Guiding Light" original version

    2. "Hold on to Love" original version
    3. 2005-2006 Ellen Wheeler's theme with Harley and Reva alternating openings.

    4. "Ritournelle" the violin and harp arrangement that accompanied the sunlight-through-trees graphic.

    5. Either the 50th TV anniversary theme from 2002 or "Guided Lightning" (the "disco" theme).

  9. Here's my problem making a decision like this.... I really LOVE the current variation because they change it regularly to include new cast/scenes, etc. However, there is nothing like the openings from the 70s and 80s. They were flashy and showed many views of the same characters (one scene may be a building blowing up with character running out, then you see them in the arms of their true love). Honestly, I love GL and have since the mid-70s so give me anything for even another month and I am thrilled beyond words. :-*( Sad day for GL-lovers everywhere.......

  10. Scott, Mounsey includes the GL theme in his resume and bio at various places.

  11. Roger, thanks for the info. I'll be sure to give Rob proper credit when I get up to the 1980s in my GL Retrospective.

    Still, "Elliot Lawrence Productions" was definitely credited in the closing credits. It would say "Opening Theme: Elliot Lawrence Productions" and "Music: Elliot Lawrence Productions."

    You can see it here at the 1:45 mark:

    Is it possible that Rob Mounsey worked for Elliot Lawrence Productions at the time? Or maybe Elliot Lawrence simply was the orchestra hired to bring Rob's composition to life. I really do want to get that credit correct when I get to talking about the 1980s.

    Maybe I'll put a call in to that number on his CV and see if they care to talk to me about it.

  12. By the way, unless I missed it, Rob, you didn't tell us what YOUR favorite GL theme or themes were.

  13. Oops, I meant "Roger," not "Rob."

    What're your favorite GL openings?

  14. Roger, are you able to add these to the ones you already posted?




  15. btw, I referenced this question on my Twitter account, and linked to your site to get others to share their favorites.

  16. I guess I am hopelessly "old school" because my favorite is a tie between the early '70s lighthouse (orange-y background) and the mid '70s leaves-n-sunlight. The real glory days of GL! Third place goes to the theme of the '80s (the various arrangements of the same tune) and an honorable mention to the Jack Cortner, somehow more suited to "Edge Of Night," disco theme from the early '80s.

  17. Scott, I contacted Rob just to be sure. I'll let you know if I hear back.

  18. Thanks, Roger, but I think I've SOLVED the mystery!

    It's simply a TYPO on his CV! We all knew he composed "Hold on to Love," which began airing in 1990-1991, but if you look on the CV you linked to before, it's NOT there!

    However, he is definitely credited with that theme in the GL closing credits from the early 90s. You can see it here at the 55 second mark:

    Therefore, I'd believe the end credits over what does appear to be a typo on his CV because in 1983, Elliot Lawrence Productions is definitely credited with the theme, and in the 1990s, Mounsey is definitely credited with "Hold on to Love," and Rob's CV only shows him composing ONE Guiding Light theme song!

    I hope Rob does contact you and is willing to fix his resume if it turns out I'm correct in my detective work so that way the record is straight once and for all and Elliot Lawrence gets the proper credit for his fantastic 1980s theme.

    I have to say that it makes sense to me in that the "Texas" theme and "My Guiding Light" are very similar to me, not in terms of tempo, as Texas was quicker and more energetic, but in terms of style. They were both big, emotional themes, and I can see them being composed by the same person, Elliot Lawrence.

    Can't wait to see how this turns out!

  19. Without a single doubt:


    One of the all time great soaps themes.

    1. But which version of "Ritournelle" is the question--the simple orchestrated one, the one with a female voice humming along (which I find haunting), the one with the harp? It seems there are about three or four versions of this theme music, not even including there were longer and shorter versions of each's closing theme, depending upon the days when longer and shorter credits' crawls were broadcast on CBS.

    2. I agree with you, though, "Ritournelle" IS one of the most beautiful soap opera themes (as well light classical compositions) ever, along with its predecessor, "La Lumiere"/"Rue d'Or," the former used as the opening theme, the latter used as a mid-show bumper (also known as the theme music of "Peggy Scott Dillman Fletcher Thorpe"), then incorporated with "La Lumiere" as the closing theme music of "The Guiding Light," from 1969-75. I have also come to appreciate a later "GL" theme, "Hold On To Love."

      Along with these "(The) Guiding Light" themes, I also think the "As The World Turns" theme used from 1956-81 (with brief use of an alternate theme 1961-62) is one of the most beautiful pieces of instrumental music I have ever heard. What these soap themes share are they were all composed by Charles Paul, "Ritournelle" along with, I assume, his wife, Dina Dore Paul.

      A few other beautiful soap themes are--

      - the 1974-86 versions of "We'll Search For Tomorrow," but particularly the versions played live on keyboards and with vocals," not so much the orchestrated versions used later (1982-86), especially the higher-tech one used the first few years of the NBC run of the show.

      - "The Edge Of Night" theme used from 1956-76, really the closing theme, which incorporated the opening theme music, but had its own beautiful melody for the closing, composed by Paul Taubman, whether played live on organ or the orchestral version, with that great view of the Cincinnati night skyline, home of Procter & Gamble, the company which really put the "soap" in soap opera.

      - the theme music used for "Another World" 1975-81, which sounds a more fleshed-out version of its second theme, was also quite infectious, one of those melodic themes that remains in one's mind over the years. No composer credit may be found for this one, though, simply Score Productions.

  20. My fav GL opening are really 2 //2002 and the actual one

  21. My favorite opening credits are:

    1. Hold On To Love (original from early 1990s)
    2. Current Theme
    3. 2005-2006 Theme
    4. The Disco Theme from the early 1980's (Doug Marland era)

    Tomorrow is going to be a crushing day.

  22. God, talk about hard to choose! I'll have to go with the disco theme (Nola screaming, etc.) through the 2002 one (I loved the "lenses" of the lighthouse go by with the cast in them). I couldn't really get into the ones past that...and the final theme...ugh. :\

  23. Confirmed by the composer himself - Rob Mounsey composed the 1983-85 GL theme.

  24. Thanks for the digging around, Roger. Still don't know exactly what Elliot Lawrence Productions is (maybe my first guess that ELP were the actual musicians/orchestra performing the theme was correct), but I am satisfied that I should give Mounsey composer credit for BOTH "My Guiding Light" and "Hold on to Love."

  25. Hello everybody,

    I did create both of those themes and also am the composer of the "Texas" theme. Elliot Lawrence asked me to adapt the "My Guiding Light" tune (it started life as a Canada Dry ginger ale commercial!). "Hold on to Love" was written as an entry in an enormous competition for a new theme, under Music Director Barbara Miller-Gidaly. The "Texas" theme was also a commercial originally -- I can't remember for what -- and Elliot selected it for "Texas." -- Rob Mounsey

  26. Rob, thanks for coming by to help clear everything up. As I stated above, I'm working on a GL Retrospective for, and I was definitely going to mention both "My Guiding Light" and "Hold on to Love" as they are the two most beloved themes that GL has had over its 72 years. It was important to get the correct credit for those.

    The fact that you also created the theme for "Texas" probably cements your reputation as the best soap theme composer out there, among your many other accomplishments in the larger field of popular music.

  27. Hoping someone can help. Where was the actual lighthouse in various openings in 1983? It actually shows a realler tall lighthtouse and a view from above I believe with some sort of road.

  28. I was going to ask that aobut the 70s theme--where is the real lighthouse located?

    I like the late 70s theme "Ritournelle" but not the violin and harp arrangement, but the opera vocals (not included here). This theme is the theme that accompanied the sunlight-through-trees graphic.

    Then there is "Hold On to Love" one of the best openings/graphics ever. There was so much included in the visuals.

    Finally, "My Guiding Light"--the theme when I was most a fan during high school.

  29. Wow let's see-

    My favorite one was the 1991-2002 lighthouse opening. To this day, I am amazed that they did this before After Effects hit the market.

    The second one is the Star opening- first it was disco and then they had a classic romantic theme.

    I did like the brief 2005-2007 opening as well, because it had so much of the cast.

    Finally, I loved the solitary lighthouse with a multicolored beacon. What very few people realize is that the light as it passes revealed the previous logo albeit blurred. And during the first few weeks of this one, during the station ID and the closing, a lens would appear and go from right to left revealing the current logo while the previous logo is faintly seen.


  31. This comment has been removed by the author.