He won his first Grammy at age 23 for Best Instrumental Arrangement on Mason Williams' "Classical Gas". One of his first TV jobs started when he was 24, as the musical director on The Andy Williams Show. Another early job was writing music, including the theme for the series Toma, but his big break-through (together with co-composer Pete Carpenter) came with his theme song for The Rockford Files, another series by producer Stephen J. Cannell; the theme also got cross-over Top 40 radio airplay.
He also worked with Kenny Rogers in the 1960s and produced the first three albums he recorded with his country/rock group The First Edition. Post also produced Dolly Parton's hit album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs in 1981.
He won an Emmy for the theme to Murder One, and had previously been nominated for NYPD Blue, among others. He has won BMI Awards for the music for L.A. Law, Hunter, and the various Law & Order series.
Other noted TV music work includes The Commish, NewsRadio, Blossom, Hill Street Blues, The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, Magnum, P.I., Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, CHiPs, Hardcastle & McCormick, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Doogie Howser, M.D., Quantum Leap, Hooperman, Riptide, Remington Steele, Renegade, Silk Stalkings, and Wise Guy.
The Who's Pete Townshend wrote a song called "Mike Post Theme", taken from their comeback album Endless Wire, released in 2006. Townshend has said that the song takes inspiration from Post's theme for Hill Street Blues. The sound of British electronic indie act The Go! Team is largely inspired by Post's action theme music, including the Magnum, P.I. theme.
His 1994 CD, Inventions from the Blue Line (see illustration) contains several of his best known cop-show themes as of then, featuring NYPD Blue and also including Law & Order, Silk Stalkings and Renegade. In the liner notes, he discusses his late father, Sam Postil, and the admiration for law enforcement officers that Sam instilled in Mike.
Hill Street Blues
Mike Post Lyrics
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These lyrics are the opening lines to Mike Post's song Hill Street Blues, which served as the theme song for the 1980s TV drama of the same name. The show depicted the lives of police officers working at the fictitious Hill Street precinct, and the lyrics set the tone for the show's gritty, realistic portrayal of urban crime and violence. The words "Armed Robbery in progress" immediately grab the listener's attention and create a sense of urgency and danger. The specific location given, "Corner of People's Drive and 124th Street," adds to the show's sense of realism and authenticity.
The lyrics to Hill Street Blues are simple but effective, providing a stark contrast to the show's complex characters and intricate storylines. The song's melody and instrumentation also reflect the show's tone, with a muted trumpet playing a mournful, bluesy tune over a jazzy rhythm section. Overall, the lyrics to Hill Street Blues serve as a perfect introduction to the show's world of crime, corruption, and everyday heroism.
Line by Line Meaning
Contributed by Christian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.