Hector Martinez (Spider-lead vocals)
SPB: What is the best TV theme song?
Hector: Without a doubt, I gotta say the theme song for the HBO show John From Cincinnati is the best theme song ever.
The song used is “Johnny Appleseed” performed by the inimitable Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros.
I always loved The Clash as a kid. London Calling was in constant rotation in my room, every song a gem on that album. As an adult I was fortunate beyond belief to work with Joe as his Tour Publicist. At the time the album Global a Go-Go came out I was the in-house tour publicist for Hellcat Records. It was a very special time in my life, as I had just started working for the label that was putting out records by the legendary Joe Strummer. It was surreal stuff and meant a lot to me. Now I’m the Director of Licensing at Hellcat Records, licensing recordings for use in films, video games, tv shows, etc... This was one of the first licenses I got to work on as I shifted from tour publicist to head of the licensing department.
The song itself is very cinematic, with its steady beat and with lines reflecting Joe’s love of classic cars “Lord, there goes a Buick ‘49” to burning philosophical questions of the human condition we all struggle with “We think there is a soul/ we don't know, That soul is hard to find” to cries for environmental wisdom “If you're after getting the honey/ Then you don't go killing all the bees.” This song truly has it all.
As the opening credits roll with visuals of California surf culture and the song chugging along in the background, it always brings me to a place of introspection that I love to visit. Then Joe ends it with that hearty cowboy style yell “Hey Ya!”, it always brings a smile to my face.
Check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL02dHpkPjg
