Death and Credits[]
Did Olvier Nelson actually receive onscreen credit for these 4th and 5th season episodes? The man was dead at the time, after all. His original material couldn't have gone much past the middle of season 3. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 02:45, 14 November 2007 (UTC)
You might be right! I think in seasons 4 and 5 he was just listed as composer of the SMDM theme. I have to check on that again. --Bionicboy 17:01, 14 November 2007 (UTC)
While a show may have some episodes "in the can" at any given time, the credits for later seasons will be mostly for the theme.
The exception to this will be places where the show used recordings made by Nelson for prior shows, (e.g. the ubiquity of "The Seven Million Dollar Man" tracks) and reiterations of his themes by later composers, as in "Kill Oscar, Part II," when Steve takes Jaime's hand at her bedside, and we hear a reprise of Nelson's instrumental version of "Sweet Jaime" from "The Bionic Woman" and "The Return of The Bionic Woman". Brought a tear to me eye! (now if they had just re-upped on that date that Oscar spoiled in part one....)
One can tell readily when it was Nelson's band, by the tightness of the attack and the presence of the soft-fingered bass and hand drum (term?). Later bands had a softer, less aggressive approach. Also, as a Jazz man, Nelson's band did more improv, while later scoring was more scripted.
Major Sloan 21:33, 18 January 2008 (UTC)