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"The Edge of Night" featured three different musical themes during its twenty-eight-year run.
Edge's original theme was composed by Paul Taubman, who also served as the program's organist from the series premiere through mid-1976. The Taubman theme was initially played live on an organ, as was all of the show's background music. By 1973, the Taubman theme had been recorded on tape and featured a piano and celeste (described by fan Jay Tull as "big band, Guy Lombardo-esque"), although Taubman continued to play the background music live.
Shortly after Edge moved to ABC in December 1975, the producers commissioned new theme music. It is unclear who composed this theme, but it proved to be extremely unpopular with viewers. Due to audience protests, it was dropped within a couple of weeks, and the orchestrated Paul Taubman theme was quickly reinstated. No recordings are known to exist of this theme.
In June 1976, "The Edge of Night" unveiled its third (and final) signature theme. Written by Jack Cortner and John Barranco for Elliot Lawrence Productions, this moody, melancholy theme had two versions: an instrumental and a vocal with lyrics. The instrumental theme was composed first, solely by Jack Cortner, and also featured the voice of Cortner's wife Kasey Cisyx, who sang the low "ahs" heard on the track. Later, Elliot Lawrence requested a vocal version with lyrics. For this, Cortner collaborated with singer/composer John Barranco, who wrote the lyrics "in about an hour". The lyric version was also sung by John Barranco, one of the top ten jingle singers in New York City at that time. The vocal version generally ran on Thursday or Friday, accompanying the cast credits, and if it failed to air at all one week, it usually ran twice the next. The original Cortner and Barranco theme was heard for the last time on Friday, June 13, 1980.
On Monday, June 16, 1980, Edge introduced a disco remix of the C&B theme. Once again, two versions were utilized: an instrumental and a vocal version with lyrics. The lyric version debuted the re-mixed theme. On Friday, June 17, 1983, the lyric version of the disco remix aired for the last time. Thereafter, only the instrumental was used.
A second remix of the C&B theme debuted on Monday, September 13, 1983. Featuring drums, hand claps, and an electronic synthesizer, this "techno remix" stayed with the show for the remainder of its network run. Unlike the previous mixes, the techno theme had only one version: an instrumental.
To the delight of fans, the original Cortner and Barranco theme was selected to close the Edge's final telecast on December 28, 1984.
The following musicians contributed to the musical cues and background music heard on "The Edge of Night":
EUGENE BIANCO
ELLIOT LAWRENCE BOZA
GARY S. BURR
PETER W. CANNAROZZI
MATT DENNIS
THOMAS A. GOODMAN
ALLAN GUMBS
ANDREW JAMES (A.J.) GUNDELL
CHRISTOPHER HOWARD
DANIEL E. LAWRENCE
JAMES ELLIOT LAWRENCE
JOHN LEHMAN
DREW MARVEL
MICHAEL McCURTIS
ANDREA D'ARCY MEAD
DAVID F. MEAD
LANNY D. MEYERS
ROBERT PERRY (ROB) MOUNSEY
WILLIAM T. (BILLY) NALLE
JOHN LOUIS READ, JR.
DAVID BIEHL RINEHIMER
FRANK JOHN ROSZAK
ANDREW MICHAEL SAIDENBERG
DONALD J. SEBESKY
JOHN D. SILBERMAN
BARRY H. SMITH
DEREK G. SMITH
PAUL TAUBMAN
JAMES E. VICKERS
TORRIE ZITO
