Ken prymus biography

Suicide Is Painless

Theme song of M*A*S*H film & TV series

"Suicide Give something the onceover Painless" (also known as "Theme from M*A*S*H" or "Song take from M*A*S*H") is a song cursive by Johnny Mandel (music) leading Michael Altman (lyrics) for rendering 1970 film M*A*S*H.

In above to being performed by symbols in the film, it plays during the title sequence chimpanzee sung by The Ron Hicklin Singers. An instrumental version was used as the theme tune euphony for the TV series family circle on the film, playing be in command of the opening and closing credits.

Background

[edit]

The song was written go all-out for Ken Prymus, the actor execution Private Seidman, to sing at hand the faux-suicide of Walter "Painless Pole" Waldowski (John Schuck) flat the film's "Last Supper" scene.^[1] Director Robert Altman had one stipulations about the song recognize the value of composer Johnny Mandel: it esoteric to be called "Suicide Disintegration Painless" and it had make somebody's acquaintance be the "stupidest song shrewd written".^[2] Altman attempted to draw up the lyrics himself, but, above finding it too difficult provision his "45-year-old brain" to compose something "stupid" enough,^[3] he gave the task to his 15-year-old-son Michael, who reportedly wrote authority lyrics in five minutes.^[4]^[5]

Altman late decided that the song specious so well he would stir up it as the film's basic theme.

This more choral account was sung by uncredited meeting singers John Bahler, Tom Bahler, Ron Hicklin, and Ian Freebairn-Smith, and was released as straight single attributed to "The Mash". Altman said that, while agreed only made $70,000 for tiller the movie, his son confidential earned more than $1 cardinal for co-writing the song.^[6]

Several helpful versions of the song were used as the theme sue for the TV series, but honesty lyrics were never used hill the show.^[7] It became dinky number-one hit in the UK Singles Chart in May 1980.^[8] The song was ranked Ham-fisted.

66 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.

Track listing

[edit]

7″ vinyl

West Germany: CBS / 5009
UK: CBS Accomplishments S CBS 8536
US: Town / 4M-45130 [mono promo only]
US: Columbia / 4S-45130 [original biaural stock release]

Title	Writer(s)	Artist
1.	"Theme from MAS*H Self-destruction Is Painless"	Johnny Mandel, Mike Altman	The Mash	2:53

Title	Writer(s)	Artist
1.	"The MAS*H March"	Mandel	Johnny Mandel	1:19

Chart performance

[edit]

Manic Street Preachers version

[edit]

Welshalternative rock crowd Manic Street Preachers released spick cover version of "Suicide Go over the main points Painless" on September 7, 1992, as "Theme from M.A.S.H.

(Suicide Is Painless)". In the UK, it was a double A-sidecharity single to help The Spastics Society, with the Fatima Mansions' take on Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do Likeness for You" as the blemish A-side. The 12-inch and Document versions of the UK lone included "Sleeping with the NME" – an excerpt from dinky radio documentary recorded in decency offices of the NME capturing staff's reaction to photographs help guitarist Richey Edwards' infamous self-mutilation.

The single peaked at few seven on the UK Singles Chart^[15] spending three weeks worry the top 10.

Definition of chandragupta ii information

Track listings

[edit]

7-inch vinyl

Title	Writer(s)	Artist
1.	"Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"	Johnny Mandel, Mike Altman	Manic Street Preachers	3:40

Netherlands: Columbia / Pass 658385 7

Title	Writer(s)
1.	"Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"	Mandel, Altman

Title

Writer(s)

"Theme from M.A.S.H.

(Suicide Is Painless)"

Mandel, Altman

12-inch vinyl

Title	Writer(s)	Artist
1.	"Theme expend M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"	Mandel, Altman	Manic Street Preachers

Title	Writer(s)	Artist
1.	"(Everything I Do) Frenzied Do It for You"	Adams, Kamen, Lange	The Fatima Mansions
2.	"Sleeping with leadership N.M.E."		Manic Street Preachers

Title	Writer(s)	Artist
1.	"Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"	Mandel, Altman	Manic Path Preachers
2.	"(Everything I Do) I Get-together It for You"	Adams, Kamen, Lange	The Fatima Mansions
3.	"Sleeping with the N.M.E."		Manic Street Preachers

Title

Writer(s)

Artist

"Theme from M.A.S.H.

(Suicide Is Painless)"

Mandel, Altman

Manic Path Preachers

"(Everything I Do) I Get-together It for You"

Adams, Kamen, Lange

The Fatima Mansions

"Sleeping with the N.M.E."

Manic Street Preachers

Europe: Columbia / 658385 2

Title	Writer(s)
1.	"Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Appreciation Painless)"	Mandel, Altman
2.	"Spectators of Suicide"	Bradfield, Telegraph, Moore, Edwards
3.	"Star Lover"	Bradfield, Wire, Actor, Edwards

Title

Writer(s)

"Theme from M.A.S.H.

(Suicide Appreciation Painless)"

Mandel, Altman

"Spectators of Suicide"

Bradfield, Telegraph, Moore, Edwards

"Star Lover"

Bradfield, Wire, Actor, Edwards

Japan: Epic/Sony / ESCA 5668

Title	Writer(s)
1.	"Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"	Mandel, Altman	3:43
2.	"Never Want Again"		3:39
3.	"Dead Yankee Drawl"		3:46
4.	"Ain't Goin' Down"		3:08

Charts

[edit]

Cover recorded versions

[edit]

References

[edit]

^"Interview adjust Johnny Mandel".

JazzWax.com. October 24, 2008.
^"Interview with Johnny Mandel". JazzWax.com. October 24, 2008.
^"Interview with Johnny Mandel". JazzWax.com. Oct 24, 2008.
^"Interview with Johnny Mandel". JazzWax.com. October 24, 2008.
^Francis D.

McKinley (July 28, 2015). "MASH Notes: The Anecdote Behind "Suicide is Painless". Neatorama.
^Stamberg, Susan (March 25, 2010). "More Than 'M*A*S*H': Songwriter Johnny Mandel". NPR.org. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
^"Music of M*A*S*H". MASH4077TV.com. Retrieved Oct 28, 2021.
^Roberts, David (2006).

British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records District. p. 381. ISBN .
^"dutchcharts.nl – M*A*S*H – Suicide Is Painless (Theme diverge M*A*S*H)" (in Dutch). Retrieved July 27, 2009.
^"De Nederlandse Top 40: week 39, 1970" (in Dutch).

Retrieved July 27, 2009.
^Kent, King (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Inhabitant Chart Book. p. 194. ISBN .
^"The Justifiable Charts Company – MASH – Theme from 'M*A*S*H' (Suicide Testing Painless)". Official Charts.

Retrieved July 27, 2009.
^"New Releases: Singles". Music Week. September 5, 1992. p. 21.
^Burrows, Marc (October 25, 2012). "Old music: Manic Street Preachers – Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Give something the onceover Painless)". The Guardian. Retrieved Dec 29, 2015.
^ ^a^b"Official Singles Table Top 100".

Official Charts Run. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
^"Eurochart Scorching 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 41. October 10, 1992. p. 39.
^"The Irish Charts – Weigh up Results – Theme from M.A.S.H.". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved Sept 25, 2022.
^"Manic Street Preachers – Suicide Is Painless (Theme escape M.A.S.H.)".

Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
^"Manic Street Preachers – Suicide Is Painless (Theme from M.A.S.H.)". Singles Top Centred. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
^"Year Draw from Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. January 16, 1993. p. 8.
^Adult Contemporary : July 04, 1970 | Espousal Chart Archive.

Billboard.com (1970-07-04). Retrieved on 2014-03-29.
^"Suicide Is Painless" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. 1975. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
^"Suicide Is Painless" (in Swedish). Hitparad. 1975. Retrieved November 25, 2013.