Music Quotes by Henry Mancini

Themes on some TV shows are overdone. That 'Playhouse 90' theme music was an example.

— Henry Mancini

Oh, I'd been writing cartoonish music pretty much all along.

— Henry Mancini

I don't know if I've ever written a song that wasn't on assignment.

— Henry Mancini

Music is constantly developing and changing.

— Henry Mancini

I wanted to write picture music ever since I was a kid.

— Henry Mancini

I equate composing with orchestrating. I think my music in terms of an orchestra.

— Henry Mancini

Erroll Garner is one of the few musicians I believe has a sense of humor in his music.

— Henry Mancini

Music forced into the air you breathe is an invasion of privacy!

— Henry Mancini

Amplification of guitars revolutionized the popular music scene. Youngsters look for quick fame and big money with amplified guitars and working with…

— Henry Mancini

I compose the music according to the nature of the show. 'Peter Gunn's' focus was violence so that was my key.

— Henry Mancini

My father was a steelworker who'd come over from Abruzzi, in Italy. He played in the band and he encouraged me to…

— Henry Mancini

I'm no songwriter because all of my popular songs have just been outgrowths of themes for the various pictures.

— Henry Mancini

Writing music is very, very clinical. You just sit down at a piano, map out a theme and when all the technicalities…

— Henry Mancini

Most people are oriented to words. When the public hears a melody, unless you put words to It, it takes longer to…

— Henry Mancini

A good theme - like the 'Pink Panther' or 'Baby Elephant Walk' - can work all the way through the picture, which…

— Henry Mancini

In 'Charade,' there was a big fight. George Kennedy was playing one of his first big heavy roles; he had a hook…

— Henry Mancini

Quite a few of The Rolling Stones records have had a great honesty about them. In fact, I would put them side-by-side…

— Henry Mancini

Sometimes memorable music doesn't necessarily have to be a hit.

— Henry Mancini

If I'm writing songs for a country-Western picture, I have to know about country music.

— Henry Mancini

Technique is superficial. The method used in applying technique is what gives music its character.

— Henry Mancini

Too many schools across the country have cut back heavily on their music curricula.

— Henry Mancini

Film music, over the years, has taken from everybody.

— Henry Mancini

If you want to make money in music, get into the band uniform business.

— Henry Mancini

Hopefully the music of the future will not be all electronic. There is a place for it if it is used sparingly.

— Henry Mancini

Blake Edwards has set up an extraordinary combination of moods in 'Peter Gunn.' When you stop to analyze it, you can't find…

— Henry Mancini

Some producers hang-on to that old cliche that if the audience hears the music, it is no good. I say this is…

— Henry Mancini

Music has been taken over in this country by personalities and dominated by rock 'n' roll. There's been a synthesizer invasion and…

— Henry Mancini

Stravinsky influenced film music in general - those stabbing chords and rhythms from 'The Rite of Spring.'

— Henry Mancini

Some of the prettiest music I've done was in films that really were not a smash. Your music fares as the film…

— Henry Mancini

I don't like to surprise anyone with the music I compose for a film. That way, there is less trouble later on.

— Henry Mancini

You know, I started in movies a long time ago, and once in awhile I'm taken aback. Sometimes one of my things…

— Henry Mancini