LALO Schifrin, the composer who wrote the theme for Mission: Impossible has died aged 93.
Schifrin’s son Ryan confirmed that the legend died due to complications from pneumonia in his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family.
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The Argentine won four Grammys and was nominated for six Oscars, including five for original score for Cool Hand Luke, The Fox, Voyage of the Damned, The Amityville Horror and The Sting II.
He also wrote the grand finale musical performance for the World Cup championship in Italy in 1990, in which the Three Tenors Plcido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jos Carreras sang together for the first time.
The work became one of the biggest sellers in the history of classical music.
The talent jazz pianist and classical conductor legend worked alongside fellow legends Dizzy Gillespie and recorded with Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan.
But it’s thought his biggest contribution was the instantly recognizable score to TV’s Mission: Impossible series, which later became a movie franchise starring Hollywood’s Tom Cruise.
Written in the unusual 5/4 time signature, the theme Dum-dum DUM DUM dum-dum DUM DUM was married to an on-screen self-destruct clock that kicked off the TV show, which ran from 1966 to 1973.
It was described as “only the most contagious tune ever heard by mortal ears” by New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane.
It also hit No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968.
Schifrin originally wrote a different piece of music for the theme song but series creator Bruce Geller liked another arrangement Schifrin had composed for an action sequence.
The legend said about the theme tune: “The producer called me and told me, ‘You’re going to have to write something exciting, almost like a logo, something that will be a signature, and its going to start with a fuse.’
“So I did it and there was nothing on the screen. And maybe the fact that I was so free and I had no images to catch, maybe that’s why this thing has become so successful because I wrote something that came from inside me.”
Mission: Impossible won Grammys for best instrumental theme and best original score from a motion picture or a TV show.
In 2017, the theme was entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Behind the theme tune, there is even a secret message.
Co-starts in the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One movie, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson didn’t even realise there’s more to the well-known theme song than just a catchy tune.
The pair were appearing on Today FM when one of the hosts of the Dermot & Dave Show revealed all.
Dave said to the actors: “Can I give you my Mission Impossible fact? And maybe you know this.
“So, Lalo Schifrin, when he wrote the music for the original TV show, the famous ding, ding, ding, ding.
“It’s two long notes and two short notes and that’s the Morse Code for M.and the Morse Code for I – MI, Mission Impossible – two long notes, two short notes.”
Both actors were amazed by this, with Pegg saying: “Dave, that’s a fact I’m going to tell everyone.”
Then Rebecca chips in, adding: “I’m going to use that.”
Schifrin is survived by his sons, Ryan and William, daughter, Frances, and wife, Donna.
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