Absolutely Tailor-Made for a Ska Remake

Get Smart was harmless fun. The movies and teevee were awash with James-Bond-ish spy stuff back then, and it was inevitable there’d be plenty of comedic riffs on the genre to follow. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry got plenty of mileage out of it. Don Adams made an amiable Agent 86. The term “86 something” is in wide use now, but it was a kind of in-joke back then. If a diner was out of something, they’d “86 it” They’d also refer to an unwanted customer in the same way. Deli humor.

The show was a catch-phrase generator. People wandered the earth saying, “Missed it by that much,” and “Sorry about that chief,” whether it fit the occasion or not. But it was the opening credits ended up being the only truly memorable thing about the show.

The theme song was written by a mostly unknown dude from Quincy, Mass, named Irving Szathmary. He also composed the score and bumper music for the show. I guess it paid well. When the show was retired, Irving retired too.

Stamford Ska is a rollicking band from Old Blighty. They certainly took the theme song one step beyond with panache. You can hire them if you want. Their website says you can get the whole eight-piece outfit for about $1,500, only paid in spondulicks or dosh or bob or shrapnel or whatever it is they use over there. I don’t understand their money.