Short Take on Stephen Lawrence, Composer

by G. Jack Urso

 

Stephen Lawrence in front of his three Emmys, from his blog.

Stephen Lawrence, along with Bruce Hart, wrote the music and lyrics, respectively, for the Hot Hero Sandwich theme song. That song lived rent-free in my head for decades, quite an accomplishment considering there were no recordings released of the music or of the series itself. The catchy ear-worm with a Hard Rock beat immediately set the tempo and tone of the series, as well as its mission statement — just surviving adolescence makes you a hero and you’re not the only one going through it.

The Hot Hero Band performs the show’s theme song.

Stephen Lawrence collaborated with Bruce Hart on Marlo Thomas’ landmark children’s record album Free To Be . . . You and Me (1972), later produced as a TV special in 1974, before moving on to Hot Hero Sandwich. Beginning in the early 1980s, Lawrence began writing for Sesame Street, contributing over 300 songs and winning three Emmys for his efforts. Hart himself had prior experience with Sesame Street, co-writing the lyrics to the show’s classic theme song, “Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street.” Lawrence and Hart also worked together on the Hart’s 1979 TV movie, Sooner or Later, composing on the title song which became a hit for its star Rex Smith.

Rex Smith performs “Sooner or Later” backed up by the Hot Hero Band on Hot Hero Sandwich.

Yet, it is the Hot Hero Sandwich theme song that marks his importance here. Hot Hero Band bassist Robert Brissette in his interview with the Hot Hero Sandwich Project discusses how they got the demo tape with Stephen Lawrence pounding out the show’s theme song.

The HHS theme song was given to us on a cassette. It was nothing more than a middle-age guy (not Bruce Hart) at a piano singing the melody and lyrics with a discernible New York accent, at least to my ears. Very bare bones recording by any standard measure, but we knew what to do with it. We went to the rehearsal studio to begin fleshing it out. Mike [Ratti] started the drum figure — ideal for a television theme — then I added the bass line; Mark [Cunnigham] and Richie [Annunziato] came in with the guitar parts. We added the vocal harmonies and Felix [Pappalardi] brought it all to life when we recorded it.

Stephen Lawrence, 1975

As noted in his New York Times obituary, Jan. 8, 2022, Lawrence, in an essay on his now-defunct blog, wrote, “One of the most effective devices, and for children one of the most important, is repetition. Did you write a first line you like? Why not repeat it?” We can see this this principle utilized to great effect in the Hot Hero Sandwich theme. In many other articles, I have noted how the song stuck in my head for decades — a remarkable achievement given that there were no recordings released in any format, including LP, cassette, 8-Track, VHS, CD, or DVD. This is a common sentiment among the show’s fans and, frankly, the memory of that theme song helped nurture the memory of the series for  decades even with the absence of any media to support it.

While better known for music aimed at children, Lawrence and Hart also co-wrote the theme song for the 1973 film Bang the Drum Slowly starring Robert De Niro. Other songs they collaborated on include “One Way Ticket” (recorded by Mama Cass and Helen Reddy) and “Who Are You Now” (recorded by Olivia Newton-John), in addition to the aforementioned song, “Sooner or Later,” for the TV movie of the same name.

Stephen Lawrence died on Dec. 30, 2021 at 82, just 16 days after series writer David Axlerod passed away on Dec. 13, 2021. The Hot Hero Sandwich Project began just a year later. Their passing leaves a gap in our knowledge of the series that cannot be replaced.

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