The Art of Noise: “Dragnet” (1987)

The theme song to the reboot of Dragnet, a film that Hanks and history would just as soon forget.

Kronomyth 3.2: Hanks but no thanks.

Heaven knows The Art of Noise weren’t given much to work with here. The theme to the television series Dragnet, while memorable, is basically just four notes. The group (at this stage, Anne Dudley and J.J. Jeczalik) gives it the old art college try anyway, throwing in all manner of sounds and edits to keep things from, well, dragging. Remixes by Arthur Baker and AoN, some of which rely too heavily on film dialogue, present several variations on the theme. The group also kicks in a new, hyperedited piece, Acton Art, as an addendum to the revisionist manifesto.

A video was also created for Dragnet that featured the same four actors from “Close to the Edit.” It’s a kind of visual treatment of the song’s audio editing, with new footage and stills from the film spliced together. As theme songs from Dan Aykroyd movies go, “Dragnet” wouldn’t make my top three (Ghostbusters, Doctor Detroit and Ghostbusters II, in case you’re wondering), although I might give it the edge over “Spies Like Us.”

Original 7-inch single version

A1. Dragnet (Arthur Baker 7” mix) (Walter Schumann)
B1. Dragnet (The Art of Noise 7” mix) (Walter Schumann)

Original 7-inch single version (US)
A1. Dragnet (Walter Schumann) (3:03)
B1. Acton Art (Anne Dudley/J.J. Jeczalik) (2:46)

Original 12-inch single version
A1. Dragnet (Arthur Baker 12” mix) (Walter Schumann) (6:12)
A2. Dragnet (Arthur Baker 7” mix) (Walter Schumann) (3:03)
B1. Dragnet (Art of Noise 12” mix) (Walter Schumann) (5:55)
B2. Acton Art (Anne Dudley/J.J. Jeczalik) (2:46)

Cassette single and promotional 12-inch single version (US)
A1. Dragnet (Arthur Baker mix) (Walter Schumann)
A2. Acton Art (Anne Dudley/J.J. Jeczalik)
B1. Dragnet (The Art of Noise 12” mix) (Walter Schumann)
B2. Dragnet (The Art of Noise 7” mix) (Walter Schumann)

Compact disc single version
A1. Dragnet (Art of Noise 12 inch mix) (Walter Schumann)
A2. Dragnet (Arthur Baker 12 inch mix) (Walter Schumann)
A3. Acton Art (Anne Dudley/J.J. Jeczalik)
A4. Dragnet (Art of Noise 7 inch mix) (Walter Schumann)

The Pictures

Design by Art Hotel.

The Plastic

Released on 7-inch, 12-inch, cassette and compact disc single in July 1987 in the UK (China, WOK/WOKX/ZWOK 14/CDE6), the US (China/Chrysalis, VS4 43134/4VT 43135), Canada (Chrysalis, CS43135), Germany (Chrysalis, 109/609 276) and Japan (Chrysalis, RP07-2005) with regional picture sleeve. Also released as promotional 12-inch single in 1987 in the US (China/Chrysalis, 4V9 43135). Reached #60 on the UK charts (charted on July 18, 1987 for 4 weeks).