64studios101 explains the intent behind various recurring themes in the Chef Clown Man Show.

The Chef Clown Man Theme Song

I composed this piece of music so long ago that I don’t even remember doing it. I think it works well as both the theme for the show and for the character, because it is light and simple. The melody consists of just five notes, but the tempo is usually fast enough that the music feels quite fun and energetic. In this way it mirrors Chef Clown Man’s personality, so it ends up being quite effective.

Appearances: "The Chef Clown Man Theme Song," "The Chef Clown Man Theme Song (Credits)," "The Chef Clown Man Theme Song (Christmas)," "The Chef Clown Man Theme Song (Credits: Christmas)," "The Frozen Chef Clown Man Theme," "Talent Card," "Joke Theme," "Bad Saxophone Playing," "Magic Theme," "Dance Theme," "Clown Man at the Movies," "Entering the Factory," "The Strange and Wonderful Life of John Johnny Johnson," "Off-Brand Theme," “A World of Pure Imagination,” “Johnson’s Birthday Search,” “The Majestic World of TV,” "Cooking Theme," "Comedy Theme," "Theme From Clown Man," "Funky Cola Mashup," "Starship Overture," "Jazzy Pizzazz," "He’s a Gamer," "Bullying and Bonding," "Clown Man… or Spencer?," "And So It Begins,"  "Collector of the Strange," "War is Bad," "Peace in Our Time,"

The Strange and Wonderful Life of John Johnny Johnson

I first used a version of this piece in the short film “Clown Man’s Got Talent!” as a theme for Chef Clown Man’s stand-up comedy, but I soon realized that it works much better as an encapsulation of John Johnny Johnson’s character. It serves as a companion piece of sorts to Chef Clown Man’s Theme, as it contains many of the same notes and it has a similar rhythm. However, it is generally slower and calmer, which corresponds with Johnson’s far less energetic personality. I often use it during Johnson-centric episodes or during moments that are important for the character.

Appearances:  "Joke Theme," "The Wonders of Cola," "Entering the Factory," "The Strange and Wonderful Life of John Johnny Johnson," "A World of Pure Imagination," "Johnson’s Birthday Search," "The Warmth of Summer," "There’s A New Cook In Town," "The Final Duel (Johnson’s Choice)," "Snappy Cola Montage," "A Toss of Cola," "I Will Always Remember the Way It Began," "The Sad and Woeful Life of John Johnny Johnson," "Clown Man… or Spencer?,"

The Chef Clown Man Horror Theme #1

The melody of this piece is simply composed of three different notes, but I find that the combination of repeating them, speeding up the tempo, and changing the octave gives it an unsettling feel. My favorite version of the theme might be from “The Gross-Out Episode,” which expands on the original poor-quality recording by adding extra harmony in the form of a piece that originates from the episode’s title card music. The versions that appear in  “The Chef Clown Man Halloween Special” are also worth mentioning, as they are wonderfully atmospheric.

Appearances: "The Chef Clown Man Horror Theme," "The Chef Clown Man Horror Theme (Extra Horror Mix)," "The Legend of Jeff the Chef," "Eerie March (Evil March Remix)," "The Dramatic Strings of Doom," "The Horror of Halloween," "Nightmarish Flier," "Oh Horrors!," "Clown of Horror," "The Clown Will Get You," "Horror Movie Hero,"

The Chef Clown Man Horror Theme #2

I composed this to be the title card music in “The Gross Out Episode.” It also ended up appearing in the montage music for that aforementioned episode, and I eventually brought it back for the Halloween Special. I like it because it is a bit more musically complex than the original Chef Clown Man Horror Theme, but it still has that quintessential spooky feeling. It comes in handy when I want something a bit less repetitive and simplistic than the original horror theme. 

Appearances: "The True Horror of Grossness," "The Chef Clown Man Horror Theme (Extra Horror Mix)," "Eerie March (Evil March Remix)," "The Dramatic Strings of Doom," "The Horror of Halloween," "It’s A Halloween Party!," "Oh Horrors!," "Greatly Disturbing Theme," "Clown of Horror," "Horror Movie Hero,"

Evil March

This piece functions primarily as Fredrick the Evil Clown’s Theme, and with the exception of the main theme and perhaps “the Bubblegum Song,” this was the first piece that I wrote for The Chef Clown Man Show. This is strange, considering the fact that Fredrick isn’t introduced until the end of the first season. Back when I wrote it, I didn’t even know what a chord was, so the harmony is quite simple and the song is extremely repetitive. In a weird way, though, I think that this fact somehow gets at Fredrick’s single-minded and uncomplicated hatred of Clown Man, so I guess it’s pretty effective. Interestingly, a version of the piece actually appears much earlier as the theme for The Evil Darkness, the overdramatic, overly violent, and overly bleak show that John Johnny Johnson watches. Since it is effectively the villain theme, it makes sense that it is also used for such an unpleasant show.

Appearances: "Epic March (Evil March Remix)," "Darkness is Coming," "Evil March," "The Final Duel (Johnson’s Choice)," "Clowny With A Chance of Cola," "Eerie March (Evil March Remix)," "Evil Train Compartment,"

Creativity Theme

I try to use this theme whenever Clown Man and Johnson are doing something creative and fun. The theme is quite fast-paced, and the melody never stays on one note for too long. For me, this is emblematic of the creative process; once I get inspired, I like to just go on whatever journey my mind takes, hopefully not dwelling on just one single part of it. I particularly like its use in “Creative Animating” from “Clown Cartoons,” and in “Creative Tie-Dying” from “The Flood.” These are both unique interpretations of the theme that nonetheless are instantly recognizable. They also both make use of a harmony part that I didn’t write until long after the piece’s first appearance.

Appearances: "Creative Paintings," "Creative Animating," "Creative Tie-Dying," "The Play’s the Thing," "Creative Clowning," "Creative Comics,"

Town Café Overture

This is far from my favorite bit of music, but I do think that it does its job. Whenever you hear it, you can bet that the Town Café is about to appear in some form. I much prefer the more playful, competitive version that appears as the title card music in “The Sweet Smell of Garlic” to the original, but I suppose I still had a lot to learn when I first wrote the theme. In some ways, I do like that it is a strange mix of fun and boredom, which really sums up the opposing views that different characters have about the restaurant. It’s also worth mentioning the five (!!!) different versions of the theme that appear in “Closing Day.” Playing with the piece’s tone in order to convey different situations was quite a fun challenge.

Appearances: "Town Café Overture," "That’s Business!," "Haunted Town Café Overture," "Towards the Center," "The Town Café is Over Overture," "Town Café Pajama Night," "Town Café Movie Night," "Town Café Trivia Night," "Town Café Dance Night,"

Cooking Theme

The story behind this piece is quite interesting. After listening to some French instrumental music that was apparently often played in a café, I was inspired to write a theme for Clown Man preparing the meal in “The Not-So Nifty New Neighbors.” However, soon after I came up with the theme in my mind, I got up, took a break, and promptly forgot everything about it. I had to start over completely, and at the time I thought that the final product was much weaker than my forgotten original theme. Looking back, though, I think it’s a rather strong bit of music. I enjoy the slow beginning, which is supposed to sound sort-of high class, like a fancy restaurant. This beginning soon gives way to a fun, jaunty melody that perfectly summarizes how much Chef Clown Man loves cooking, but the resurgence of the slower part reminds us that he also takes his craft very seriously. I’ve used this pretty much whenever there’s a cooking montage, and it has served me well. I particularly love the jaunty, fast-paced version that appears in “Journey to the Center of the Town Café,” which is entitled “Café of the Cook.”

Appearances: "Café of the Clown," "Café of the Chef," "A Time For Vampires," "There’s A New Cook in Town," "Café of the (Not Quite) Chef," "Café of the Cook,"

Captain Clown - Main Theme

This piece has really only been used in one episode, “Superhero Clown.” However, there are several variations of it throughout the episode, so I think it is worth talking about. I composed the original version of this theme in my head without access to a piano, and just like I did with the original version of the cooking theme, I soon forgot it. This started my method of recording vocal demos as soon as I came up with a piece of music. The final version of the theme sounds a bit too secret agent-y and not quite superhero-y enough, but I still appreciate it for the action-packed romp that it is. The version that appears in the track “Look Out! It’s a Criminal!” is probably the best, because it works quite well in the 1960s Batman music style that I used. I abandoned this theme in favor of “the Action Wagon” in the final superhero scene of the episode to reflect the relatively modern trend of superheroes often being revamped as darker, grittier versions of their original selves that sometimes (although definitely not always) seem to forget about their roots.

Appearances: "Captain Clown’s Theme Sting," "Captain Clown - Main Theme," "Look Out! It’s a Criminal!,"

Theme from Captain Cola and the Soda Squad!

The melody of this track is literally composed of just two notes. The whole idea behind all of my Captain Cola tracks is to make them as bad as possible, while still not being unbearable to listen to, which is embodied by this theme. I’ve put it in much of the incidental music for Captain Cola and the Soda Squad, both because I can be uncreative and because I think the composers for the cartoon within the fictional Chef Clown Man universe are likely both underpaid and untalented. The simplicity and lack of effort I put into this theme shows in the best way possible. I’ve also used it as a sort of Diet Dr. Cola theme in general, which makes sense, since the cola conglomerate makes the Soda Squad show. Looking back, I wish that I sang the verses in “Theme from Captain Cola and the Soda Squad!” an octave higher than I did, but I unfortunately was relatively unconfident in my vocal range back when I recorded the original track. Special mention deserves to go to “Cola Bass Transition,” which has become the default track that plays during exterior shots of the Diet Dr. Cola factory.

Appearances: "Born to Drink Cola - Captain Cola and the Soda Squad OST," "Theme from Captain Cola and the Soda Squad!," "The Wonders of Cola," "The Origins of a Cola Legend - Captain Cola and the Soda Squad OST," "80s Cola Pop," "A Day to Drink Cola - Captain Cola and the Soda Squad OST," "Funky Cola Mashup," "Cola Bass Transition," "Snappy Cola Montage," Clowny With A Chance of Cola," "A Toss of Cola," "The Man With All The Cola - Captain Cola and the Soda Squad OST," "Buy Diet Dr. Cola," "The Culprit Revealed," "Ode to Cola - Captain Cola and the Soda Squad OST," "Where’s That Cola?," "80s Cola Pop 2: Soda Search," "He Saves the World," "Collect Them All!," "Support the War Effort! Buy Diet Dr. Cola - Captain Cola and the Soda Squad OST,"  

Uplifting Emotional Theme

As with many tracks that I end up using in the show, this one was originally composed in my free time with no particular use in mind. In the end, I’m quite proud of it, and I think it fits into the show perfectly. For some reason I’ve mainly used it in episodes about Dr. Cola’s factory, but I feel like there are many other situations in which it would work beautifully. Hopefully it feels light to the ear but powerful to the heart. I’m especially happy with the simple yet moving chord progression in this piece.

Appearances: "He’s Got a Golden Cola Coin," "Entering the Factory," "Snappy Cola Montage," "A Toss of Cola,"

Melancholic Emotional Theme

This theme first appeared at the end of the track “Creative Animating” from Clown Cartoons, although it wasn’t actually heard in the episode. I later brought it back to serve as the title card music for “Benedict’s Visit,” and I am very happy that I did: it gets at the sadness that the fractured relationship between Chef Clown Man and his brother entails. It’s another simple little tune that (I hope) tugs at the heartstrings, although I’m not sure I could tell you why it does so. I do know that it often appears with the Creativity Theme, probably because I believe creativity and emotions (even negative ones) can often go hand in hand.

Appearances: "Creative Animating," "Brothers," "Creative Tie-Dying," "A Lack of Connection," "Bullying and Bonding,"

Detective Theme

The goal of this piece is to evoke a noir soundscape. I love the trope of the hard-boiled detective with a brooding inner monologue, and I especially think it’s funny to assign these traits to Chef Clown Man, who normally embodies the complete opposite of them. This theme is a rather straightforward piece of jazzy mysteriousness that plays whenever Clown Man plays the detective. I like the original version of this piece, which appears in “The Mystery of the Missing Hat,” for its thoughtful, quiet nature, and I enjoy the faster-paced version from “Mystery on the Town Express” because of its driving importance.

Appearances: "Detective Clown Man," "Shady Jazz," "The Mystery’s Afoot," "Where’s That Cola?,"

Secret Agent Theme

James Bond meets Mission Impossible meets obscure 2008 internet flash game LEGO Agents: Mission X in this epic secret agent theme! It first appeared in an imaginary sequence in “The Sweet Smell of Garlic,” but this theme really shines in the episode “Secret Agent Clown Man,” which contains several different versions of it. My favorite version is probably “Sworn to Secrecy (Extra Secret Mix)", which has a driving electric guitar part and a fun steel drum-esque harmony. Figuring out the key changes in this piece was quite difficult, but in the end it was definitely worth it, as this is one of my favorite tracks I’ve ever created for the show.

Appearances: "Sworn to Secrecy," "Secretness of the Agent," "Sworn to Secrecy (Extra Secret Mix)," "The Lady in Red," "The Villain’s Flashback,"

The Bubblegum Song

This is the first ever song I can remember writing, specifically on the way home from the public swimming pool on a warm summer’s day. I was probably in middle school. This song is very simplistic, and the lyrics are composed of a single word repeated over and over again. This song features as a major plot element in “The Bubblegum Syndrome,” which is the only time that a version of the song with vocals appears in the Chef Clown Man Show. I feel like I should mention “The Bubblegum Song (Cool Version)” as well, because I essentially took the original song and turned it into a heavy metal track, which I find extremely funny. And I can’t forget “Bubblegum Boogie,” which deserves to be highlighted for its sheer dancibility!

Appearances: "Dance Theme," "Bubblegum Pop," "The Bubblegum Song," "The Bubblegum Song (Cool Version)," "Bubblegum Boogie," "War is Heck,"

Sci-Fi Theme

This piece first appears in “Where No Clown Has Gone Before,” and it was inspired by music from Star Trek, Star Wars, and the Super Mario Galaxy videogames, and it’s another one that I am extremely proud of. The best version is this original one, which is entitled “Starship Overture.” I used a setting on my electric piano that is literally called “Starship,” and I used a bass drum for the percussion. These choices helped to give the piece a sweeping, grandiose feel that feels quite appropriate for a space opera.

Appearances: "Starship Overture," "Space is Ace," "Meat Rangers - The Videogame," "Convention Centre Jingle,"

Chaotic Theme

This piece of music first appears in “Appleberry Addiction,” the Chef Clown Man episode that crosses over with Chef Meat and Greet. It plays when there is some sort of riot or other similarly crazy event going on; this admittedly isn’t very often, but it happens more than one might think. I like the key changes in this piece and the desperate-sounding percussion that accompanies both versions. I had fun using my bass drum for “Townburger Frenzy!,” and I think this percussive element added an important sense of weight to the recording. 

Appearances: "Appleberry Frenzy!," "Townburger Frenzy!," "The Clown Will Get You,"

Sports Theme

I’m not a big sports fan, but I do quite like this theme. I first wrote it for the episode “Go Meaters!,” but since then I managed to squeeze it into our double-length special 50th episode, “The Beginning.” It’s inspired slightly by songs like “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” although it has thus far only been used for basketball and not baseball games.

Appearances: "Meat Stadium," "It’s the Big Game!,"

Warmth Theme

This is one of the best tracks I’ve written for The Chef Clown Man Show, hands down. In a way, I would consider it to be the quintessential montage music in the show, because it is fun, light, and immersive while having a real emotional heart to it. Whether you prefer the original piano and vocals-laden version of the track or the newer version that features an alto recorder, maracas, and whistling, it’s hard to go wrong with this theme.

Appearances: "The Warmth of Summer," "The Warmth of Woodwinds," "Bullying and Bonding," "Secretness of the Clubhouse,"

Commercial Theme

This track first appears in “Bland Corporate Theme,” a track in “The Documentary.” I was inspired by the sappy, saccharine tracks that often appear in corporate videos and commercials. I’m a little bit obsessed with this type of music, because music is a quintessentially human thing to me, so taking out this humanity and making something soulless is an impressive feat all in itself. The original version of the track definitely captures the corporate vibe the best, but the appearance in “Cola Cards” is also fun, as it is modeled after the type of music one would hear in an 80s-90s infomercial.

Appearances: "Bland Corporate Theme," "The DDCCCGSFTDDCFE Informercial,"

Note: All of this music can be found on the Season 1 and Season 2 Chef Clown Man Show soundtracks, both available on 64studios101.bandcamp.com.