Let Me Hear the Music

Episode Number: 102
Season Number: 5.18
Air Date: 2/21/1985
Writer: Jay Huguely
Director: David Hemmings
Producer: Reuben Leder
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Kwan Hi Lim (Lt. Tanaka)

Guest Stars

Dennis Weaver (Lacy Fletcher), Susan Oliver (Laurie Crane), Robert Sampson (Desmond Crane), Red West (Billy Cockrell), Robby Weaver (George Lee Jessup), Rusty Weaver (Lacy Fletcher, 1954), Michael Cowell (Billy Cockrell, 1954), Amanda McBroom (Country Singer), Jim Demarest (Emcee)

Episode Brief

Magnum is hired by country musician Lacy Fletcher to unearth five songs written over 25 years ago by legendary country singer George Lee Jessup shortly before his death, and it seems that Lacy is not the only person searching for the songs.

Rating

7.6

(33 votes)

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Notes

¹ The original script for this episode was titled "Secret Rainbows", and later "I Want To Hold You".

² Dennis Weaver (Lacy Fletcher) does his own singing and instrument playing (guitar & fiddle), and he wrote two of the three George Lee Jessup songs heard in this episode - "Cheatin' Kisses" and "I Just Want To Hold You" [see lyrics below]. The third song, "Last Word Woman" (sung by George Lee Jessup in the opening scene) was written by Magnum P.I. producer Reuben Leder (Music) and Magnum P.I. writer Jay Huguely (Lyrics).

³ Rusty Weaver (Young Lacy Fletcher) and Robby Weaver (George Lee Jessup) are Dennis Weaver's sons, as is longtime Magnum P.I. producer Rick Weaver. Rusty Weaver bears an uncanny resemblance to a young Steve Carell!

⁴ The scenes featuring Lacy and Magnum at the large Banyan tree were filmed at a spot just southeast of Windward Community College in Kaneohe. (Noted by rubber chicken)

⁵ This is Red West's second appearance on the show. He previously appeared in "All Roads Lead to Floyd" (1.13) as a hitman. Red was a famous crony of Elvis Presley. In 1979, he appeared with Tom Selleck in the TV movie The Concrete Cowboys.

⁶ The female country singer at the Ranch House restaurant (Amanda McBroom) sings two well-known songs - "Texas (When I Die)" by Tanya Tucker and the Linda Ronstadt version of "When Will I Be Loved". Amanda McBroom is an American singer, songwriter and cabaret performer. She penned "The Rose", which was made famous by Bette Midler.

⁷ Roger E. Mosley had a small role in a 1975 episode of McCloud (Dennis Weaver), "Return of the Alamo".

⁸ Magnum mentions the minor recurring character Ms. Jones again - He spent all day with her at the "Hall of Records". The next episode, "Ms. Jones" (5.19), will feature her heavily.

⁹ Jim Demarest (Emcee) is famous in Hawaii for his role as "Mr. Checkers" (#3) in the long-running KGMB children's show The Checkers & Pogo Show (1967-1979). Jim previously appeared as the kidnapper in Season One's "Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too" (1.4).

¹⁰ At 6:15, Higgins is conducting the Oahu String Quartet. We can hear them play part of Joseph Haydn's "The Lark" (String Quartet No. 53 in D major, Op. 64, No. 5). (Noted by Bernd-Christian Schulze)

¹¹ The scene where Magnum meets Laurie Crane by the artificial pond, and where he is beaten up by two goons, was filmed at the McCoy Pavilion (1201 Ala Moana Blvd) in Ala Moana Beach Park. (Noted by rubber chicken)

Quotes

¹
Rick: You're into this hillbilly yuck?
Higgins: This "hillbilly yuck" happens to trace its roots back to the Saxon folk ballads.

²
Magnum: Higgins, this doesn't concern you.
Higgins: What does concern me is that you could be so easily duped by such a ridiculous myth.

³
(watching Magnum fight in a country music bar)
T.C.: Ooh, you better throw a right and duck.

⁴
Lacy Fletcher: I know this isn't exactly the place for country, but ah ... I ah got another little premiere here if you don't mind. This is one of the five songs that ... well they're all gonna be classics, because they were all written by the great George Lee Jessup and I had the wonderful privilege of write-in down the notes for him.

(vocals and guitar)

* I'm a thousand miles from nowhere
beneath the flashing, neon lights
And I'll try to get through
one more lonely night

People keep on a-movin'
just fillin' up the space
All I keep on a-see'in
is the memory of your face

I just wanna hold you
and listen deep within
Listen to the music
that'll let me live again

Let me hear the music
that keeps my world in time
Let me hear the music
and let me hear the rhyme
[audio]

* "I Just Want to Hold You" - written and performed by Dennis Weaver

Flubs

¹ It's revealed that George Lee Jessup's songs were written using the Nashville Number System. This is a flub, because the NNS debuted in the late '50s. George Lee Jessup died in November of 1954!

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