Composer Jim Johnston is best known for his work in WWE, though he oftentimes doesn’t get enough credit from his former company. He produced some legendary WWE entrance themes, including The Brood’s theme, “Here Comes the Money” for Shane McMahon, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s iconic entrance, and many, many more. Johnston appeared on “Ropes N Riffs,” where he discussed just how he got into the professional wrestling business.
He recalled meeting Vince McMahon’s art director at a Japanese restaurant near his home. He said you’d always see the same handful of people at the spot, and they were friendly, and one day, the guy asked him for some help.
“He comes in one night and said, ‘Didn’t you say you write music? I have to put together a video for my boss. I know how to put together the visual, but I have no clue how to put together music,'” Johnston explained. “This was really early on in my career, so I’m basically half-a** lying. ‘Absolutely, I know how to do that.’ He was the art director for Vince at the time. Vince had just bought the company from his dad. There was no music… It wasn’t even for TV. So, that’s how I got into it. I composed something. Director asked me to come in with the meeting and play it for Vince, which I did, and Vince liked it.”
Johnston said that McMahon’s first question for him was “what else do you do?” The composer started working for the then-WWF, a relationship that would last over 32 years, before Johnston’s release from the company in November 2017.
Before the iconic themes
Johnston revealed on “Ropes N Riffs” that he wasn’t initially hired to produce iconic theme songs for wrestlers. He said he initially started on “peripheral stuff” in WWF. He explained there was no specific conversation or meeting where he was told that the stars needed entrance themes.
“The most likely scenario was I wrote a promo for something and Vince or someone in the truck played it as an entrance for someone and it worked,” Johnston said. “Then, for a long time, only [babyfaces] got music. Heels did not get music. That was like an ironclad rule. Which, I have to say, I fought for a long time. My argument was, ‘Look in the movies. Oftentimes the villain has the best music.’ Darth Vader. ‘Jaws.’ It’s a powerful thing, scoring bad guys.”
He said for the longest time, heels got toilet flushing noises or things that weren’t exactly musical at first. When the business continued to evolve in the music department, he preferred composing songs for heels, and called babyface themes “more conceited,” and all very similar in their content.
“‘Look how great I am. I’m the most beautiful thing ever and I’m stronger than everybody,'” he said. “It’s challenging to keep coming up with things to say a relatively shallow thought.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Ropes N Riffs” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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