“We’re Lookin’ Good!”

Williams composed what he described as a “jazzy, hopefully upbeat march” for the Special Olympics in celebration of their 1987 International Summer Games, conducting the Boston Pops in the world premiere on May 5, 1987, at Symphony Hall.

On August 2, 1987, Jack Elliot conducted the U.S. Navy Band in an arrangement of the theme at the opening ceremonies, broadcast on ABC the following night.

At the Games, in August of 1987 at South Bend, Indiana, 5500 athletes from 63 countries sung the words (written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman).

Recordings

The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers recorded the John Higgins–arranged medley John Williams: Evening at Pops (see below) on their 1997 album Quality Plus (Bandleader Recordings 5068).

Sheet Music

The orchestral score and parts to this work are not commercially available. Warner Bros. did publish a piano arrangement as well as a concert band medley arranged by John Higgins, entitled John Williams: Evening at Pops, which included “We’re Lookin’ Good!” along with Williams’ Evening at Pops theme, Olympic Fanfare and Theme and selections from The Cowboys and The Witches of Eastwick.

References

• “Tony Goes Pop,” William C. Trott
  United Press International, 5 May 1987
• “102d Pops season underway,” Ernie Santosuosso
  The Boston Globe, 6 May 1987
• “What it’s like to sit in on a Boston Pops rehearsal,” Frederick H. Guidry
  The Christian Science Monitor, 15 May 1987
• “Special Olympics,” Patricia Brennan
  The Washington Post, 2 August 1987
• “Lawsuits claim idea for Special Christmas album was stolen,” Richard De Atley
  Associated Press, 30 November 1987