<P> All in the Family was the first major American series to be videotaped in front of a live studio audience . In the 1960s, most sitcoms had been filmed in the single - camera format without audiences, with a laugh track simulating an audience response . Lear employed the multiple - camera format of shooting in front of an audience, but used tape, whereas previous multiple - camera shows like Mary Tyler Moore had used film . Due to the success of All in the Family, videotaping sitcoms in front of an audience became a common format for the genre during the 1970s,' 80s, and' 90s . The use of videotape also gave All in the Family the look and feel of early live television, including the original live broadcasts of The Honeymooners, to which All in the Family is sometimes compared . </P> <P> For the show's final season, the practice of being taped before a live audience changed to playing the already taped and edited show to an audience and recording their laughter to add to the original sound track . Thus, the voice - over during the end credits was changed from Rob Reiner's "All in the Family was recorded on tape before a live audience" to Carroll O'Connor's "All in the Family was played to a studio audience for live responses". (Typically, the audience was gathered for a taping of One Day at a Time, and got to see All In the Family as a bonus .) Throughout its run, Norman Lear took pride in the fact that canned laughter was never used (mentioning this on many occasions); the laughter heard in the episodes was genuine . </P> <P> The series' opening theme song "Those Were The Days", written by Lee Adams (lyrics) and Charles Strouse (music), was presented in a unique way for a 1970s series: Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton seated at a console or spinet piano (played by Stapleton) and singing the tune together on - camera at the start of every episode, concluding with live - audience applause . (The song dates back to the first Justice For All pilot, although on that occasion O'Connor and Stapleton performed the song off - camera and at a faster tempo than the series version .) Six different performances were recorded over the run of the series, including one version that includes additional lyrics . The song is a simple, pentatonic melody (that can be played exclusively with black keys on a piano) in which Archie and Edith wax nostalgic for the simpler days of yesteryear . A longer version of the song was released as a single on Atlantic Records, reaching number 43 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 30 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in early 1972; the additional lyrics in this longer version lend the song a greater sense of sadness, and make poignant reference to social changes taking place in the 1960s and early 1970s . </P> <P> Those Were The Days Boy, the way Glenn Miller played Songs that made the hit parade Guys like us, we had it made Those were the days! </P>

Who wrote those were the days all in the family
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