Origins of Amiga demo / game music

[deicidal]

[ Show youtube player ]Dimension X - Retina Burn contained a sample from something called Russian Roullete (I think) as Cylon ended up getting a letter from the people who owned it.

[jizmo]

Dimension X - Retina Burn contained a sample from something called Russian Roullete (I think) as Cylon ended up getting a letter from the people who owned it.

I do remember the song, wonder what the letter was all about.

There's at least the 'Let the base kick' sample from N.W.A.: Something 2 Dance 2 (1988), and a shout that sounds a bit like the eurodance artist Alexia but otherwise the song isn't even that heavy on samples.

[deicidal]

Originally Posted by jizmo

I do remember the song, wonder what the letter was all about.

There's at least the 'Let the base kick' sample from N.W.A.: Something 2 Dance 2 (1988), and a shout that sounds a bit like the eurodance artist Alexia but otherwise the song isn't even that heavy on samples.

Right lets see how much I have forgotten from when I was talking to Cylon, basically CU Amiga shoved it on there cover disk and didn’t bother to tell or ask him, he ends up with a zillion parcels wanting the source then a letter turn up from the record company. Seem to remember him saying it was rather polite just said that appropriate permission should have been sort and credit given. Cylon wrote a letter back saying that all the samples had been bought from PD libraries (bollocks) and had they considered trying to sell the samples themselves. Oddly enough few months later in the back of CU was an ad saying for buying pro-samples from the producers (not sure if it was the same company or not).

I don’t think his postman was very happy with him for a while.

[jizmo]

Egyptian levels in platformers are common - and so is that familiar, much recycled Egyptian theme. The song is called The Streets of Cairo, aka The Snake Charmer Song, and dates roughly to the end of the 19th century, but has its roots in various older songs.

It was popular on the Amiga side as well and used at least in:

Rick Dangerous (Firebird, 1989)

Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire (Sierra On-Line, 1990)

Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 (Gremlin Graphics, 1991)

The Lost Vikings (Interplay, 1993)

Lemmings 2: The Tribes (Psygnosis, 1993)

[jizmo]

Summer Games (US Gold, 1992) opening ceremony song is Leo Arnaud - Bugler’s Dream (1958)

Summer Games II (US Gold, 1992) equestrian theme is Franz Schubert - Marche Militaire No.1, D.733 (1826)

James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod (Millennium, 1992) castle theme is Basil Poledouris: Robocop main theme (1987)

James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod (Millennium, 1992) christmas theme is James Lord Pierpont - Jingle Bells (1857)

Garfield: Big, Fat, Hairy Deal (The Edge, 1988) rat encounter is Walter Schumann - Dragnet Theme (1951)

Premiere (Core Design, 1992) level 2 boss theme is Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Black Lamp (Firebird, 1988) level 1 theme is Greensleeves (16th century traditional English folk song)

Winter Games (Epyx, 1987) figure skating theme is Tchaikovsky - Waltz of the Flowers (1892)

Rick Dangerous (Firebird, 1989) level 3 intro theme is Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

Rick Dangerous (Firebird, 1989) level 4 intro theme is Sergei Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet, Montagues and Capulets segment (1938)

Rick Dangerous (Firebird, 1989) end theme is Thomas Arne - Rule, Britannia! (1740)

The Killing Game Show (Psygnosis, 1990) intro uses a speech sample from Thunderbirds (TV series, 1964-66)

A Prehistoric Tale (Thalion, 1990) high score theme is Albinoni's Adagio in G minor

The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate (Electronic Arts, 1991) main theme is Eric Idle & Neil Innes - Sir Robin's Song (1975)

[4mat_]

I'd not heard that Wishbone Ash track until today so that Chuck Rock one is very much a coincidence.

[jizmo]

Originally Posted by 4mat_

I'd not heard that Wishbone Ash track until today so that Chuck Rock one is very much a coincidence.

Got it, updated the original post accordingly.

[volvo_0ne]

Didn't the rollercoaster part of Switchblade(Rebels) have a rehashed tune too?

Cant remember what it was though?

[saimon69]

well first of all was Switchback, then it is a full remix of Voodoo People by Prodigy, even the mod is named like that

[volvo_0ne]

Originally Posted by saimon69

well first of all was Switchback,

Age & Alcohol have taken their toll

[Estrayk]

Help with Predators 'Megademo (1989) track-loader song

[ Show youtube player ]

Seems the song is called "Silver Surfer" by Kay Lippert & Hardy Hard.
but release date from the "original"? song is 2003 ??!??!!?

The predators megademo is 1989.

[ Show youtube player ]

[jizmo]

Originally Posted by Estrayk

Seems the song is called "Silver Surfer" by Kay Lippert & Hardy Hard.
but release date from the "original"? song is 2003 ??!??!!?

Interesting! The 1989 track in Predators' demo is Beams of Light by Walkman.

On the Discogs page for the said Silver Surfer track from 1999 there's an accusation for the artists actually ripping off the Amiga track and not crediting the original.

EDIT: Ok, and then there's the Whosampled page of this shameless ripoff, so it looks like a case closed.

[Foebane]

Since this thread is about rampant unauthorised plagiarism, how about I leave this here: Timbaland plagiarism controversy

[jizmo]

Some additional demo tracks:

Paradox Cracktro (1990) theme by Samplemixer and Wizzcat Globamix (1989) theme by Dj Reality & Meathook & Uppy are Amiga versions of Superbrain: Future City (1987)

Paradise: Techno Tower (1992) 1st part by Time Guardian is Technotronic: Move This (1989)

Paradise: Techno Tower (1992) 2nd part by Time Guardian is L.A. STYLE: James Brown Is Dead (1991). Additionally, samples from Run-DMC Here We Go (1984) and KLF: Last Train To Trancentral (1992) are used.

Nova: Freedom (1992) is an arrangement of Antico: We Need Freedom (1991)

Complex: Gospel Karaoke (1992) samples The Charming Bells: Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb (1949)

Scup Scroller intro (1991) by Bruno is an rearrangement of Jerrold Immel: Theme from Dallas (1978)

Vision Megademo II, 'Planets' part (1990) is an arrangement of Whistle: Just Buggin' (1985)

Vision Megademo IV (1991) 'Skulls' part uses a sample from Shawn Christopher: People Of All Nations (1989)

Scoopex Megademo (1989) Part 6 by Comrade is an Amiga remake of Mike Alsop: Wizardry (1985)

Melon Design: Mind Expanding(1994) composed by Walt is Spencer Davis Group: I'm a Man (1967)

Phenomena Megademo (1989) Part 7 by Sir Monkey is a rearrangement of Rob Hubbard: Delta (1987)

Phenomena Megademo (1989) Part 9 is Bronski Beat: Smalltown Boy (1984)

Cryptoburners Megademo (1989) Vertical scroller part by Blackstar is Henry Mancini: Peter Gunn Theme (1959)

Kefrens Megademo 3 (1988) 'Fido' part remixes S'Express: Theme from S'Express (1989)

Kefrens Megademo 8 'Rotate' part is a remake of Harold Faltermeyer: Fletch Theme (1985)

Giants Megademo (1990) 1st part theme is a rearrangement of Irene Cara: Flashdance .. What A Feeling (1983)

Tristan Lorach: Vector All Times (1991) is a rearrangement of Lenny Kravitz: What the Fuck Are We Saying? (1991)

Electronic Cracking Association Crack intro (1986) samples Laura Branigan: Self Control (1984)

[Raid27]

The intro to the game Cruncher Factory [ Show youtube player ] uses part of a track named Lady Fantasy [ Show youtube player ] by the group "Max-Him".

[Seiya]

Epic music is very strong inspired even if in some moments seems exacly the same by "Space Brains: Anti-Bodies" from Space 1999 1st season

[lilalurl]

Originally Posted by Seiya

Epic music is very strong inspired even if in some moments seems exacly the same by "Space Brains: Anti-Bodies" from Space 1999 1st season

I guess you are speaking of the music from the Amiga demo version, which (like the PC and ST version) uses a rendition of Gustav Holst - The Planets - Mars, the Bringer of War.

If so, yes it is this classical music piece that can also be heard in the Space 1999 episode. For instance at 04:39:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5v21aw


The Amiga music for the retail version of Epic is different though (at 0:37):
[ Show youtube player ]

[Seiya]

however many sample on Epic intro (all versions) are very inspired by this music

[lilalurl]

For the other versions than the Amiga retail version, of course, it is a direct sampling of the piece.

As for the Amiga retail version:
Do they? I never had this feeling.
Obviously, Mars the Bringer of War is an orchestral piece and most of the samples for the Epic intro are orchestral. But they don't seem related as far as I can hear.

I took the mod file available on Exotica:
https://www.exotica.org.uk/wiki/Epic_(game)

and extracted the samples with OpenMPT. Nothing in the names seems to indicate a link to Mars the bringer of war:

01 - untitled
02 - frail_blow.(c1)-(sd1)
03 - harp-seq.(sq1)-(sy99)
05 - orchestra.(cn1)-(o1w)
06 - orchestra.(ad2)-(o1w)
09 - low_brass.(a1)-(sy77)
10 - deep_choir.(a1)-(o1w)
11 - deep_choir.(a2)-(o1w)
13 - orch_hit.(acd1)-(acd)
15 - orch_perc.(sq1)-(o1w)
16 - oxygene_fx.(c1)-(acd)
17 - orchestra.(ad3)-(o1w)
18 - orchestra.(ad4)-(o1w)

I know that the whole Planets suite is often cited as an influence for the Star Wars soundtrack, so maybe through one way or another it also influenced the intro music of the retail version of Epic. But I don't hear a direct link between both.

[Newk]

Chris Huelsbeck did in a part of the title theme to Turrican 2 use this "Unit" tune by Logic System (halfway in the tune till the end): [ Show youtube player ]


and i also think that the title tune to Lotus Esprit Turbo Challange 2 was heavy inspired by Shannon "Let The Music Play" [ Show youtube player ]

Speaking of Huelsbeck (It's actually the ingame music made by his colleague Rudolf Stember).. does anyone know where this melody originates from?: [ Show youtube player ]
That church-organ at 15:27 ..the question has haunted me for decades

(hi! i'm new here.. should have signed up to this forum over a decade ago )