Sonic 4's Soundtrack(s)

[lounge]

I researched Lady Gaga, and according to the credits of her songs, someone named RedOne creates her songs. All I ever see her listed for is the song writing. I started listening to her music out of curiosity, and I honestly think it's annoying.

I don't see how it would remotely fit in with Sonic, or the style of this game for that matter.

I'm going to take Quincy's word over yours for when he says whenever MJ composed he would call him up in the middle of the night, hum something to him, and he would transcribe the melody, and write out everything else.

Actually they'd argue with each other on how the songs should sound lke. Quincy actually didn't even want Billie Jean or Smooth Criminal to come out. I'm not dissing on Quincy. He made sure the album had all the tools to be innovative. It was a collaboration. You should see how Michael works in behind the scenes footage. He's a perfectionist. Just wanted to clear that up.

It's like what Dr. Sega Monkey said about other artists like Brittany Spears who don't do anything but sing. That's not Michael Jackson.

[Mort]

Actually they'd argue with each other on how the songs should sound lke. Quincy actually didn't even want Billie Jean or Smooth Criminal to come out.

So when he says "I want this song to be more uptempo" or "I want this song to be edgy ect ect" thats considered composing? There isn't really any evidence that MJ was even capable of reading music.

Just to explain, here is how music is written:

Notated.

Orally (Generally how Michael wrote anything he is credited with, which doesn't lend very well for chord progression, actually notating it, and all sorts of problems)

At an instrument

Improv

By ear

On paper without instrument

Edited February 8, 2010 by Mort

[Cephrien]

Come to think of it--

I think Hideki Naganuma should compose for Sonic again. =u=b

[Phos]

Check out this rock remix of Sonic 4's theme:

Rock remix:

I can't wait to hear more of the soundtrack. I already love the theme. (I found myself humming it yesterday, so it's obviously a success.) It's perfect for a Sonic 4 theme since it's so short.

Ok, It was only a suspicion until now, but that pretty much settled it. The new game's theme is a midi-fied http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIpGWkGx_Fk.

Seriously? You really did that, Sega?

[Carbo]

Come to think of it--

I think Hideki Naganuma should compose for Sonic again. =u=b

I think I'm one of the few Sonic fans around here who found the Sonic Rush music plain horrid and cringeworthy.

[Scarlet2106]

Ok, It was only a suspicion until now, but that pretty much settled it. The new game's theme is a midi-fied http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIpGWkGx_Fk.

Seriously? You really did that, Sega?

If Iizuka's directing, it's very likely Jun's handling music. And Jun isn't exactly above making reference to previous pieces of music (Twinkle Cart, The Air, the intro to Windy and Ripply, SA2's character themes, The Ark, some of the stuff on Black Knight, etc).

[Gatestormer]

Ok, It was only a suspicion until now, but that pretty much settled it. The new game's theme is a midi-fied http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIpGWkGx_Fk.

Seriously? You really did that, Sega?

Hmmmm.....nope. I can't hear the resemblance :/ at all.

[Solid SOAP]

Ok, It was only a suspicion until now, but that pretty much settled it. The new game's theme is a midi-fied http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIpGWkGx_Fk.

Seriously? You really did that, Sega?

No, they really didn't, you're just looking for as many small, unimportant reasons to complain as you possibly can.

[Sean]

No, they really didn't, you're just looking for as many small, unimportant reasons to complain as you possibly can.

Lay off.

I have yet to see a post made by Phos that has personally antagonized any member over Sonic 4 and you shouldn't be doing that either.

[Scarlet2106]

I dunno, I think there is a slight similarity between the two, but you have to strain (as in, shifting key and tempo) to hear it. It's like one of those remixes that sort-of sounds the same, but mostly different.

Not that I think it's a problem or anything.

[Solid SOAP]

Lay off.

I have yet to see a post made by Phos that has personally antagonized any member over Sonic 4 and you shouldn't be doing that either.

Got it, chief.

I dunno, I think there is a slight similarity between the two, but you have to strain (as in, shifting key and tempo) to hear it. It's like one of those remixes that sort-of sounds the same, but mostly different.

Not that I think it's a problem or anything.

Honestly, it doesn't sound anything alike to me at all. I really don't hear any sort of similarity to "It Doesn't Matter" in the slightest bit.

[Scarlet2106]

Say you picked three or four frets on a fretboard that fit 'It Doesn't Matter', then you shifted them up a string and used the same frets to a different beat and switched the order around in a few places.

It's hard for me to explain, sorry. Composers and remixers have deliberately done similar things before, though.

Edited February 8, 2010 by Arcane

[Remy]

Wasn't it doesn't matter itself a redoing of some other old Sonic theme?

[Tiller]

The intro bit that we heard so far put me off a little bit. It sounded like the the bitty Advanced titles at first, which I really disliked most of the time. If anything a Sonic 3 and Knux influence would be amazing. Sonic Rush as well.

Honestly I would have preferred orchestrated stuff like Unleashed, but I will deal.

[Solid SOAP]

I honestly like the theme song as it is now, it took a while but it grew on me and I think it sounds great.

[JezMM]

Wasn't it doesn't matter itself a redoing of some other old Sonic theme?

You might be thinking of "Believe In Myself", Tails' theme, which most people are convinced is a remix of Bridge from Sonic 1 8-bit, but despite loving that game, I'm still pretty sure it's a coincidence. Likewise with Savannah Citadel being a Sonic 1 8-bit ending theme remix.

With Windy Valley and Twinkle Park Jun made it pretty obvious they were Sonic 3D remixes (which never had an amazing soundtrack to begin with IMO - which leads onto another of my theories that he wanted to imprint these songs in people's minds due to butthurt over Richard Jacques doing a way more awesome soundtrack than him).

I'm sure if Sonic Team's music guys want to do remixes, they'll make it clear it's a remix and not a vague melody borrow of about 10 notes or so long.

Oh, more on-topic, if recent games have been anything to go by, they seem to alternate between sets of musicians for each game. I'm guessing it'll be the Unleashed/Riders/Secret Rings team doing the music for this one (and to be fair, those three all have VERY different styles - I think they could do "retro style" some justice). Of course if it was up to me I'd get Fumie Kumatani and Richard Jacques to do every Sonic soundtrack for the rest of the time, with Jun Senoue providing the electric guitars for the tracks that require em.

Edited February 8, 2010 by JezMM

[lounge]

So when he says "I want this song to be more uptempo" or "I want this song to be edgy ect ect"

thats considered composing?

That's called discussing ideas. Getting feedback and listening to what others have to say about it. Thriller was going to be completely different if Michael didn't force the studio to give him more time. He actually said "Thriller was crap. I said to them, guys we cannot release this album like this. So we pleaded the studio for more time. But I turned them songs inside out. Laughs."

Without Michael there would be no thriller, and without Quincy, there wouldn't be a Thriller.

Even for Sonic 3, Brad B. said Michael didn't want his name credited cause he wasn't satisfied with the sound. Based on that, I doubt he'd be listed for composing and arranging his songs if he didn't actually do it.

[Mort]

That's called discussing ideas. Getting feedback and listening to what others have to say about it. Thriller was going to be completely different if Michael didn't force the studio to give him more time. He actually said "Thriller was crap. I said to them, guys we cannot release this album like this. So we pleaded the studio for more time. But I turned them songs inside out. Laughs."

Without Michael there would be no thriller, and without Quincy, there wouldn't be a Thriller.

So MJ saying it sucks and Quincy having everything rerecorded and rearranged has WHAT to do with composing??

So he can give feedback. Wooptiedoop. I never questioned Micheal's ability to give constructive criticism. Should I explain to you what songwriting and composing are? You seem to be holding onto a very different definition from what most musicians and composers use.

Edited February 9, 2010 by Mort

[lounge]

So MJ saying it sucks and Quincy having everything rerecorded and rearranged has WHAT to do with composing??

You state that as if it's fact. If he did, he'd be listed for doing so. After coming up with the melody, Michael would make a demo and show it to Quincy. Quincy would give his feedback. Quincy even said he didn't care much for the Billie Jean demo and wanted to cut the 29 sec intro. He felt it was too slow. Yet Michael was also given co-producing rights because he said the demo sounded like the finished product.

Quincy also asked him to sing his vocal overdubs thru a 6ft cardboard tube. That's what I meant when I said giving feedback, advising and it being a collab.

[E.J. The DJ]

While on IGN, I found this:

http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?p=644200#644200

Now the question stands: would you let OCremix compose the songs for Sonic 4? I doubt it's gonna happen but its fun to imagine. I adore most if not all of their Sonic tracks, mostly the Sonic CD ones(I have all of them on my MP3). If the music is anything like it is on their site, I wouldn't have a problem.

Edited February 10, 2010 by streetballa

[Mort]

You state that as if it's fact. If he did, he'd be listed for doing so. After coming up with the melody, Michael would make a demo and show it to Quincy. Quincy would give his feedback. Quincy even said he didn't care much for the Billie Jean demo and wanted to cut the 29 sec intro. He felt it was too slow. Yet Michael was also given co-producing rights because he said the demo sounded like the finished product.

Quincy also asked him to sing his vocal overdubs thru a 6ft cardboard tube. That's what I meant when I said giving feedback, advising and it being a collab.

MJ can, at his best, occasionally write a melody. That still doesn't make him much of a composer. Quincy has even stated that when and if Michael wrote anything during his involvement with him, he would just hum a melody and record it. It would fall upon Quincy or someone else to transcribe the melody, make the chord progressions, arrange it. Know why? Because Michael couldn't read music and had no understanding of chords or rhythm.

Michael was not a composer. His musical talent as a songwriter was limited to what 14 year olds are capable of in their bed room.

I'm not replying to you anymore. Come back when you look up the definition of song writing and everything it involves.

[MilesDX]

Not sure if this was made available yet, but just in case here is the mp3 of the theme that was used on the Sega website during hedgehog week (for those interested).

sound.mp3

[Mort]

I have to say splash zone's theme is pretty catchy.

[E.J. The DJ]

I really like the menu theme. So far, this music is going in the direction of Sonic 1-2, not really 3 or CD. I personally would have loved for the music to be CD-esque though.

[eXtaticus]

With Windy Valley and Twinkle Park Jun made it pretty obvious they were Sonic 3D remixes (which never had an amazing soundtrack to begin with IMO - which leads onto another of my theories that he wanted to imprint these songs in people's minds due to butthurt over Richard Jacques doing a way more awesome soundtrack than him).

My bullshit sense is tingling!