Music plagiarism in classic videogames (all platforms included)

[McKlain]

This topic originates on the discussion that we were having on the shoutbox about music plagiarism in classic videogames, like Rob Hubbard's "Delta", for example.
So, let's start digging on those memories.




Duet, for the Amstrad CPC, C64 and Spectrum


duet for Amstrad CPC


the song is made up from fragments of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells"
Tubular Bells, Part 1




and Rick Wakeman's "The Battle" (from 3:21 onwards)


Rick Wakeman - The Battle (Live) - YouTube
Although the fragment that joins both parts sounds familiar too.

[robcfg]

Rob Hubbards' Warhawk tune is based on 'The Unknown Planet" by John Keating.


Atari800XL version (My favourite one, sorry  )
Warhawk music on Atari 800XL


John Keating's The Unknown Planet (from 1:10 onwards):
2. John Keating - The Uknown Planet

[McKlain]

Rob Hubbard is a gold mine. It seems that the guy was always in a hurry 


I had no idea about the Warhawk tune, good one 

[sigh]

Way of the exploding fist has the orchestral piece of "Dance of the Yao People". Also Barbarian has a similar rendition to the film Conan Barabarian.

[McKlain]

Yeah, the Barbarian theme is clearly "inspired" by the music of Conan the Destroyer (the second movie).
Conan The Destroyer(Main Theme) - Basil Poledouris


C64 version:
Commodore 64 - Barbarian The Ultimate Warrior Battle Hymn


This one was commited by Richard Joseph 

[Gryzor]

Strange, I'd swear I had posted about the Warhawk tune before, but can't find it! It's one of my favorite tunes, and the original (the entire album, actually) is a great 70s album!


Well, back then obviously things were more lax; also helped by the fact that the computer game industry was still flying under the radar...

[ralferoo]

Jet Set Willy has Moonlight Sonata. I guess that's public domain now though...

[SuTeKH/Epyteor]

Strange, I'd swear I had posted about the Warhawk tune before, but can't find it!

robcfg linked to it on the Shoutbox and here it is - The Warhawk tune was really done by John Keating

[MaV]

It's been discussed in the shoutbox, but here it is again with the correct two original works:
Rob Hubbard - Delta C64 in-game tune

The first four minutes are Pink Floyd's "On the Run"
Pink Floyd - On The Run

Then it switches to Philipp Glass' "Pruit Igoe" from "Koyaanisqatsi"  - here the exact part begins at 2:35m
Philip Glass - Pruit Igoe

[SuTeKH/Epyteor]

I did make a note in the Shoutbox that Monty On The Run wasn't 100% original as well... so here's the "inspiration" for it.


Rob Hubbard - Monty on the Run Theme [C64]

Classic BBC Radio Theme ~ Dick Barton (Devil's Gallop)
Classic BBC Radio Theme ~ Dick Barton (Devil's Gallop)



Not a direct rip, but you can definitely hear the similarities, for example 00:47 onwards.




EDIT1: I was reading through the comments while listening to the MotR tune and this caught my eye;

SnowflakePillow0

It's an awful ringtone because I'm gonna wanna listen for the full 6:38 and by then they will hang up and what if that interrupts the song?!!!

I fully agree with this; I'd never answer my phone either... then call them back complaining that they ruined my enjoyment of the tune by hanging up! I'd be fucking furious!



EDIT2: I also noticed that the music was used for the indie game; I Wanna Be The Guy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Wanna_Be_the_Guy)

I Wanna Be The Guy Music: Castle of the Guy

[SuTeKH/Epyteor]

Jet Set Willy has Moonlight Sonata. I guess that's public domain now though...

I believe the C64 & Speccy versions had "If I Were A Rich Man" as the ingame music, but I cannot fathom out what the CPC music is... unless it's an original piece (which I doubt).
However its predecessor, Manic Miner, famously had versions of "Blue Danube" and "In The Hall Of The Mountain King".




(EDIT: Post Of The Beast!)

[MaV]

Ha, Devil's Gallop! Thank you, I've been wondering about the title of the song for quite some time. Monty Python used them in their Flying Circus for some of the scenes (mainly during time-lapse scenes, IIRC). ^_^


Funny, while I know "In the Halls of the Mountain King" is composed by Edvard Grieg, whenever I hear the melody I'm instantly reminded of the movie "M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder" by Fritz Lang. Peter Lorre whistles it a few times in the movie. Jump to ~1:53 for one instance:
M - Fritz Lang Peter Lorre

[SuTeKH/Epyteor]

Ha, Devil's Gallop! Thank you, I've been wondering about the title of the song for quite some time. Monty Python used them in their Flying Circus for some of the scenes (mainly during time-lapse scenes, IIRC). ^_^

It is actually used quite a lot. For example; That Mitchell & Webb Look use it for their "Sir Digby Chicken Caesar" sketches.




Links to the "Great artists steal (The C64 SID Challenge)" YooToob videos highlighting a load of C64 musix that were stolen (sorry, "inspired") from other sources.

"Great artists steal" (The C64 SID Challenge) 1/2
"Great artists steal" (The C64 SID Challenge) 1/2

"Great artists steal" (The C64 SID Challenge) 2/2
"Great artists steal" (The C64 SID Challenge) 2/2

[Grim]

For Marauder, J.Dave Rogers had nice reference too:
The Sisters Of Mercy - Afterhours
(recognizable theme at 1'25'')

[SuTeKH/Epyteor]

For Marauder, J.Dave Rogers had nice reference too:

(recognizable theme at 1'25'')

Nice find, but I was under the impression JDR only remade the C64 "original"  tune by Barry Leitch which, incidentally, sounds even more stolen-ed from the Sister's Of Mercy tune and 04:10 onwards seems to contain the Megablast/Precinct 13 bass as well...

C64 music : Marauder by Barry Leitch



Some CPC tunes that were not JDR original tunes; Battle Valley (Jochen Hippel, Amiga), Nebulus (John Phillips, Amiga), Uridium (Steve Turner, C64). But saying that, JDR did do an amazing job with all three! If he had access to an external digitiser (for sampled drums), then Battle Valley would have been on a direct par with Jochen's masterpiece, which goes to show what an amazing AY programmer JDR was.

[HAL 6128]

It's been discussed in the shoutbox, but here it is again with the correct two original works:
Rob Hubbard - Delta C64 in-game tune

...is that a CPC in the picture between the "A" of DELTA and Rob Hubbards Head?

[McKlain]

Looks like a 6128 with Green Screen.

[TotO]

M'ENFIN!



From the movie "L'inspecteur la bavure" :

Vladimir Cosma - Inspecteur la Bavure (générique)

[McKlain]

I had no idea that there was a Gaston Lagaffe game 

[TotO]

I had no idea that there was a Gaston Lagaffe game 

It's a nice Cluedo game, playable vs the computer or with another player.
you must try!!! 

[McKlain]

I just did, but I don't speak french, so... 

[TotO]

I just did, but I don't speak french, so... 

I don't know if it's easy to translate it... I will take a look.

[McKlain]

It would be nice to have an english version 


And now the music:
La Abadia del Crimen, for Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, MSX and PC
also known as the greatest spanish game ever made.


La Abadía del Crimen Amstrad cpc HD

it uses music from various sources:


For the intro:
Bach Menuet BWV Anh.115 in G Minor


Played in-game at certain moments:
Gwendal - Crystal Palace


For the ending:
Emmanuel Pahud Bach Sonata in c major bwv 1033


On the pc version there's also digitised music during the liturgy (Schubert's Ave Maria):
La Abadia Del Crimen (versión PC original) - YouTube

[Grim]

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) - Main theme - YouTube

(didn't find how to get that embedded YT player ...)

[SyX]

Amigaaaaaa