Listen to John Williams latest piece

[V o n h ö g e n]

Hi guys,

As you may have heard, John Williams has written a new theme for NBC's "Sunday Night Football” and ”Football Night in America”. If you like, you can listen to it right here:

http://broadcastingcable.com/contents/video/SNF_Theme.mp3

I'm not sure this new theme is of the same standard as his well-known theme for NBC's Nightly News, despite the similar March-style opening. But again, there's lot's of brass and heroics, very much like his "March of the Droids" from one of the SW episodes (I forgot which one). Notice the funny end of the piece. It seems John Williams tries to tell us that he has finally solved his machine-gun problem! ;)

Anyway, let's hope that if this turns out to be just a simple "left over" from Star Wars, it wasn't too expensive for NBC, 'cause I'd hate to see Conan o' Brian's budget been cut, in order to save for John's bills!

Let me know what you think of this new piece by John Williams.


Jerome

(By the way, don't get me wrong, I like most of John Williams' music! Don't feel offended by my cynical comments.)

[nickysnd]

A neat theme -

Bb4 Eb4 Db4 Eb4 F4 Bb3

which is an inversion of the well known -

Bb3 F4 G4 F4 Eb4 Bb4

I think this gives an insight on the proportion inspiration/craft.

Also, a good example of what a good composer can do with this simple trick - turning the page upside-down and reading from right-to-left.

[Farmsteads]

Jeroen, hoe gaat het er mee ?
(This is no Votox)

[nickysnd]

Notice the funny end of the piece.
My impression is that a little bit of dynamical emphasis (like a short cresc. ending with an accent) on the very last few notes would have made it sound more like an ending and less like a cut-off. :p

Notice also the masterful use of woodwinds just before this "dull" ending.

[Andrew Sigler]

I like all the big Williams tunes, but I'm going to have a hard time equating this one with football. He also did the theme for "Meet The Press", which sounds like it could be leftover 'Star Wars', but still works well...

Go Saints!

-Andy

[gstitt]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I like all the big Williams tunes, but I'm going to have a hard time equating this one with football.


Me too, guess I'll have to wait and see it.

Go LA! Oh wait we still don't have a team.

[WoodIsGood]

No question that's John Williams but I can also hear the old "NFL Films" influence in the music as well. I'm pretty sure he didn't just do whatever he wanted here and they just took it. I've done some production work with NBC, graphics, etc., and they are known for "micro-managing" and have always remained very traditional. No doubt that's why the theme is reminiscent of the old NFL football highlight packages with Bart Starr and Roger Staubach, etc. I think the theme works well, even if it does sound a bit like some of the battles from the later Star Wars films. :)

[tchoyy]

It seems John Williams tries to tell us that he has finally solved his machine-gun problem!

He upgraded his orchestra to Pro XP :D

[johncarter]

i'm sure he just spent 10 mn to write this piece

[shnurgle]

Yea, I hope so. Not much going on there. Has a little of the old "one-note samba" syndrome happening there at the end.

[chocothrax]

Eh, it's ok I guess.

[HornMeister]

......

sounds

empty

[nickysnd]

......

sounds

empty
Maybe because the video part is missing? ;)

[nikolas]

A small try out with samples on the same theme :D Sam and Dan Dean brass. (Tweaked though...)

www.nikolas-sideris.com/AGS/mysnf_theme-r.mp3

Note it's not me who did this but a friend.

I say it is a pretty close sampled take on the same track ;)

[waldorf&stadler]

(This is no Votox)
But it's rather close...;)

[nickysnd]

A small try out with samples on the same theme :D Sam and Dan Dean brass. (Tweaked though...)

www.nikolas-sideris.com/AGS/mysnf_theme-r.mp3

Note it's not me who did this but a friend.

I say it is a pretty close sampled take on the same track ;)
Sweet!

Now THAT is what I would call a clean cut rip-off.

Brilliant! I like it more than the original... :D My heartfelt congrats to the "author"! ;)

[fongi]

Three cheers for Mr Williams he got the gig again, and is making loads of cash everytime the show is aired, Joe averege will think it´s wonderful everytime he puts the TV on after work, wish it was mine $$$$$$$$$ Jerome is a little cynical and John knows how to make loads of cash ! I´m with John on this one :D Chris

[V o n h ö g e n]

Jeroen, hoe gaat het er mee ?
(This is no Votox)
But it's rather close...;)


To Farmsteads:
"Hoi Peter, met mij gaat het goed, dank je. Fijn om weer terug te zijn!"

Translation in Votox:
"HaE PEETur, Em FaEn T!AngX. glAd TO bEE bAK!"


Jerome ;)

[johncarter]

A small try out with samples on the same theme :D Sam and Dan Dean brass. (Tweaked though...)

www.nikolas-sideris.com/AGS/mysnf_theme-r.mp3

Note it's not me who did this but a friend.

I say it is a pretty close sampled take on the same track ;)

Where the trumpets come from ? Dan Dean ? Sam ?

[nikolas]

just chating with him through MSN.

It's both at the same time.

[Counterpoint]

A small try out with samples on the same theme :D Sam and Dan Dean brass. (Tweaked though...)

www.nikolas-sideris.com/AGS/mysnf_theme-r.mp3

Note it's not me who did this but a friend.

I say it is a pretty close sampled take on the same track ;)

Hehe, nice... in some ways I like it better, but the original one is a bit warmer sounding.

Cheers,

- Matt

[tchoyy]

For me, this music sounds like the producers called JW to do the music, but they didn't get enough money because he's surely extremely expensive and JW did the minimum for the given price. They got enough for the minimum and for a short orchestra. That's what I guess. And a music from Williams is a must for all producers.
I can't blame him, even if you're a true music lover, everything is a matter of money...
Now you could say me "Ok, but if they didn't pay enough, why did he accept ?", but this is another question ;)

[shnurgle]

A small try out with samples on the same theme :D Sam and Dan Dean brass. (Tweaked though...)

www.nikolas-sideris.com/AGS/mysnf_theme-r.mp3

Note it's not me who did this but a friend.

I say it is a pretty close sampled take on the same track ;)

Solid mockup indeed, but I think we should at least post a version with EWQLSO. i did the honors, enjoy my brothers, enjoy..

(click on the "play hi-fi" button once at my soundclick page)


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=426873

[johncarter]

What kind of drugs did you smoke for the end ?? :eek: :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

was great :D

[shnurgle]

LOL :D
Just poking a little fun at Williams' endings. He likes to do the 'ol one hundred-and-one note repeat on the tonic.. Figured he might as well just go right into One Note Samba, see how it plays out...

[guy theaker]

:D :D LOL - fantastic! And the ending works SO much better than the original.

[nikolas]

LOL

[tchoyy]

Solid mockup indeed, but I think we should at least post a version with EWQLSO. i did the honors, enjoy my brothers, enjoy..

(click on the "play hi-fi" button once at my soundclick page)


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=426873


Love the end !! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Can't stop laughing !!

[Counterpoint]

Solid mockup indeed, but I think we should at least post a version with EWQLSO. i did the honors, enjoy my brothers, enjoy..

(click on the "play hi-fi" button once at my soundclick page)


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=426873

Wow, a totally competent mockup in EWQLSO (really, it sounds great, and again better in some ways than the original recording!! To be honest I think it has a slightly warmer sound... probably thanks to those reverb tails!)

The Satie-style ending is awesome. My coworkers shot me some dirty looks because I started snickering out loud!

Cheers,

- Matt

[tchoyy]

Did you do your Samba ending with EWQLSO ? I love it !

[nickysnd]

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=426873
Tha's what really can be called a mockup, in every sense of the word! ;)

Absolutely hilarious! :D

Chapeau bas for your work! It's simply irresistible - I believe JW himself would kindly laugh... :p

Thanks for sharing it - a sheer delight!

[dasjambo]

that is amazing.

shnurgle, will you marry me?

[dasjambo]

i'll be waiting for your reply.

[dasjambo]

don't keep me waiting too long...

[shnurgle]

will you marry me?
Can we just be "life partners?" Something about the word "marriage" just makes me shudder...

[dasjambo]

well shnurgle, we can talk about it. i was sort of imagining a beach thing, lots of friends and family, you know. but we'll work it out...

[DallasComposer]

I think this is a good example how difficult it is to listen to something without really hearing it in the context of which it was intended. The music itself does nothing for me … BUT .. now when it's say Sunday night, Sept 17 and I have immersed myself in football all day and put down a 12 pack and a few sausages and I hear that theme come on ‘da tube before I watch my Dallas Cowboys whomp up on the Washington Redskins, then it will take on a whole other meaning.

No matter what we ‘music’ people think of it, over time it will program our brains to think Sunday night football and that’s the whole purpose of it.


Oh and BTW ...
Cowboys 31
Redskins 7

[nickysnd]

I think this is a good example how difficult it is to listen to something without really hearing it in the context of which it was intended. The music itself does nothing for me … BUT .. now when it's say Sunday night, Sept 17 and I have immersed myself in football all day and put down a 12 pack and a few sausages and I hear that theme come on ‘da tube before I watch my Dallas Cowboys whomp up on the Washington Redskins, then it will take on a whole other meaning.

No matter what we ‘music’ people think of it, over time it will program our brains to think Sunday night football and that’s the whole purpose of it.


Oh and BTW ...
Cowboys 31
Redskins 7
31-7 is great, I guess... :rolleyes:

But... how about 7-31? Huh? I mean - If image can bring new meanings to music, maybe the score can alter music just as well... :p

[shnurgle]

Did you do your Samba ending with EWQLSO ? I love it !
Yeah it's all EWQLSO Gold. I was going to bring in the washburn for some Brazilian comping, but I wanted to keep it symphonic instrumentation, after all it is Williams' arrangement..

[RyanS]

That's hilarious, Great stuff shnurgle :D

I loved it,


Ryan

[Sherief83]

when I listend to it, I kept thinking rocky's theme? mixed with star wars?

[tchoyy]

Yeah it's all EWQLSO Gold. I was going to bring in the washburn for some Brazilian comping, but I wanted to keep it symphonic instrumentation, after all it is Williams' arrangement..

Man you have to make a full samba demo for us, I want to hear more ! :)

[Andrew Sigler]

Man you have to make a full samba demo for us, I want to hear more ! :)

Wow....very funny. But the comedy aside, the samba was really solid!

Play for us your full-length comedy samba.



...by the way, I did a search for 'Vader Samba'

http://www.sell-veulenveiling.nl/project/paarden_outp.php?id=24


-Andy


ps - I just got the 'W-NNNNNNNNN-BC part' ...

I get jokes.

[shnurgle]

Play for us your full-length comedy samba.
I can't dude, all my sambas are depressing.

[legofred]

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=426873

LOL

I'm waiting for a comment, Mr Williams...

[PaulR]

I can't dude, all my sambas are depressing.

I knew that you're a maniac.

:D

[White Noise]

I much prefer Snurgles version.

[biggestmuff]

Solid mockup indeed, but I think we should at least post a version with EWQLSO. i did the honors, enjoy my brothers, enjoy..

(click on the "play hi-fi" button once at my soundclick page)


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=426873

hey! where'd it go?

Shnugle, can you post it again? Did anybody save that?

[shnurgle]

I took it down because it sucks. Plus it's probably copyright infringement. Sorry dude.
EDIT: By the way, you have the best screename on the block my brother.