DARK SHADOWS FORUMS

General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '08 II => Topic started by: GooberCollins on August 28, 2008, 03:32:28 AM

Title: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: GooberCollins on August 28, 2008, 03:32:28 AM
I was listening to an orchestrated version of one of my favorite score pieces, Koji Kondo's "Zelda's Lullaby" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, when I began to notice that parts of it sounded strikingly similar to Josette's Theme. It's more clear in a MIDI version, so here's one to compare (http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/n64/Ocarina_of_Time.mid).

Am I crazy, or is there a large similarity?
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Midnite on August 28, 2008, 03:45:28 AM
Wow, it really does!!
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Taeylor Collins on August 28, 2008, 03:50:58 AM
It won't let me access it!! :(
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: GooberCollins on August 28, 2008, 03:53:25 AM
The site isn't being exactly reliable for me, either, but I was at least able to get to that. Try here (http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/n64/index-gr.html) and scroll down to "Legend of Zelda, The: Ocarina of Time" and click the first file marked "Zelda's Theme" and see if that works.
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on August 28, 2008, 04:03:18 AM
On the Forbidden 403 page (which I also got) there's link that says something like click here to download/listen. That's what I did, and it came up fine. (And that page also seems to disappear after you've played the MIDI file because it's no longer coming up for me to check the exact wording.) People may need to have the Quicktime plug-in installed in their browsers - though if they don't, I'm presuming they'll be prompted to install it.

And, yes, it does sound similar.  [ghost_smiley]
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Taeylor Collins on August 28, 2008, 04:19:26 AM
It does sound like Josette's Theme especially at the beginning! :) VEDIY VEDIY INTAWESTING!!
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Cousin_Barnabas on August 28, 2008, 05:24:42 AM
It does have a similar sound in the first seven seconds.  The notes are the same up until then, and then it changes completely.  So, I am a big fan of those first few seconds.  [ghost_cheesy]
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Gerard on August 28, 2008, 02:23:52 PM
On the Forbidden 403 page (which I also got) there's link that says something like click here to download/listen. That's what I did, and it came up fine.

That's just what I did and it worked perfectly.

It does sound so simular!  As a matter of fact, it's a very pretty, haunting piece and I downloaded it.  I'm playing it right now.  It's on my realplayer which is displaying beautiful, swirling colors in tempo to it.

Gerard
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Sunny_Collins on August 29, 2008, 01:20:45 AM
Wow, this really does sound very similar!  [ghost_cool]
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Janet the Wicked on August 29, 2008, 01:27:50 AM
I think it stinks. But that's just me.
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Miss_Winthrop on August 29, 2008, 02:05:28 PM
Which brings to mind, where did the music originate from that was used as Josette's theme?  Did the writers research and adapt the music or did someone make it up just for the show?
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: GooberCollins on August 29, 2008, 07:14:14 PM
I'm pretty sure Cobert wrote it specifically for DS.

And yes, after the first part, the similarities fade considerably.
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: ProfStokes on August 29, 2008, 08:09:31 PM
As I understand it, the original music box tune was a stock composition by Robert Farnon (it turns up in other programs from the era, including "The Prisoner: Dance of the Dead").  Dan Curtis eventually got Cobert to adapt the tune into "Josette's Music Box," but I'm not sure if that was because he didn't want to pay royalities to Farnon or because he simply wanted something more original for DS.

ProfStokes
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Gerard on August 29, 2008, 08:24:58 PM
And there were two versions, similar but not the exact same, of it on DS, too; from what I recall, the melodies switched some time in the 1795 storyline.

Gerard
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Taeylor Collins on August 29, 2008, 09:12:48 PM
I depised the first version!
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: GooberCollins on August 30, 2008, 03:08:29 AM
Well, it was only played once, as best I can remember.
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Taeylor Collins on August 30, 2008, 03:10:58 AM
Not from what I remember.  I could be wrong though Goober.  Anyone??
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Midnite on August 30, 2008, 07:35:23 AM
Well, it was only played once, as best I can remember.

Farnon's theme is the one heard prior to 1795-- through [spoiler]Maggie's kidnapping.[/spoiler]Once 1795 starts, it isn't heard again until it's accidentally(?) played once during the Dream Curse story.

BTW, the 2 versions can be compared here:
http://hometown.aol.com/graemecree/josette.htm
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Taeylor Collins on August 30, 2008, 07:52:49 AM
Thanks Midnite.  I was pretty sure it was played more than once.  I wasn't trying to dispute you Goob, however I was really sure it was played more.  A friend on mine watched the early Barnabas eps (which I haven't watched yet) and he mentioned how they playyed a different one for quite a while before the new one.   Speaking of~~I got my DS Collectors Volume 4 [spoiler]with Laura and David in their painting. WOW!  I am so excited the storyline that one of the staff truly belifes without it ther would have never been a Barney![/spoiler]
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: GooberCollins on August 30, 2008, 08:12:21 AM
My mistake, sorry. For some reason I was thinking that it only got one play. No idea why.  [ghost_huh]
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Cousin_Barnabas on August 30, 2008, 08:21:29 AM
Dan Curtis eventually got Cobert to adapt the tune into "Josette's Music Box," but I'm not sure if that was because he didn't want to pay royalities to Farnon or because he simply wanted something more original for DS.

Dan Curtis allegedly just didn't like using music that he didn't own.  I believe the Farnon piece was ABC stock music, so I don't think Farnon was receiving any money from the tune when it was played.  (I'm not sure about that, though.) 

Anyway, Cobert's version is definitely superior (and my favorite piece of music). 

Personally, several times while watching the original Barnabas storyline, I have wished that someone would go in and edit out the Farnon music, and replace it with the Cobert theme.  While there was always inconsistency with Dark Shadows, the one thing that was constant was the music, especially the main tunes.  All of them remained the same throughout the series, except Josette's music box, and that has always bothered me. 
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Taeylor Collins on August 30, 2008, 08:41:51 AM
That would'nt  be be a bad thing to edit out.  Taking Anita Bolster blooper out is blasphemoy but I won't get started on that again!!  I shall curse you (which is a good thing)  for your post!  [ghost_wink]
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: tripwire on August 30, 2008, 12:54:00 PM
After playing this particular game on Nintendo for about 2 months, (years ago) i am very familiar with that theme....The hero enters a cave or bombed out wall, and he will usually find a weapon that will help him defeat the bad guy he is sure to encounter, and this music plays in the background as he is in the cave.....As for the question you pose about being insane, i would say yes, you probably are a lunatic.... [ghost_cheesy]......(Wait a minute, i did say i spent about 2 months mashing and twisting knobs to defeat a monster that was on my TV screen....) oooooops....  [ghost_shocked]   
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Gerard on August 30, 2008, 02:07:30 PM
BTW, the 2 versions can be compared here:
http://hometown.aol.com/graemecree/josette.htm

Play both of them at the same time - it's kinda weird but also kinda neat.

Gerard
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Miss_Winthrop on August 30, 2008, 02:26:42 PM
Thanks Midnite for putting up the links for the two versions...I listened to both of them several times and while I really like Cobert's version there is something hauntingly nice about Farnon's version.  It's a nice change of pace from Cobert's version.
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: GooberCollins on August 31, 2008, 12:00:18 AM
I'm personally not one for editing for consistency. I read somewhere that in the more recent DVDs of Star Wars Episode VI, they cut out some of the actors originally used and replaced them with those from the more recent prequel trilogy, such as cutting out the actor who originally played the role of the young Darth Vader in ghost form at the end of the film and inserting Hayden Christenson, who played the young Vader in Episodes II and III. This bugs me, despite the fact that I'm not a Star Wars fan.

And tripwire's description of the music's use in-game is mostly accurate; you must use an in-game instrument to play the music in certain places to gain access to hidden areas, and it is also used as the theme of one of the main characters, therefore making its way into a large portion of the game's score (and a smaller portion in some of the sequels; I believe it's played briefly in Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess).
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Taeylor Collins on August 31, 2008, 01:16:33 AM
I personally loved how they added Hayden in but that is just me and I am Star Wars fan.
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: LeFanu on September 02, 2008, 07:45:57 PM
yeah, the ocarina of time does kind of have some similarity to josette's music box. very pretty.

i personally preferred the second version of josette's music box theme. the first one meandered too much - it wasn't as memorable as the "classic" version that was played more often on dark shadows.
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Taeylor Collins on September 04, 2008, 06:00:32 AM
"OH yes I AGWEE" as Natalie from '91 would say!  [ghost_wink]  I do though.  The second is the definitve and it just works and sounds better.  The other doesn't have a good flow to it.
Title: Re: Am I insane, or does this sound like the music box?
Post by: Philippe Cordier on September 06, 2008, 12:04:39 AM
I’m so glad I looked at this post because it provides the answers to questions I’ve had for years about the original Josette’s theme.  I don’t recall ever reading on this forum who had composed the original music box theme.  I found it a lovely piece that I’ve always wanted to hear again ever since I first watched the early episodes on SciFi.   Seven or eight years must have passed since then, and now thanks to the link posted here, I’ve finally been able to hear the original melody once more (somehow I never managed to get back to my videotapes).

I hadn’t realized that Robert Cobert had adapted his version from the first, but now listening to one after the other it’s obvious.  Thanks to Prof. Stokes for posting the information about the original piece.

Robert Cobern’s version is perfect - it’s a little more catchy than Farnon’s, but the first version works so well, too, and completely evokes an elegant lady’s music box.  The change from one to the other after several weeks of hearing the first Josette’s theme never bothered me.

-Philippe Cordier