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  General Discussion: Sam Spence: Any NFL music fans here?
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  Last Post 
 Posted:   Dec 20, 2009 - 7:57 AM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

You are quite correct Jim, the "Newsweek theme" was used in the NFL Films Super Bowl XVIII video. Oakland Raiders vs. Washington Redskins.

You'll hear it approximately at the 3:22 mark when the Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett is releasing the football in one of those marvelous camera shots of the ball in the air that NFL Films is famous for.


Yeah, that's it alright. smile Funny, back then (7th grade) I picked the 'skins to win that game! embarrassment

"The Classic Battle" Sam Spence. I believe this was used to great effect in the Super Bowl XIII highlight film, with Dallas driving and facing certain defeat. A Steeler defender going heels-over-head in slo-mo.



If this music hadn't had a sports connection, many non-sports people here would be raving about it.

But then associations are everything. roll eyes

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 20, 2009 - 7:16 PM   
 By:   ANZALDIMAN   (Member)

I have always enjoyed this music since I was a kid, and it's a great treat to have so much of it now to enjoy on cd.

 
 Posted:   Dec 20, 2009 - 7:40 PM   
 By:   Josh   (Member)

"The Classic Battle" Sam Spence. I believe this was used to great effect in the Super Bowl XIII highlight film, with Dallas driving and facing certain defeat. A Steeler defender going heels-over-head in slo-mo.

If this music hadn't had a sports connection, many non-sports people here would be raving about it.

But then associations are everything. roll eyes

As an experiment, I just played the youtube clip for Holly, seated across the room, and asked her what type of film she thought the piece may have been written for. She threw out the terms "pre-1800s," "battle," "Eastern European," "clans clashing," and "war," among others, which is basically the same picture that the music painted in my imagination as well (even though I knew going in that it was from an NFL film). I would even go as far as to say it reminded me a bit of Poledouris' FLESH + BLOOD.

Incidentally, neither of us had ever heard the piece before, and we both enjoyed it very much.

 
 Posted:   Dec 20, 2009 - 7:57 PM   
 By:   BasilFSM   (Member)

It's pretty interesting how sports can receive such quality music.

I was sent a promo CD recently in a trade, titled "NFL Hometown Hero", by Tom Hedden and David Robideux. I wasn't too ecstatic about receiving it at first, but the other person highly recommended it. While I haven't given that disc a spin yet, if the music is anything like what I've heard in the YouTube clips posted here, then I'm sold.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 20, 2009 - 7:58 PM   
 By:   Alex Klein   (Member)

I am very happy that this thread was bumped! Sam Spence's music certainly deserves to get promoted in this message board. The music is certainly up there with some of the finest themes written for film and, needless to say, it's miles apart from the junk written nowadays.

Alex

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 20, 2009 - 7:59 PM   
 By:   Alex Klein   (Member)

It's pretty interesting how sports can receive such quality music.

I was sent a promo CD recently in a trade, titled "NFL Hometown Hero", by Tom Hedden and David Robideux. I wasn't too ecstatic about receiving it at first, but the other person highly recommended it. While I haven't given that disc a spin yet, if the music is anything like what I've heard in the YouTube clips posted here, then I'm sold.

Hedden and Robidoux have penned some good music but most of their work is below average, in my opinion. I suggest you check out some of Sam Spence's music (you can start by listening to the YouTube clips posted on this thread).

Alex

 
 Posted:   Dec 20, 2009 - 8:21 PM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

I once saw an NFL Films show dedicated to Sam Spence and Steve Sabol said that the music was all the more amazing because Spence IIRC lived in Germany and was not a football fan!

Anzaldiman: Thet were the "Los Angeles Raiders" during Super Bowl XVIII. It just seemed "wrong" for them to be called that, though.

Josh: Glad you both liked it; "The Classic Battle" is my favorite of Spence's, along with the aforementioned "Round Up."

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 20, 2009 - 8:23 PM   
 By:   ANZALDIMAN   (Member)

I once saw an NFL Films show dedicated to Sam Spence and Steve Sabol said that the music was all the more amazing because Spence IIRC lived in Germany and was not a football fan!

Anzaldiman: Thet were the "Los Angeles Raiders" during Super Bowl XVIII. It just seemed "wrong" for them to be called that, though.

Josh: Glad you both liked it; "The Classic Battle" is my favorite of Spence's, along with the aforementioned "Round Up."


To me as a Jets fan, they were always the "Oakland Raiders".

Nice to see that this thread has been given some new life. smile

 
 Posted:   Dec 22, 2009 - 6:17 AM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

There's nothing quite like the music of NFL Films accompanying footage of quarterback Joe Kapp and his Minnesota Vikings in the snow and frigid temperatures of Metropolitan Stadium in the late 1960's.

Football the way it used to be.


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

This really is a tremendous montage. You can see that Joe Kapp (#11) had a perpetual limp, even as he lumbers in during the pre-game introductions. And at the 2:09 when he runs roughshod over the defender and it's the defender that goes--and stays--down. Today's QBs would've done a baby slide fifteen yards in advance to avoid taking a hit. Here, Kapp's the one dishing it out.

The whole thing is so theatrical: the imagery of the snow, players covered in mud as to be unrecognizable, the lineman getting set in unison. If this was done in a "major motion picture" people wouldn't believe it.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 22, 2009 - 7:53 AM   
 By:   Alex Klein   (Member)

It would be nice to know the list of pieces Sam conducted at the GSPO concert a few years ago. Maybe "Morricone" will shed some light on it.

Alex

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 22, 2009 - 10:54 AM   
 By:   ANZALDIMAN   (Member)

"And the Oakland Raiders had a great theme, too."




I always wondered if Spence wrote this piece specifically for the Raiders as their "theme" or if it was just a compositon of his they liked and adopted it.

Either way, it's a great piece of music that fits those old Raider teams of the late 60's and early 70's like a glove.

 
 Posted:   Dec 22, 2009 - 11:00 AM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

I always wondered if Spence wrote this piece specifically for the Raiders as their "theme" or if it was just a compositon of his they liked and adopted it.

Either way, it's a great piece of music that fits those old Raider teams of the late 60's and 70's like a glove.

I think that the NFL Films honchos liked that dirty Raider way of playing football. Everybody hated that team, except their fans; hence their outlaw reputation.

It is strange that the Steelers, Cowboys, or Dolphins never got a "theme" like the Silver and Black did.

Have you seen the "America's Game" series? Great stuff, no matter which team you root for. I have a feeling that Mrs. Phelps got me the 1972-73 Dolphins DVD for Christmas this year...

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 22, 2009 - 1:46 PM   
 By:   ANZALDIMAN   (Member)

I don't know what the "America's Game" series is Jim.

If you are getting NFL Films highlight DVD's of your 72-73 Miami Dolphins as a gift I hope you enjoy them.

It's been fun conversing with you here again!

It's been awhile.
 
 Posted:   Dec 22, 2009 - 2:24 PM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

I don't know what the "America's Game" series is Jim.


...Maybe Sis will put this in your stocking this year:

http://tinyurl.com/yzv2n5q

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 22, 2009 - 2:40 PM   
 By:   ANZALDIMAN   (Member)

I don't know what the "America's Game" series is Jim.


...Maybe Sis will put this in your stocking this year:

http://tinyurl.com/yzv2n5q


Thanks for the info Jim. smile

Merry Christmas

 
 Posted:   Dec 23, 2009 - 1:32 PM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

Thanks for the info Jim. smile

Merry Christmas

My pleasure. Merry Christmas to you, Max B., and Sis too.

 
 Posted:   Dec 23, 2009 - 7:34 PM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

"Torpedo"



And Alex Klein is correct: Sam Spence and co. need recognition on this olde board!

 
 Posted:   Dec 23, 2009 - 7:53 PM   
 By:   random guy   (Member)

the "Madden" games have the option for you to tweak the menu music. I delete all the rock and rap stuff, and only leave Spence brilliant music on there. some DJ even remixed some of his stuff with beats

great composer

 
 Posted:   Dec 24, 2009 - 5:58 AM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

the "Madden" games have the option for you to tweak the menu music. I delete all the rock and rap stuff, and only leave Spence brilliant music on there. some DJ even remixed some of his stuff with beats

great composer

That's good to know. I don't think that the Spence contributions can be topped. His music is as much a part of the NFL as the Super Bowl. As a kid in elementary school, I always looked forward to the treat of the film projector being wheeled into the classroom and everyone marvelling--this includes the girls--at the NFL Films highlights reels. Those who didn't even like sports enjoyed the presentation. I always saw those 1960-70s players as "characters" who had "The Voice of God"--John Facenda--narrating and of course, Sam Spence's amazing music.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 24, 2009 - 3:06 PM   
 By:   ANZALDIMAN   (Member)

the "Madden" games have the option for you to tweak the menu music. I delete all the rock and rap stuff, and only leave Spence brilliant music on there. some DJ even remixed some of his stuff with beats

great composer

That's good to know. I don't think that the Spence contributions can be topped. His music is as much a part of the NFL as the Super Bowl. As a kid in elementary school, I always looked forward to the treat of the film projector being wheeled into the classroom and everyone marvelling--this includes the girls--at the NFL Films highlights reels. Those who didn't even like sports enjoyed the presentation. I always saw those 1960-70s players as "characters" who had "The Voice of God"--John Facenda--narrating and of course, Sam Spence's amazing music.

Exactly.

And no other sports highlight program has ever topped it before or since.
The amazing part of the story is how it all got started, Ed and his son Steve Sabol operating the cameras in the stadiums themselves on a very tight budget back in the day.

The fact they were able to have the good fortune of getting Spence on board to compose such quality music with a fairly large sized orchestra for these reels is simply another incredible part of the story .

(Steve Sabol has a humorous anecdote about the music in an interview below)

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/article970776.ece

 
  General Discussion: Sam Spence: Any NFL music fans here?
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