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Posted: |
Nov 21, 2020 - 10:01 AM
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By: |
Tom Servo
(Member)
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You know, it does seem to be that what I thought was fairly clearcut, as in who composed what cues, is more murky. To my ears, and the sole credit he received on SPIDERMAN, season TRANSFORMERS and the GI JOE mini-series, I figured I knew what was composed by Johnny Douglas. When 1985 rolled around and there were new library cues that sounded markedly different, yet still orchestral, and Rob Walsh was included in the credits, I thought it was obvious those were composed by him. But I guess, if Fred Steiner can compose a cue for Star Trek The Motion Picture ("Meet Vejur") that sounds just like Jerry Goldsmith, then Walsh could have composed cues that sounded like Douglas.
It's interesting, though, because if you listen to the album "Johnny Douglas in Concert", his compositions there sound just like his music for JOE and TRANSFORMERS, so it seemed we have a good idea of his overall style. Plus, his use of drum kit, bass & electric guitar and saxes with the orchestra seem be unique to him and not Rob Walsh, but again, none of us know the full story.
In listening to this album with headphones, you can tell the different recording sources, some cues being recorded in a different studio and I think some cues are mono and some stereo. I can see how this album could resonate more with fans since it's orchestral all the way through and doesn't make the switch to electronic as the TRANSFORMERS LP does on side 2. What's kind of fun for me is that side 2 on this GI JOE album is almost like having TRANSFORMERS VOL. 2 since those same Rob Walsh cues showed up everywhere in that show too!
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Posted: |
Nov 21, 2020 - 3:56 PM
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By: |
MCRE1201
(Member)
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So far I'm on my second listen of this new album on Spotify. I personally find it's a better listening experience than the Transformers album. SO far the tracks that resonated with me most were "Help Marches In" The whistling on that track is great. I also really like "Wild Warriors" - sounds so memorable to me - I'm sure I've heard it in other shows.
I tend to agree — something about this album feels better conceived and assembled than the TRANSFORMERS one. It flows better, I guess. And yeah, “Wild Warriors” was one of the most commonly used Walsh action tunes in both G.I JOE and TRANSFORMERS. It’s definitely one of my favorites from that set of ‘85 cues.
You know, it does seem to be that what I thought was fairly clearcut, as in who composed what cues, is more murky. To my ears, and the sole credit he received on SPIDERMAN, season TRANSFORMERS and the GI JOE mini-series, I figured I knew what was composed by Johnny Douglas. When 1985 rolled around and there were new library cues that sounded markedly different, yet still orchestral, and Rob Walsh was included in the credits, I thought it was obvious those were composed by him.
For the longest time, I thought the same: I just figured Douglas did all the music for the first two JOE mini-series and the entire first season of TRANSFORMERS, and Walsh did all the shared music between the two, plus the DiCola-style stuff from TF season 3. I used to see where Walsh insisted that he, not Douglas, did all the music for the TF series, but I figured he was confused and maybe unaware of the first season’s cues.
It was only maybe five years ago when I saw someone point out online that while the first three episodes of TRANSFORMERS (the pilot) say “Music by Johnny Douglas”, every episode from #4 on credits both Douglas and Walsh. At that point I really started to pay closer attention and realized that the new post-pilot cues in that season, while using Douglas’s themes and trying to mimic him to some extent, were clearly a different style. The stuff you mentioned (drums, bass, guitar, etc.) are a giveaway. Walsh didn’t really use any of that, even when doing his faux-Douglas impression. Douglas had that semi-70s funk thing going on in a lot of his action cues, which Walsh tended to avoid.
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Posted: |
Nov 22, 2020 - 10:03 AM
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By: |
Tom Servo
(Member)
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For the longest time, I thought the same: I just figured Douglas did all the music for the first two JOE mini-series and the entire first season of TRANSFORMERS, and Walsh did all the shared music between the two, plus the DiCola-style stuff from TF season 3. I used to see where Walsh insisted that he, not Douglas, did all the music for the TF series, but I figured he was confused and maybe unaware of the first season’s cues.
It was only maybe five years ago when I saw someone point out online that while the first three episodes of TRANSFORMERS (the pilot) say “Music by Johnny Douglas”, every episode from #4 on credits both Douglas and Walsh. At that point I really started to pay closer attention and realized that the new post-pilot cues in that season, while using Douglas’s themes and trying to mimic him to some extent, were clearly a different style. The stuff you mentioned (drums, bass, guitar, etc.) are a giveaway. Walsh didn’t really use any of that, even when doing his faux-Douglas impression. Douglas had that semi-70s funk thing going on in a lot of his action cues, which Walsh tended to avoid.
In terms of the end credits, what is now included in broadcast and DVD versions of the 1st season episodes is, I think, the end credits from season 2, in which it lists both Douglas and Walsh. Now, I'd have to see if I still have my very old VHS copies, but if I recall in the original broadcast of season 1 episodes it was still only Douglas credited. But hey, I could be seriously misremembering! 
Anyway, I received the GI JOE LP and can confirm that Walsh is listed as Exec Producer, so this must have been all done before he passed away and it simply took this long for the release to be scheduled. There is much less details and art than what we had for the TRANSFORMERS LP, which had that nice gatefold cover. The track titles do list which episode each cue first appeared in, plus notes that "all titles by Robert J Walsh and Johnny Douglas", plus an extra "with" credit for all other names mentioned here (including Joe Bacal, who ran the ad agency!).
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Posted: |
Nov 23, 2020 - 10:01 AM
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By: |
MCRE1201
(Member)
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Anyway, I received the GI JOE LP and can confirm that Walsh is listed as Exec Producer, so this must have been all done before he passed away and it simply took this long for the release to be scheduled. There is much less details and art than what we had for the TRANSFORMERS LP, which had that nice gatefold cover. The track titles do list which episode each cue first appeared in, plus notes that "all titles by Robert J Walsh and Johnny Douglas", plus an extra "with" credit for all other names mentioned here (including Joe Bacal, who ran the ad agency!).
Thanks for the info! I pre-ordered the album from Amazon back in October, and received an e-mail on Friday stating that it was delayed until at least Dec. 6th. Maybe specialty shops got priority from the distributor or something.
ETR took a lot of pride in their TRANSFORMERS album. I had a little Twitter conversation with them a week or two before it was released, and the rep responding to me was really excited to share a photo of the gatefold and describe the effects they used on the physical record. Sorry to hear this album didn't get a similar treatment. I know it wasn't ETR though... it appears it was done by Hasbro themselves?
I emailed the game studio this morning requesting more details about the soundtrack. Will report back if I get a response. https://gamemill.com/contact/
Thank you! I'm really curious about this. Per the screenshot I found last week, the nine bonus tracks are:
Fight, Friendship, Freedom
Full Throttle
Hsssss
Into Evil's Lair
Jaws of the Cobra
Opening
Troops in Trouble
Wild Warriors
Victory Celebration
Six of those are on the new album, but three (Full Throttle, Into Evil's Lair, and Troops in Trouble) are not. I'm really curious as to what they are (and more importantly, whether they're Johnny Douglas cues or Rob Walsh cues)!
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Posted: |
Nov 23, 2020 - 10:38 AM
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By: |
Tom Servo
(Member)
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Thank you! I'm really curious about this. Per the screenshot I found last week, the nine bonus tracks are:
Fight, Friendship, Freedom
Full Throttle
Hsssss
Into Evil's Lair
Jaws of the Cobra
Opening
Troops in Trouble
Wild Warriors
Victory Celebration
Six of those are on the new album, but three (Full Throttle, Into Evil's Lair, and Troops in Trouble) are not. I'm really curious as to what they are (and more importantly, whether they're Johnny Douglas cues or Rob Walsh cues)!
One of those could be the very cue you were hoping to hear on the LP edition!
Yeah, it's a bummer about the lack of embellishment on this album as there was for the TRANSFORMERS LP, but I guess since we also got a digital download of the GI JOE tracks and didn't for the other, somehow it all evens out. I was prepared to take a trip to my local LP transfer retailer and have him do the transfer of the JOE LP, but I'm spared that hassle.
In an ideal world, of course, an album release of music from either series would have been a 2-disc set from La La Land, with liner notes, alternates and vocal + instrumental versions of the title songs, but alas, we take what we can get!
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I notice the opening credits/theme song isnt on this LP. Thats a bummer.
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