The Underscore Thread

[alexx]

I just haven't had time at all this week, so unfortunately not. There are quite a few themes I'd like to try and cover - will post here when I do though.

I wonder if it's worth contacting 7 to ask them specifically, if there would be any chance that they could release some of Mike Perjanik's underscores through iTunes. I'm sure they would say 'Not a chance' - but I might try. There used to be a H&A e-mail address, but it seems impossible to contacting them directly these days, unless you send them mail by post.

[-Andrew-]

It'd be nice if they did that, but they'd probably refuse on the grounds of there being "no market" for them Plus, they'd have to go to the effort of trawling through an uncatalogued library to find the 'standout' ones, which I doubt they'd bother to do.

Another score I REALLY like is used during Marilyn/ Don's wedding, as we 'hear' what he thinks of Marilyn. It's so happy/ regal, yet sad/emotional at the same time. I'm covering that one right now. I've started piecing together the 'Shane's death' music, as per request, but it may take a while because there's so many subtle notes to try and recreate (that flamin harp, for one.)

[beau_t]

It'd be nice if they did that, but they'd probably refuse on the grounds of there being "no market" for them Plus, they'd have to go to the effort of trawling through an uncatalogued library to find the 'standout' ones, which I doubt they'd bother to do.

Another score I REALLY like is used during Marilyn/ Don's wedding, as we 'hear' what he thinks of Marilyn. It's so happy/ regal, yet sad/emotional at the same time. I'm covering that one right now. I've started piecing together the 'Shane's death' music, as per request, but it may take a while because there's so many subtle notes to try and recreate (that flamin harp, for one.)

Great

[alexx]

It'd be nice if they did that, but they'd probably refuse on the grounds of there being "no market" for them Plus, they'd have to go to the effort of trawling through an uncatalogued library to find the 'standout' ones, which I doubt they'd bother to do.

Another score I REALLY like is used during Marilyn/ Don's wedding, as we 'hear' what he thinks of Marilyn. It's so happy/ regal, yet sad/emotional at the same time. I'm covering that one right now. I've started piecing together the 'Shane's death' music, as per request, but it may take a while because there's so many subtle notes to try and recreate (that flamin harp, for one.)

I'm looking forward to it! I really like that Maz/Don score!

[-Andrew-]

Here's Don/Marilyn's wedding theme. I might have overdone it a bit with the strings and bass, but I'm happy with it. I didn't include that high pitched string-swell/ transition piece that finishes the original, because it works better without it imo (since it's not transitioning to anything )

[Blaxland 89]

Great Andrew! Sounds pretty much identical to the original.

Of course you can't beat the classic piano based scores, particularly because they were character themes - but I think I've always preferred the orchestral based underscores. Some of my favourites include:

Earthquake Aftermath/Angel sitting amongst her destroyed house - also notably used in 2000 when Lance and Debbie departed as Colleen waved them off.

Shane's Death music/Fisher on the phone to Nick

Angel telling Dylan, Shane is dead. Another rendition of this was Ailsa telling Alf she needed help (during the Bobby's Ghost episode).

Angel and Shane's wedding music - played at the end as they are pronounced man and wife and during the next episode, when they exit the church and everyone is throwing confetti etc. It's such a bitter sweet underscore.

Fisher walking around his burnt out house at the end of one of the bush fire episodes - also used when Pippa breaks down with Sally, after Michael's Funeral and at the end of the school hostage episode. Also used as Pippa contemplated whether or not to accept the invitation to receive her 'Order of Australia'.

Rebecca's Departure scenes in Summer Bay House - as she looks around/says goodbye to Don. Also another rendition of this score was used when Diana broke down on the beach with Chloe.

Edward and Peta remember old times in Summer Bay House. Also used during a scene between Rebecca and Casey, a few episodes before Casey's departure.

Music when Will read out his speech alone at Ken's grave side. I really like this score. I'm sure it was used prior to 2000.

Music used when Edward watched his father's video, also used after Ken's death and for a scene between Sally and Tim in 1998.

Stephanie telling Sebastian about her childhood in 1996 - also heavily used throughout 1995. Starts with an oboe/horn and then into strings with a prominent harp melody.

Irene crying in church, pleading for God to bring back Paul.

Sally telling Shannon what she and Scott had done, ending with them hugging. It was a very classic sounding score, but orchestral and as usual, very bitter/sweet.

Sally crying at Michael's grave in 1997 - a Sad underscore.

Joey talking to Chloe on the beach, about Saul's death in 1997.

Pippa and Ailsa talking about Sally's disappearance -when Pippa says the river had taken Michael and now Sally.

There are loads more scores from 95-00 that I really like. In 2000 Mike Perjanik seemed to bring back a lot of the 1995-1996 underscores for one last play - perhaps because he was told that the music style would change in 2001? I wonder whether the already established character themes, like Bobby's, Carly's, Sophie's etc. would have continued and been re-arranged to suit the orchestral style, had those characters remained in the show during that time. An orchestra version of The Fletcher Theme was used once in 1995.

Hi Alexx. A personal favourite of mine was the underscore played when Lachie left. I don't know if you remember it but Lachie's voice was over the top of it and it was very piano based for a 1998 episode. Also there is a nice string piece more typical for the time when he is being driven away from Chloe at the end of the episode that starts of very sad but ends quite dramatically. Where either of those pieces uesd for any of the above. Thanks.

[beau_t]

Here's Don/Marilyn's wedding theme. I might have overdone it a bit with the strings and bass, but I'm happy with it. I didn't include that high pitched string-swell/ transition piece that finishes the original, because it works better without it imo (since it's not transitioning to anything )

Love it. It's such a romantic piece. Though one of the things I liked and miss about the old H&A underscores is that they always swelled to a climax. I do like this piece though, for a 1996 score it was quite piano based and early-years influenced.

[cadyctslover]

cadyctslover - it's recorded digitally with my piano - the midi instruments are all sampled from real instruments, so if you play the keys as if you are playing a real instrument, it sounds quite authentic. I think the current early years music, (from the 90's) is a mix, I think the piano and bass are real, perhaps the guitar too, but all the accompanying instruments like the strings or woodwind, are done digitally. Certainly from 1995 onwards it was all, or mostly all, done digitally.

Sorry alexx, have only just seen this. Thanks for the info., very interesting. Being a complete novice, what type of digital piano would that be? I have never played the piano, but I would give it a go!

[-Andrew-]

I can't speak for Alexx, but I use a cheap old 'keyboard' (like the kind you would have used in school, only mine was like £20.. XD) connected to the computer via USB.

You simply connect it, open some 'music recording' software (I use Sony Acid), choose a digital instrument, click record and then play away. Once you've recorded the main melody (which was the piano in that wedding score ^), you can then layer some different instruments over the top of it and mess around with the volume of each instrument until it sounds like a proper piece of music I'm still learning to do it myself.

I wish I could do one of the more piano-based 'classic' scores. The only ones I can play properly are 'Sally's theme' (the one used when she cries about Tom at christmas), Lynn's departure, Emma's theme and most of Marilyn/ Lance's theme. I can't seem to grasp any of the famous and popular ones, bar a few notes...

[Blaxland 89]

I can't speak for Alexx, but I use a cheap old 'keyboard' (like the kind you would have used in school, only mine was like £20.. XD) connected to the computer via USB.

You simply connect it, open some 'music recording' software (I use Sony Acid), choose a digital instrument, click record and then play away. Once you've recorded the main melody (which was the piano in that wedding score ^), you can then layer some different instruments over the top of it and mess around with the volume of each instrument until it sounds like a proper piece of music I'm still learning to do it myself.

I wish I could do one of the more piano-based 'classic' scores. The only ones I can play properly are 'Sally's theme' (the one used when she cries about Tom at christmas), Lynn's departure, Emma's theme and most of Marilyn/ Lance's theme. I can't seem to grasp any of the famous and popular ones, bar a few notes...

I really like that Marilyn/Lance theme. There's a Grant/Jane theme too right. Not that they were a popular couple but their tune was nice. And it was used more randomly later like a lot of them.