Soap Opera Background Music Thread

[EricMontreal22]

I mentioned how in one of the 1987 Paley Seminar clips with Agnes Nixon someone mentions how much he loves that they're using movie themes on AMC--he mentions a track from the Somewhere in Time score being used for Erica, etc. Of course around this time when Erica tries to get Jeremy out of prison they used the Halloween theme (! it works actually). Then recently I was watching Bianca's birth episode and noticed I knew the background music--it was an instrumental of I Saw Him Once from Les Miserables! LOL So does anyone know for how long AMC made a habit of this?

[bellcurve]

You will definitely love the first CD. It doesn't have that bleeding from one segment to the next thing going on.

I also like a track titled "Skyline," but that's the Watercolors XM fan in me. It sounded like they tried to avoid as many porn-y sounding cues as possible. And as I mentioned earlier, I love "Innocence." Connects me to an era of my growing up watching DAYS and a time when soaps were just so fun, magical, and engaging. As much [!@#$%^&*] as I give DAYS and as much as I laugh about it now, I really loved watching it back then.

[EricMontreal22]

To be fair the "meagmix" of tracks may have been done too because those cues are so very short they thought it would be a weird listening experience (on the show they probably loop them). When I was most into anime I collectd the tv soundtracks for my fave series (in Japan they release soundtracks to EVERYTHING) and often they'd do this with the shorter tracks--when it's more a mood track or something than something with an actual full melody.

[Darn]

Someone is posting Erica's Woman of the Year breakdown (they're posting all the episodes leading up to it so we're not there yet) and the music at the beginning of this clip is just stellar.

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I love the "boom, boom, dink".

Susan Lucci is fantastic in all of this BTW. The next clip posted SHOULD be the one with her infamous speech.

[EricMontreal22]

Yep see our thread in the video folder I like that music though I have to say as a whole I didn't like the music during that era. watch some of the other clips from that viewer--it's ALL synth heavy and also overused--you ahve scenes where the synth music never lets up.

[EricMontreal22]

Watching more of Peyton Place last night, the music is exquisite. I particularly love when the main love theme becomees an isolated piano piece, and the jazzy/West Side Story danger music.

Edited February 27, 2010 by EricMontreal22

[EricMontreal22]

Of course that wasn't remotely like the tune that became a radio hit (Gosh Selby was handsome back then)

[bellcurve]

I'd rather have a full minute of a loop of a track than just one thing that bleeds into the next. Thank goodness they didn't do that with the first set of cues.

I should also let you guys know that I e-mailed LaLaLand asking them about who picked the cues and Corday and Nelson did and that they wanted to focus more on the last ten years of the show, which is why we didn't get alot of those 93-97 cues we loved so much.

When asked if they planned on going to other composers, the reply was, "The Young and the Restless" might be next.

Aside from the coffee rock sh*t that Latham bestowed upon us, I'd really look forward to a two disc of those scores. Some of the more recent ones, while they may not sound Y&R-esque, are still pretty good.

I'd love to hear an extended cut of the sad cue playing at the end of this clip with Nick/Sharon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4goF4rkZDA

[alphanguy74]

I had no idea Andy Williams recorded a vocal version of that! but then again, he also did the same with the theme to "Love Story" and released it as a single, and had some chart action. His version of Quentin's theme was never released as a single, and i'm glad... the instrumental is by far the best. But then, I cream myself for any song with alot of harpsichord. The intsrumental version went to number 13 on the billboard chart in late 69.

[daysgoby]

Is it just me or is Days using a lot of new musical cues? Just noticed it this week in the scenes between Carly/Melanie; Vivian/Melanie and others. I like them too!

[YRBB]

Oh, please make it be true! And, if it is, that they at least put all those wonderful, classic scores in there... saddening, business, intrigue... all of them!

[bellcurve]

I definitely like the IDEA behind the DAYS CD, even if I am not too fond of the execution of it.

They will likely focus on the last ten years or so, so I wouldn't expect any of those sweeping cues and strings from the 80's, sadly.

Y&R had some good stuff, music-wise, in the last decade(save for the college rock sh!t Latham's era bestowed upon Allocco and Kurtz). The cues they used in Paris and beyond were good and some of their recent intrigue cues, which are so un-Y&R, but still good in its own right(the one I like is often used during Patty's scenes).

[alphanguy74]

Yes, I agree... those recent new Patty cues were pretty good. I also thought the Paris stuff was executed well... I just think that with a 40 percent budget cut, it's time to END all new background compositions, and use what you have. theyv'e got a CRAPLOAD of stuff. The only exception I felt was warranted was the song they wrote for Maitland. That was appropriate, and the best surprise in a decade.

Edited March 1, 2010 by alphanguy74

[Sindacco]

I got the DAYS Soundtrack today, much sooner than what they first said. I just started to listen to it so I'll be back later with more comments.

[bellcurve]

I never quite got your thoughts on that DAYS soundtrack. Care to let me know what you think?