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Question: Influence of TB theme on horror movie themes :: Total Votes:37 Poll choices Votes Statistics A huge influence 21  [56.76%] A small influence 7  [18.92%] No influence at all 9  [24.32%] Guests cannot vote

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Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: May 20 2004, 18:04 I've always been perplexed by William Friedkin's statement, which I've read somewhere, that he chose the TB theme for the soundtrack of The Exorcist as a childish lullaby for Regan... that piano theme has never sounded like a childish lullaby to me, it has always sounded scary. A long time before I first saw the movie (on TV), I heard it on a friend's Tubular Bells album and my first thought was: what's this, a theme from some horror movie? This may have happened because, at the time (it was the early 80s), I knew Claudio Simonetti's theme from Profondo Rosso quite well, and, as I've repeatedly stated in these forums and elsewhere, that theme sounds to me like it's been hugely influenced by TB and by its use in The Exorcist. And while Mr. Friedkin's intention wasn't, apparently, to use it as a scary theme, Mr. Simonetti's intention certainly was. And since then, dozens of horror movies (mostly cheap ones) have built sinister-sounding themes over repetitive piano sequences or keyboard sequences (the one that springs to my mind right now is John Carpenter's Halloween). So what I'd like to ask you is: how much influence do you think that the use of TB in The Exorcist had on horror movie themes? Choose one of the options above, or write something below here. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: May 21 2004, 07:40 I'm also positive it had a huge influence on horror movies. But that saddens me a little. Firstly because "The Exorcist" isn't just a "horror movie" the same way that, say, "Halloween" is. And secondly because "Tubular Bells" doesn't sound, not even in the movie, as a "scary" theme. It sounds extremelly intriguing, thought-provoking, and as you hear it play as Regan's mom walks down the street, you know something is about to happen. It actually sounds faintly lullabyish, but it prepares you for a not-so-pleasant dream. That theme works wonders, and frankly, it doesn't sound particularly scary to me. However, it had a huge impact on horror soundtracks. But the repetitive themes have become more in-your-face and predictable, without the depth of the "Tubular Bells" one. Still, it had an influence. That can't be denied. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: May 24 2004, 12:13 Quote (Sir Mustapha @ May 21 2004, 08:40) And secondly because "Tubular Bells" doesn't sound, not even in the movie, as a "scary" theme. It sounds extremelly intriguing, thought-provoking. Never imagined to hear TB on that film,really.Not a scary theme,but being repetitive and intriguing,that is the truth about it. -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

MAN IN CRISES Group: Members Posts: 63 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: May 24 2004, 18:27 I never though tb have that horror sound... Not horror but maybe more like a bad feeling inside.. (Not evil............) Before i get to know mike i had tub theme on an synth best of cd. I remember that i loved that song. But at that time i was to get to know that it was an theme from the exorsist. At that time i throw it away. But now i have it again and i think its a good song and it gives me an chilly atmosphere. I dont think its scary no more. Maybe its not a happy song but its not a scary song for me. My general impression feel chilly about tubular bells   Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: May 25 2004, 07:26 I guess I've used the wrong term throughout this. I didn't mean 'scary' in the sense that it scares you, but that to me that theme is creepy, moody, sinister, perturbating etc.- all the adjectives you can possibly associate with that feeling which Freud called unheimlich. Of course this is only the impression that it gives to me, which may be different from all others. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

MAN IN CRISES Group: Members Posts: 63 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: May 25 2004, 10:28 we are all different and we see things in a different ways. After all tub is a perfect mood. Its gives me a good feeling inside..   Tubular bells could be better! We all love it and we all have our feelings about it. For some its creepy, for others maybe happy? Tub for me; tells a story. And the story is sad, chilly and angry. Tubular bells is everything sometimes   Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: June 11 2004, 19:43 Reminds me....there was an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise mid-season (Doctor's Orders) in which the doctor was alone on the ship for several days, due to having to place the crew in comas to survive whatever--a transdimensional disturbance? The doc kept thinking he was hearing things, and figured he was just a bit creeped out cos he had watched the Exorcist. Interesting that writers in the 21st century envision the Exorcist as a classic film, surviving in the future, on a starship. Means Mike's music must be along for the ride, too....since certainly in the future one will be able to be viewing a flick and then just click (or ask for) entire accompanying musical work.     -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

hiawatha Group: Members Posts: 2391 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: June 11 2004, 20:24 As for that, I'm all for them replacing that "Faith of the Heart" song with "Saved by a Bell" for the "Star Trek: Enterprise" theme. -------------- "In the land of the Dacotahs, Where the Falls of Minnehaha Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, Laugh and leap into the valley." - Song of Hiawatha Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: June 11 2004, 22:13 Those of us who like Enterprise are lucky it's being renewed for another season--until a couple of weeks ago, it was up in the air, literally. In that they have the Exorcist in their movie library, wouldn't it be cool to work in a guest appearance by Mike? He's a Trekkie, too.   -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

hiawatha Group: Members Posts: 2391 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: June 11 2004, 23:39 Quote (Inkanta @ June 11 2004, 22:13) In that they have the Exorcist in their movie library, wouldn't it be cool to work in a guest appearance by Mike? He's a Trekkie, too.   They can have him in the episode where the Klingons sing "Caveman" from "Tubular Bells 2003" -------------- "In the land of the Dacotahs, Where the Falls of Minnehaha Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, Laugh and leap into the valley." - Song of Hiawatha Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: June 12 2004, 10:07 You know, the Caveman section does sound more like Klingon opera!   Maybe they go back in time to retrieve Mike because our future relations with the Klingon empire depend not on Kirk and his predecessors/successors but an Earth person's ability to compose an acceptable Klingon opera. Of course, they like things a bit off key (or what's off-key to our ears anyway)....so he'd really have to go more in vein with the original.   -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: June 12 2004, 13:20 I small part of me wishes Mike could be a guest star on The Simpsons. I mean, look at how many musicians they brought. U2, Elton John, Aerosmith, The Who, Paul & Linda McCartney and even David Byrne! I think Mike could be hilarious, provided he acts an actual character, and not himself. Enough celebrity appearances! And I actually think that the piano theme of Tubular Bells is absolutely timeless. The piano theme, mind you - in the future, people will probably detect the sounds of the albums as a thing from the 1900's, but the theme itself? Timeless! Like the melody from Yesterday and the riff of Satisfaction. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Guest Unregistered Posted: Aug. 16 2004, 16:42 Quote (Tati The Sentinel @ May 24 2004, 12:13) [quote=Sir Mustapha,May 21 2004, 08:40]However, it had a huge impact on horror soundtracks. But the repetitive themes have become more in-your-face and predictable, without the depth of the "Tubular Bells" one. Still, it had an influence. That can't be denied. Perhaps you could name a few of these movie soundtracks you say TB had such an influence on? Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Aug. 16 2004, 18:36 I'm not a horror movie conoisseur, sorry, but others here can name you a couple of examples. I do remember one... Friday The 13th, or something like that? But what I meant is that the idea that a tingly piano riff becomes "scary" is definitely an evolution of Tubular Bells. Perhaps someone crosses the piano riff with the ting-ting-ting-ting theme of The Twilight Zone, and Presto!, you have your horror soundtrack. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

hiawatha Group: Members Posts: 2391 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: Aug. 16 2004, 19:20 Ah, to have a copy of "The Twilight Bells", in which Oldfield plays instruments that are introduced by Rod Serling. -------------- "In the land of the Dacotahs, Where the Falls of Minnehaha Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, Laugh and leap into the valley." - Song of Hiawatha Back to top

Guest Unregistered Posted: Aug. 17 2004, 05:13 Quote (Sir Mustapha @ Aug. 16 2004, 18:36) I'm not a horror movie conoisseur, sorry, but others here can name you a couple of examples. I do remember one... Friday The 13th, or something like that? I think you will find that the Friday the Thirteenth theme and incidental music owes a lot to 'Careful with that axe eugene' by Pink Floyd and nothing to Tubular Bells. BTW, Thanks for the info about the other board. I did wonder what had happened. Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Aug. 17 2004, 07:10 Well, you're probably right. The truth is that I never heard the Friday 13th theme. I just mentioned it because I saw it being mentioned by someone else somewhere else here... *points at self and laughs* But still, it's almost instinctive: when you see a clip of a horror movie somewhere, you do expect a little piano theme as background. And in 99% of the cases, it does come. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Guest Unregistered Posted: Aug. 17 2004, 07:42 You're right of course. It's even true of video games like Resident Evil. Back to top

EDROFKRAM Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: July 2004 Posted: Oct. 28 2004, 13:55 I know I'm meandering now but talking or horror movies, was the ending of the film Underword the worst that has ever been allowed in this genre. I refer to the concluding fight scene between Kate Beckinsale and Bill Nighy. Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Oct. 29 2004, 03:07 Please try and keep the conversation related somehow to Mike - there's nothing wrong with the occasional shift slightly off topic, if it adds something interesting to the discussion, but at the end of the day, we have to keep things within certain boundaries... If that wasn't the case, this place would end up like a certain other forum which disappeared after falling into chaos. 'nuff said. Back to top

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