Is Rob Hubbard's Lightforce an original piece or a cover?

[Smirnoff Ice]

I've been puzzled about whether Lightforce is an original or a cover, and if it's a cover who made the original?

[Chris Abbott]

It's original. At least, if it's a cover, it's the best kept secret in the C64 music world, short of the sexchange by... oh, sorry.

[Smirnoff Ice]

That's amazing. Well it's amazing at any rate. I just wondered when I read the ""Is LF a cover? I don't remember if it was."-comment from him, one would think he would remember that.

Whatabout Knucklebusters?

(To clearify when I write "cover" that also includes a song that's got a great deal of inspiration or bits and pieces from other songs that can be named)

[omoroca]

What about International Karate? I'm almost sure I've heard something very similar from David Bowie but can't remember the name of the tune. Can any of you?

The STIL entries don't say anything about Bowie, though.

[Smirnoff Ice]

Title: Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Cover: From the movie
Artist: Ryuichi Sakamoto & David Sylvian

Bowie starred in that movie, maybe that's it?

Here's the songs on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkWjsT_S ... re=related

[Analog-X64]

Some early C64 Tunes were based on or borrowed from Jarre, Kraftwerk, Vangelis or any other popular music of the era. But I dont think Lifeforce was a cover of anything.

[tas]

Better late than never I guess...

From the day i heard Lightforce on the c64 to this very day something sat uncomfortably with me about the tune. I have always sworn I've heard it before but I've never come slightly close to proving it. I guess it's influenced rather than covered but I know where you are coming from cos it does feel highly familiar. Since the man who knows everything about everything when it comes to c64 and covers "Warren Pilkington" has never brought it to my attention I'm kinda sitting on the path that it's just sounds familiar rather than it being so.

[Waz]

Since the man who knows everything about everything when it comes to c64 and covers "Warren Pilkington" has never brought it to my attention I'm kinda sitting on the path that it's just sounds familiar rather than it being so.

There is a familiar sound to it, that's for sure. I think it's because the chord progression of the opening part is quite similar to many 1980s synth chord progressions in plenty of songs, but that's purely coincidental rather than intentional, to be honest. I'd be surprised if this actually was a cover, as there's enough Hubbard touches in there to make it sound more than original. Nonetheless, it's a darn fine tune!