Commodore Remix

Hello peeps.

Well, here's the deal. I have recently completed my first remix (dragons lair 2) and while I'm hoping that one is good enough to make the grade, I realise I'm out of ideas.

So, my sid-related experience only stretches to the collected works of Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway and the Last Ninja games. Could anybody point me out a good, simple tune that might work on guitar? Preferably something that hasnt been done too many times before. Something I could make a failed attempt at anyway.

I can't tell you what would work best on guitar, but I do think there are some good C64 composers that tend to get ignored in favor of the Hubbard/Galway canon.

Dave Warhol, while not a sidmaster in the Galway/Hubbard sense (his arrangements aren't that interesting), was a very good composer who did some nice tunes for EA. Check out Adventure Construction Set, Racing Destruction Set, Heart of Africa, Realms of Impossibility. RDS in particular has a good rock/bluesy feel which IMO would work well with electric guitar. Dave's Adventure Construction Set fugue (subtune 17) is something that I think could do with a nice Bach-ian treatment.

There's also Russell Lieblich (Master of the Lamps, Aliens, etc.) but I confess all his music sort of sounds the same to me -- it always has a sort of boogie woogie bass thing going on, which gets a bit boring.

Many of the Kenneth Arnold Ultima tunes could use a nice acoustic guitar treatment -- i.e. Ultima IV town music (subtune 1) and "Stones" from Ultima V (subtune 5). I'm still waiting for the definitive Stones remix. I'd do it myself but I have neither the soundfonts nor the talent to pull it off well.

though i am not sure how much material was borrowed from classical tunes, "the bard's tale" (also ea) has some fine opportunities for guitar. ask max about it, he planned something while practising with guitar... dunno why but "the bard's tale" isn't remixed so far... or i missed that...

Hmmm. I'm not so sure about The Bards Tale, none of those tunes ever really grabbed me as being good guitar tunes.

As for that Ultima IV tune, I'm quite taken by it. Would sound very good acoustic or electric I think. That is a definate one for me to start soon. Cheers bluefugue.

On a sidenote, if theres any other tunes you guys could suggest, that would be cool.

Maindrian wrote:... I realise I'm out of ideas.

hi maindrian,

i'm also new on the remix64 arranger side...
yesterday i finished my third tune...
i mostly try to cover songs that no one done
before, see my R1D1 remix for example...

btw. try confuzion it's a great guitar tune....and it's easy !

Yeah, I just heard your Platoon remix. Very good. It kind of reminds me of Add N to X, although I couldnt tell you why. Its been on repeat play for the past day or two

Tried Confuzion, couldnt make it work, had a go at the Ultima tune, and I'm having trouble with the rythm. See, did I mention I wasnt a very good guitarist?

I'll make something work.

See, did I mention I wasnt a very good guitarist?


...hey,your not the only one, i never called myself a guitarist...
but i have a good(..hmm..) guitarstyle, sounds like joy division, bauhaus, grauzone.... before i forget sometimes sound it like the
ramones.. you know strumming powerchords...and so !

another hint...did you ever try to cover 'times of lore', it's a very
great tune...i admit, i like it !!

Best Wishes ... 2Klang

p.s. i'm downloading at the moment your dragons lair remix

Well I'm no Puffy anyways. Can just about manage a Green Day style punk-a-thon at best. At worst I sound like Kurt Cobain after he's smashed his guitar.

Times of Lore? I actually wanted to do a slow doomy remix of subtune 2 from that game. I always found the long repetative droning of that track more soothing than the main tune. And its quite epic.

Tried Confuzion, couldnt make it work, had a go at the Ultima tune, and I'm having trouble with the rythm. See, did I mention I wasnt a very good guitarist?

It's a weird rhythm in the first section because the melody seems to come in a half-beat before the accompaniment -- it's offset a bit. I wrote it out in score form and I think it's in 3/4 time, the melody always coming in one eighth-note before the accompaniment. But you can easily "stretch" it to 4/4 time and the melody is still quite recognizable.

The middle section is rhythmically easier to discern because the accompaniment is very regular and it's no longer offset. I would use that section as the basis for your remix if you're having trouble.