After two records, it seems that Hasbro will release the music from the Transformers cartoon. It's from the Tformers site:
Pulling it all together, we’re digitally releasing the ‘80s animated TV series soundtrack with an exciting bonus track that taps into nostalgia and re-creates the excitement, tone, and pop culture moments of 1984.
After two records, it seems that Hasbro will release the music from the Transformers cartoon. It's from the Tformers site:
Pulling it all together, we’re digitally releasing the ‘80s animated TV series soundtrack with an exciting bonus track that taps into nostalgia and re-creates the excitement, tone, and pop culture moments of 1984.
As long time G1 fan, that makes me super excited! The 2018 LP from Enjoy The Ride Records has consistently been a favorite listen of mine, I love the Johnny Douglas music and I didn't mind transferring the album to digital files. With this release being digital only, I can just create my own preferred CD length album version and burn it to disc, if I want.
I'm currently researching the show and its music for an upcoming episode of my podcast, so this is also well-timed!
There's also this part of the statement that's possibly of interest, but somehow I doubt CDs are involved.
Entertainment & Music
Hasbro x Sony Music Publishing and Magic Star (GLOBAL) – Hasbro has announced a worldwide administration deal with Sony Music Publishing to support the company’s entire portfolio of world-class fan and family brands. Additionally, Magic Star, The Orchard’s official global division of children’s and family entertainment, has been appointed as Hasbro’s global recorded music distribution partner.
For a second I thought it meant the movie and was about to make a comment regarding that...
But being the TV one hmmm....I seem to remember someone uploaded some tracks on YT that had better sound quality (and possibily more of it) than the LP release. We'll see what happens with this...
I never had much connection to the movie, but I'm DEEPLY connected to the TV series, which ran on Sky Channel in the 80s (I think it was either DJ Kat Show or Fun Factory). So that theme tune is indelibly ingrained in my mind. Would be interested to check out a score release, although I'm not sure how well I would connect to it now. For example, I remember checking out that He-Man/MOTU TV set from a few years ago, but again -- outside the theme, I wasn't that taken with the rest of the music. Even if MOTU was my favourite thing as a kid.
Well, if I can grab it DRM free with quality that matches my iTunes Plus setting in Apple Music, I'll be down. Beats getting it on Vynil and it definitely beats having it be stuck on my Playstation 5 (DARN YOU Horizon: Forbidden West Collector's Edition!).
I never had much connection to the movie, but I'm DEEPLY connected to the TV series, which ran on Sky Channel in the 80s (I think it was either DJ Kat Show or Fun Factory). So that theme tune is indelibly ingrained in my mind. Would be interested to check out a score release, although I'm not sure how well I would connect to it now. For example, I remember checking out that He-Man/MOTU TV set from a few years ago, but again -- outside the theme, I wasn't that taken with the rest of the music. Even if MOTU was my favourite thing as a kid.
Thor, I can understand some of your hesitation as to whether the music holds up beyond our childhood memories, although I happen to think that Johnny Douglas' orchestral/jazz hybrid library cues remain solidly listenable and memorable apart from the show. If you didn't purchase the 2018 LP of music from that original 1984 animated Transformers series, someone posted a Youtube video of Side A, just to re-familiarize yourself with the music of the show:
Hopefully I’m reading this wrong, but I don’t think I am. The press release says:
“Pulling it all together, we’re digitally releasing the ‘80s animated TV series soundtrack with an exciting bonus track that taps into nostalgia and re-creates the excitement, tone, and pop culture moments of 1984.”
I take that to mean that all they’re doing is releasing the “soundtrack album” from a few years back, which was an LP-only release, in digital format. I don’t think this is going to be an expanded or complete score.
The key tell for me is where it says they’re including “an exciting bonus track.” Meaning it will be the same very limited release from the LP, but with one additional track. They released the G.I. Joe album on LP and digital simultaneously, but there was never a digital release for Transformers. I suspect that all they’re doing is catching up TF and Joe so they both have digital albums.
Again, I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t see another way to read the above. (But if I am mistaken, I really, really, really hope that if TF gets an expanded/complete release, G.I. Joe will not be far behind. I NEED all of Johnny Douglas’s Joe music!)
Hopefully I’m reading this wrong, but I don’t think I am. The press release says:
“Pulling it all together, we’re digitally releasing the ‘80s animated TV series soundtrack with an exciting bonus track that taps into nostalgia and re-creates the excitement, tone, and pop culture moments of 1984.”
I take that to mean that all they’re doing is releasing the “soundtrack album” from a few years back, which was an LP-only release, in digital format. I don’t think this is going to be an expanded or complete score.
The key tell for me is where it says they’re including “an exciting bonus track.” Meaning it will be the same very limited release from the LP, but with one additional track. They released the G.I. Joe album on LP and digital simultaneously, but there was never a digital release for Transformers. I suspect that all they’re doing is catching up TF and Joe so they both have digital albums.
Again, I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t see another way to read the above. (But if I am mistaken, I really, really, really hope that if TF gets an expanded/complete release, G.I. Joe will not be far behind. I NEED all of Johnny Douglas’s Joe music!)
Do you mean the good one with Robert Stack, Judd Nelson and Orson Welles or the one with Megan Fox?
The old, animated one.
Thor, I can understand some of your hesitation as to whether the music holds up beyond our childhood memories, although I happen to think that Johnny Douglas' orchestral/jazz hybrid library cues remain solidly listenable and memorable apart from the show. If you didn't purchase the 2018 LP of music from that original 1984 animated Transformers series, someone posted a Youtube video of Side A, just to re-familiarize yourself with the music of the show:
Though I have the 2018 LP, I'm glad it's finally getting a digital release. Of course, I'd rather have it on CD, but that's not the way the world works anymore... :^(
Hopefully I’m reading this wrong, but I don’t think I am. The press release says:
“Pulling it all together, we’re digitally releasing the ‘80s animated TV series soundtrack with an exciting bonus track that taps into nostalgia and re-creates the excitement, tone, and pop culture moments of 1984.”
I take that to mean that all they’re doing is releasing the “soundtrack album” from a few years back, which was an LP-only release, in digital format. I don’t think this is going to be an expanded or complete score.
The key tell for me is where it says they’re including “an exciting bonus track.” Meaning it will be the same very limited release from the LP, but with one additional track. They released the G.I. Joe album on LP and digital simultaneously, but there was never a digital release for Transformers. I suspect that all they’re doing is catching up TF and Joe so they both have digital albums.
Again, I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t see another way to read the above. (But if I am mistaken, I really, really, really hope that if TF gets an expanded/complete release, G.I. Joe will not be far behind. I NEED all of Johnny Douglas’s Joe music!)
I do hope G.I. Joe gets re-released on CD with more music. Just that one famous cue that played a few times from The MASS device and The Revenge of Cobra series wasn't on the LP version.
Time to post this fun video. I love the odd metering of the theme, and will happily listen to the digital release!
The First Transformers Theme Was WILDLY Confusing
This is probably a bit of a slog if you're not a musician, but the energy carries it along.
I really enjoy this guy and his enthusiasm that's so evident in his videos, but this one got me totally baffled. The end credits is not a weird time signature, it's just a terrible edit someone looped the beginning and didn't do it very well. The chop comes just before the melody starts.
I also remember reading that the "autobots wage their battle.... etc" lyric was never meant to be a lyric. It was supposed to be a voice over, but it was labelled wrong. Absolutely genius managing to get them sung!
Time to post this fun video. I love the odd metering of the theme, and will happily listen to the digital release!
This is probably a bit of a slog if you're not a musician, but the energy carries it along.
I fee like it was a feeble attempt to make the music sound mechanical and robotic, similar to what happened with Brad Fiedel's "Terminator" theme just a few months later.
someone looped the beginning and didn't do it very well. The chop comes just before the melody starts.