I also noticed the resemblance to Missing while watching the film, though it took me a while to place the theme (though it's probably my favorite Vangelis melody).
Some other cues seemed to have a Carter Burwell sound, though that may have been the arrangement rather than similar melodies.
Oh man, even I would have recognized the lift had I seen this new film. Instantly. Of course, "lift" may be too kind. Or cruel if there really is an innocent "My Sweet Lord" in all this. But while we're talking about Lucy & Desi...ever hear them sing "Breezin' Along With the Breeze" whose first 6 notes = "Oh, You Beautiful Doll?"
I would love for someone to have the balls to ask a composer face to face about lifting or using other people's music in their scores.
"Mr. Pemberton, why did you use Vangelis' Theme from MISSING as a major chunk of your Main Theme in BEING THE RICARDOS?"
"Mr. Horner, why did you use a theme from Prokofiev's IVAN THE TERRIBLE as a major chunk of one of your Main Themes in GLORY?"
I would love to hear the response from Maestro Horner, but sadly that is no longer possible. I wonder if he was ever asked about it when he was alive and had a response?
Will someone please have the cojones to ask the very living Pemberton about MISSING in BEING THE RICARDOS? I really want to hear his response.
I may be a hypocrite/asshole but I do love what Horner did with Prokofiev's music for GLORY. It worked brilliantly. Should he though, have credited Maestro Sergei for his inspiration or a "based on" acknowledgment?
I do the think the Music Rights owners of MISSING do have a valid case against Pemberton or the Music Rights owners of his RICARDOS music.
It wasn't a blatant "lift" back in the day of Georges Delerues OUR MOTHER'S HOUSE and Quincy Jones' THE COLOR PURPLE even though the music sounded similar in "feeling" if not "note for note". I'm glad Spielberg did however hire Delerue to compose and get paid for 3 of the Best AMAZING STORIES scores for the series. THE DOLL, WITHOUT DIANA and DOROTHY AND BEN.
It wasn't a blatant "lift" back in the day of Georges Delerues OUR MOTHER'S HOUSE and Quincy Jones' THE COLOR PURPLE even though the music sounded similar in "feeling" if not "note for note". I'm glad Spielberg did however hire Delerue to compose and get paid for 3 of the Best AMAZING STORIES scores for the series. THE DOLL, WITHOUT DIANA and DOROTHY AND BEN.
People Magazine even had a brief article on the Color Purple/Our Mother's House score situation. Not exactly the same theme but similar enough one can assume the film was tracked with the Delerue.
Hell, I was just listening to Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and again struck how the theme reminded me of Goldsmith's Raggedy Man (recorded 13 years later).
I guess this Interviewer never saw or heard MISSING. So great how Pemberton is so excited to play him his Main Theme that sounds just like the crux of MISSING. Dang there was such an opportunity for a more informed interviewer to call him on it right then and there. Enjoy. Go to 6:06 and continue watching. He sure "nailed it" alright. Yeah, the MISSING Theme. Pemberton seems like a nice enough chap. Hard to believe that he or anyone on the production of BEING THE RICARDOS were so oblivious. Or they just didn't think anyone would notice. Amazing.
Maestro Pemberton, if you are a lurker here on the board, perhaps you can enlighten us all, here on the board. With all due respect to you as a composer, why did you use Vangelis' Theme from MISSING as a major chunk of your Main Theme in BEING THE RICARDOS?
When Daniel was staying at his producer friend's Malibu House, where he said he wrote the score for the LUCY Sorkin Project, they one late night watched an old DVD or VHS of MISSING. Daniel went to sleep after the film and Vangelis' MISSING music innocently crept into his sleeping subconscious mind. He then woke up the next morning and ran to the Grand Piano with a wonderfully brilliant Main Theme for MISSING THE RICARDOS!
Yup, I agree. It's a fairly common progression of notes in this type of romantic theme. Pemberton's theme moves in a completely different direction after the first few notes. Much ado about nothing, really.
Pemberton is one of those composers I haven't yet interviewed, but would like to. I'll be sure to bring up this if and when I do, although it's a rather farfetched connection.
