h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi, Did you know the gallery music (great eyebrows!)is copyright?

Composer Jim

I had no idea. I got the link from Tony Hart's website, so I assumed he'd cleared it with the composers in the first place.

I Shouldn't worry about it! (My publishers:- deWolfe music own the copyright and since 'Vision On' it has been one of their best sellers)!

If you have time, check out their website here;

http://www.dewolfe.co.uk/ - loads of auditionable tracks ( including quite a few of mine)!

All the best

Composer Jim

I had a look at that website. I couldn't find anything I was allowed to download.

Didn't deWolfe do the music for Monty Python films?

Sorry about delay in reply- the usual excuses, family, etc.etc....

Yep, they get music on quite a few feature films but mostly telly and ads round the world.

You can audition all the tracks on the site but they won't let you download without being a registered user- i.e. someone in the media who is likely to use the music in a production where it will be reported and earn royalties for them! that is how production music (or library music)publishers earn a living- through public performance or broadcasts of their catalog. Of course the internet is a major nightmare for anyone involved in intellectual copyright. For example, there are a load of people out there selling my tracks as mobile ringtones, but I will be very lucky if I ever get a penny out of it!

By the way, I am very keen on jazz so am intrigued by your username - does it imply an interest on your part?

Oh yes, I like jazz alright. I like Monk's stuff a lot, but I thought he had a damn silly name and it was very easy to get to my monicker. As for the epithet, THELONIOUS Monk played pianos, so I figured that FELONIOUS Monk would steal them.

Y'know, I want to BUY one of their CD's for Hallowe'en but I'm damned if I can find out how.

Afraid you can't buy cd's, the music is only for license. Occasionally they will send out one as a special request but not often!

Do you actually play jazz or just listen?

Just a little 'sad' story;

At Uni, ( a very long time ago), there was an extremely grotty old upright in the union building, totally unplayable and unrepairabe, and the authorities would not get a new one as they said we already had one. So one night , having got a little alchoholic courage, we carried the piano out to a large ornimental fountain in the grounds and deposited it there. It made the front page of the local paper, the photo caption being 'Piano recital- rained off!!' After getting a bit waterlogged they had to hire a small crane to get the thing out again, but we did get our new piano!

Goodluck with the piano stealing!

I just listen, but my nine-year-old daughter is learning to play the piano (yes, we do have one, but legally acquired) and the tenor sax.

Whic Uni did you go to? Was it to study music or something else?

Keele University to do music and electronics back in the late 70's, although it was largely to please my dad, as I always knew I really wanted to just play or write music, and a degree back then was not really much advantage to break into the music bizz- if anything, the four years out made it harder. Having said that, I made good contacts and had a great time!!

How about you?

Try and keep it up with the piano lessons and stuff, I wish I had pushed a little more with my two older children (now 18 and 16), but you can't make 'em do it if they don't want to! They are both pretty musical though, daughter-ballet dancer, son very good drummer and DJ!

recently had to do 'soundalike' stuff for dewolfe of very early jazz/ragtime so had to listen to loads of early jazz - discovered 'King' oliver, Freddie Keppard. Ever listened to any of this early stuff? Absolutely amazing musicianship and innovation!

Me, I went to UEA in the early 80's to study chemistry. In retrospect, I should have taken a couple of years out as I could have more or less taken my pick of universities.
I'm musical in a passive way. I used to be able to play the piano and can sing pretty well (my Irish inlaws like to get me drunk beforehand - not a particularly difficult task).
I must admit I've never heard of the artists you mention below. I shall have to find out more about them.

I grew up in Essex ( Frinton-on-sea) and have relatives in Wivenhoe so visit back that way regularly- small world!

Am a novice at the h2g2 thing so probably not supposed to say this here, but just read your article on 'Switched on Bach'- well done! I regard this as a very significant album in regard to my personal musical development as it really switched me on to Bach, and also the possibillities of music technology (along with Isao Tomita's 'Raindrops are Falling' Debussy album). Also coincedentally these are my two favourite composers (ish, there are so many other greats- went to BRB at Saddler's wells last night, all Stravinsky programme - wonderful, The Firebird (full version), superb score, real genius!).

I listened to some of the Tomita stuff afterwards. I found him far to fussy, and not enough of the original composer's mood showed through (unlike the S-OB). However, that isn't to say I didn't like all of it. Snowflakes are Dancing was a wonderful track.

I really like Stravinsky. The Firebird stands on its own as a work of genius in its own right, never mind the ballet (which I detest, anyway, never saw the point of it personally). The finale is my favourite part, along with the Round Dance of the Princesses (is that right?)

I have to agree and disagree to some extent.

I always used to get told off by my wife if ever we went to see a show or ballet, as I would be so much involved with the music I would miss out on much of the rest of what was going on. However, now my daughter is involved in ballet, I have been to a great deal, and am now a big fan. I really enjoyed the Firebird as a spectacle, and although essentially an incredibly simple tale (as many ballet plots are), the marriage of music and movement was very pleasing indeed.

As regards Tomita,yes I agree it doesn't posess the economy of S-o-B, but rather a quirky individuality which gives a good deal of character to his sound, if not always (to my perception) in the best interests of the music! But life would be very boring if it wasn't for people with interesting (if a little eccentric) interpretations of established works.

More years ago than I care to remember I did a pastiche S-o-B track for DeWolfe under the pseudonym James Hillside. If you have time it is here:

http://www.dewolfe.co.uk:16080/musicsearch/search_1.php?fastfind_to_tracks@fastfind_id=&keyword_to_track@keyword=&tracks@tracktitle=Antics&tracks@tempo=&tracks@composer=Hillside&tracks@cdnumber=&composer_to_track@composerid=&tracks@tracktype=m&composer_text=&submit=search

If the link doesn't get you straight there, type in James Hillside into the composer field in the search bit on the left, and the tracktitle - Antics.