Hi.
I’ve been trying to find where the music that starts at the beginning of this clip is from. It sounds like it’s from an American western, possibly circa late-1950s to mid-1960s(?). It sounds a bit like it could be an instrumental version of the theme for Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957). I do know that the music from the second half is taken from The Ten Commandments.
I also have other examples I’m searching for, but figured I’d start with this one first. Thanks for any help or suggestions!
Here’s another one. The music in question here plays twice; first beginning at 5:33, and then again at 9:05. This one sounds like it could be either from an American or spaghetti western (but sounds more like the latter to me).
Super Power (Wu zhang yuan) is attributed to Fu Liang Chou, who’s composed several dozen scores. The piece reminds me of How The West Was Won, I think.
The second clip, you’re right. Harpsichord mixed with a ‘horse-riding’ percussion-fugue… It’s a spaghetti-western inspiration, to me. I can’t quite place it.
That western music in Super Power, I’ve also heard in at least two movies that preceded it; The 7 Grand Masters, and in one version of Along Comes the Tiger. Many of the men credited for the music in old-school kung fu films actually selected various tracks from pre-existing American, Italian, British, Japanese, etc., movies; or library music, such as Shaw Brothers’ use of DeWolfe library tracks, as opposed to composing original music. And some movies, such as Way of the Dragon, had original music by Joseph Koo, but also lifted tracks from Billy Jack, Once Upon a Time in the West, and I believe another/others.
The track in the clip from The Woman Avenger, I’ve also heard in; The Master and the Kid, Ape Girl, and Kung Fu of 8 Drunkards.
I’ve found the sources of many tracks in the old kung fu movies, but there’s a few, including the two examples given, that remain elusive.
[quote=“Filmlovr1, post:4, topic:3148”]Way of the Dragon, had original music by Joseph Koo, but also lifted tracks from Billy Jack, Once Upon a Time in the West, and I believe another/others.[/quote]I knew about the OUATITW music in there but not Billy Jack, even though I’ve seen it I don’t remember the music, can you remember where in the film it’s used?
Have you seen The Delightful Forest? Plenty of OUATITW music used.
[quote=“Yodlaf Peterson, post:5, topic:3148”]I knew about the OUATITW music in there but not Billy Jack, even though I’ve seen it I don’t remember the music, can you remember where in the film it’s used?
Have you seen The Delightful Forest? Plenty of OUATITW music used.[/quote]
Hi.
Here is a Billy Jack musical suite. The tracks/parts heard in Way of the Dragon are at approximately:
7:00 to 8:30
9:35 to 11:02
The most distinctive part begins at around 10:14.
I have seen Delightful Forest; it’s a very good movie, and you’re right.
[quote=“Filmlovr1, post:6, topic:3148”]The most distinctive part begins at around 10:14.[/quote]and there was me thinking that that was original music by Joseph Koo!
I’m putting this up before it gets taken off of u-tube. The theme used in the opening credits is also heard in:
The Heroic Ones
The Bells of Death
Heroes of the Wild
And virtually all of the tracks used in this film (Stroke of Death, AKA Monkey Kung Fu) are clearly part of the same soundtrack. The rest of the tracks here, sans the opening theme, are also extensively heard in Shaolin Martial Arts.
Can anyone identify the source? The rhythm of the main, opening theme almost suggests an Old West-style train, although it could also be from a swashbuckler, sword-and-sandal, or whatever type of film. It definitely sounds Italian in origin, with the background voices, but not necessarily spaghetti western. It sounds like very early 1960s. Identifying the source of this would be like hitting the mother lode.
It actually sounds so much like the overture of Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother, that I can’t quite disseminate it from the Morricone-ish choir, which I think was patterned after medieval monk-chants.
Just search ‘atom heart mother, 1970, full album’ on youtube. The overture starts at 1:25… then the choir-voices at 5:45.
[quote=“kit saginaw, post:10, topic:3148”]It actually sounds so much like the overture of Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother, that I can’t quite disseminate it from the Morricone-ish choir, which I think was patterned after medieval monk-chants.
Just search ‘atom heart mother, 1970, full album’ on youtube. The overture starts at 1:25… then the choir-voices at 5:45.[/quote]
Thanks for the link.
There is some similarity in the male voice choir, but I know the Stroke of Death soundtrack predates Atom Heart Mother, since its main theme is also heard in The Bells of Death (1968). The male choir also resembles the male choir voices heard in parts of Ennio Morricone’s The Big Gundown soundtrack. Maybe it was a 1960s trend in Italian cinema?
Does anyone know the source of this opening music? I don’t know if it’s from a movie, a TV show, or something like DeWolfe Library music. I heard it a number of times back in the early '80s; in some Taiwanese gangster and gambling movies; and even once as intro music on a local (San Diego, California) news station. If it’s original music for a show or movie, the genre could be anything from police/crime, to medical, action-adventure, or whatever else. I’m guessing crime or medical genres, because there is a siren-type sound at certain points of it.
Here are two more whose origins are a mystery to me. The music in the first track begins at 2:00 and ends at about 3:24.
IMO, the second track, used as the intro for Shaolin Iron Claws, sounds a bit like Riz Ortolani could have done it. Some people on u-tube have incorrectly identified it as the theme for The Young and the Restless (AKA, Nadia’s Theme). But the overall tune is very different.
I think I’ve heard the first one somewhere before but for the life of me can’t think what it was. And it may not have been the original source I heard it on anyway, may have been another H.K. one.
That first track definitely sounds like an Italian western to me, with the horse-galloping rhythm, etc. I know I’ve heard it in at least another kung fu movie, as well.
The second one also sounds Italian, but I don’t know which genre, whether western, crime, romance(?), documentary, etc.
Over the past year so far, I’ve been able to identify over 100 sources of music in old-school KF films, but there are some that have been as elusive as Bigfoot :). I WISH I could have gone into the rooms and seen the collection(s) of soundtrack albums that those guys picked and chose from.
I’ve posted a thread on kungfumagazine.com titled ‘movie soundtracks used in old-school KF films’ under the screen name Jimbo, in the ‘martial media’ section. In it are listed soundtracks and the film(s) they are heard in. There are some contributions by others as well. I wanted to ensure the thread not only lists the music sources and (some of) the movies they’re heard in, but also consistently provides a link to hear them.
*edit to add:
Well, while the track isn’t Nadia’s theme, it certainly is closer than I thought, being on the same soundtrack.
