One Man and His Droid (original by Rob Hubbard, remix by Dummy)
Listen to One Man and His Droid on Remix64 here – https://remix64.com/track/dummy/one-man-and-his-droid/
Although the game itself may not have fared that well over time, the Rob Hubbard soundtrack was an epic six minutes of manic mayhem. There have been lots of remixes of the main theme, but for me, this very Errol Flynn film inspired classical version stuck out Why? Because it has all the makings of a cinema swashbuckler, whilst keeping the drama and intensity of the original beautifully intact. That drama has the sense and patience to include a nice softer pause as the theme develops its choruses before crashing in with all the instruments creating a sense of power, drama and that panic that the original had as you battle out to sea. Granted the middle Maneater-inspired section is not here, but using the main theme sections to create all that drama is well done, and showed so much energy and skill with the end being soft and gentle too. It is just a shame it is Dummy’s only C64 remix so far – more please!
Further remixes of One Man and His Droid – https://remix64.com/track/more-of/sid/MUSICIANS/H/Hubbard_Rob/One_Man_and_his_Droid.sid/index.html
Spellbound (original by Rob Hubbard, remix by Mano)
Listen to Spellbound on Remix64 here – https://remix64.com/track/mano/spellbound/
Rob Hubbard’s iconic music to Spellbound is described by fellow musician Barry Leitch as his favourite C64 soundtrack of all time. So, it would take a brave move to give the tune a different flavour, which is exactly what Mano has done here. Take all the best bits of the Monkey Island game soundtracks, complete with Mexican mariachi, Spanish flamenco, and a sense of being swashbuckling at sea, and you have something which has a warm and cosy feeling as you listen, complete with each iteration of the original song given room to breathe and flow, with well placed instruments throughout. Once you get into it, the song pulls you in for its duration and although the end part of Spellbound is not present, what is here is very well executed and a welcome surprise from the usual renditions of this track.
Further remixes of Spellbound – https://remix64.com/track/more-of/sid/MUSICIANS/H/Hubbard_Rob/Spellbound.sid/index.html
Further remixes by Mano – https://remix64.com/act/mano/
Storm (original by David Whittaker, remix by Glyn R Brown)
Listen to Storm on Remix64 here – https://remix64.com/track/glyn-r-brown/storm-2017-version/
Taking a short David Whittaker tune and making it your own is not an easy task, and for this 2017 reworking on an earlier remix Glyn R Brown had made, it goes positively down the piano and later trance route. The introductory piano blends towards a more cinematic opening before the trance elements kick in, with a gradual build up of pace as it develops. The main piano comes back in for the lead which is a great placement, before then flowing onwards with the trance lead taking over the next part. As it gets more open, there are some nicely positioned voices that give the trance feeling one of euphoria and with delicate timing, the final part gradually slows down and becomes more restful and reflective. There is so much emotion here in the piece, and it showcases Glyn’s continued and excellent work.
Further remixes of Storm – https://remix64.com/track/more-of/sid/MUSICIANS/W/Whittaker_David/Storm.sid/index.html
Further remixes by Glyn R Brown – https://remix64.com/act/glyn-r-brown/
Did You Know?
Although the game Storm was released on seven different formats (Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, C64, C16, MSX, Atari XL/XE and IBM PC) the sequel Storm II: The Fear was only ever released for the Amstrad CPC – this despite Storm selling 197,782 copies across those seven formats.
The Human Race (original by Rob Hubbard, remix by MRT)
Listen to The Human Race on Remix64 here – https://remix64.com/track/mrt/the-human-race/
The most common tune from The Human Race to be covered is subtune 4, as it seems to have the best melody and progression of the tune. MRT here has really concentrated on clarity and placement of the instruments, with some gorgeous punchy drums and melody, especially the background which just has so much going on without being noticed, yet adds a lot. There is a sense of being uplifting and reflective at the same time, and as the main lead carries the vibe of the tune complete with a gentle arpeggio that reminds me so much of demo scene tunes, and that space and freedom to breathe and flow throughout shows attention to detail and quality of thought that has gone into it. The final part with break from the drums at first gives it a pause before the final flourish, and really does hit well and hard when it does. A winner.
Further remixes of The Human Race – https://remix64.com/track/more-of/sid/MUSICIANS/H/Hubbard_Rob/Human_Race.sid/index.html
Further remixes by MRT – https://remix64.com/act/mrt/
Did You Know?
The music for The Human Race (and in particular, subtune 4 as above) was later reworked by Rob Hubbard as the in-game theme for the game Goldrunner, released by Microdeal on the Atari ST and Amiga.
The Last V8 (original by Rob Hubbard, remix by LukHash)
Listen to The Last V8 on Remix64 here – https://remix64.com/track/lukhash/last-v8-live-yt-vid/
V8, return to base, immediately! And so, with the original speech commences LukHash’s version, which he originally had as a live video. The sensible use of the samples from the game (note: avoid radioactive zones) and there are some gorgeous synths and drums which really do underpin the whole thing as well – especially the backing and bass lines which accompany the lead ever so well and shows attention to detail. And while some may say this is a little too loud for their liking, it was meant to be that way – after all, when you first heard that speech on the C64, it came at you. The second part with its differing lead and variance from the original one shows very careful use of two instruments to share that emotion, with the speech just giving it that little extra kudos too. It has such strong feeling and one which I go back to regularly to listen to.
Further remixes of The Last V8 – https://remix64.com/track/more-of/sid/MUSICIANS/H/Hubbard_Rob/Last_V8.sid/index.html
Further remixes by LukHash – https://remix64.com/act/lukhash/
Did You Know?
For LukHash’s 2021 album We Are Stardust, the releases had a hidden data track at the end, which when loaded into a Commodore 64, had a full game programmed by the demo group Megastyle, complete with a SID version of the Code Veronica track from the album during loading.
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Final Thoughts
Hopefully the ten remixes above have given you a flavour of what the Commodore 64 remix scene is all about, but also opened your eyes to how those classic game soundtracks from Mastertronic games can be interpreted in a way that may breathe new life into the original track. Certainly, it was a lot of fun not only listening to these but also many other contenders along the way, which is why I would recommend listening to the different remixes of the game themes and by the remixers, hence the links provided. If you liked what you heard, please do get in touch – and register on Remix64 so you can vote and comment on the remixes too, as feedback is invaluable and much appreciated.
Next time, we will look at remixes of original Mastertronic C64 game themes that were released on commercially available albums, such as the Back in Time series, and much more besides. That will be an enjoyable ride and one that we hope you will look forward to. In the meantime, I now cannot get that Shake n Vac music out of my head…
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