Trying to identify this synth clip...

[Zad]

A few weeks ago a clip of music jumped into my head that I vaguely remembered from schools' TV in the 1970s. These things being what they are, the actual tune refused to be recalled from my brain archives. Anyway, this evening I was watching a Tomorrows World clip from 1982 and something very similar indeed got used as part of the background music. (@2m59s) It sounds like the intro to the music I vaguely remembered.

https://youtu.be/gSpXMH9xJy0?t=2m59s

It may just be BBC Radiophonic Workshop, but the music I'm thinking of got used quite a lot, particularly in science programmes. It sounds like early Jean Michel Jarre, but possibly not multi-tracked enough for him. A bit early for Vangellis, and not really Walter/Wendy Carlos' style, industrial enough for Kraftwerk, but maybe too pop-y?

Does it ring any bells for anyone else? I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be kicking myself when I find out what the track is.

[Flip Martian]

Might just be Radiophonic Workshop being asked to come up with something. Definitely not Jarre (I've heard most things by him I think incl tons of really old stuff). I did try soundhound on my phone and came up blank too.

Heard something similar on the background of a Devo video from the late 70s, don't know if that helps.

Edited by Flip Martian on Sunday 19th March 08:37

[MitchT]

Definitely not Jarre. I know all his stuff inside out, including the pre-Oxygene stuff. Most a likely Radiophonic Workshop production.

[Escapegoat]

After about 4 notes I immediately thought: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UwGl0Yk_jU

Time would be about right. I remember tracks from the album were all over science/tech programmes on TV.

[Zad]

That's the bugger!

Thank you SO much, I knew I hadn't imagined it. Made my day

[MitchT]

The track in the clip most definitely isn't Pulstar by Vangelis.

[Flip Martian]

No its not but it sounds vaguely similar so I can understand that video clip REMINDING someone of the Vangelis track. Didn't remind me of it though I must admit!

[Escapegoat]

MitchT said:

The track in the clip most definitely isn't Pulstar by Vangelis.

We know, but that was not what the OP was asking. Do keep up.

[MitchT]

If you could kindly refrain from the needlessly condescending remarks ... you posted a link to Pulstar and the OP said, "that's the bugger", which clearly it isn't. What am I missing here?

[Escapegoat]

MitchT said:

If you could kindly refrain from the needlessly condescending remarks ... you posted a link to Pulstar and the OP said, "that's the bugger", which clearly it isn't. What am I missing here?

What you are missing is the ability to read the original posting! FFS and have a nice day.

[MitchT]

I didn't miss reading the original posting and whatever's written in the original posting doesn't diminish the fact that the OP has implied that he believes that Pulstar is the same as his originally posted clip. I'm merely trying to help by suggesting that it isn't.

[Escapegoat]

MitchT said:

I didn't miss reading the original posting and whatever's written in the original posting doesn't diminish the fact that the OP has implied that he believes that Pulstar is the same as his originally posted clip. I'm merely trying to help by suggesting that it isn't.

(sigh) The OP posted that particular clip because it sounded like the music he was thinking about. It was the latter that he wanted to find out about, not the clip. He actually says so in words.

[Zad]

Only on Pistonheads can you get people having a strop about a quick, successful (nay inspired) outcome!

I suspect the Tomorrow's World music clip is either (most likely) a Radiophonic Workshop "tribute" tune, or a later Vangelis version, perhaps an extended intro. It is not unusual to have music clips written that sound like other tracks, mostly to avoid royalties. They do it a lot these days on low budget shows like Wheeler Dealers etc. Less so on BBC shows, as they have a strange cover-all agreement. I could certainly imagine the BBC track segueing into Pulstar, unfortunately Pulstar is the first track on the LP.

Anyway, handbags away please!

[tribbles]

That's one of the few clips I remember from Tomorrow's World - although I have to admit that I remembered it as a real coke can.

[anonymous-user]

The theme tune to Johnny Ball's Think Again from way back when always reminded me of Pulsar too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akSWYlt07JE

[Escapegoat]

DrSteveBrule said:

The theme tune to Johnny Ball's Think Again from way back when always reminded me of Pulsar too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akSWYlt07JE

Blimey - that's right on the line between homage and rip-off! I wonder how embarassed the writer was when s/he turned that into the producer?

[Evangelion]

It always amuses me when people say things sound like each other, when actually there are no similarities whatsoever.

[Escapegoat]

Evangelion said:

It always amuses me when people say things sound like each other, when actually there are no similarities whatsoever.

Whatsoever?

Monkman's theme and Pulstar both start with a same-note resonant sawtooth(ish) synth sequence playing sixteenths, and both at about the same tempo. After a few bars, both composers introduce the main motif: longer solo riffs, both of which repeat a few times before resolving as a sort of call-and-answer. And repeat. And then the more dramatic accompaniment elements are added, all of which are textural embellishments, rather than standout melodic elements.

Then - get this - they both change pitch (key?) in exactly the same interval (F-to-D# for one, G-to-E# for the other) and at exactly the same time (about 1:30)!

If the OP had posted the Monkman clip, I'd guess that almost everyone on this thread would have made the Pulstar connection.

(FWIW, I almost forgive Monkman as the theme to The Long Good Friday was a cracker.)