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"Slave Children's Crusade"


Goldsmithfan

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I recently re-listened to my 2 disc DVD rip (surprisingly clean, but those of you who have it know that) of [indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]. The one thing that stays with me the longest of all the ideas contained in the score is the "Slave Children's Crusade" theme. (Although you might call it "Parade of the Slave Children") In my opinion, it's better than the main Indiana Jones theme and it works perfectly in the film... from what I remember. It's been about ten years since I've watched this one in its entirety. The only thing I really remember well is because of the music. When Indy appears during the "Underground Chaos" sequence and the theme takes off as the camera closes in on him. Something like that. Pretty much cinematic perfection.

But anyway, "Slave Children's Crusade" works well as the theme to this film. It's like Goldsmith's Star Trek scores in that there's the main theme, but for VIII-X there was a main theme for each film which worked independent from the main Star Trek theme. This one works pretty much like that in my opinion. But you're all going to slap me with an ugly stick for pointing out something that's obvious.

Another idea that's sadly underdeveloped is the "Temple of Doom motive" as I call it. It first appears in (this'll be the DVD rip's title) "Welcome to Pankot Palace" before reappearing in "The Mine Car Chase". It's such an interesting little number that feels nice and dramatic, but still retains the Saturday matinee feel of the film. If only it appeared more on the rip. Again, I don't know how much it's in the film since I haven't seen it in a decade and the rip isn't complete.

I just thought I'd toss in my two cents. And with everyone in an Indy-type mood, I figured it was appropriate.

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You can also hear the Temple/Mola Ram theme in th beggining of Short Round's Escape and throughout the bridge sequence. And I agree, it is fantastic theme, very Wagnerian.

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And with everyone in an Indy-type mood, I figured it was appropriate.

I'm always in that mood!

The difference between "Slave Children's Crusade" and "Parade of the Slave Children" is that the first in the OST album version, the second is the concert version found on the "Greatest Hits 1969-1999" compilation (they're musically different too, of course).

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The Slave Children theme does threaten to bitch-slap the other motifs in that score.

I've always liked its appearance in the end credits. I think that the end credits of ToD is easily among his top three end titles.

Hey, has that thread ever been done, JW's top 5 end titles?

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I have made a MIDI file of the concert version called Parade of the Slave Children.

Usually, I have to trick with the tempo to match the best I can the original cue times.

For this files, I have been very surprised to see that all the original cue has a perfect regular tempo during all the cue !

It is as if John Williams had a computer in his head :nod:

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I caught ToD on TV one day while I was in my early "discovering Williams" phase, just the very end of the movie. I already had Raiders and LC on CD, but hardly knew ToD. Listening to the end credits, from the first notes of the Slave Children theme I was hooked.

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This (in its original recording, the concert versions seem a little thin) is my favorite musical piece out of all Indiana Jones.

I'd go with the Ark theme myself, but that's a fine choice too.

I think that the softer statements from the first half of the film (mostly unreleased) are just as good as the big heroic ones that are getting all the mentions here, maybe even better.

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its superior to almost all JW tracks, superior to anything in LC.

No.

wrong kid, its better than anything in Raiders or LC its the best track of all the indy music.

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its superior to almost all JW tracks, superior to anything in LC.

No.

wrong kid, its better than anything in Raiders or LC its the best track of all the indy music.

It's not even in league with Indy's First Adventure, Scherzo for Motorcycle, The Map Room: Dawn, Escape from Venice, the Basket Game, and the Bug Tunnel and Death Trap.

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there's an amazing unreleased rendition when Short Round gets himself free and all the slaves cheer him on I think.

Yeah, when he swings across on the ladder, and it even merges into the Slave Children theme. A very good statement of a decent but overused theme.

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its superior to almost all JW tracks, superior to anything in LC.

No.

wrong kid, its better than anything in Raiders or LC its the best track of all the indy music.

It's not even in league with Indy's First Adventure, Scherzo for Motorcycle, The Map Room: Dawn, Escape from Venice, the Basket Game, and the Bug Tunnel and Death Trap.

your too hung up on that paint by numbers scores Lc, besides your taste is rather poor.

Parade of the Slave Children is one of the top 10 John williams tracks of all time.

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  • 13 years later...

I'd go as far to say Slave Children's Crusade is the finest composition ever to feature in a film - the way it contains the callouts to short round theme and combines the military and Middle Eastern themes are master touches. I have had this piece of music in my head for about 30 years

On 9/19/2007 at 11:19 PM, David Vincent said:

I have made a MIDI file of the concert version called Parade of the Slave Children.

Usually, I have to trick with the tempo to match the best I can the original cue times.

For this files, I have been very surprised to see that all the original cue has a perfect regular tempo during all the cue !

It is as if John Williams had a computer in his head :nod:

any chance you could share the midi file? I would love to see it

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