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Favorite Williams Olympic Theme?


Not Mr. Big

Favorite Williams Olympic Theme?  

53 members have voted

  1. 1. Favorite Williams Olympic Theme?

    • Olympic Fanfare and Theme
      25
    • Summon the Heroes
      11
    • Call of the Champions
      6
    • Remembering Munich
      3
    • The Olympic Spirit
      8


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5 hours ago, mrbellamy said:

Olympic Spirit!

 

Yes, that -- although technically a TV theme and not an 'event theme' like the others. Well, except for "Remembering Munich", obviously.

 

But all are great.

 

You might consider adding "We're Looking Good!" to the list, if Special Olympics count.

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Olympic Fanfare and Theme for me, but the last two minutes of Summon of the Heroes are superb.  The Fanfare for the Common Man riff somehow diminishes the piece for me just a bit, so 1984 for the win. 

 

I heard Call of the Champions live once.  It came off so much better than it does on the recording.

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1 hour ago, King Mark said:

My holy grail is still to have the commercial bumpers to Olympic Fanfare and Theme in good quuality

 

I don't know that those are quite grail status for me, but I still want 'em bad too.

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Call of the Champions > Summon the Heroes >> Olympic Fanfare and Theme > The Olympic Spirit, but I love them all and listen to them quite regularly.

I don't really think Remembering Munich belongs here though...

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I prefer Olympic Theme and Fanfare with the intro replaced by Arnaud's Bugler's Dream. That gives it a more flying start as opposed to the original which feels like it has a hard time getting off the ground.

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44 minutes ago, sithsword said:

Call of the Champions > Summon the Heroes >> Olympic Fanfare and Theme > The Olympic Spirit, but I love them all and listen to them quite regularly.

I don't really think Remembering Munich belongs here though...

 

It doesn't. "We're Looking Good" belongs more.

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2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

JW writes better themes than that with his elbow.

 

Historically, yes he does, but not on this occasion (The Olympics).

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6 hours ago, Quintus said:

For me John Williams didn't even make the best Olympic theme music anyway. Elbow and the BBC did in 2012.

 

 

 

For me this the most annoying generic percussion zimmer/powell noise. Light years from Williams' timeless Olympic music. Sorry. 

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2 hours ago, hornist said:

 

For me this the most annoying generic percussion zimmer/powell noise. Light years from Williams' timeless Olympic music. Sorry. 

 

No need to apologise! If I expected agreement on half of what I say here I wouldn't bother to say anything at all.

 

I really loved this Olympic theme over the summer of 2012 though, and it still brings a great sense of nostalgia and patriotism in me now whenever I hear it.

 

Full version:

 

 

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5 hours ago, Tom said:

As a reminder:

 

 

That's way better than what I remembered! One of the Olympic themes--maybe 1996--is one of the most bland, predictable things I've ever heard from Williams. 

 

4 hours ago, Quintus said:

it still brings a great sense of ...patriotism in me now whenever I hear it.

 

 

 I was tempted to bring up the p-word earlier, but it's considered a bit  of a dirty word, especially when an American uses it in conversation  with those who aren't. Since you brought it up, though, the 1984 Olympic Theme, by the end, makes my heart stir with patriotic pride in a way that none of his other Olympic themes  can, and indeed, the only other piece of music that can evoke that for me is the climax to the Star Spangled Banner. 

 

I consider that a supreme achievement on Williams' part.

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Olympic fanfare is from 1984. It was golden. Its from Williams age of impeccability and it shows.

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15 minutes ago, hornist said:

Fanfare from - 84  is wonderful, mostly for some nostalgic reasons, good times. But - 96 Atlanta is so much better, the energy is amazing. Best Olympic music there is, and will be. Unless hansu will compose one... 

I love Summon The Heroes.  I loved it even before I knew who JW was.

But, the '84 fanfare has such a focus and an intensity, blew me away on first listen and never fails to stir me.

 

   

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On 6/25/2019 at 10:49 AM, Quintus said:

In '96 my devotion to Williams was at its peak, and I stayed up into the early hours of the night purely to see him perform Summon the Heroes in the opening ceremony. Those were the days.

 

Is that when Bob Costas blabbed over the performance?

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1 hour ago, Dieter Stark said:

 

Is that when Bob Costas blabbed over the performance?

Nothing is worse than the two jackasses talking over the 1984 premiere.   

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On 6/25/2019 at 11:32 PM, JoeinAR said:

96 theme is a shadow of 84's greatness. 

 

All of them are great. This is just a ranking of various levels of greatness, really.

 

While I'm not surprised to see the '84 be so dominant in the poll, it's actually my least favourite of them (well, second least if you count "We're Lookin' Good").

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I disagree I find most of them hollow and uninteresting. They aren't even worthy of my February run through of his work.

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Really? They're pretty quintessential Williamsesque, with similarities to many of his scores and themes, so I'd be curious to know if you also dislike their film music 'brothers'.

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14 hours ago, Balahkay said:

What are the chances Williams has already been approached to write something for LA 2028?

He is more likely to be decomposing rather than composing by then.

 

Sorry Thor not exactly sure what you mean.

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I mean his 'fanfare'-style film music themes, be it STAR WARS or SUPERMAN or INDIANA JONES or whatever, aren't that far removed from his Olympic themes, so I'm curious if you think the same about those as well.

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On 6/27/2019 at 3:02 AM, Balahkay said:

What are the chances Williams has already been approached to write something for LA 2028?

 

That could have been a great Goldsmith commission.

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Wasn't "Summon the Heroes" composed with the knowledge it would be sliced and diced for all sorts of NBC packages and segments?  It always seemed less cohesive than the others, but after a few listens, the complexities make it a stand-out.  Still, the original Fanfare and Theme is the best!  (Especially after hearing the new Dudamel recording with the thunderous percussion and organ.

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On 6/26/2019 at 8:02 PM, Balahkay said:

What are the chances Williams has already been approached to write something for LA 2028?

 

Fingers crossed! 

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