Pa pa pa pa!
June 29, 2006 8:51 AM Subscribe
BBC News: UK Iconic cinema music gets a makeover (real video) A 30-piece orchestra has recorded a new version of the Pearl and Dean's iconic cinema music (aka Asteroid) at Abbey Road Studios in London.
The tune, famous for its "pa pa pa pas", has been made more than a minute and a half longer. David Sillito reports for BBC News.
I love library music, by the way.
posted by Grangousier at 9:10 AM on June 29, 2006
posted by Grangousier at 9:10 AM on June 29, 2006
This appears to reference something in British culture.
More links with information, back story?
I think it's talking about the sound clip played in cinemas before the pre-film adverts. The clip is played while the logo of Pearl and Dean is shown - presumably a cinema advertising company. Not something I'd really noticed before, and I've no idea why the BBC thinks this is interesting enough to report on.
posted by matthewr at 9:10 AM on June 29, 2006
More links with information, back story?
I think it's talking about the sound clip played in cinemas before the pre-film adverts. The clip is played while the logo of Pearl and Dean is shown - presumably a cinema advertising company. Not something I'd really noticed before, and I've no idea why the BBC thinks this is interesting enough to report on.
posted by matthewr at 9:10 AM on June 29, 2006
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba bububu ba ba ba ba ba ba ba baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa BA!
Fantastic.
posted by handee at 9:13 AM on June 29, 2006
Fantastic.
posted by handee at 9:13 AM on June 29, 2006
I think you'll find those are pa's not ba's, handee ;-)
I can't get the clip to play - any reason why they're re-recording it when, as far as I know, it's not used in cinemas anymore? (Or is it just that I don't go to cinemas that play adverts anymore?)
posted by jack_mo at 9:27 AM on June 29, 2006
I can't get the clip to play - any reason why they're re-recording it when, as far as I know, it's not used in cinemas anymore? (Or is it just that I don't go to cinemas that play adverts anymore?)
posted by jack_mo at 9:27 AM on June 29, 2006
Pearl & Dean have been involved with Cinema advertising in the UK since the 30's.
"Pearl & Dean's legendary signature tune is surely one of the most famous and best-loved tracks played in British movie houses - its distinctive staccato sound evokes the very smell of popcorn and hot dogs!
Written by Pete Moore, a gifted composer and arranger for a string of famous artistes in the 1950/60s, the piece is entitled "Asteroid", yet is just 20" long!"
posted by slixtream at 9:36 AM on June 29, 2006
"Pearl & Dean's legendary signature tune is surely one of the most famous and best-loved tracks played in British movie houses - its distinctive staccato sound evokes the very smell of popcorn and hot dogs!
Written by Pete Moore, a gifted composer and arranger for a string of famous artistes in the 1950/60s, the piece is entitled "Asteroid", yet is just 20" long!"
posted by slixtream at 9:36 AM on June 29, 2006
BTW - a 30 second clip of the new version can be played from the Pearl & Dean site but if you ask me it's a load of bunk compared to the original.
Dunno why they felt the need.
posted by slixtream at 9:39 AM on June 29, 2006
Dunno why they felt the need.
posted by slixtream at 9:39 AM on June 29, 2006
I can't get the clip to play - any reason why they're re-recording it when as far as I know, it's not used in cinemas anymore?
I'm fairly sure it is.
(Or is it just that I don't go to cinemas that play adverts anymore?)
Is this something I'd have to not own a TV to understand?
posted by cillit bang at 10:23 AM on June 29, 2006
I'm fairly sure it is.
(Or is it just that I don't go to cinemas that play adverts anymore?)
Is this something I'd have to not own a TV to understand?
posted by cillit bang at 10:23 AM on June 29, 2006
This appears to reference something in British culture.
Oh noes!! This link is not American enough! Only American culture crap can be linked here without long explanations, you know? Because all the world knows and cares about every obscure little thing that happens in the good old U S of A, but y'all can't be expected to keep up on this foreign stuff.
any reason why they're re-recording it when as far as I know, it's not used in cinemas anymore?
I heard it in my local Vue cinema just the other day.
posted by reklaw at 10:32 AM on June 29, 2006
Oh noes!! This link is not American enough! Only American culture crap can be linked here without long explanations, you know? Because all the world knows and cares about every obscure little thing that happens in the good old U S of A, but y'all can't be expected to keep up on this foreign stuff.
any reason why they're re-recording it when as far as I know, it's not used in cinemas anymore?
I heard it in my local Vue cinema just the other day.
posted by reklaw at 10:32 AM on June 29, 2006
There had better be bongos in this remake.
They make the tune, baby.
posted by asok at 10:43 AM on June 29, 2006
They make the tune, baby.
posted by asok at 10:43 AM on June 29, 2006
Because all the world knows and cares about every obscure little thing that happens in the good old U S of A,but y'all can't be expected to keep up on this foreign stuff.
I dunno, this Pearl and Dean thing seems pretty trivial and obscure to me, too.
posted by matthewr at 10:54 AM on June 29, 2006
I dunno, this Pearl and Dean thing seems pretty trivial and obscure to me, too.
posted by matthewr at 10:54 AM on June 29, 2006
Hmm. I moved to Canada three years ago from the UK. Hearing this is very evocative. There's a little tear of homesickness in my eye from the memories this brings back.
posted by thparkth at 11:13 AM on June 29, 2006
posted by thparkth at 11:13 AM on June 29, 2006
Almost anybody who has been going to the cinema in the UK for some time will find this interesting.
posted by BobsterLobster at 11:21 AM on June 29, 2006
posted by BobsterLobster at 11:21 AM on June 29, 2006
90 seconds longer?!? I'd be much happier if they'd make it 90 seconds shorter, quite frankly...
posted by kaemaril at 11:23 AM on June 29, 2006
posted by kaemaril at 11:23 AM on June 29, 2006
Is this something I'd have to not own a TV to understand?
Heh, and there I was trying to avoid sounding like that by not saying 'I go to wanky arthouse cinemas, dontchaknow'. Whatever, I wish they would play it at the cinema, it's like a Pavlovian fun-signal.
posted by jack_mo at 11:28 AM on June 29, 2006
Heh, and there I was trying to avoid sounding like that by not saying 'I go to wanky arthouse cinemas, dontchaknow'. Whatever, I wish they would play it at the cinema, it's like a Pavlovian fun-signal.
posted by jack_mo at 11:28 AM on June 29, 2006
In Oxford there used to be (perhaps there still is, but I doubt it) a fleapit repertory cinema called The Penultimate Picture Palace. The toilets were labelled Pearl for women and Dean for men.
It's kind of relevant, though obviously not very interesting.
posted by Grangousier at 11:39 AM on June 29, 2006
It's kind of relevant, though obviously not very interesting.
posted by Grangousier at 11:39 AM on June 29, 2006
Wow, it is still there, sort of. As is the shark, which makes me a bit happy.
posted by Grangousier at 11:44 AM on June 29, 2006
posted by Grangousier at 11:44 AM on June 29, 2006
Jack - The Pearl & Dean music is definitely still played (it beats the crap Carlton ad branding that's the only alternative).
To say that this is trivial misses the point. It's utterly evocative to anyone who went to the cinema even occasionally in the UK in the last 30+ years. To many people it is the sound of the cinema, it's as quintessential as the proper big screen, deep sagging seats, butterkist (butterkist butterkist ra ra ra!) popcorn and crap adverts for the curry house "just behind this cinema". In fact it's the only survivor of the multiplex age, and for a long while in the nineties it was out of use. When I went to the cinema and it was played for the first time in ages, literally the entire audience sang along with it.
posted by patricio at 12:05 PM on June 29, 2006
To say that this is trivial misses the point. It's utterly evocative to anyone who went to the cinema even occasionally in the UK in the last 30+ years. To many people it is the sound of the cinema, it's as quintessential as the proper big screen, deep sagging seats, butterkist (butterkist butterkist ra ra ra!) popcorn and crap adverts for the curry house "just behind this cinema". In fact it's the only survivor of the multiplex age, and for a long while in the nineties it was out of use. When I went to the cinema and it was played for the first time in ages, literally the entire audience sang along with it.
posted by patricio at 12:05 PM on June 29, 2006
Cool! The Pearl and Dean website has other versions on its front page, including the groovy graphics.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:39 PM on June 29, 2006
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:39 PM on June 29, 2006
Jimmy Webb wrote MacArthur Park in 1967, one year before the old Pearl and Dean theme.
This guy ripped Webb off for the "ba ba ba ba" bit. Totally.
posted by Decani at 5:32 PM on June 29, 2006
This guy ripped Webb off for the "ba ba ba ba" bit. Totally.
posted by Decani at 5:32 PM on June 29, 2006
new version is god damn awful
posted by lemonfridge at 6:47 AM on June 30, 2006
posted by lemonfridge at 6:47 AM on June 30, 2006
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More links with information, back story?
posted by sidereal at 8:59 AM on June 29, 2006