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Thing: "Back
in Time" Homepage - Monty: Terms and Conditions of
Sale
What’s this CD about?
You’ll like this CD if:
You may dislike this CD if:
How did you pick the tracks?
Where do you go from here?
How do the composers benefit?
What did Rob Hubbard actually do on
these tracks?
Do the software houses know about this CD?
Can I use clips from your CD on my
web page?
Why isn’t there any Maniacs of
Noise on the CD?
Why isn’t there any Tim Follin
on the CD?
Why isn’t Last Ninja on the
CD?
Who ARE you?
It’s a CD of Commodore 64 tracks, redone on synthesisers, in stereo with extra arrangement. Imagine "Jarre does C64" and you’ve just about got the picture. Three of the tracks were remixed by Rob Hubbard (Monty 97, Delta 97 and Comets 97). This is an official CD, with royalties going to the composers/software houses.
How did you pick the tracks? Why isn’t xxx on it too?
Obviously my personal taste played a large part, and the various opinion polls and discussions with the High Voltage SID group played a major part too. Part of the problem was locating the software houses/composers involved and negotiating for the rights to use the tracks: thus some tracks that might have made it to CD are unlikely to be seen on polycarbonate. The legal issues surrounding the CD took a long time to clear up.
We are planning multiple volumes of CDs, but this is dependent upon the response to the first, because this CD cost a substantial amount of money to put together, in the face of the polite incomprehension of the software industry who don’t believe there is a market for it. I, however, do. Prove them wrong, people, and you can have as much redone Commodore music as your ears can manage: there’s so much of it still to go.
Well, apart from "To Volume 2", I am hoping that High Technology Publishing can become a commercial base from which C64 composers can reenter the commercial world with new or redone stuff without having to deal with the marketing or legal worries. This CD is to some extent a pilot project to establish how viable the whole idea is.
By law the composers get statutory royalties (GEMA/MCPS/BIEM/STEMRA, etc) for each copy pressed. Then, the composers get a percentage of the actual sales. I’m afraid the actual amounts are confidential, but my solicitor says they’re generous…!
What did Rob Hubbard actually do on these tracks?
When I had "finished" Monty on the Run, Crazy Comets and Delta, I sent Rob a tape for comments. He realised that I had somewhat missed the point in my interpretation of Comets, and that Delta and Monty could do with substantial beefing up (especially in terms of drums and bassline). Rob being a real musical expert at heart, he saw the opportunity to really being these pieces up the nineties. In technical terms, I sent him my MIDI files, and he composed stuff over the top and sent them back. He did the piano take on Monty on the Run live, y’know.
I was astonished when I heard the results. I think you will be too.
Do the software houses know about this CD?
Yes. In fact, a number of them are eagerly waiting for the CD, as they’re big fans of SID music.
Can I use clips from your CD on my web page?
The official clips I put on my web page, sure. I’ve put messages into the files so that people know where they come from. Clips from the CD not put up by me: NO. Please respect the copyrights of the original composers, and myself.
Why isn’t there any Maniacs of Noise on the CD?
Because Jeroen reserves the right to produce versions of his own stuff, and will not let anyone else do it.
Why isn’t there any Tim Follin on the CD?
Because we couldn’t get anything arranged before the track listing filled up.
Why isn’t Last Ninja on the CD?
Because we’re waiting for Benn to do his own updated versions of his stuff, when he gets the time. Reyn O. is interested in doing a full Orchestral remix of LN3... wow.
I first got into C64 music pre-Hubbard, listening to "Preppie" and "Shamus" on the Atari, and "Hovver Bovver" and "Synth Sample" on the C64. It was always a dream of mine to create versions of my favourite tracks that sounded like the music sounded in my head, but at the time (mid to late 80s) I didn’t have the resources, the skills or the technology.
But I worked on it, and soon came to PC MIDI sequencing, where I started producing General MIDI versions of my favourite tracks. Meanwhile, I was getting fed up of waiting for a CD of C64 music to appear.
Eventually, I decided that no one was going to do one (despite much talk, speculation and plans), and picked up the baton myself. I vowed that I would do it legally and properly, and produce a CD that would do justice to the musical tracks involved. I then invested money in synth equipment, and spent a year doing legal research and improving my sequencing skills, while the technology required to actually do this CD was released around me (certain equipment used to produce this CD didn’t exist until almost at the end of the CD production process!).
There were many delays and problems caused both by technology and people, but now it’s here. A CD done by a devoted fan to prove that it can be done, done commercially, and done well, and who didn’t like seeing music consigned to history that deserved a much better fate. On the way I had to draw upon the skills of many helpful C64 fans, such as the High Voltage Sid Group, the composers themselves, certain supportive software houses, such as Abstract and Gremlin, who genuinely wanted to see this CD, odd sources of information such as guys at Microprose and Audiogenic, and fans with feedback opinions such as Count Floyd, Andrew Williams and Rochus Wessels. I also had to draw upon my own skills in DTP, Marketing, commercial and Legal Negotiation, Ego diplomacy, sequencing (of course), sound engineering (helped along by my good friend Dave Masters), and other skills necessary to release a CD.
What about the other CDs that are more authorised than yours?