Star Trek and Music

[Kilana2]

Maybe it has been already discussed at some point, but as fan of music I hereby open a Star Trek and Music thread.

There are several episodes/movies throughout the different series as well as novels where music plays an important role.

1. Spock playing a Vulcan lute
2. Uhura singing
3. Picard playing the flute
4. Data playing the violine
5. Riker playing the trombone
6. The Doctor singing Opera
7. Seven of Nine singing and playing the piano
8. Vic Fontaine and his Sinatra style songs
9. T´Prynn (Vanguard - novels) playing the piano

I once learned to play the violine but I stopped several years ago. And I play the guitar (not well, but sufficiently). I´m a fan of Elvis, Johnny Cash and The Bosshoss (German country/rock band, who did some awesome countrystyle covers of famous pop songs)

Don´t forget the actors.

There is the Enterprise Blues Band.
Avery Brooks is also a singer and jazz pianist.
William Shatner singing Rocket Man.
Iggy Pop appeared as Vorta: unfortunately Vorta have no sense for music/aesthetics.

Someone, I think it was Martok , mentioned that Star Trek needs more Rock´n `Roll. I couldn´t agree more. Is Rock´n Roll "dead" in the future?

Speaking of Martok, there are also Klingon Opera....

What happened to Sonny Clemonds (The Neutral Zone)? Did he manage to bring back pop music?

Any opinions? Martok, Laser Beam? Anyone else?

 

[2takesfrakes]

There was also Mick Fleetwood - drummer for the Hippy band FLEETWOOD MAC - who played a fish-headed alien in "Manhunt." He didn't do too much other than stand in place, except for one scene where his fish had denied Lwaxana Troi's wild-eyed accusations that he wanted to blow up some dignitaries.

 

[Kilana2]

I don´t know what to make of Vic Fontaine´s performance. I like Sinatra style songs as a rule. You could say he simply covered the songs. But Vic is a great supporting character. But I re-watched his duet with Ben Sisko (The best is yet to come???) and I must confess, Sisko sings better.....

 

[Kilana2]

Only music philistines here?

 

[1001001]

Only music philistines here?

Hmmm....

Is that really necessary?

 

[Green Shirt]

Only music philistines here?

Circumcised or uncircumcised philistines?


Anyway, sometimes a thread takes a while to get going. Some people DO have a life outside this board.


Speaking from personal experience, I have started a number of threads which I thought were the best ideas for discussion ever - but some never get going. Just the way things go sometimes.

 

[Kilana2]

Only music philistines here?

Hmmm....

Is that really necessary?

No, it is not. The word is to strong and not really what I intended to use. Sorry.

 

[Kor]

I don´t know what to make of Vic Fontaine´s performance. I like Sinatra style songs as a rule. You could say he simply covered the songs. But Vic is a great supporting character. But I re-watched his duet with Ben Sisko (The best is yet to come???) and I must confess, Sisko sings better.....

Sometimes the Vic Fontaine performances did seem kind of like filler material; like they could have spent those four minutes on actually developing the story instead.

James Darren, the actor who played Vic Fontaine, has had a real music career going all the way back to the late fifties / early sixties, when he was friends with Sinatra. I have sometimes seen James Darren's early LPs for sale in used record bins.

Kor

 

[Moopsy]

I suppose the reason so many Trek characters are fond of classical music is that, for the most part, it is conveniently in the public domain.

 

[Kilana2]

I don´t know what to make of Vic Fontaine´s performance. I like Sinatra style songs as a rule. You could say he simply covered the songs. But Vic is a great supporting character. But I re-watched his duet with Ben Sisko (The best is yet to come???) and I must confess, Sisko sings better.....

Sometimes the Vic Fontaine performances did seem kind of like filler material; like they could have spent those four minutes on actually developing the story instead.

James Darren, the actor who played Vic Fontaine, has had a real music career going all the way back to the late fifties / early sixties, when he was friends with Sinatra. I have sometimes seen James Darren's early LPs for sale in used record bins.

Has anyone seen the Enterprise Blues Band live?

Kor

It´s not that I dislike James Darren´s performance. I always enjoyed the Sinatra style songs. And they helped Nog getting over his war amputation trauma.

Has anyone ever seen the Enterprise Blues Band live? Or any other ST actor as musician/singer?

Come to think of it, Tim "Mr. Vulcan" Russ is also a quite capable singer.

 

[eyeresist]

I don´t know what to make of Vic Fontaine´s performance. I like Sinatra style songs as a rule. You could say he simply covered the songs. But Vic is a great supporting character. But I re-watched his duet with Ben Sisko (The best is yet to come???) and I must confess, Sisko sings better.....

I remember thinking something like that at the time. But when Vic was on form, he was great.

 

[Melakon]

One of the first songs I ever heard on the radio was back around '62 with James Darren's "Goodbye Cruel World". I took piano lessons for 3 years, last time I had any instruments was the early 90s, had to sell all of them at a pawnshop for money. Should have kept the Roland Alpha Juno 1.

 

[Kor]

All this talk of music reminds me of the usage of the song "Goodnight, sweetheart" in the TOS episode "City on the Edge of Forever."

If I remember right, there were some issues with obtaining the rights for the music, so one of the home video releases had to use some generic music instead. Thankfully it came back with the DVD and blu ray releases.

The song is playing on the radio in at least one scene, and then, toward the end, when Edith is hit by the truck, the soundtrack plays a refrain from the song... it's quite touching.

I'm not sure who sang the song on the recording used in the episode.
Dean Martin did a nice version of "Goodnight, sweetheart" on his album "Sleep Warm" (on which Frank Sinatra conducted the orchestra).

Kor

 

[Autistoid]

I suppose the reason so many Trek characters are fond of classical music is that, for the most part, it is conveniently in the public domain.

I also think the fact it's culturally neutral might be a more relevant reason.

It's popularity has maintained over centuries of time.

Rock music seems like a dying art.

It's becoming more a niche music, much like the old school blues(pre 1950s).

 

[Kor]

I think "culturally neutral" is arguable.
There are other great and long-lasting musical traditions on Earth besides European classical music.

And what about the hundreds of other planets in the Federation?

Kor

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Film Score Monthly CD producer Lukas Kendall, who worked on La La Land's TOS box set and several of the film expansion CDs, has a theory about why the franchise seldom references any "real world" music that came after classical:

http://trekmovie.com/2015/01/11/editorial-the-future-of-star-trek-its-the-story-stupid/

 

[Kilana2]

I remember Reg Barclay in one of the TNG novels being in a Holodeck band while Riker entered the room. I don´t know which novel it was, though. Reg Barclay, of all people. On the other hand, he always felt more comfortable in the Holodeck.

 

[Melakon]

Film Score Monthly CD producer Lukas Kendall, who worked on La La Land's TOS box set and several of the film expansion CDs, has a theory about why the franchise seldom references any "real world" music that came after classical:

http://trekmovie.com/2015/01/11/editorial-the-future-of-star-trek-its-the-story-stupid/

One thing that did bother me about the Abrams films is the rock songs in the soundtrack. People now think TOS is dated? Try watching ST09 in 2060.

 

[Kilana2]

Usually I like the ENT theme song, but it is not an instrumental. And I don´t like that show as a whole.

Classical music is timeless. People still play instruments like the cello and the violin.

Ha. There is one person with an exquisite musical taste. It is Q, when he entered Picard´s bridge with the Mariachi Band.

 

[Melakon]

Mariachi is fine when they don't set up speakers 20 feet from your front door for a private party you're not invited to and then play for 12 hours. There's no way to shut it out.