ReMix:Sonic the Hedgehog "Fifty Rings to Ride" 4:11

By Joshua Morse

Arranging the music of 4 songs...

"Green Hill Zone", "Labyrinth Zone", "Special Stage", "Spring Yard Zone"

Primary Game: Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega , 1991, GEN), music by Masato Nakamura

Posted 2011-09-21, evaluated by djpretzel


S.E.X.X.Y.? More than enough... Rounding out our run of excellent, backlogged album cuts comes Mr. Morse with a savory, sensual 80's synth-bass anchored funk/pop jam that's smoother than Billy Dee Williams, when he posed as one of Jabba's prison guards without breaking a sweat, even though you could clearly see he was not, in fact, an overgrown green pygmy. Now that's smooth; for a point of reference that doesn't involve Star Wars, think Old Spice guy, Prince, Connery's Bond, or that djpretzel chap I've heard tell about. Yeah. This is masterful theme integration; though 'Special Stage' makes up the majority of the groove, there's 'Green Hill,' 'Spring Yard', and 'Labyrinth' in here too, and they all flow together in a slick funk soup, tweaked, titillated, & transposed into a seamless, seductive serenade. Alliteration. There are breaks, segues, a delicious synth bass slide, and the blend of piano, EP, bells, guitar, and warm, resonant synth leads is unassailable; even the separation & panning is dynamic & professional but also interesting. I like what JM did specifically with the tail end of the 'Special Stage' melody; descending further on those three or four notes changes the whole phrase in a memorable & worthwhile way. It's the type of idea where, if I had it, I know I'd be happy with it - it's not the number of notes you change, it's which ones, and how, and the spaces you introduce between them, and this mix does an excellent, surgical-yet-soulful job in that regard. And, oh yeah, there's falsetto male vocal jammage done well; something of a novelty, but works impeccably for this style. A standout even among Morse's consistently polished arrangements, and yet another Chaos Emerald in Sound of Speed's jeweled crown!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 14 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Black_Doom
on 2014-11-07 14:52:59

Wasn't big fan of this one whe I heard it at first time. But now I'm lovin' it so much. Sexxxxy, but still kinda sad. Awesome interpretation of sources, especially of GHZ and SYZ. While the originalas are bouncy and happy, they're much slower here, blended well with other soucres. And when I heard vox, I had a tear of both joy and sadness. Very slick stuff!

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Mirby
on 2011-12-24 16:23:16
JM takes the second Special Stage mix, with a title that doubles as a game hint. Source comes in at 0:27. Sounds like he slowed the tempo down a bit; it works quite well. Classic Morse instrumentation and jazziness. Sexy guitar, ethereal instruments… it’s beautiful… Ahem. Brief breakdown at 2:05. 2:51 brings in some DO-DO-DO-DO-DOOOO… fits in perfectly with the track. More source usage at 3:17. 3:50 heralds the end of the track.

Here's another mellow mix from JM; it's calm, cool, and relaxed. Much unlike the stages in which the source played (spinning around is not really that relaxed, ya know?). A good listen on a calm day; great for backing ambiance when hanging out with friends too!

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Bahamut
on 2011-12-07 19:14:08

Another chill mix from Josh - some might think it gets a bit repetitive, but it certainly does a great job with its subtle variations and maintaining that sweet groove. Not sure if the falsetto singing was the greatest thing to add, although I can see why it was put in. Regardless, the song does a great job overall in utilizing just a few notes and making a complete song out of it.

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Crulex
on 2011-12-02 10:15:44

So sexy and smooth....I was expecting a Barry White-like voice to come in at some point, which made the falsetto bit funny to me. The piano was pretty cool and I the rest of the mix was awesome. The falsetto singing threw me off a little and I didn't hate it, but I think the mix would have worked with or without it. Not saying it was bad, and I liked it myself, just that it was a bit neutral to me. Overall, great ReMix.

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Litsuna
on 2011-10-19 18:36:41

I have been turned into a full-fledged fan ever since Robot Museum came and took a part of my soul. Your work is always so smooth and seamless. Really wonderful stuff to get lost in. I can listen many, many, times, and always hear a new little bit of the music I never noticed before.

Thanks!

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DiggiDis
on 2011-09-27 13:34:42

What an asshole.

Amazing.

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Harmony
on 2011-09-26 19:50:08

scrum-diddly-umptious.

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WesternZypher
on 2011-09-25 22:37:28

This is smoother than the oil ocean zone poured down the stardust speedway - um, wait; anyway, environmentally deleterious metaphors aside - all of JM's mixes find immediate homes on my playlists. Makes me wish he'd been around longer than he has so I'd have more of his stuff to listen to!

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ruskii
on 2011-09-22 21:49:38

Haha that was a blast to listen to. And what a review! This song is boss.

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SuperiorX
on 2011-09-22 20:07:48

JM makes the smoothest, sexiest music ever.

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Damashii!!
on 2011-09-22 06:28:20

with JM sexy, sensual, and seductive is just business as usual.

ninja EDIT: those vocals.... guaranteed to get you some of dat ass.

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halc
on 2011-09-22 00:30:29

glad to see Josh submitted this one! it was a late-comer to the album (and a GREAT transition track between Ben's chip-tro and Doug/Brandon's organic jam), but it's definitely an understated favorite of mine. :)

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Deathtank
on 2011-09-21 19:41:38

wow! can JM get any better than this?!?!?! well, I think he can but this tune is AWESOME!!!!!!

I could listen to it all day long!

As I always say: Joshua Morse never ceases to amaze me!! :D

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djpretzel
on 2011-09-21 17:58:14

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (4 Songs)


Primary Game:
Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega , 1991, GEN)
Music by Masato Nakamura
Songs:
"Green Hill Zone"
"Labyrinth Zone"
"Special Stage"
"Spring Yard Zone"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Funk,Jazz
Mood:
Funky,Sexy
Instrumentation:
Piano,Singing,Synth,Vocals: Male
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Fifty_Rings_to_Ride_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
7,193,203 bytes
MD5:
8f3e6015da7a3e6fbeedea6ad50695d8
Bitrate:
226Kbps
Duration:
4:11

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