dream in sepiatone

[acroamatica.livejournal.com]

Google washed me up on this shore - if anyone knows the answer to this, I bet it's one of you folk.

Ten or fifteen years ago, when Google was not what it is now, I acquired "How Much For Just The Planet", and fell passionately in love. I have never met a set of good lyrics that I didn't immediately try to set, and the results were in most cases satisfactory, but the only one I was ever able to track down the real original tune to was the one the robot sings. Fast forward to now; found the book again, remembered all my old tunes, but I'm still not having any luck finding them. This leaves me with a threefold question:
- Does anyone know what the rest of the songs were based on, if they were based on anything at all?
- If they're totally original lyrics and not parodies, has anyone else ever written tunes for them?
- I would love to give credit, and royalties, where they are due should I ever take it into my head to bring my version of "Monochrome" to the piano bar. Who would I contact?

Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on it.

Comments

[damascene.livejournal.com]

Hm, I don't know the source(s) for whatever of that lot are parodies, either, but somebody around here will...

I'll caution you, though, from personal experience: If you're going to perform "Monochrome" in piano bars, keep it small-scale and hope you're flying under the radar. How Much for Just the Planet? was a work for hire; it's owned lock, stock, and barrel by Paramount Pictures (note the copyright on the legalities page), and they are a unholy nuisance to negotiate with and Really Not Nice to cross. I did manage to get permissions to include "Monochrome" in the NESFA Press collection From the End of the Twentieth Century, but I had inside help for that.

It'd be fun to hear your tunes, though, if there's a way to pass 'em around in email or some such.

[acroamatica.livejournal.com]

I kind of figured Paramount's lawyerfolk might be involved somehow; that's why I've never performed it except as a piano solo, which kind of takes the ownership of the words out of the question. I don't have a recording (again, because I figured it would be better that way until I knew for certain), but I could probably whomp one up for the purposes of private entertainment... :)

[tool-of-satan.livejournal.com]

The song the riders (that capture McCoy, Sulu, and the Klingons) sing is based on the Rawhide theme song.

[acroamatica.livejournal.com]

Hah! How terribly appropriate. That makes perfect sense, thank you.

[badger2305.livejournal.com]

I would expect that elisem might know about some of them. Royalties would probably go through his agent, Val Smith. Mike's no longer with us, but that's what I would do to start with. Feel free to contact me directly for more on this.

[acroamatica.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think the waters are murky enough on this (and full of Paramount piranhas) that I will keep the fact that my pretty song has lyrics to myself if I'm playing it outside my own house, but if I decide to get brave with it, I'll definitely get in touch.

[carbonel]

Mike said that several of the songs were his own composition, so the the ones that aren't obviously parodies, you'll probably have to come up with your own tune. I meant to get him to sing the original ones to a tape recorder someday, but it's too late.

[acroamatica.livejournal.com]

I would be surprised if Janeka's song wasn't an original - he used that sort of form/scheme in multiple other poems that I've seen. And I'd like to believe "Monochrome" was original too as it's my favourite, so I think I may just carry on doing that. :D

[elisem.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Monochrome was original, yes.

Will have to look at the other one again.

[samtravis]

Can you post a recording or something of your version of monochrome please? I'm dying to get this song's tune!!