The Politics of Game Show Music Collecting

[Argo]

Politics are everywhere, especially in the world of game show music. Even game show memorabilia is available somewhere, but it seems that music is either not on the circut, or people use them for their own personal value. Collections do go up or down in value, however using music for trading purposes is just as bad as being able to download them off a P2P network, or other source. If the music could be purchased legally, there would be people out there other than people like us that will buy them. There have always been TV Themes collections out there for years.

Over the past few years i have been a theme/cue collector and have hated most of my time. I am not posting this just because i cant get the "big" name cues/themes that people have out there, and since the new release of some TPIR music, and obviously some people do have the whole collection on cds, However, those who do collect are limited by what they can get unless they have excellent sources, or work for a station or television show. As they say, the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.

This is a game show community. Not everyone out there can even tolerate the sound of game show music, especially classic music. I know friends of mine that i have played music for, only go for the late 90s/present music, instead of 60s-80s music. I do not have a problem with people actually hearing a piece of music that hasnt been heard for years or never. GSN even stopped releasing music, so obviously there isnt really much of a calling for it. Being able to hear a piece of music isnt illegal, so why is it so taboo, and difficult to hear music from other collectors in the field of game shows. Collectors of other telelvision music are not as strict or anal about their collections enough to hored them to themselves or just to others that can give them something for it.

I understand video collections are a bit of an issue, i mean everyone cant just upload videos to the web for viewing, however there is nothing wrong with music. I have friends of mine who would be willing to offer space for that. I just cannot see why there is so much politics in game show music collecting.  Nobody else wants to hear it, and the people that want to, can't. Something wrong there i think.

Just my 2 cents.

I know there are a lot of the big collectors out there who are calling me names and do not agree with me, and i respect their position. However, just really who is to blame. I know i have kept things for myself, however i i have never used them for trading purposes nor have people asked to hear them. But for the people who do have music that people havent heard....in the words of Peter Griffin,

"Come on"

Argo

[jrjgames]

Here is my two cents...ive always said that "ITS GAME SHOW MUSIC" not goverment secrets...so whats the big deal.

HOWEVER...as I am creeping into the world of television...I can see things from a different light.

I can understand the concern about releasing music that is part of a currently aired show.  Right now "Combination Lock" has close to a complete music package thanks to some very talented people.  As it's not set in stone that this music will be used, or if Lock will get to aired stages yet, as a producer and creator I can see how I wouldn't want clean copies of my shows music floating around for anyone to have or use.

Thats just my two cents from the other side of the fence.

John

[MikeK]

[quote name=\'Argo\' date=\'Jan 23 2005, 09:29 PM\']Politics are everywhere, especially in the world of game show music.[/quote]
Especially in the world of game show music?  The last time I checked, these "politics" just started up within the past 36 hours after years of dormancy.

Collections do go up or down in value

A very esteemed member of the online game show community for many years and myself had a talk about this last night on AIM.  We agreed that the value of a tape is the price put on it by the manufacturer or retailer.  Putting any sort of tangible value on tapes or themes is insane since their values will not go up and since traders aren't the owners of the material.

Over the past few years i have been a theme/cue collector and have hated most of my time. I am not posting this just because i cant get the "big" name cues/themes that people have out there.

However, those who do collect are limited by what they can get unless they have excellent sources, or work for a station or television show. As they say, the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.

Wow.  You've been collecting for years yet you've hated the time you've spent trying to add material to your collection?  With all due respect, you sound bitter that you don't have everything.

I do not have a problem with people actually hearing a piece of music that hasnt been heard for years or never.

Music that has never been heard.  Okay...

I understand video collections are a bit of an issue, i mean everyone cant just upload videos to the web for viewing, however there is nothing wrong with music.

Is that so?

I know i have kept things for myself, however i i have never used them for trading purposes nor have people asked to hear them. But for the people who do have music that people havent heard....in the words of Peter Griffin,

"Come on"

So you have music you're essentially hoarding but you're criticizing people who have music you don't have.

Here's a Wheel puzzle for you.  It's a person.

HYP*CR*T*

Only vowels are left.  Do you want to buy a vowel or do you want to solve the puzzle?

As I mentioned above, this sounds like a desperate plea for you to add to your own collection more than a true criticism of the "politics" of theme trading.

[dzinkin]

"Politics"?  I don't recall Kerry or Bush mentioning game show theme collections in any of their speeches or debates.

In fact, if either had done so, I would have decided right then and there to vote for his opponent.

[Matt Ottinger]

I know i have kept things for myself, however i i have never used them for trading purposes nor have people asked to hear them. But for the people who do have music that people havent heard....in the words of Peter Griffin, "Come on"

The fact that this was written in earnest, sincere seriousness says everything that needs to be said about the world of theme trading.

"Sure, I have stuff that *I* don't share, but everybody else who does what I do should be ashamed of themselves!"

[FOXSportsFan]

If people collected music of a show currently in production (let's use the obvious example in "The Price is Right") and...let's say...used the music for their own profit (i.e. a production of their own in which they use said music and make revenue, et al), then that's one thing, and I could understand the gripes completely.  But 99.99% of us who collect game show themes simply enjoy listening to the music.  Like an escape, if you will.  I can see both sides of the story, but that being said...I think this whole subject, on the whole, is way way overblown.  Kids, it's just game show theme music.  It's not your social security number.  It's not the password on your ATM card.  That said, you don't have to share it if you don't right to (though sharing it seems to make you look like the second coming of whatever God you believe in).  What I'm getting at is, most everyone is taking this too seriously.  I mean, folks here devote 9 or 10 pages in a thread over it.  Isn't that a little far?  Johnny Carson (RIP) gets a couple of pages, but Themegate is nearing double digits in pages.  Some would argue this follow up thread borders on that same parallel.  Again, it's just music.  God knows, FremantleMedia won't hunt everyone down for having Price cues...besides they have bigger issues, like the need to hunt down someone who knows how to produce a half way decent revival.

[Argo]

You guys are absolutely right for calling me a hypocrite. I didnt realize while i was posting the message, but it did sound rather self-centered. Ever since i posted this message, i have been in the process of gathering all my music and posting it. I have posted my list here...


ftp://mrcity.cjb.net/list.txt

This is somewhat incomplete at the moment, but i will be finishing it up later on. If anything or everything on this list gathers some interest i will post the collection on ftp. If there are ones you would like to hear, let me know and i will post the ones requested.

Actual quality of the music may vary, but they are all clean, announcer/appaluse free.

Argo

[chris319]

Television music is a business first and foremost. To publishers and composers it's not "just game show music". First, there are copyright issues. Second, there are royalty issues. Every time music is played publicly (a "performance") the author and publisher are supposed to receive money, generally from the television station, network or production company involved. It doesn't matter whether or not a show is currently in production or on the air. There are agencies (ASCAP and BMI) which act as clearinghouses for performances and royalties. Every second of music played on TPIR or any other television show is logged and royalty payments are calculated from those records. Just because someone possesses a physical recording of a piece of music, they have no ownership rights whatsoever to the music contained in the mp3 file on their hard drive. The ownership of that music rests with the copyright holder.

I know the ENTIRE story of how the TPIR cues came onto the trading circuit, I know all the parties involved, and I'm not telling, period. The music was never intended to be traded among collectors. Anyone who has a copy of internal TPIR music should consider himself the beneficiary of circumstance.

[Steve Gavazzi]

Well, since you've got that list up, I might as well ask...

Is that song labeled as "Take Two cue (80s)" still used?

[FOXSportsFan]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jan 24 2005, 12:15 AM\']Just because someone possesses a physical recording of a piece of music, they have no ownership rights whatsoever to the music contained in the mp3 file on their hard drive. The ownership of that music rests with the copyright holder.

[snapback]72622[/snapback]

[/quote]

Point taken, please do tell that to the people who would put up such music for auction.

[Steve Gavazzi]

...where, in all of this discussion that has come up over the last day or so, has anyone ever said anything about putting the cues up for auction?

[FOXSportsFan]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Jan 24 2005, 12:32 AM\']...where, in all of this discussion that has come up over the last day or so, has anyone ever said anything about putting the cues up for auction?

[snapback]72626[/snapback]

[/quote]

It was never mentioned in this thread...I just remember via reading on the boards that some opted to do unique things with the music they posessed.  Some people trade their music.  Some auction things off on eBay.  To each his own, that's all.

[cacLA8383]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Jan 23 2005, 11:32 PM\']...where, in all of this discussion that has come up over the last day or so, has anyone ever said anything about putting the cues up for auction?

[snapback]72626[/snapback]

[/quote]


No one has, Steve. but look at this and kinda get an idea on what he's talking about.

http://gameshow.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=5206&hl=

[Steve Gavazzi]

Guess I see your point.

And why am I not surprised at what that link led to...?

[ShoeHorn]

I've found that if you ask a composer for his entire cue package, for WWTBAM, for instance and he gives it to you... You say thank you, step to your left, and exit. Then you sit at home and just enjoy the music that was created.

Those who would go and eBay this stuff are just silly. I can't say I want to complain that I don't have the cues for Debt or anything like that. None of this stuff is precious metal or cash that should be really fought over.

Just be happy with what you've stumbled upon in your travels and don't try to profit from it.

If you're told not to share something, don't. But, if you think you can get away with it, you'll do it anyway. If not, you'll get passed up when someone auctions off a thieved Plinko chip or something.