Hey everyone!

I just thought of a new idea for a thread: Who is your favourite Spyro composer and why? For me, I would choose Julio Fernandez. He hasn't written a lot, but all the tunes are really good. Things like Pipo's song from 3 Wishes, Ruled by Venus from 20/20, Shanghai Gumbo (Road Scholars and another older CD), and a few other tracks that I've only heard clips of on the Internet.

Jay follows closely, especially with the older hit tunes like Shaker Song, Morning Dance, and Catching The Sun. I also like You Can Count On Me, which is from Collection.

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Mike Chase
mike_intel@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/ac_bits/

They're all sooooooo goooood.
If I must single out one composer, it would have to be Jeremy Wall (Breakout, Shakedown, etc) because his tunes really jam. Not that the others don't, but when I think about all of the SG songs that stand uot as my favorite, he has composed more of them than anyone else.

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Woody

I would pick Tom Schuman. He has written at least 30 of Spyro's originals over the years.

Jay Beckenstein has said that Tom writes the most technically challenging music for the band. Sounds like a compliment to me. My favorite Schuman piece---"Captain Karma."

It's a photo finish for me...but since my Zeppelin, Yes, and Who youth influences me, Tom Schuman's hard charging and complex pieces win by a nose. Jay says(on liner notes for "...The First 10 Years" that "Incognito" and "Conversations" really challenge the bands chops! Throw in emotional and reflective pieces such as "I Believe In You" and "Innocent Soul", and there you have it!.
Jay, Julio, Scott(On Liberty Road great studio, VERY intense on the LAOO tour!) and Joel(South American Sojourn) are top notch composers as well.

For me, Julio is a classic for "De La Luz", "Del Corazon" and the unrecorded "Don't Go"...just those alone put him up at the top.

Peace!
Paul

Don't Go!!!! I've been trying to remember what the name of that song is forever. Thank you Paul! I've only seen them do that in concert once, but it obviously left an indelible impression on me (except for the name, apparently). But, I digress.

I wasn't going to reply to this post because I think it's impossible. But since I'm already here, why not? First of all I think they're all incredible composers. I can't begin to fathom what it is they do to write their songs. But if I was forced to choose one I'd probably go with Julio because of all the songs already mentioned in addition to my all time favorite South Beach (which, BTW, I think isn't mentioned nearly enough in this Forum. Perhaps I'll start a totally new forum called "South Beach")

Rob . . .

I've seen the band do "South Beach" a number of times and it is always a crowd pleaser.

The reason so many of the band's compositions never get mentioned here is because of the sheer volume of them and the fact that Spyro does 99% original music.

Since its been noted that some songs from Spyro Gyra rarely get mentioned here, let me give you one that I do not think anyone else has ever mentioned here.

How about "Ocean Parkway" from "Fast Forward?"

You have rarely heard Jay on tenor saxophone as on this piece and the rhythm section of the band is on fire! Listen to Richie Morales behind Jay closing out this arrangement and tell me I'm mistaken. I'd love to hear the current band do this piece with Tom, Joel and Scott Ambush behind Jay. Would be a killer!

So why haven't any of you ever mentioned this piece?

[This message has been edited by Phil (edited May 17, 2000).]

Oops. I didn't mean to derail the topic. I was just doing a little good natured campaigning for my favorite tune. Did I mention that it's South Beach.

Ocean Parkway is awesome. But I haven't listened to Fast Forward is quite some time. I think it's time to get that one out.

Hey Phil!

What is the 1% Spyro that isn't original? I know that someone else wrote Send Me One Line from Dreams Beyond Control. Is there anythign else?

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Mike Chase
mike_intel@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/ac_bits/

Mike . . .

Let me change that percentage to .001%

The only other ones I can come up with would be " Patterns In the Rain," (also on DBC) and "Sweet Baby James" (from 20/20), a James Taylor piece.

I believe about everything else has been originally done for the band's recordings. I know that the band has used the talents of guys like Jeff Beal ("Speak Easy" on FF) on occasion. Of course Chuck Loeb is the most recent one contributing material for their releases. Who knows where it goes from here.

[This message has been edited by Phil (edited May 18, 2000).]