Hammer Credited In A Video Game ?

[Party_car1]

Recently heard that Jan Hammer was credited with a video game score for a game called " Police Quest 3" and looked it up on Discogs. He sure enough has a credit but in listening to it, Found the music Hammer-like but not exactly something definitively Hammer. Here's a link in case anyone is interested in listening to it.

 

 

[Dadrian]

3 minutes ago, Party_car1 said:

Recently heard that Jan Hammer was credited with a video game score for a game called " Police Quest 3" and looked it up on Discogs. He sure enough has a credit but in listening to it, Found the music Hammer-like but not exactly something definitively Hammer. Here's a link in case anyone is interested in listening to it.

 

 

True story, and I think I even have those midi files somewhere!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Quest_III:_The_Kindred

Edited August 20, 2021 by Dadrian

[Party_car1]

I downloaded the album from an open source search engine. Some of it is pretty good. Just didn't strike me as Hammer's actual work because it doesn't have that rich and robust sound his music uaually carries. But it was for a video game and scores then weren't what they are for games today.

[Dadrian]

1 minute ago, Party_car1 said:

Just didn't strike me as Hammer's actual work because it doesn't have that rich and robust sound his music uaually carries.

I think the sound sources were limited because of the format/platform on which the game was released. 

[Party_car1]

That's a very good point. I am still hoping to get hold of the rest of his score from Secret Admirer. I contacted his office and found that Jan, like a lot of the Miami Vice stuff , doesn't own the rights to the music. Finale is the only piece of music from the film he has rights to. Bummer.

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

Maybe Jan Hammer was credited because he inspired that kind of music (I'd always like to see a collaboration between Jan Hammer & Tangerine Dream, or even Trans-Siberian Orchestra). Regardless, I feel Jan Hammer time is good anytime.

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

1 hour ago, Party_car1 said:

That's a very good point. I am still hoping to get hold of the rest of his score from Secret Admirer. I contacted his office and found that Jan, like a lot of the Miami Vice stuff , doesn't own the rights to the music. Finale is the only piece of music from the film he has rights to. Bummer.

I mentioned this before, but I think Hammer's music really enhances "Secret Admirer" (a film I like already, since I feel depth is added to the story due to including the adults in the misunderstanding. Dee Wallace? Yeah...wow for me:-). Fred Ward? The adventure begins! I feel Cliff De Young--"Elizabeth, you've really outdone yourself with the affairs"---& Leigh Taylor-Young--first performer to play a video game onscreen in "Soylent Green", a film made of cash-- as also pretty great in that spot).

[Dadrian]

29 minutes ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

Maybe Jan Hammer was credited because he inspired that kind of music

He actually made the music for the game 

It doesn’t sound like his MV music, but it sounds very similar to other work he was doing around that time (like “Drive” and “Beyond the Mind’s Eye”). 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

Just now, Dadrian said:

He actually made the music for the game 

It doesn’t sound like his MV music, but it sounds very similar to other work he was doing around that time (like “Drive” and “Beyond the Mind’s Eye”). 

Oh, that's great then! Jan Hammer's really talented (duh, right?); I like how, at least to me, he seems like he's in a trance when playing his music. I think he really feels his music; total commitment to his art.

[BroganGordon]

It's quite intriguing to stumble upon threads like these, even if they are a couple of years old. Jan Hammer's involvement in the "Police Quest 3" video game score is a neat piece of trivia. It's not uncommon for artists to experiment and bring their unique styles to game compositions, which might explain the Hammer-like yet distinctive sound.Even after a few years, it's still relevant to those who appreciate the intersection of music and gaming. If you have a taste for exploring more about gaming or music, you can also check out CS2. The gaming world continues to evolve, and these connections keep unfolding over time, making it an exciting journey for enthusiasts like us.

Edited November 30, 2023 by BroganGordon

[RedDragon86]

The reason it doesn't sound quite like Jan's work is because he was using 16 bit game music.

Edited November 29, 2023 by RedDragon86

[Noggie]

I had Police Quest 3 way way back.  I remember seeing in a catalog how the music was composed by “Miami Vice’s Jan Hammer.”   This game was a big step up in technology from the previous games and having him as a composer seemed to indicate this was going to be a different experience.  I listened to the intro on YouTube & it feels like Hammer’s work but it’s obviously limited by the early 90’s tech.