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Post by Lance Uppercut on Nov 22, 2023 16:30:19 GMT -5
I mean, in house themes made for specific guys?
Watching old shows from the 80s, I’m less surprised by the guys with no music, but the amount of licensed music is quite insane. When did they stop? Did someone sue or send a cease and desist? Did they realized the issue when they started selling home video?
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tafkaga
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Post by tafkaga on Nov 22, 2023 16:48:44 GMT -5
The last theme I remember WWF using that wasn't created in house or for a specific wrestler was Ricky Steamboat using "Sirius", which he used through WM4. By '87 though it seemed like pretty much everyone else had been transitioned to music created in house.
WCW was still "borrowing" a lot of licensed music through 1989 and into 1990.
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Post by Urn Anderson on Nov 22, 2023 19:29:39 GMT -5
I think the Wrestling Album kicked it off in WWF, but Piledriver is when the floodgates opened.
WCW tried to copy that concept with Slam Jam, but most of those weren’t as good as the stock music they used. Ricky Steamboat got such a monumental downgrade from “Opening Ceremony” to “Family Man” that it should have been illegal.
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Post by James Fabiano on Nov 23, 2023 10:46:30 GMT -5
I'd say they seeped in by 1985 or 1986, then became the rule not exception by 1988. At least in the WWF. JCP/WCW fluctuated. Then you got AWA, WCCW, etc. that still relied on real music. With exceptions...think Sgt. Slaughter and the Rockers at one point got custom songs in the AWA.
One can argue Badstreet USA was the first, no?
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Post by johnnyk9 on Nov 23, 2023 11:38:04 GMT -5
JYD’s was the first to mention the characters name in the song I recall
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Post by Craig-UK on Nov 28, 2023 16:18:03 GMT -5
WCW started with custom music for entrances in 1986 (20th September 1986 - World Wide Wrestling to be exact), with the first custom entrance theme being for Rock & Roll Express using "It's Rock and Roll". "Midnight Express Theme" came the next day on 21st September 1986 - World Championship Wrestling - Sunday. Others followed not long after in 1986 such as "Boogie Woogie Dance Hall" and "The Boogie Woogie Man".
Other customs before 1990 include Ric Flair, Bam Bam Bigelow and Road Warriors (We Are Iron Men). There are other possibilities too such as Fantastics and Ricky Steamboat but no confirmation. I also have no information on who did Bam Bam Bigelows or Road Warriors.
WCW continued on into 1992 (as mentioned) with tracks on WCW Slam Jam (among some others), then Jimmy Hart joined and pretty much covered the rest (with John Maguire and later Howard Helm) with few exceptions.
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Post by James Fabiano on Nov 28, 2023 16:55:38 GMT -5
WCW started with custom music for entrances in 1986 (20th September 1986 - World Wide Wrestling to be exact), with the first custom entrance theme being for Rock & Roll Express using "It's Rock and Roll". "Midnight Express Theme" came the next day on 21st September 1986 - World Championship Wrestling - Sunday. Others followed not long after in 1986 such as "Boogie Woogie Dance Hall" and "The Boogie Woogie Man". Other customs before 1990 include Ric Flair, Bam Bam Bigelow and Road Warriors (We Are Iron Men). There are other possibilities too such as Fantastics and Ricky Steamboat but no confirmation. I also have no information on who did Bam Bam Bigelows or Road Warriors. WCW continued on into 1992 (as mentioned) with tracks on WCW Slam Jam (among some others), then Jimmy Hart joined and pretty much covered the rest (with John Maguire and later Howard Helm) with few exceptions. I assume the Flair reference was about someone covering the 2001 theme. As I don't remember any other at this time. Not sure about the music itself, but the "We are iron men!" voice sounds vaguely like Hawk. Fantastics had their own custom theme too, with introduction of them at the beginning. Ricky Steamboat came in using Sirius, but then he used stock music that you can hear in the first episode of The Brittas Empire (90s Britcom series). Then he used another generic song one with a more martial arts/Asian sound, maybe like Karate Kid music? Not sure if that had a name. I'd love to hear the Bam Bam song in the clear...just for the camp value. (It took till 1993 for him to get a decent, fitting theme) Seems a lot of the 1986 JCP themes meant to be copyright safe versions....so they had a Jimmy Hart before Jimmy Hart! |
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El Pollo Guerrera
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Post by El Pollo Guerrera on Nov 29, 2023 0:48:29 GMT -5
There was a wrestler in the late 60's and early 70's named Beauregarde (he wrestled in Portland and Hawaii), and he released an album in 1971. It wouldn't be a stretch to imagine that they played one of his songs one night when he walked to the ring.
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Nov 29, 2023 4:49:31 GMT -5
I mean, in house themes made for specific guys? Watching old shows from the 80s, I’m less surprised by the guys with no music, but the amount of licensed music is quite insane. When did they stop? Did someone sue or send a cease and desist? Did they realized the issue when they started selling home video? Home video was likely a cause, or just changing in licensing fees because of things like home video. that said a lot of themes up until and including the later 90s were actually stock themes from a music library. It's why the Hardy Boyz could use their theme in literally any promotion. |
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Post by CeilingFan on Nov 29, 2023 5:53:11 GMT -5
I'd say they seeped in by 1985 or 1986, then became the rule not exception by 1988. At least in the WWF. JCP/WCW fluctuated. Then you got AWA, WCCW, etc. that still relied on real music. With exceptions...think Sgt. Slaughter and the Rockers at one point got custom songs in the AWA. One can argue Badstreet USA was the first, no? That's right, in 1983. |
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Nov 29, 2023 11:35:21 GMT -5
I mean, in house themes made for specific guys? Watching old shows from the 80s, I’m less surprised by the guys with no music, but the amount of licensed music is quite insane. When did they stop? Did someone sue or send a cease and desist? Did they realized the issue when they started selling home video? Home video was likely a cause, or just changing in licensing fees because of things like home video. that said a lot of themes up until and including the later 90s were actually stock themes from a music library. It's why the Hardy Boyz could use their theme in literally any promotion. Cactus Jack's was one such theme, too, and Booker T's in both WCW and WWE, just they'd slap intros onto his. |
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Post by Craig-UK on Dec 6, 2023 16:45:32 GMT -5
I assume the Flair reference was about someone covering the 2001 theme. As I don't remember any other at this time. Not sure about the music itself, but the "We are iron men!" voice sounds vaguely like Hawk. Fantastics had their own custom theme too, with introduction of them at the beginning. Ricky Steamboat came in using Sirius, but then he used stock music that you can hear in the first episode of The Brittas Empire (90s Britcom series). Then he used another generic song one with a more martial arts/Asian sound, maybe like Karate Kid music? Not sure if that had a name. I'd love to hear the Bam Bam song in the clear...just for the camp value. (It took till 1993 for him to get a decent, fitting theme) Seems a lot of the 1986 JCP themes meant to be copyright safe versions....so they had a Jimmy Hart before Jimmy Hart! The Ric Flair theme I am referring to was used from 19th September 1987 to 30th September 1989. The Fantastics might not be custom, it has a custom intro "Ladies and Gentlemen, from the city of the angels please welcome Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton... The Fannnntastics", though the music might be production/stock. Ricky Steamboat used a theme before "Sirius" which is the track that I am referring to used from 7th May 1989 to 29th July 1989 ( wcw.craig-uk.com/unknownthemes/89_5). After that he used "Sirius" used on 2 shows in WCW 21st Jan 1989 and 23rd July 1989, then he used "Opening Ceremony" which is the latter theme you was referring to, after that he used "The Dragon" from Slam Jam 1 album. His first theme "Hot N' Wild" is the track you mention that was used on Brittas Empire used from 4th February 1989 to 6th May 1989. From watching every JCP/WCW show I have recorded the best version of Bam Bam's that I was able to find wcw.craig-uk.com/unknownthemes/88_C1 |
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Post by James Fabiano on Dec 6, 2023 18:49:00 GMT -5
Opening Ceremony was his 1991 theme, yes? He used a different one after Sirius and Hot 'n' Wild in 1989. |
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Post by Craig-UK on Dec 6, 2023 19:25:34 GMT -5
Opening Ceremony was his 1991 theme, yes? He used a different one after Sirius and Hot 'n' Wild in 1989. That is correct, "Opening Ceremony" was used from 14th December 1991 until 18th September 1994 with "The Dragon" being used inbetween from 19th December 1992 until 4th February 1994, oddly switching at times |
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