Why wasn't Falconer's music used for GT?

[Questrider]

There’s not really much I can add to the question.

I did read somewhere (possibly even here) that Mr. Falconer even started an online petition to land the gig but failed.
Can anyone elaborate on FUNimation’s state of mind here? Why Falconer’s music was not used?

His music seemed like such a big hit with “Z”, he just seemed to be the ideal choice.
Just one of those things I’ve wondered about from time to time…

Bonus: Do you think FUNimation ever regretted the decision?

[Brad Redfield]

Bonus: Do you think FUNimation ever regretted the decision?

I don't see why they would. They made their money in the end so the music composer was irrelevant.

[VegettoEX]

It's easy for fans (many of whom were probably much younger at the time it was relevant) to look back and wonder why their most awesomest favorite Faulconer music wasn't used in subsequent productions. What they were in no position to observe, however, was how universally loathed and protested all of those choices were throughout the community.

I can't speak for FUNimation (especially the FUNimation of the time), but it wouldn't surprise me if they kept changing up their music choices because none of it was actually liked by the vocal fandom of the time(s), and fans were *not* afraid to let them know.

To see someone who was an active and vocal fan back then who not only accepted but *praised* the musical choices was akin to coming across a shiny in Pokémon. I famously tell the story of Bruce Faulconer having a booth at Otakon one year and it being completely devoid of any fans or interactions with the attendees what-so-ever, no matter what time I passed by it.

The Faulconer score only became "a hit", I'd argue, years and years later when the kids who were watching it on TV finally got on the Internet and didn't understand why none of the rest of us wanted to talk about it.

(Yes, I'm playing the "age" card several times over here, but it's the best I've got for ya'.)

From Faulconer Productions to "REAL BANDS OMG" (movies) to Menza (DBGT) to Johnson ("Ultimate Uncut"), and then having the original TV series and its movies always have the original Japanese score... it really shows you that they were just tossing darts all over the place. Maybe FUNimation had a true artistic vision for the series that extended further than any of us give them credit for. Maybe they just liked switching things up. Maybe working with outside licenses and production houses was a pain in the ass. Who knows?

I certainly remember the petition to get himself re-contracted for more music. Unfortunately I don't really cover that kind of stuff in-depth on this site (and it was probably before the reboot in 2003), so I don't have any archives of it to point to.

All I'm happy about these days is that FUNimation is a legitimate company and decisions like this aren't even on the table any more.

[caejones]

I think the way FUNimation introduced GT says a lot in regards to this.

"Step into the Grand Tour", "You think you know GT?", skipping the first sixteen episodes...
And look at what the music they went with was. While the Faulconer score in season3 was just plain "WTF?" in many instances, what they gave us for GT makes playing guitars over Gohan hanging out at a ship seem a little more within reason.
And look at how they changed the narration.

The whole idea with FUNimation GT was "THIS BE HARDCORE, BITCHES!"
I mean, yeah, that's what they were shooting for with DBZ. But with GT it seems like immense desperation to do the exact opposite of what Toei did with GT.

By the time of GT, the Faulconer score had developed enough that it probably would have worked pretty well (not that I'm disagreeing with everyone that's all about the original music. ), but using it wouldn't help FUNimation advertise GT as the super tough hardcore "check it out, there's rap, bitches!" "new hotness" that has dominated their approach to DBZ.

In conclusion, Bary Watson is probably to blame.

[edit] Or what Vegetto EX said. [/edit]

[Questrider]

All I'm happy about these days is that FUNimation is a legitimate company and decisions like this aren't even on the table any more.

Is this because FUNimation is now going with the original music (Japanese score) for everything? Even when making a dub for other shows besides DBZ?

Additionally: My dumb ass completely overlooked the music thread which is where this should have been posted in the first place.
My apologies.

[cRookie_Monster]

What VegettoEX said.... plus a lot of political and other crap that I've often hinted at but can't really say directly.

Also note that just like Funimation, Faulconer Productions Music is a *company* with people working there. If Faulconer Productions had been rehired again, sure it'd be the same lead guy, with the same gear (kinda)....but 3 of the 4 key players were gone (Mike Smith, myself, and Ben Kasparek)

[xzero]

I remember receiving an email from Faulconer shortly after the announcement that GT was licensed. I think he emailed anyone who contacted him concerning DBZ music (positive or negative from what I heard, though I never had any negative comments) and essentially asked them to contact Funimation to ask that his studio be retained for GT. As I recall, that same email had direct contact information in the form of email addresses for the higher-ups at Funimation. I'm sure they didn't appreciate that information being distributed, and I'm equally sure it wasn't with their consent. I guess that has something to do with it.

I actually probably would have liked GT more if the Faulconer music had been used. Same for the DBZ movies (I was tremendously disappointed by the fact that Movie 6 didn't have Faulconer music, even though it turned out to be the only thing Menza did that I considered to be of quality). Even now I really don't like watching DBZ with anything other than the Faulconer dub score when it's an option.

[cRookie_Monster]

I remember receiving an email from Faulconer shortly after the announcement that GT was licensed. I think he emailed anyone who contacted him concerning DBZ music (positive or negative from what I heard, though I never had any negative comments) and essentially asked them to contact Funimation to ask that his studio be retained for GT. As I recall, that same email had direct contact information in the form of email addresses for the higher-ups at Funimation. I'm sure they didn't appreciate that information being distributed, and I'm equally sure it wasn't with their consent. I guess that has something to do with it.

I actually probably would have liked GT more if the Faulconer music had been used. Same for the DBZ movies (I was tremendously disappointed by the fact that Movie 6 didn't have Faulconer music, even though it turned out to be the only thing Menza did that I considered to be of quality). Even now I really don't like watching DBZ with anything other than the Faulconer dub score when it's an option.

thx man. I bet the decision was pretty firmly made before that. Vegetta probably has the main reason correct. Menza was asked not to even listen to the Faulconer score according to Mike.

[Questrider]

What VegettoEX said.... plus a lot of political and other crap that I've often hinted at but can't really say directly.

Also note that just like Funimation, Faulconer Productions Music is a *company* with people working there. If Faulconer Productions had been rehired again, sure it'd be the same lead guy, with the same gear (kinda)....but 3 of the 4 key players were gone (Mike Smith, myself, and Ben Kasparek)

You were involved???
And are you telling me that you are in part responsible for Falconer's work on DBZ? If that's the case, I feel like I'm talking to a celebrity!

I honestly can't put into words how I feel about Falconer's work, (which of course, include those who were part of that team) as the music was every bit as important as anything else in the show and sometimes even more so.
The music was a HUGE driving force (IMO) and lent emotion to the show everytime a given scene needed that extra boost.
Without Falconer's score playing in the background, I honestly feel like I'm watching a different show.
It was the music that sucked me in, first and foremost, because it was the music that turned my head and it was the music that forced me to pay attention.
People get sucked into DBZ in a gazillion different ways and the first reason for me was always, ALWAYS the music.
(As music is my first passion)

Additionally, I am guilty of always putting on the Falconer score whenever I am playing Raging Blast on the PS3. Talk about feeling like you are IN the show.

[ZeroMoon]

It would not of fit. We needed a new composer.


Just what I think.

[cRookie_Monster]

What VegettoEX said.... plus a lot of political and other crap that I've often hinted at but can't really say directly.

Also note that just like Funimation, Faulconer Productions Music is a *company* with people working there. If Faulconer Productions had been rehired again, sure it'd be the same lead guy, with the same gear (kinda)....but 3 of the 4 key players were gone (Mike Smith, myself, and Ben Kasparek)

You were involved???
And are you telling me that you are in part responsible for Falconer's work on DBZ? If that's the case, I feel like I'm talking to a celebrity!

I honestly can't put into words how I feel about Falconer's work, (which of course, include those who were part of that team) as the music was every bit as important as anything else in the show and sometimes even more so.
The music was a HUGE driving force (IMO) and lent emotion to the show everytime a given scene needed that extra boost.
Without Falconer's score playing in the background, I honestly feel like I'm watching a different show.
It was the music that sucked me in, first and foremost, because it was the music that turned my head and it was the music that forced me to pay attention.
People get sucked into DBZ in a gazillion different ways and the first reason for me was always, ALWAYS the music.
(As music is my first passion)

Additionally, I am guilty of always putting on the Falconer score whenever I am playing Raging Blast on the PS3. Talk about feeling like you are IN the show.

Yeah man, I worked for him for a year and a half. I should have put this link up I think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_sXOquzxps

or just poke around my site. Also there was a typo in my ealier comment. Mark Menza was *asked* not to listen to the Faulconer Productions music,not asking not to.

[Blue]

I'm not a huge dub music fan but I really do wish they would have kept "Falconer" on bored. His music was getting progressively better and better it's a shame we couldn't hear any further evolution of it. It's weird how they thought the somewhat techno synth songs wouldn't fit in a series full of space travel and robots.

[Ultimate_DB_Fan]

I honestly can't put into words how I feel about Falconer's work, (which of course, include those who were part of that team) as the music was every bit as important as anything else in the show and sometimes even more so.
The music was a HUGE driving force (IMO) and lent emotion to the show everytime a given scene needed that extra boost.
Without Falconer's score playing in the background, I honestly feel like I'm watching a different show.
It was the music that sucked me in, first and foremost, because it was the music that turned my head and it was the music that forced me to pay attention.
People get sucked into DBZ in a gazillion different ways and the first reason for me was always, ALWAYS the music.
(As music is my first passion)

Same here, man. His stuff was always awesome, whether it was universally "loathed" or not.

[jjgp1112]

I remember reading that Funi actually DID initially have Faulconer do the music for GT, but they wanted him to use a different style for GT, and he declined, and then a whole bunch of other political BS sparked from that, and the rest is history.

[cRookie_Monster]

I remember reading that Funi actually DID initially have Faulconer do the music for GT, but they wanted him to use a different style for GT, and he declined, and then a whole bunch of other political BS sparked from that, and the rest is history.

hmm I hadn't heard that. I wonder if they asked him for real guitar ^^ ROFL

[Lord Exor]

While I can certainly understand the rapturous devotion to the original score of Dragon Ball Z by longtime fans, the fact of the matter is that the original score aged abysmally over time. Marketing the show to the American market required a fresher sound that delivered superior gravitas, otherwise viewers may have considered the show archaic. Faulconer's studio also provided the series with a multifarious soundscape, with more distinct leitmotifs for nearly every character; this served to facilitate the identification of characters by viewers.

Devout purists may insist that the rougher sound perhaps subverted the slightly whimsical feel of the Japanese version, and that it somehow "missed the point". I disagree, but to each his own. To be honest, I regret that Faulconer was not hired for GT--the series would have benefited with retained character themes from the previous series.

[Kaboom]

Every single other known DBZ dub in the entire world has the sense to use the original music. It's only North American-produced dubs that ever seem to have a problem. I don't know what that problem is, but "age" is no issue.

[AgitoZ]

Every single other known DBZ dub in the entire world has the sense to use the original music. It's only North American-produced dubs that ever seem to have a problem. I don't know what that problem is, but "age" is no issue.

I can attest to this I grew up with the Mexican dub (in Chile) and it was no problem. But the whole age is invalid, people can still listen to things like Beethoven's symphonies and it doesn't matter its old its still good music and many wouldn't know its old.

[theoriginalbilis]

While I'm not a huge fan of Falconer's score in the series, he did use some good pieces from time to time and I will admit I like a few of his themes. I just didn't like the "artificial" sound he used for guitar, piano, and orchestral pieces. The biggest fault of the Falconer score was not using real instruments near as often as it should have, and having the score blaring constantly with no silent moments.

Falconer really should've done video game work or at least a sci-fi/cyberpunk series, as his style of music would've worked better. At least that way he wouldn't have replaced something that was known and loved by viewers for years. Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z at it's heart is a martial arts comedy/drama with roots based in Kung-Fu flicks and superhero books, and still had that mentality even when it got progressively more superpowered and epic in scope.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Every single other known DBZ dub in the entire world has the sense to use the original music. It's only North American-produced dubs that ever seem to have a problem. I don't know what that problem is, but "age" is no issue.

The problem was that FUNimation was marketing Dragon Ball Z to a new generation of kids by making it "cooler". Using the original music would've gone against their intention.