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RIP Isao Tomita
Thanks to Kathy for two headses ups today. 16 Replies to “RIP Isao Tomita”Commenting at Satellite News
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It’s a bit goofy and kitschy at this point but I’ve always had a soft spot for his album of The Planets by Holst which I somehow got my hands on as a kid. Carry on, Tomita…
They tried to kill him with a forklift…
Wow. I didn’t know he did the music for “Mighty Jack”. I have several of his albums. Quite the innovator. What a bummer. :(
I still have every LP Tomita made back in the day. Tomita picked up the synthesizer baton from Carlos’ “Switched On Bach” and just took off. If you have never heard his rendition of “Aranjuez” please seek it out.
Yeah, first Album of his I ever bought. Also, wow I have watched Mighty Jack countless times but had no idea that he did the music. Wow. RIP good sir!
And if you ever watched PBS in the 80s, one of his songs (Arabesque) was used for Jack Horkheimer’s Star Hustler show
One of the more eye catching titles he did music for was a 1970 animated film called Cleopatra: Queen of Sex.
I have all his albums — most of his stuff was takes on classical music (a la “The Planets”) but his “Bermuda Triangle” is mesmerizing.
Nice to see a mention here (would probably never see it anywhere else).
Oh, and the best bit in “The Planets” is his sly take off on the “Close Encounters” Williams stuff. That whole album is very enjoyable to listen to anytime.
I LOVE his synthesizer version of Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe” – also his take on Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” I don’t know how many times I’ve played those albums since I got them in the early 80s.
RIP.
Star Hustler was the first thing I thought of when I read Isao passed…so many PBS-at-2am college memories from the 90’s (yes, I’m a nerd…and dated by this point).
I had no idea he composed the score for Mighty Jack, and I love me some Mighty Jack…that is my dog’s favorite food…but then again, what dog wouldn’t come a-runnin’ for the savory taste of Mighty Jack?
Thanks for remembering Isao and Horky with me
Same here. My father had it on LP . I know it was kind of cheesy but i loved his version of The Planets. RIP Tomita-san.
My dad had the Pictures at an Exhibition album. Took me a long time to really appreciate the whole thing, but Tomita’s take on the Ballet of the Unborn Chicks always made me chuckle.
I also remember a piece of his that was on the original Cosmos soundtrack (the one with Carl Sagan) called The Sea Named Solaris. Had no idea he did the music for Mighty Jack! Prepare the 21 gun salute, Rocky! (A-gain?)
If I’m not mistaken, Joel makes reference to him at the end of Space Travellers. R.I.P.
RIP to another fine electronic-music pioneer… one who i’d till now known little-to-none about, but a big hat-tip to the wag upstream mentioning the use of his music at the end of “star hustler” – that alone brought that music back to mind in an instant. indelible!
brings back memories of chortling over jack horkheimer (RIP sadly too) whether alone or with friends. i remember once catching the hustler at the end of late evening hanging out with friends, and he was reminding us to go outside to check out the milky way that time of year…
jack: “look up and you’ll see a great -buldge- in the milky way!”
friend: “i don’t like the way he said ‘buldge.'”
heh – still it reminds me of many fond memories nightsky-gazing and telescoping with fellow astro-geeks back home, and how carl sagan’s “cosmos” was more than just an informational-and-ideas experience – it was actually emotional, and the soundtrack was a huge part of that.
welp lots of great ideas and tips for what to put on my “wish-for” list for music to add to my library here… thanks you all!