Happy Days - future releases may be too musical (1 Viewer)

[Robert13]

Will they continue to release Laverne & Shirley?

 

[MatthewA]

They just released season 4, putting them at the halfway point. I don't think you have to worry, except about what music will disappear.

 

[Robert13]

Yeah, I hope to see Season 5 before the end of the year. I bought Season 4 on the day of release and I've been enjoying it. It's a fun show. The music replacement hasn't bothered me so much. The only episode "Robot Lawsuit" kinda bugged me a little because the editing was too abrupt and there was a leftover laugh track that didn't make sense. Otherwise, the quality has been ace.

 

[silverking]

In reply to the query from Jeff regarding R2 release for 'Happy Days'.
The R2 release has the same disclaimer about music being edited.However, on the episodes I checked 'Richie Moves Out' & 'Haunted' although the opening titles have the 'Happy Days' theme & not 'Rock Around the Clock',the original music appears to be intact. i.e. 'See You Later Alligator' 'Bird Dog' & other snatches of old pop tunes from the era.

In the 'Haunted' episode during the smoochy dance 'My Prayer' by the Platters is playing whilst on the R1 release it is a generic theme.

There is a title card on the end credits listing artists whose music is included, this is not on the R1 release.

Can't say if it is the same for all episodes however based on these two samples the likelihood is that the R2 release contains the original music apart from the opening credits.

If there is any specific episode you would like checked please post & I will have a look.
Chris

 

[Jeff Willis]

Chris,

Many Thanks for your post! I'll be buying the S2 set from the UK this week.

Do you happen to know about the S1 R2 set? I'd guess that it's the same as the S2 R2 set with the background music in the episodes intact as originally aired.

The TV/DVD business seems so ironic to me, with these shows being produced in the states but unavailable in R1 releases. Both Bionic shows, etc. Just look at Hank's post #86 for a list of some of the great shows available only across the pond.

It's like saying to an artist...."You painted a masterpiece here (states) but you're not allowed to display it stateside."

That R-Free player sure makes me every time I watch my R2/4's.

 

[wh5916]

In the Halloween episode, is an instrumental version of "Wake Up, Little Susie" being played while Richie's friends are greeting him at Ralph's party (shortly after Ralph says, "Good evening...glad you could come...")?

Last time I saw this episode on TV Land, that had been removed completely and replaced with something generic.

Also, is there any evidence of PAL speedup (25 frames per second)?

 

[Hank Dearborn]

Regarding stuff being available overseas and not in the U.S., it's even worse when it comes to music. So much stuff has come out in Japan, England and Germany that has never come out stateside. It goes back to the licensing here. Warner and Universal won't license out music without guarantees ranging from 15,000 to 25,000 copies. That means that the company that licenses the song or artist pays up front on the basis of selling that many and if they only sell half that they lose their shirts. Other countries have far more lenient arrangements and that's why more American obscure titles are released there than here.

 

[silverking]

The Region 2 version has the instrumental 'Wake Up Little Susie' in this scene.

I'm English & live in the UK so PAL "Speed-Up" is not an issue for me. In reverse I don't notice Region 1 discs slowing down at all.

Chris

 

[wh5916]

Chris, thank you. I only have one region 2 DVD, the movie "Ed Wood." The R2 release was transferred at 25 frames per second, and the audio pitch difference is noticeable to my own ears...regardless, I'd much rather have the R2 version of Happy Days than the truncated version that Paramount saw fit to release in the US.

When I order this, it will be from Amazon UK. Thank you again!

Bill

 

[Hank Dearborn]

Same R2 question but for season 3.

 

[Ockeghem]

This is quite interesting. It may be because you are used to the faster speeds(?), or perhaps it is due to some other factor. When music is sped up (including vocal music), I have found that even casual listeners can tell quite easily that something is 'wrong.' For some (such as myself) it may be because the work is now in an unusual key (and by this I mean distinctions such as 445 'A' as opposed to 440 'A'). For others it may be because the quality of the voice, depending on the timbre of the singer, can seem unnatural in this 'new' key. To cite one example, when the voices of the Beatles are sped up, it's quite distracting to my ears, since the overall sound is somehow just 'not right.' But when their voices are slowed down (such as in the La Scalla recordings from AHDN), their voices sound (relatively) fine to me. (Their voices and their tracks IMO sound much better in flatward keys, but that is a discussion for another time.)

It may also have to do with the function of time to some extent (the perception of protracted melodic lines and harmonic rhythm over greater periods of time when music is slowed down as opposed to when it is sped up). I have found that one sure way to do incredible violence to much music is to play it way too fast (be it Bach, the Beatles, Miles Davis, Linkin Park, etc.). When certain musics are performed too quickly it transcends my ability to comprehend them aurally (my sensory apparatus are bombarded beyond my ability to assimilate that which I am hearing).

I was taught years ago that music has a tendency to descend rather than ascend. I agree with this on the whole. It is probably tied in with our abilities to hear more pitches (and overtones) when lower notes (fundamentals) are produced than when higher notes are produced. BTW, since all orchestras do not use the same 'A' when they tune, I may do well to remain in North America, although I do love the U.K.

 

[Mr. Ed]

I read on SITCOMS ON LINE....(the other guys) that Paramount had completed rights to all music on Happy Days shows. It was also mentioned that future seasons could be released more quickly because of this. As a fan they are not released quickly enough. Ok...OK...I already know. One hundred million fans of other shows are saying the same thing. Good Luck to ME.