Identifying Dance Music

polypheus · Powder Monkey Posts: 2 **45 Gold** -

Has anyone been able to identify the names and/or composers of some of the dance music pieces? Some of the pieces are pleasant sounding and I'm curious to know.

Airsaw · Rigger Posts: 1840 **3281 Gold** -

I recognize the frequent English tune as an old sea chanty, "Blow the Man Down". Other than that, a goodly portion sounds like a variation of the Pirates! main theme tune. Either there's a tempo change, or an instrumentation alteration.

The new music with the Theme Pack has a couple of tunes with some electric drive, including a cajun tune and a reggae-sounding thing that's quite inspiring to an old rocker like messeff.

If you check the credits on the opening game menu (which offers Play a game, load, video and audio adjustments) you get an impressive list of the people who constructed the game. Among those are credits for musicians and a main composer.

I've got to hand it to the guitar player. His stuff is fabulous. The Spanish guitar theme often found in Spanish ports is so good, when I stop playing for a time, I'll leave the game on whilst in a Spanish port just to listen to it. There are some outrageous licks in that. I can't say I've ever thought so much of video game music as to play it like a radio. SimEarth came close, but it's loop is a tad too short.

I don't count things like Mister Hawk's skateboard game, since it's commercially released recordings roped-into a game. All those songs are very strong, though, especially as a background to skateboard mania.

For original scoring, Pirates! is above average, to me, and ranks at the top - at least top 5 alltime game music. Of course, I rank Mario in the top five, too. Take that how you will.

CGM3 · Gunner Posts: 614 **12612 Gold** -

According to kvollmer (on another thread in the Dancing forum), the dance music is based on Vienna waltzes.
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I only do what the voices in my head tell me to do.

JackBlue · Powder Monkey Posts: 20 **247 Gold** -

One of the pieces I hear regularly is from the Orchestral Suite #3 by J.S. Bach (apparently nobody spent any creative energy in naming their music).

And yes, it doesn't quite fit the time line as Bach was born in 1685. But it all works for the the game.

ruf · Seaman Posts: 198 **899 Gold** -

There is a thread in the Technical Issue Forum entitled: "is dance music based on real music" or something like that. DuxCorvan pretty much hit the nail on the head in naming most of them.
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corsair91 · Sailing Master Posts: 8245 **207270 Gold** -

https://www.reddit.com/r/SidMeiersPirates/comments/6z0fti/names_of_the_classical_music_the_dance_tracks_are/

Dance34Normal-006 is still unidentified

Filename Actual piece

Dance34Normal-000 Bach - Sonata No. 4 in C major, BWV 1033 - 4th+5th movement (Menuet I & a tiny part of Menuet II)

Dance34Normal-001 Bach - Harpsichord Concerto No.6 in F major, BWV 1057 - 1st movement (Allegro)1

Dance34Normal-002 Handel - Flute Sonata in G Major, Op.1, Nr.5 HWV 363b - 5th Movement (Menuetto)

Dance34Normal-003 Bach - Ouverture Nr.2 BWV 1067 - 6th movement (Menuet)
004 Bach - Ouverture Nr.1 BWV 1066 - 5th movement (Menuet)

Dance34Normal-005 Handel - Water Music Suite No. 2 in D major, HWV 349 - 13th movement (Menuet)

Dance34Normal-006 Still unknown; the final boss of this personal quest!

Dance44Normal-000 Unknown composer - "Le Rossignol" aka "The Nightingale"

Dance44Normal-001 Handel - Gavotte in G major, HWV 491

Dance44Normal-002 Handel - Flute Sonata in G Major, Op.1, Nr.5 HWV 363b - 4th movement (Bourree)

Dance44Normal-003 Bach - Ouverture Nr.3 BWV 1068 - 3rd movement (Gavotte)

Dance44Normal-004 Domenico Scarlatti - Sonata in A Major, K. 322

Updated list of the dance music pieces
https://www.reddit.com/r/SidMeiersPirates/comments/y8r6je/updated_list_of_the_dance_music_pieces/

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Sid Meier's Pirates Dance Music

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo__-eLGPf5e8a1mqRrShb9k8C_XVlvgI

Mingo Dingo

These are all the pieces of music used in the dancing minigames from 'Sid Meier's Pirates!'
All of them can be found in .wav format in the game's install folder.

Unfortunately they have nondescript filenames so it's been a quest to find the titles of the real pieces they are based on. The ones I've managed to identify have their real names and original composers written in the video descriptions. Enjoy.

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Sid Meier's Pirates Dance Guide
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo__-eLGPf5fTuMGwoCt_pTL3Va8bf0my

Mingo Dingo

Protip: Double tap the correct direction instead of only hitting the key once, even if you think you perfectly timed it. Also watch her head nods.

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Dancing Step Patterns

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1130930048

By hoimingmissile