Soul Music (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Soul Music is a seven-part animated
television
adaptation of the book of the same name by Terry Pratchett
, produced by Cosgrove Hall, and first broadcast on 12 May 1997. It was the first film adaptation of an entire Discworld
novel (following the Welcome to the Discworld
short, which was based on a fragment of the novel Reaper Man
). The series soundtrack
was also released on CD
, but the disc is now out of production. The soundtrack is, however, now available through iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/soul-music/id295153491.
music and stardom - with nearly disastrous consequences. It also introduces Susan Sto Helit
, daughter of Mort and Ysabell and granddaughter of Death
.
The series takes the association of the "Band with Rocks In" with the Beatles
even further than the book does, evolving their style from 1950s rock and early 1960s beat music
(and mixing-bowl haircuts) in Ankh-Morpork, to acid rock
in Scrote, to spiritual hippie rock in Quirm. In Sto Lat, they sound like the Jimi Hendrix
Experience or Bad Company
, but are dressed in clothes similar to the Beatles on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
album. Also in Quirm, Buddy says that the band is 'more popular than cheeses,' referring to John Lennon
's famous quote proclaiming the Beatles to be more popular than Jesus
. In Pseudopolis, their outfits and style resemble the Blues Brothers. Crash's band is also given the name "Socks Pastels
".
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
adaptation of the book of the same name by Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
, produced by Cosgrove Hall, and first broadcast on 12 May 1997. It was the first film adaptation of an entire Discworld
Discworld
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
novel (following the Welcome to the Discworld
Welcome to the Discworld
Welcome to the Discworld is a short animated television adaptation of a fragment of the Reaper Man novel by Terry Pratchett, produced by Cosgrove Hall in 1996. It was the first film adaptation of a Discworld novel and was followed by the TV series Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters...
short, which was based on a fragment of the novel Reaper Man
Reaper Man
Reaper Man is a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. Published in 1991, it is the 11th Discworld novel and the second to focus on Death. The title is a reference to Alex Cox's cult movie Repo Man.-Plot:...
). The series soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
was also released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, but the disc is now out of production. The soundtrack is, however, now available through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/soul-music/id295153491.
Plot
The series closely follows the plot of the novel, which, like many of Pratchett's novels, introduces an element of modern society into the magical and vaguely late medieval / early modern world of the Disc - in this case rock and rollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
music and stardom - with nearly disastrous consequences. It also introduces Susan Sto Helit
Susan Sto Helit
Susan Sto Helit , once referred to as Susan Death, is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of fantasy novels. She is the "granddaughter" of Death, the Disc's Grim Reaper, and, as such, has "inherited" a number of his abilities...
, daughter of Mort and Ysabell and granddaughter of Death
Death (Discworld)
Death is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and a parody of several other personifications of death. Like most Grim Reapers, he is a black-robed skeleton usually carrying a scythe...
.
The series takes the association of the "Band with Rocks In" with the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
even further than the book does, evolving their style from 1950s rock and early 1960s beat music
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
(and mixing-bowl haircuts) in Ankh-Morpork, to acid rock
Acid rock
Acid rock is a form of psychedelic rock, which is characterized with long instrumental solos, few lyrics and musical improvisation. Tom Wolfe describes the LSD-influenced music of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Iron Butterfly, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Cream,...
in Scrote, to spiritual hippie rock in Quirm. In Sto Lat, they sound like the Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
Experience or Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
, but are dressed in clothes similar to the Beatles on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
album. Also in Quirm, Buddy says that the band is 'more popular than cheeses,' referring to John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
's famous quote proclaiming the Beatles to be more popular than Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. In Pseudopolis, their outfits and style resemble the Blues Brothers. Crash's band is also given the name "Socks Pastels
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
".
Cast
- Andy Hockley - Imp y Celyn
- Debra GillettDebra GillettDebra Gillett is a British actress who has been active since 1990 and appeared in productions including The Witches, Chimera, Truckers, Casualty, Just William, Dalziel and Pascoe, Spooks, Doctor Who, Wyrd Sisters and Cranford....
- Susan Sto HelitSusan Sto HelitSusan Sto Helit , once referred to as Susan Death, is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of fantasy novels. She is the "granddaughter" of Death, the Disc's Grim Reaper, and, as such, has "inherited" a number of his abilities... - Christopher LeeChristopher LeeSir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
- DeathDeath (Discworld)Death is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and a parody of several other personifications of death. Like most Grim Reapers, he is a black-robed skeleton usually carrying a scythe... - Graham CrowdenGraham CrowdenClement Graham Crowden was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his many appearances in television comedy dramas and films, often playing eccentric 'offbeat' scientist, teacher and doctor characters.-Early life:...
- Mustrum Ridcully - Neil MorrisseyNeil MorrisseyNeil Anthony Morrissey is an English actor, media personality and businessman. He is best known for his role as Tony in Men Behaving Badly....
- Mort - Bernard WrigleyBernard WrigleyBernard Wrigley is a singer, actor and comedian. He is sometimes known by the nickname "The Bolton Bullfrog"....
- AsphaltAsphaltAsphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch... - Jimmy HibbertJimmy HibbertJames "Jimmy" Hibbert is an English television writer and voice actor best known for his work for Cosgrove Hall.He was brought up and educated at Leighton Park School and in Henley-on-Thames and later studied at the University of Manchester achieving a BA in drama...
- Additional Voices
Differences from the book
- Vetinari, Arnold Sideways, Lady Sara, Lady Delacross and Cumbling Michael were omitted, and Princess Jade and Gloria Thogsdaughter were reduced to brief cameos.
- Susans two meetings with Quoth and the Death of Rats were combined into one scene.