For my presentation in game design, I’m covering the development of music in games over the years. I was thinking about some filler content for Nobuo (others being Sugiyama and Kondo) and I remembered hearing something about this…
I heard that Nobuo Uematsu wrote the entire soundtrack to Final Fantasy 4 in two and a half days Straight. Did not move from his computer or anything.
Has anyone heard this? Can anyone verify this?
I don’t know where you’ve heard this, but it’s likely BS. He did compose the FF1 prelude under 10 minutes, tho. It’s not possible to have that much inspiration in so little time.
And if you want to say something worthwhile about Sugiyama, then feel free to quote the following : He was the first video game composer to bring video game music to an orchestral setting. His first concert (for DQ1) was in 1987.
Objection!
I present to you this piece of evidence:
http://home.att.net/~RCgamusic/nobuoff4.txt
These liner notes clearly state that Nobuo Uematsu worked day in and day out at the company building, working on the game - Uematsu being no exception!
Slams hands on desk This can only mean one thing…
Speedlines There was no possible way that Uematsu could have written the entire soundtrack in two days!
Courtroom chatter
Mozart wrote a number of masterpieces in such short time spans as to make your head spin. I don’t think it’s beyond Uematso.
It’s possible that he wrote the music in two days, but unlikely that he didn’t move at all. I don’t care if he’s friggin’ Mozart, you have to get off your ass once in a while to stretch out, eat something, and/or use the bathroom. 
Mozart has a better reputation than Uematsu
The liner notes say Uematsu worked hard, but not that he did the whole soundtrack in 1.5 days.
According to modern physics, there exists an inertial frame in which Uematsu’s efforts took place over a course of two days. But he probably moved from his computer and there’s just no way around that.
Maybe it was only counting the time spent actually on the composing, so maybe he, like, spent eight hours each day for six days, totalling “2 days”.
The difference is that Mozart, when he gets the idea for a song, understood exactly how he wanted it to go from the very beginning to the end from the very moment he got the idea for a piece - in other words, he wrote music horizontally. 99% of composers on earth think of their music logically, in sections, or vertically. Seeing as a lot of FF4 consists of drastic variations on a theme, and even a medley (which have to be more carefully planned out), it’s pretty much impossible for Uematsu to have written them horizontally. Therefore, this theory, added to the fact that his liner notes very clearly state that he worked day in and day out out the office, proves that he didn’t write the soundtack in two days.
He was the first video game composer to bring video game music to an orchestral setting. His first concert (for DQ1) was in 1987.
Already noted, good point, though. I think he’s one of, if not the, oldest living game composers out there today.
Ugh. Doing google image searches on Koji Kondo…, he’s one ugly mother. @_@
Thanks for the verifications, guys. The liner note was really neat. A guy like Uematsu just needs a walk and a beer for some good ol’ inspiration.
Oh, dig this. At the end of the presentation on friday, I’m passing out CD’s with examples of their worm from the 8-bit box, to SNES, to now. Followed with some live and fan-based arrangements. And a few extras thrown in as well.
If only game music was a class in itself…
Oh what a wonderful class that would be. :bowser:
They’ll dig you, cool.
Er, I think you mean “Mozart is better known that Uematsu.” Nearly everybody I’ve heard speak of Uematsu does so with respect, while Mozart is often refered to as a highly talented jerk.
Yeah, really. Haven’t you seen Amadeus?
Nah, the local conservatory chaps would disagree. He has better rep as a composer, not as a person.
Track Listings!!!
There is SO MUCH MORE SHIT I want to cover, but I can’t squeeze everything into one disc, and I don’t want to do a two-disc cover. I wanted to do more Tallarico, for instance. Also, some of the Sega tunes would’ve been nice, but I’ll have to make due with what I got.
The presentation isn’t all about the ‘fab three’ but more how it progressed, what the current trend is now, it’s influences on ametur musicians, and results of spin-off bands and arrangements n’shit. I think I got the second half down pat.
I cut down CONSIDERABLY on the Uematsu selections, believe it or not. I was hard pressed to only include 1 1/2 Guilty Gear tunes as well.
I’ll let you know Friday how the presentation went.
You all are filled with some of the most interesting facts.
SG is the one I’m referring to in this particular instance, although everytime I read a new thread it is always filled with things I’ve never heard or not thought about.
Anyways-good luck with your presentation Kagato.
Originally Posted by Kagato Toujou
Has anyone else heard this ‘urban legend’ about Nobuo Uematsu?
Yes, just now when I read your post. However I don’t think I can verify it.
The presentation went really well! I didnt’ get to cover a lot of what I meant to go over, and it seemed to cover the composers more than the music, but it went pretty well. I showed a picture of Nobuo, and %80 of the class recognized him.
Nobody got Sugiyama or Koji, though. They did laugh when I showed a comparison of Koji Kondo and Tingles, though.