469:(a German state-authorized performance rights organization) would protect my music and legally proceed after anyone who used it without permission." As Klein reported, "soon afterwards, GEMA sent Spence a video copy of the film and asked him to make a list of "where and how long" his music appeared in it. Thus, the composer dutifully watched the film in order to find possible fragments of his music in it. Yet, the outcome was unexpected." In Spence's own words: "I was surprised to find not one note of my music in the film. NaĂŻve, trusting person that I was, it never dawned on me it could possibly be a hoax to get me to sign a forthcoming document." According to Spence, "the next 'trick' came several months later. I received a phone call in which I was told that NFL Films had a court case in two days against someone who had illegally used some of my music. Their lawyer had sent me a paper via
473:, which they said would be arriving shortly (in that same afternoon) for my signature. After signed, the FedEx courier would immediately send it back to them so they would have it in time for the court case." According to Klein's report, the composer received the paper in the afternoon and read it but, in Spence's words, "after reading the paper, I called them and said that I could not sign a document with that wording. But they assured me that as soon as the case was over, they would send it back to me." Still unsuspecting, and trusting in the company's words, Spence signed the document and sent it to NFL Films. He never got the paper back and, to this day, the late composer's family is not receiving royalties for the many uses of Spence's music in American television shows and commercials.
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was asked to provide scores for NFL Films. Merrick asked his friend, Spence, to help in the recording sessions. Spence said: "Mahlon had written marches. Toward the end of that recording session, I stuck in a couple of different pieces — my own orchestral compositions with strings and woodwinds, more
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After allegedly receiving a phone call in which NFL Films claimed that his music had been stolen and illicitly used, Spence said, "They would send me a paper to sign to the effect that NFL Films was empowered to protect the music in a court of law. In all sincerity, I did not see a possible 'plot'
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Spence's music has been performed live several times, with the composer conducting guest residencies with regional orchestras. On June 14, 2008, he guest conducted a medley of his NFL Films hits with the Golden State Pops
Orchestra in
342:; one has criticized them of "get too close to their obvious film inspiration". They have lauded some of his compositions as "cool homage", while describing others as "barely disguised" "knock-offs".
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Spence had long been involved in a controversial situation with the NFL regarding the rights to perform or use his music in any media outlets. The case was first reported by musicologist
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football video games and many football-related commercials. His music has gained more widespread notoriety for its frequent use in the soundtracks of other films and television series.
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One of the hallmarks of Spence's music is its intangible familiarity. Two film score enthusiasts have pointed out the similarity of his more popular themes to several contemporary
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magazine. Through personal conversations with the composer, Klein reported that Spence was convinced to sign a contract that relinquished all of the rights to his music to
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Over his three-decade career, Spence composed hundreds of short sound-track scores for NFL Films. Some of his more recognizable songs are:
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192:. After his retirement in 1990, he returned to Munich. He achieved unexpected fame in 1998 with the success of a CD compilation entitled
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322:. An audience of nearly 1,000 turned out at the historic Meyer Theater downtown for a program that featured three local ensembles—The
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here at all. However, I unwittingly 'punctured their balloon' by explaining that they didn't have to bother with this at all because
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Wind
Ensemble, and a big band jazz ensemble—performing a wide range of Spence's football scores, from symphonic to jazz to pop.
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highlights and personalities to fans in the network-television era. His music cues, combined with the voices of announcers
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111:(March 29, 1927 – February 6, 2016) was an American soundtrack composer best known for his work with
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172:'s favorites and he offered me a three-year contract to write, conduct, and produce NFL Films' music."
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In
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656:"The Sam Spence Case: The shocking truth about production companies and royalties"
495:"Sam Spence, Who Set the Fierce Dance of the N.F.L. to Music in Film, Dies at 88"
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under the promise that the enterprise would return the document to the composer.
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The Power And The Glory: The
Original Music & Voices of NFL Films
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The Power and the Glory: The
Original Music & Voices Of NFL Films
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355:"A Golden Boy Again" aka "Up She Rises" (orchestral variation of "
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Alexander Klein's report on Spence's rights issue with NFL Films
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The Art of the
Synthesizer – Interesting, Unusual and Melodic
560:"Golden State Pops Orchestra Performs Indy and Jurassic"
533:"Sam Spence, longtime composer for NFL Films, has died"
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nursing center on
February 6, 2016, at the age of 88.
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like a
Hollywood film score. It turned out they were
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273:group Da Riffs, which can be heard on several
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634:Autumn Thunder: 40 Years of NFL Films Music
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398:"Path To The Title" aka "Cossacks' Charge"
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410:"Sunday With Soul" aka "Pell Mell"
386:"Forearm Shiver" aka "The Lineman"
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392:"Ramblin' Man from Gramblin'"
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401:"Game Plan For Sudden Death"
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416:"Sunday Afternoon Fever"
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362:"March to the Trenches"
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377:"The Pony Soldiers"
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36:Samuel Lloyd Spence
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616:Film Score Monthly
499:The New York Times
454:Film Score Monthly
428:"Industrial Giant"
374:"West Side Rumble"
365:"Big Game America"
89:Composer, musician
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654:Alexander Klein,
538:Houston Chronicle
305:Later appearances
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437:"Police Car"
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95:Years active
66:(2016-02-06)
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696:2016 deaths
691:1927 births
630:Jeff Bond,
587:October 30,
566:October 30,
544:February 6,
340:film scores
275:NFL Network
204:Discography
185: [
163:Initially,
158:Harry Kalas
685:Categories
642:July 2005.
477:References
380:"Round Up"
121:Madden NFL
81:Film score
47:1927-03-29
32:Birth name
25:Sam Spence
459:NFL Films
434:"Torpedo"
346:NFL music
334:Criticism
320:Wisconsin
316:Green Bay
312:San Pedro
217:Durbridge
179:thriller
128:Biography
117:EA Sports
113:NFL Films
99:1966–1990
170:Ed Sabol
209:1970: "
326:, the
295:, and
265:Remake
257:2009:
250:2007:
244:1998:
237:1972:
232:Sounds
226:1971:
78:Genres
73:, U.S.
189:]
589:2013
568:2013
546:2016
506:2017
467:GEMA
230:Moog
156:and
61:Died
41:Born
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