Help identify cartoon by its short "bumper" music
August 24, 2006 2:28 PM   Subscribe

I need help identifying an action-y cartoon from the 90s by this ~4 second musical clip that's been in my head for years. I made a quick recording [mp3] on an electric guitar. More clues inside.

What else I know about it:

  • I'm pretty sure it was played right before or right after a commercial break dubbed with "Don't go away, [show] will be right back."
  • The show was action-based like X-men, Transformers, Iron Man, etc...
  • The tune may or may not be a part of the main theme.
  • It was made in the 90s.

    Boy, howdy I'd love to have this satisfied.
  • posted by TimeTravelSpeed to Media & Arts (12 answers total)
     
    Timing's a bit off-- and it wasn't made in the 90's but I remeber Robotech having commercial bumps like that.
    posted by tj at 2:33 PM on August 24, 2006


    Response by poster: Well, I got a hold of Robotech's theme song and unfortunately, it's not what's in my head.

    The song I have is more dark, and in a minor key. This is one is a little more on the John Williams action tunes in a major key.

    Thanks though.
    posted by TimeTravelSpeed at 2:42 PM on August 24, 2006


    Response by poster: This is one is a little more on the John Williams action tunes in a major key.

    That's the worst sentence I've ever made. Let me rephrase: "[The Robotech song] is a little more on the John Williams side: action-y, but in a major key."
    posted by TimeTravelSpeed at 2:44 PM on August 24, 2006


    The Galaxy Rangers? Electric guitar may be throwing me off...
    posted by PinkStainlessTail at 3:31 PM on August 24, 2006


    Response by poster: That's not it either, I'm afraid.

    I actually chose the electric guitar deliberately because (and maybe should have added this as a bullet) it closely resembles the synthesized orchestral sound from the original bumper song.
    posted by TimeTravelSpeed at 3:41 PM on August 24, 2006


    Response by poster: Another clue: I didn't have cable, so I watched most of my cartoons on Channels 5, 11, and 63 (WB, Fox, UPN respectively).
    posted by TimeTravelSpeed at 3:45 PM on August 24, 2006


    Hulk?
    posted by Sangre Azul at 4:38 PM on August 24, 2006


    X-Men?
    posted by headspace at 5:11 PM on August 24, 2006


    anything from this list?
    posted by blind.wombat at 6:50 PM on August 24, 2006


    Starblazers? Earlier than the '90's, but...

    X-Men is not a bad guess either. The bumper music is absolutely familiar to me, too, but I can't exactly place it. As my prime cartoon-watching days were in the '80s, I think it is an earlier series that was probably rerun.
    posted by Rock Steady at 9:39 PM on August 24, 2006


    I'm actually thinking spiderman, and that 4 seconds you have is the sound that is played when he gets in a bad situation
    posted by mulligan at 10:07 PM on August 24, 2006


    Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. Unfortunately, I'm at work and can't look into all of them at the moment. My obvious dilemma in all this is that any episodes I find are going to have the commercials (and bumper music) cut out. If anyone has VHS recordings of these, I'd be ever so grateful for your review :)

    I did listen to Hulk, though, and it's definitely got the kind of power-orchestral thing going on, and I could almost hear my clip in there.

    I tried C.O.P.S., and although the first two notes of the main melody are identical, that's not the one. I don't think I ever watched Starblazers, but I'll give it a shot.

    X-Men has always been my best guess, but I actually emailed a guy who ran an X-Men Cartoon fan site, and he'd never heard it.

    Spiderman has also been high on my list, but again the theme music doesn't contain the tune. I should probably look into that more.

    There's also a very good possibility that it's Gargoyles. But clip isn't in theme music.
    posted by TimeTravelSpeed at 8:38 AM on August 25, 2006


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