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Author
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Topic: Musical memories of space missions
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David Bryant
Member Posts: 986
From: Norfolk UK
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 06-30-2011 02:00 AM
   
I was just making breakfast when 'Satisfaction' by the Stones came on the radio. Now this instantly evoked an image of the launch of Freedom 7. The reason will only be understood by UK spaceflight fans: the 60's pop prog. 'Ready Steady Go!' used to start with a video of Shepard's launch, with that piece of music playing behind it. Similarly, whenever I hear 'Southern Cross' by C,S & N, it always reminds me of the early days of the Shuttle: on a BBC documentary back in the 80's, Hoot Gibson revealed he played a cassette of it onboard while looking at the constellation in question. So what music has a cadence for YOU? |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3118
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-30-2011 01:48 PM
THE musical moment in the exploration of space must surely be the live Apollo 15 TV transmission of "Falcon" blasting into the dark lunar sky to the strains of "Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder." The music was not meant to be heard on board "Falcon" (and caused some concern at the time) but the reaction of most viewers was summed up by the BBC's "Voice of Apollo", James Burke, when he said: "This is coming from the spacecraft!! What a crew!"A priceless memory. |
OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 06-30-2011 01:58 PM
I can never hear The Beach Boys without thinking of the STS-26 wake-up calls. I would love to get those on MP3's. |
randyc
Member Posts: 779
From: Chandler, AZ USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted 06-30-2011 02:16 PM
I always think of the Apollo 11 mission when I hear 'Crimson & Clover' by Tommy James and the Shondells. It was released in June 1969, and I recall hearing it quite a bit in the weeks before the launch.Once when I was at the Cape a few years ago I was driving along the beach road from CCAFS to KSC and as I approached LC-39A, the Apollo 11 launchsite, the song "Crimson & Clover' started playing on the car radio. Boy, did that take me back a few years!! |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-30-2011 02:23 PM
I've heard that Whitney Houston's "One Moment In Time" was played to the STS-26 launch. I haven't seen or heard this myself, though. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-30-2011 03:19 PM
quote:
Originally posted by OV-105:
I would love to get those on MP3's.
The songs were released on cassette, "25 Times the Speed of Sound" by the band Mach 25. They were written/produced by Mike Cahill. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-30-2011 03:24 PM
Every time "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash plays on the radio, I'm taken right back to STS-61 and the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope.The audio cue that really gets me though, is not a song at all — it's the sound of seagulls cawing. Anyone who has seen The Dream is Alive will understand... |
Gilbert
Member Posts: 1328
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 06-30-2011 03:26 PM
When I hear Spirit in the Sky I always think of the scene in the film Apollo 13 where the song is playing. |
Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 07-01-2011 01:12 AM
A sad one for me that popped up in 2003 was I would think about Columbia's breakup when I heard the song "Metal Meltdown" by Judas Priest. It has taken a few years for me to sort of distance the two from each other, but I still sometimes have that image of the multiple contrails streaking across the sky in my mind when I listen to it."Rocket Ride" by KISS is one that gives me a mental image of a shuttle launch. Of course part of the reason is on the simulation Orbiter, when I would launch a shuttle I would time a CD with the music to begin at the 10 second countdown. Best part is when Ace goes "Come on grab ahold of my rocket" and starts the guitar solo is when the SRBs pop off to begin their tumble. I admit next week when I see Atlantis sitting on the pad, "Countdown" by Rush is going to be running through my head. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 07-01-2011 02:36 PM
Am I suffering a 'senior moment' or did they play "Fly Me to the Moon" by Old Blue Eyes on Apollo 11? I'm sure it was one of the early Moon shots. |
ea757grrl
Member Posts: 729
From: South Carolina
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 07-01-2011 05:25 PM
Regarding "Southern Cross," that song became a favorite precisely because of its connection to spaceflight. In my own travels I've been known to play it on my iPod when I'm looking out the window of the airplane I'm flying on and admiring the view out the window. Yes, you understand now why you came this way.At the other end of the scale, I cannot hear any rendition of "Scotland the Brave" without automatically thinking of STS-107's final wake-up call. |
ea757grrl
Member Posts: 729
From: South Carolina
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 07-01-2011 05:27 PM
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
Am I suffering a 'senior moment' or did they play "Fly Me to the Moon" by Old Blue Eyes on Apollo 11?
Apollo 10. In fact, one of the special reports CBS aired during the flight began with the broadcast of that song to/from the spacecraft, just before the announcer introduced the special report. It was pretty cool. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3207
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 07-01-2011 05:44 PM
I remember them playing "Going Back To Houston" by Dean Martin during the long-duration flight of Gemini 7 back in 1965. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-01-2011 07:13 PM
Every time I heard Barry McGuire's 1965 hit song "Eve of Destruction" I always imagine it relates to the June 1965 flight of Gemini 4 ("You may leave here for four days in space, But when you return it's the same old place"). |
Rob Joyner
Member Posts: 1308
From: GA, USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 07-02-2011 12:10 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Jay Chladek:
I admit next week when I see Atlantis sitting on the pad, "Countdown" by Rush is going to be running through my head.
You're not alone! 'Countdown' is my absolute favorite space inspired song. The last cut on Rush's 1982 LP 'Signals', it's about the first launch, STS-1 Columbia, and incorporates actual NASA audio. The music video, includes footage of not only the launch, but the multitudes of people there that day - launch control, the press and spectators... The air is charged - a humid, motionless mass.
The crowds and the cameras,
The cars full of spectators pass.
Excitement so thick - you could cut it with a knife.
Technology - high, on the leading edge of life. I saw Rush perform 'Countdown' live in Jacksonville in March of 1983. This was back when there was still 'general admission' shows, concerts with no assigned seats. Through the crowd I was able to get right up to the barrier at center stage, directly in front of drummer Neil Peart. (For those not familiar with Rush, bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson write the music. Peart writes the lyrics.) I remember the entire arena being dark and quiet before 'Countdown' started. Then the loud sound of the T-38 broke the silence... SWOOOSH! The goosebumps immediately had a field day! As the song began the huge screen behind the band lit up with the video images. The sound was so loud when the shuttle launched I could feel it! It was amazing! I wondered what seeing one in person would be like. It would be nine years later before I found out. After the show that night I bought a concert program. Here's some excerpts from within by Peart about seeing the launch in person: We were there! It wasn't easy, but we made it! We had a long-standing invitation to the first launch, and always swore that we would be there no matter what.We were due to play that night in Dallas, so we couldn't wait much longer. Finally they announced that the launch would be scrubbed for that day. The computers weren't speaking! The next night we had a show in San Antonio, after which we drove off immediately, clambered into a hired jet, and flew straight back to Florida. This time the launch took place on schedule, and it was SOMETHING! I remember thinking to myself as we flew back to Fort Forth after a couple of days without sleep: "We've GOT to write a song about this!" It was an incredible thing to witness, truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can only hope that the song comes even close to capturing the excitement and awe that we felt that morning. After I looked through the concert program I then had to pull out my copy of 'Signals'. The lyrics are printed on one side of the inner LP sleeve. Underneath the 'Countdown' title and above the lyrics it reads: Dedicated with thanks to astronauts Young & Crippen and all the people of NASA for their inspiration and cooperation. If things go as planned on July 8th I'll be there on the causeway for probably the last time, the last time to watch a shuttle launch anyway. And while I wait I'll think about that song just like I have many times before while waiting for a launch. But, of course, this time will be very different. The last verse of 'Countdown' will mean more than ever. More than ever because it will never be experienced again. It was written for the first launch, but indeed does the last justice. Thank you Mr. Peart. Like a pillar of cloud,
The smoke lingers
High in the air.
In fascination -
With the eyes of the world
We stare... |
GoesTo11
Member Posts: 1309
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 07-02-2011 03:27 AM
My parents were assigned to Edwards AFB from '82-'85, but we lived in Lancaster, so every day I endured the 30+ minute ride to & from the base listening to the soundtrack of the '80s.The day I saw my first Shuttle landing (STS-5), on November 16, 1982, the #1 song in the country was "Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes. When I saw my last, 41-D, on September 5, 1984, it was Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It." Yes, it's been that long. |
OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 07-03-2011 02:55 PM
GoesTo11, I am not sure how long it has been since you were in Lancaster/Rosemond but it sure has changed since 1984. |
issman1
Member Posts: 1042
From: UK
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 07-03-2011 03:25 PM
Crazy by Seal came out in 1990 around the time of STS-35 and still reminds me of that particular mission, strangely. I especially like the following lyric that resonates even today: In a world full of people only some want to fly, isn't that crazy? But one of the best wake-up calls ever was Voyage To Atlantis during STS-129 for astronaut Robert Satcher. Incidentally, David Bryant mentioned a BBC documentary back in the '80s?
It was a 1987 edition of Horizon called "Riding The Stack". But the astronaut who listened to Southern Cross on the shuttle wasn't Hoot Gibson, it was Rick Hauck. |
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