The "Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles" Quest for Music Composer Research

I just realized we have a good candidate for proto Launch Base Act 1: Tonomori Sawada.

He confirmed he composed Crystal Egg (S2 SMS), which basically got remixed into proto/PC Ice Cap (S3).
He also confirmed he composed the S3 Title theme and its related jingles, like Invincibility.

Then we have proto/PC Launch Base 1. (Act 2 is probably a rearrangement by M. Nagao, he confirmed to have rearranged Hidrocity Act 2, but not Act 1).

Let's compare:

Proto/PC Ice Cap
✔️ Almost monotone bassline
✔️ Simple percussion

S3 Invincibility
✔️ Almost monotone bassline
✔️ Simple percussion

Proto/PC Launch Base Act 1
✔️ Almost monotone bassline
✔️ Simple percussion

Even his confirmed contribution to Golden Axe III follows the same pattern.
✔️ Almost monotone bassline
✔️ Simple percussion

He was a novice composer at the time, though, which might explain this.

 

The “GO” indicates that it’s fitting for the last Zone of Sonic 3 in a more encouraging way than the “Victory” intro of the proto. My only complaint about the final music is the laziness of Act 2’s composition.

 

So if we have a good idea for the unused theme, proto ICZ and proto LBZ, that leaves proto CNZ, the competition menu and the credits menu themes unknown.

 

The proto/PC credits theme sounds like Maeda. (Same composer as Panic Puppet on 3D blast)

HCz2 (not Act 1) is confirmed to be M. Nagao, if we consider that 'style' we have: LBz2, AIz1, AIz2, CNz1, CNz2 and proto competition.

Yes, M. Nagao seems to be the man behind most of the S3 soundtrack.

 

Is this your assumption or is there anything concrete to back that up? Nothing about one screams "this is totally a remix!" of the other to me. I find more plausibility in that fanwank of Bridge Zone being a remix of that one Janet Jackson song.

 

I've seen people compare them, but never saw anyone in their right mind claim that Janet's "Together Again" was the inspiration of Bridge Zone. But I digress.

I agree with Master Emerald's theory that all of those tracks seem to match Sawada's style at the time. Even if it's somewhat of a stretch, it's not a massive one, since all of his tracks seem to follow those patterns M.E. pointed out.

 

Sure, you can just listen to this comparison of the lead part.

Verses
✔️Same key
✔️Same melody hooks
✔️Same structure

The chorus (at the end) doesn't align perfectly but that's because it evolved but the elements that were present in the 8 bit game are still there, listen to this other comparison:

✔️Same key
✔️Similar melody hooks
❌Different structure

So this song was made by someone who knew Crystal Egg and used it as base. It happens to match other songs we know are from Sawada too, so it's just natural to have him a possible composer.

 

Anybody who knew their Sonic would know Crystal Egg when Sonic 3 was being made, and we're talking about somebody working at SEGA, in a Sonic game.

 

Well considering it's a hidden level on a game not made by SEGA (remember, it was outsourced to Aspect), there is a great possibility. And of course, with the original composer for Crystal Egg being on the two games, the more obvious candidate is the guy who composed it, as it was the case with Green Hills/You can do Anything.

But of course, there's the possibility somebody else loved Sawada's work on it and tried to remake it on the MD, like Jun Senoue's remix of Super Fantasy Zone's 'Picnic' for Sonic 3D Blast. But then again, in my opinion, the composition credits shouldn't change just because somebody remixed it. That's why we have the 'arrangement' credit for.

 

I think the Sonic 3 proto theme is definitely based upon Crystal Egg to a certain extent, but it's also been changed up a lot and turned into a different song.

I don't think we can say for certain that it was made by Sawada. Anyone could built upon it.

 

Yeah, that's what I'm getting at. The Green Hills/YCDA comparison is obvious just from hearing them. So is Hard Times/Final Ice Cap.
This is... not. You have to layer one on top of the other, or twist them around to make them sort-of fit together... until they don't because the chords change. To me that's a hole in your theory. Not to mention the differences that would go into composing music on an 8-bit system versus a 16-bit system. Unless it's a very deliberate attempt (again like YCDA) these two just sound like two completely different songs to me.

 

Has anyone seen the credits roll for the Sonic 3 Beta? If so, who are the composers listed? Is it still Buxer and company , despite there being no MJ music in the beta? I've seen the credits theme a bunch of times but never the credits roll.

 

Remember, every “unused” beta song in s3 is in the S&K collection on PC, so if you want music credits i recommend looking at the credits for that instead

 

The manual only credits the sound arrangers - and if it were that simple, this mystery wouldn't be going on for 20+ years now...

IMO it's possible the "real" composer credits are in the S3 beta, since that beta didn't have the MJ music.

 

...Interesting. I mean I only managed to beat s&k collection somehow while my mental sanity was degrading, but my mental sanity was too, TOO low to see any credit differences.

 

The credits for S&K Collection are identical to the Genesis version

 

SEGA released another compilation album, and it includes Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Wow! Angel Island Act 1 and Mushroom Hill Act 1.

However, I can't put my finger on what's going on here. Both tracks sound like tthey have a channel out of sync and with some sort distortion. I'd like to see you'll thoughts on this. @_@

They didn't specify writers on those two songs, which are the only ones in the album with songwriting credits to just "SEGA". Hmph.

 

Is this first time we have 16-Bits / Mega Drive Sonic song on a Spotify album?

Also, was very surprised to see Green Groove from Sonic 3D Blast included.

 

I would love to see the Sonic 3 Beta (the most recent one without MJ music) credits.... anyone know how to see them?