Beauty in the Dark

[Strifeguard]

If they are Pak'ma'ra, how could they sing a Human song almost flawlessly?

I'm willing to chalk this up to "adaptation". That is, while the Pak'ma'ra probably wouldn't ever sing in Latin (btw, do we ever hear a Pak'ma'ra speak, other than that noise one makes when regurgitating Dr. Franklin's non-organic solution? I just can't seem to recall) But, the chant must be "beautiful" so it was represented for us as an ancient gregorian chant that viewers would inherently recognize as "beautiful".

It's not perfect, but of all the hats JMS has worn (author, director, producer, etc.) "composer" was never one of them. (as far as I know)

 

[RW7427]

I remember the Pak'ma'ra speaking before using one of those translator thingies. The Gaim used them too. It lights up when they speak.

 

[RW7427]

I remember the Pak'ma'ra speaking before using one of those translator thingies. The Gaim used them too. It lights up when they speak.

 

[Lyta]

It's not perfect, but of all the hats JMS has worn (author, director, producer, etc.) "composer" was never one of them. (as far as I know)

Well, I don't know if "composer" would be the right term for him but he has written lyrics to songs before and given direction about what the music should sound like to people like Christopher Franke as well. Anyway, here is what he has said about it:

Aug.18.1996
[In Walkabout,] did you notice Lyta was wearing her gill dress when she first came on board? Who did the music? Where did the Narn heavy fighter come from?

"Who did the music?"

I wrote the lyrics, Chris Franke did the music.

Jul.26.1996
Who sings the songs?

No, not a career move; it's not widely known -- I guess mainly because I haven't ever mentioned it much -- but from time to time I've written songs. Mainly the lyrics; I know how the music should sound, but I'm incapable of reading music...I think it's the same mental glitch that hits me when I try to do certain kinds of math. "X is a numerical value." "No, X is a letter, 7 is a numerical value." I can't ever seem to make the one equal the other in my head. Similarly, a black note on a piece of paper isn't the music...anyway, it's a glitch.)

So when I write songs, and I have a specific melody I'm hearing in my head, I'm invariably placed in the humiliating position (since I can't play a musical instrument) of humming it, or somehow trying to suggest it to the music-person. Suffice to say it looks really goofy and stupid.

Anyway...despite this, I do sometimes write songs, and like to keep my hand in, as they say. I did two songs for an ABC-TV prime-time Real Ghostbusters special, did a few songs that have been recorded by small groups (you've never heard of any of them, trust me), another song that, much to my chagrin, is apparently still being used in church songbooks (and that's all I will ever say about that)...and when I decided to do a show with a singer for B5, I wrote a couple of songs for that one, with Chris Franke providing the music.

They're bluesy, Billie Holliday kinds of songs, updated slightly. I'm actually very pleased with how they came out (Erica Gimpel, one of the cast members from Fame, plays the part and sings the
songs). Several folks around here want either or both songs to come out on the next B5 album, but I"m loathe to do so, on the theory that the soundtracks work better in the style we've already used, all instrumental. (There've even been some inquiries from music people who've heard the songs about releasing them commercially, but that would mean adding about 30 seconds to each song to make them airplay compatible, and I'm not sure I want to take on the extra hassle just now.)

Jul.8.1994
Yeah, I wrote all the lyrics for the songs in "The Halloween Door," [a "The Real Ghostbusters episode] including Egon's piece, and the lyrical (without music) goodbye to Poe, Bradbury and the rest. I've written a few songs here and there, a couple of which have actually been recorded, but I won't tell you where.

 

[Lyta]

It's not perfect, but of all the hats JMS has worn (author, director, producer, etc.) "composer" was never one of them. (as far as I know)

Well, I don't know if "composer" would be the right term for him but he has written lyrics to songs before and given direction about what the music should sound like to people like Christopher Franke as well. Anyway, here is what he has said about it:

Aug.18.1996
[In Walkabout,] did you notice Lyta was wearing her gill dress when she first came on board? Who did the music? Where did the Narn heavy fighter come from?

"Who did the music?"

I wrote the lyrics, Chris Franke did the music.

Jul.26.1996
Who sings the songs?

No, not a career move; it's not widely known -- I guess mainly because I haven't ever mentioned it much -- but from time to time I've written songs. Mainly the lyrics; I know how the music should sound, but I'm incapable of reading music...I think it's the same mental glitch that hits me when I try to do certain kinds of math. "X is a numerical value." "No, X is a letter, 7 is a numerical value." I can't ever seem to make the one equal the other in my head. Similarly, a black note on a piece of paper isn't the music...anyway, it's a glitch.)

So when I write songs, and I have a specific melody I'm hearing in my head, I'm invariably placed in the humiliating position (since I can't play a musical instrument) of humming it, or somehow trying to suggest it to the music-person. Suffice to say it looks really goofy and stupid.

Anyway...despite this, I do sometimes write songs, and like to keep my hand in, as they say. I did two songs for an ABC-TV prime-time Real Ghostbusters special, did a few songs that have been recorded by small groups (you've never heard of any of them, trust me), another song that, much to my chagrin, is apparently still being used in church songbooks (and that's all I will ever say about that)...and when I decided to do a show with a singer for B5, I wrote a couple of songs for that one, with Chris Franke providing the music.

They're bluesy, Billie Holliday kinds of songs, updated slightly. I'm actually very pleased with how they came out (Erica Gimpel, one of the cast members from Fame, plays the part and sings the
songs). Several folks around here want either or both songs to come out on the next B5 album, but I"m loathe to do so, on the theory that the soundtracks work better in the style we've already used, all instrumental. (There've even been some inquiries from music people who've heard the songs about releasing them commercially, but that would mean adding about 30 seconds to each song to make them airplay compatible, and I'm not sure I want to take on the extra hassle just now.)

Jul.8.1994
Yeah, I wrote all the lyrics for the songs in "The Halloween Door," [a "The Real Ghostbusters episode] including Egon's piece, and the lyrical (without music) goodbye to Poe, Bradbury and the rest. I've written a few songs here and there, a couple of which have actually been recorded, but I won't tell you where.

 

[Strifeguard]

I remember the Pak'ma'ra speaking before using one of those translator thingies. The Gaim used them too. It lights up when they speak.

That's right, I think I remember that too now. It's when Franklin was running tests on a Pak'ma'ra for the interspecies medical database. He said they were interesting, because as carion eaters, they seemed imune to many disease which would cripple other races. (i.e. the diseases inherent to dead bodies)
The Pak'ma'ra responded with something like "The chosen ones can eat of the birds in the sky and the creatures of the land, but never of the fish in the sea,". That was one of my favorite parts about B5, how almost every race has some kind of inate-hubris to their language. This was touched upon a handful of times in StarTrek (i.e. how would non-human races interpret the word "humanitarian"), but B5 really drove it home.

@Lyta
Thanks for the info, man, is there anything that JMS can't do?

 

[Strifeguard]

I remember the Pak'ma'ra speaking before using one of those translator thingies. The Gaim used them too. It lights up when they speak.

That's right, I think I remember that too now. It's when Franklin was running tests on a Pak'ma'ra for the interspecies medical database. He said they were interesting, because as carion eaters, they seemed imune to many disease which would cripple other races. (i.e. the diseases inherent to dead bodies)
The Pak'ma'ra responded with something like "The chosen ones can eat of the birds in the sky and the creatures of the land, but never of the fish in the sea,". That was one of my favorite parts about B5, how almost every race has some kind of inate-hubris to their language. This was touched upon a handful of times in StarTrek (i.e. how would non-human races interpret the word "humanitarian"), but B5 really drove it home.

@Lyta
Thanks for the info, man, is there anything that JMS can't do?

 

[Demon]

(btw, do we ever hear a Pak'ma'ra speak, other than that noise one makes when regurgitating Dr. Franklin's non-organic solution? I just can't seem to recall)

I'm sure I remember something from the Season 5 episode about the training of the young Minbari Rangers (can't remember the title ). One fo the senior Rangers told Sheridan they were struggling to find something to do with the Pak'ma'ra Rangers, because they wouldn't even learn any language other than their own.

 

[Demon]

(btw, do we ever hear a Pak'ma'ra speak, other than that noise one makes when regurgitating Dr. Franklin's non-organic solution? I just can't seem to recall)

I'm sure I remember something from the Season 5 episode about the training of the young Minbari Rangers (can't remember the title ). One fo the senior Rangers told Sheridan they were struggling to find something to do with the Pak'ma'ra Rangers, because they wouldn't even learn any language other than their own.

 

[Strifeguard]

One fo the senior Rangers told Sheridan they were struggling to find something to do with the Pak'ma'ra Rangers, because they wouldn't even learn any language other than their own.

I also recall that episode, but I think the only sound the Pak'ma'ra makes in that particular episode is a snore as it falls asleep when the trainees are supposed to be meditating.

Perhaps the Pak'ma'ra have more in common with humans than we thought...(or at least in common with Captain Sheridan's ability to meditate)

 

[Strifeguard]

One fo the senior Rangers told Sheridan they were struggling to find something to do with the Pak'ma'ra Rangers, because they wouldn't even learn any language other than their own.

I also recall that episode, but I think the only sound the Pak'ma'ra makes in that particular episode is a snore as it falls asleep when the trainees are supposed to be meditating.

Perhaps the Pak'ma'ra have more in common with humans than we thought...(or at least in common with Captain Sheridan's ability to meditate)

 

[RW7427]

(btw, do we ever hear a Pak'ma'ra speak, other than that noise one makes when regurgitating Dr. Franklin's non-organic solution? I just can't seem to recall)

I'm sure I remember something from the Season 5 episode about the training of the young Minbari Rangers (can't remember the title ). One fo the senior Rangers told Sheridan they were struggling to find something to do with the Pak'ma'ra Rangers, because they wouldn't even learn any language other than their own.

That's in Learning Curve.

 

[RW7427]

(btw, do we ever hear a Pak'ma'ra speak, other than that noise one makes when regurgitating Dr. Franklin's non-organic solution? I just can't seem to recall)

I'm sure I remember something from the Season 5 episode about the training of the young Minbari Rangers (can't remember the title ). One fo the senior Rangers told Sheridan they were struggling to find something to do with the Pak'ma'ra Rangers, because they wouldn't even learn any language other than their own.

That's in Learning Curve.

 

[Lyta]

@Lyta
Thanks for the info, man, is there anything that JMS can't do?

Apparently carry a tune and write poetry.

 

[Lyta]

@Lyta
Thanks for the info, man, is there anything that JMS can't do?

Apparently carry a tune and write poetry.