An Analysis of the Music

Almaron · **on:** September 09, 2009, 01:29:38 AM

This is a work in progress, but here's what I have so far.
Land Before Time Soundtrack Analysis
Basically, I listened carefully to the soundtrack for Land Before Time, and then compared that to the music as you hear it in the film, and noted where the gaps were. Hopefully we can use this to find where the deleted scenes would have been.

There's more I have to say, but I've already said it on the page.

Petrie. · **Reply #1 on:** September 09, 2009, 07:09:40 AM

This is cool!

I've never done it graphically, but I'm aware of music that has been on the soundtrack but not in the film (beginning of "Rescue") and also stuff in the film not in the soundtrack (following the water to the false valley). Its unclear why the missing music isn't on the soundtrack, even though the main themes are only rewritten for the missing pieces. Generally speaking, most of what is in the film, is in the soundtrack.

Almaron · **Reply #2 on:** September 09, 2009, 04:54:49 PM

At the moment, I can't be bothered analysing the rest, but I do have a rather sketchy list of all the different tunes as I heard them. (I mean REALLY Sketchy. I drew it all on one piece of paper that rapidly filled up with comments, and a timeline that gets fairly cramped at the edge. I'll post what I can read off it. Ugh. That's what I get for writing too fast.)

It seems though a horn was added for a lot of Spike's scenes. I wonder if the music was changed with the cutting of some scenes, or if they just didn't put all the tracks on the soundtrack. I know James Horner didn't put all the tracks from "Titanic" on the album, some were released on "Back To Titanic". Maybe he did the same thing here.

(Starting Where Ducky Fell)

Completely Unfamiliar Track
Reworked Track 7 (Early Spike Birth)
Another Unfamiliar Track (Spike Eating)

(Starting After The Transition)
Track based off IWHOT? Repeats three times, last time climactic.
Unfamiliar Music
(Silence?)
Early Track 5 Slowed Down (Climbing the Tree)
Added Horn
Added Horn
Variant
Short Crash (Repeat Of Petrie Falling W/ Track Added)
Cera's Boast (Repeat Of Track 2, Parents Taking Their Kids Away)
Repeat of something, possibly 5:25 on... (Repeats, Higher pitched)
Track 7 or 6? Variant of IWHOT
(Whispering Winds?) Ducky's Theme Added
IWHOT Edit, sped up. (Track 6 or 7) Short Edit on End.
Reprise of 2, Sharptooth at Bubbles? Then repeat of Cera's fleeing music.
Unfamiliar track
Opening to Track 2 ("Though they were tired..."
Unfamiliar track, edit of IWHOT?
Familiar?
Edited Ducky
Track taken from 6/7?
Edited Mid Ducky/Petrie/Walk. (Late Fight)
Edited IWHOT
Opening of 2?

Anyone here with a musical ear and the soundtrack is welcome to try and decode that mess. You will definitely need to watch those scenes again though.

Littlefoot3897 · **Reply #3 on:** September 09, 2009, 06:52:20 PM

yeah I notice this things too

basically in the Sharptooth and Earthquake you can hear more dramatic music in the part after Littlefoot says look out! to Cera.

Almaron · **Reply #4 on:** September 10, 2009, 01:31:18 AM

Oh yeah, if you don't have the soundtrack but would like to hear the missing "fight" music, it plays in LBT 6 when Grandpa Longneck rescues Littlefoot from the Sharptooth.

Kind of fitting, that the music is finally used for a sharptooth fight...

Petrie. · **Reply #5 on:** September 10, 2009, 06:58:58 AM

As far as I'm aware there isn't any missing fight music in the original film. As I originally stated, most of what is on the commercial release is in the film. To be perfectly honest, if you take the horn pieces of Spike's birth, I think you'd be messing up the symphony that is LBT that has been presented and cherished by many many score fans (the ost doesn't cost over $50 these days for nothing). I think its better that those bits like that are absent.

Almaron · **Reply #6 on:** September 10, 2009, 04:07:06 PM

No, you misunderstood me. By fight music I mean the scene where Littlefoot's Mother fought the Sharptooth-the missing scenes. Because they recycled the original soundtrack for the sequels you can occasionally hear the cut parts.

Petrie. · **Reply #7 on:** September 10, 2009, 06:47:24 PM

Oh, well considering you are new, I don't own or really care for the sequels, so I haven't heard these missing pieces. If there's clips somewhere, I'd be interesting in hearing them.

Littlefoot3897 · **Reply #8 on:** September 11, 2009, 08:18:09 PM

Quote from: Almaron,Sep 10 2009 on 12:31 AM

Oh yeah, if you don't have the soundtrack but would like to hear the missing "fight" music, it plays in LBT 6 when Grandpa Longneck rescues Littlefoot from the Sharptooth.

Kind of fitting, that the music is finally used for a sharptooth fight...

oh I do have the soundtrack

thats what I was saying

but I like the Land Before Time Sharptooth and earthquake movie version better then the soundtrack.

it has different sounds then the soundtrack

Littlefoot3897 · **Reply #9 on:** September 11, 2009, 08:20:32 PM

Quote from: Petrie,Sep 10 2009 on 05:58 AM

As far as I'm aware there isn't any missing fight music in the original film. As I originally stated, most of what is on the commercial release is in the film. To be perfectly honest, if you take the horn pieces of Spike's birth, I think you'd be messing up the symphony that is LBT that has been presented and cherished by many many score fans (the ost doesn't cost over $50 these days for nothing). I think its better that those bits like that are absent.

WHAT!! there is!! you have to listen to the music in the soundtrack and the music in the movie repeatedly they did mixed up stuff.

Almaron · **Reply #10 on:** September 14, 2009, 04:09:18 AM

Hmm, my list may need updating. I listened to track 6 again, and it sounds like a part of 6 part 2 was cut (This could just be me not remembering how the movie goes). Plus I might have mixed up where the cut should go.

And hey! I think some of the other character's reunion music is missing. Damn.

Petrie. · **Reply #11 on:** September 14, 2009, 06:56:05 AM

Track 6 contains the music to the scene where Littlefoot finds the valley before going back to rescue Cera and the others. You can see a cut of this scene at the end when Littlefoot stutters "The Great Valley!" The backgrounds clearly don't match where Littlefoot was standing. This was definitely a deleted scene, and probably cut near the very end of production given the fact the music is still in place on the official soundtrack.

Daddytops2009 · **Reply #12 on:** September 14, 2009, 01:54:19 PM

Great, I had the soundtrack on cassette once!

Petrie. · **Reply #13 on:** September 14, 2009, 06:04:23 PM

Its pretty hard to get ahold of in any medium. A re-release wouldn't hurt. As far as I can tell An American Tail's score got rereleased not too long ago. That's why the price for it isn't through the roof.

Almaron · **Reply #14 on:** September 15, 2009, 03:38:35 AM

Had another listen to the music, and the end of track 6 jumps straight from Ducky and Spike playing in the water, to Littlefoot finding his Grandparents. However, the missing music seems to be part of track 7.

Petrie. · **Reply #15 on:** September 15, 2009, 06:53:52 AM

Yes, you are correct...there's a slight cut there, but the piece is in the end credits.

Almaron · **Reply #16 on:** October 08, 2010, 11:13:39 PM

After a long time, I've actually updated this thing with another draft page!

Land Before Time Soundtrack Analysis 2

Although, I've just seen on this page that these are my original notes! Well, that changes a few things. For one, it explains why E, F & G are grouped together; that part sounded to me like an instrumental of If We Hold On Together that repeated three times, before becoming climactic on the last one.

In that case, if they are grouped closely, then it probably means something to do with the track.

Almaron · **Reply #17 on:** October 09, 2010, 03:50:45 PM

I've just had a look at the notes on this page, and I think I've managed to remember what some of the illegible parts of the page meant.

A: Unfamiliar track
B: Reworking of Track 7 (Start of Spike's Birth)
C: Another Unfamiliar track (Spike Eating)
D: [Track 5 Part 2 played twice, then Part 4]
E, F & G: An instrumental version of If We Hold On Together; played and repeated three times before becoming climactic on the final one.
H: (Blank) (Glade destroyed by hungry longnecks)
I: [Silence]
J: [Track 5, prior to meeting Petrie] (Climbing the Tree)
K & L: Possibly added Brass
M & N: Variant
O: Short crash (an edit of the music played when they first meet Petrie and he falls from the tree).
P: [Track 2, music is from scene where Littlefoot and Cera are carried away by their parents] (I can get my OWN Green Food!)
Q: Repeat of something, possibly 5:25 onwards (Repeats, higher pitched)
R: (Blank)
S: Track 7? Or end of Track 6, "Without Mother" theme (Probably referring to the music played before the berry scene; the end of Littlefoot's conversation with Rooter)
T: Track 3, with Ducky's theme added (refers to the scene where Ducky moves over to Littlefoot. There's another tune played over the existing track when this happens)
U: Track 6/7 sped up. or altered Track 7/end of Track 6 (If We Hold On Together instrumental, with a short edit at the end)
V: Piano
W: Reprise of Track 2, when Sharptooth is at the bubbles, then a repeat of Cera's fleeing music.
X: Unfamiliar track
Y: Theme (Refers to instrumental version of If We Hold On Together, arguably the "Theme" of LBT)
Z: Track 2 Opening (Plays during "Though they were tired...")
1 & 2: Unfamiliar track; an edit of If We Hold On Together?
3: Familiar?
4: Edited Ducky Theme
5: From Track 6/7? St[art]?
6: Edited Mid Ducky/Petrie/Walk. (Plays late in the fight scene.
7: Edited theme, Track 7
8: Opening of track 2? Track 6?

From recollection, I believe that "Ducky Theme" refers to the light music occasionally played. Blank may also refer to silence, but it could just be that I hadn't identified the tune at that point.

Almaron · **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2011, 01:40:56 AM

Another update from me! One problem with my old listing is that it doesn't give good listings for how long each music segment goes for. It is actually marked on my chart (each pixel line represents one second), but a side-effect of it being resized badly by DeviantArt means that this is illegible. Here is a list of the length of each of the tracks, as divided up by me. I should note, the numbering differs from the picture - I later realised that part of Track 7 was being used in the final scene of the film.

The Great Migration
TOTAL   07:53:00 - Music plays unbroken from start of film to Littlefoot's Birth.

Sharptooth & The Earthquake
Part One:   07:39:00 - Continues from previous track; finding the Treestar to Littlefoot's Mother defending Littlefoot and Cera.
Part Two:   00:19:00 - Cut Music - Sharptooth/Littlefoot's Mother Fight Scene.
Part Three:02:37:00 - Remainder of scene; Sharptooth battle to Earthquake.
TOTAL:   10:35:00

Whispering Winds
Part One:   04:25:00 - Littlefoot's Mother's death to end of Berry Scene.
Part Two:   00:09:00 - Cut Music - Music is rather chaotic, as if something chased away the young pterosaurs.
Part Three:04:29:00 - Remainder of scene; Refusing Berry to Cera falling.
TOTAL:   09:03:00

If We Hold On Together
Part One:   00:14:00 - Cut Music - Song opening.
Part Two:   03:56:00 - Song used over End Credits.
TOTAL:   04:10:00

Foraging For Food
Part One:   02:55:00 - Ducky meeting Littlefoot to Petrie falling from tree.
Part Two:   00:05:00 - Rearranged Music - Actually can't remember when this takes place, but my notes state it's part of the next three segments.
Part Three:00:17:00 - Cut Music - Opening to Part Four.
Part Four:   00:22:00 - Rearranged Music - Plays during "There had never been such a herd before" scene.
Part Five:   00:05:00 - Cut Music - Closing to Part Four.
Part Six:   01:46:00 - Rearranged Music - Petrie on Littlefoot's Head to Crashing into Cera.
Part Seven:00:07:00 - Cut Music - I think part of this is used when Littlefoot aids Cera in getting Green Food.
Part Eight:   00:52:00 - Rearranged Music - Cera finds Sharptooth and makes faces (the music that plays when she starts attacking him is a repeat of several parts of Track 2).
Part Nine:   00:37:00 - Cut Music - Unfamiliar, opening is similar to Part Seven.
Part Ten:   00:13:00 - Rearranged Music - Cera launches Ducky through the air.
TOTAL:   07:19:00

The Rescue/The Discovery Of The Great Valley
Part One:   00:27:00 - Cera leading group through Mountain That Burn; plays until Ducky and Spike separate from the group.
Part Two:   01:23:00 - Rearranged Music - Littlefoot's Mother's Ghost to Valley Discovery.
Part Three:00:39:00 - Cut Music - Littlefoot turns back to rescue the others.
Part Four:   04:16:00 - Petrie falling off Cera's head to Sharptooth nearing water hole.
Part Five:   00:57:00 - Cut Music - Continues onwards from the plan to attack Sharptooth.
Part Six:   02:24:00 - Ducky enters Sharptooth's cave to Petrie believed dead.
Part Seven:00:30:00 - Cut Music - Presumably an alternate recording of Petrie's return; starts out sad, before getting lighter, and continuing into the Great Valley Discovery Music.
Part Eight:   00:55:00 - Great Valley Music to Spike and Ducky frolicking in water.
Part Nine:   01:15:00 - Littlefoot reuniting with Grandparents to Final Scene.
TOTAL:   12:46:00

End Credits
Part One:   00:42:00 - Played after If We Hold On Together.
Part Two:   02:24:00 - Cut Music - Additional Great Valley Music.
Part Three:00:34:00 - Rearranged Music - Plays when Ducky & Petrie find their parents.
Part Four:   00:55:00 - Cut Music - Alternate version of Track 6 Part Nine.
Part Five:   01:47:00 - Last music played.
TOTAL:   06:22:00

Each of the areas of missing music and the intact music that surround it do much to help us discern the lost scenes of the film. For one, as has been said before, Track 6 retains the original ending of the film; Littlefoot finds the Great Valley immediately after Cera and the others leave, but he turns back to find them. Additional evidence for this can be seen in film - The promontory Littlefoot stands on when he sees his mother's ghost matches the hill he was climbing in the earlier scene, plus the lagoon where Sharptooth met his end can be seen below Littlefoot, along with the very rock that they later push on his head.

I haven't managed to provide an update like this for the other two graphs of mine - the Lost Track and the Music As Played In The Film, but as I am fairly busy at the moment, they'll have to wait. Besides, now anybody can continue from here on.

Almaron · **Reply #19 on:** July 01, 2011, 03:59:43 AM

Here's something kind of interesting; it's the sheet I wrote my findings on initially. You can see why I had trouble writing all this up!

Analysis Draft - DeviantArt