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Police Drummer Stewart Copeland Lays Down Custom Interface Tones For BlackBerry Bold
Posted by John Mahoney at 2:25 AM on August 5, 2008
I'm loving this trend of prominent and/or English rockers with ambient/prog tendencies laying down soundtracks for gadgets and software. Most famously we have Brian Eno composing the "Windows Sound" for Win 95, then Robert Fripp of King Crimson helping out with Vista's sound set. Now Police drummer Stewart Copeland has done the same for the BlackBerry Bold, composing a five-note "theme" that will pop up in preloaded ring tones and alarm chimes, whenever the Bold gets around to shipping. Personally, if I ever replace my Van Halen "Jump" ringtone, I want it to be with some custom-composed robot squawking by someone like Daft Punk. Somewhere, John Mayer is shedding a single tear of envy. For sound samples hit up: [APC via CrackBerry]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Noobs-R-Us
Posted 2:54 AM 5/8/08
For those of you that are too young to know about the Equalizer....
+ Watch video
Noobs-R-Us
jrghoull
Posted 2:50 AM 5/8/08
U2 did the "activation" sound for the XO-1
though they're irish not english...but thats still the UK
also it was a modification of one of their songs and not an entirely new and original little soundclip...still kicks @$$ though.
just thought i'd add that little tidbit...
jrghoull
reamon
Posted 2:47 AM 5/8/08
@Noobs-R-Us: Yes, very Equalizer-ish!
What's weak is APC's connection to "Message in a Bottle" which of course Copeland played drums on but did not write.
reamon
Noobs-R-Us
Posted 2:38 AM 5/8/08
Ah, I just listened to the samples and it sucks...wow! It doesn't fit!
Noobs-R-Us
Noobs-R-Us
Posted 2:35 AM 5/8/08
Yes, I remember his music for The Equalizer and the movie Wall Street. His music fits!
Noobs-R-Us
doobiebros2two
Posted 2:34 AM 5/8/08
5 notes?
Really?
I wonder [as you are too] how much he got paid.
doobiebros2two
blitzkrieg999
Posted 3:19 AM 5/8/08
Daft Punk can record sounds for my phone any day they want!
blitzkrieg999
dingus
Posted 3:14 AM 5/8/08
Merzbow did the original Sound Blaster "your DOS game has crashed" sound.
dingus
Barry99705
Posted 3:08 AM 5/8/08
What, no mention of the Sofa Surfers? Don't forget Microsoft bought the rights to Start Me Up for the Windows 95 release.
Barry99705
SigmundTheSeaMonster
Posted 3:07 AM 5/8/08
@Noobs-R-Us: Loved that show. Vigilante Sophisticate.
SigmundTheSeaMonster
reddingofish
Posted 3:37 AM 5/8/08
That explains why I love Vista so much. I have been a Fripp fan for decades.
reddingofish
celticchrys
Posted 4:21 AM 5/8/08
jrghoull: The Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK. Just so you know.
celticchrys
moron
Posted 5:20 AM 5/8/08
No matter how good the sound (five note musical composition) is we are going to end up hating it because of overexposure.
moron
Charles
Posted 5:11 AM 5/8/08
Stewart Copeland is American.
Charles
broken5hift
Posted 6:10 AM 5/8/08
so that's what failure sounds like
broken5hift
BulkHedd
Posted 5:58 AM 5/8/08
"Dead Like Me" theme on YouTube:
+ Watch video
BulkHedd
BulkHedd
Posted 5:56 AM 5/8/08
Yes, Stewart Copeland is American, not English.
He also did the theme for "Dead Like Me" which these Bold sounds sort of remind me of a bit.
BulkHedd
reamon
Posted 7:50 AM 5/8/08
"I'm loving this trend of prominent and/or English rockers..."
Prominent? Yes.
English? No.
reamon
johnfrombrooklyn
Posted 7:37 AM 5/8/08
You're "loving" the fact that a long-time critical and popular success has to resort to bopping out 5-note ringtones to keep the flame alive? It depresses me to no end.
johnfrombrooklyn
Gilbert
Posted 10:30 AM 5/8/08
*sounds
Gilbert
golferal
Posted 10:30 AM 5/8/08
Copeland is one of my favorite drummers. I wish he would do some ringtones with a little more percussive sound.
golferal
Gilbert
Posted 10:30 AM 5/8/08
They sound perilously close to being corporate training video intros and transition sound. To wit, they make me want to by Successories posters and than, sadly, kill myself.
Gilbert