Sam Spence
Encyclopedia
Samuel Lloyd Spence is an American soundtrack composer best known for his work with NFL Films
.
, Spence was hired in 1966 to score the mini-documentaries that conveyed NFL highlights and personalities to fans in the network-television era. Spence's music cues combined with the baritone voice of John Facenda
to remarkable artistic effect, and he can arguably be credited with a significant role in making American football
the top professional sport in the U.S. His work has also been on the EA Sports
Madden NFL
football videogames.
Initially Mahlon Merrick was asked to provide scores for NFL Films. A friend of Spence, Merrick asked Spence to help in the session. "Mahlon had written marches," said Spence. "Toward the end of that recording session, I stuck in a couple of different pieces - my own orchestral compositions with strings and woodwinds, more like a Hollywood film score. It turned out they were Ed Sabol
's favorites and he offered me a three-year contract to write, conduct, and produce NFL Films' music."
In Germany Sam Spence wrote several TV soundtracks with Hani Chamseddine, e.g. for the Francis Durbridge
thriller "Wie ein Blitz". After his retirement in 1990 he returned to Munich. He achieved unexpected fame in 1998 with the success of a CD compilation entitled The Power And The Glory: The Original Music & Voices Of NFL Films.
2007: Sam Spence - Our Man in Munich (2) (Allscore - Indigo)
2009: Autumn Thunder: 40 Years Of NFL Films Music
group Da Riffs, which can be found in the soundtrack of the game Madden NFL 06
. Along with the urban remakes, the original songs still play in the game's soundtrack. His music was also included in Madden NFL 07, Madden NFL 08 and Madden NFL 09, being remixed again by Da Riffs.
s; one has criticized them of "get[ting] too close to their obvious film inspiration." They have lauded some of his compositions as "cool homage[s]," while describing others as "barely disguised" "knock-offs." One example that stands out is a mid-1960s track titled "Take Six." It is a jazz track that deliberately resembles the Dave Brubeck
instrumental "Take Five
".
The familiarity of some of Spence's cues comes from his covers of several tracks by Ralph Dollimore, notably Dollimore's "Man, Go Man" which Spence retitled "The Lineman," and a direct cover of Dollimore's "Hit And Run." Other Spence cues betray influences from such tracks as Henry Mancini
's Peter Gunn
theme.
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
.
Biography
A former USC music instructor living and working in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Spence was hired in 1966 to score the mini-documentaries that conveyed NFL highlights and personalities to fans in the network-television era. Spence's music cues combined with the baritone voice of John Facenda
John Facenda
John Thomas Ralph Augustine James Facenda was an American broadcaster and sports announcer. He was a fixture on Philadelphia radio and television for decades, and achieved national fame as a narrator for NFL Films and Football Follies...
to remarkable artistic effect, and he can arguably be credited with a significant role in making American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
the top professional sport in the U.S. His work has also been on the EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
Madden NFL
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
football videogames.
Initially Mahlon Merrick was asked to provide scores for NFL Films. A friend of Spence, Merrick asked Spence to help in the session. "Mahlon had written marches," said Spence. "Toward the end of that recording session, I stuck in a couple of different pieces - my own orchestral compositions with strings and woodwinds, more like a Hollywood film score. It turned out they were Ed Sabol
Ed Sabol
Edward "Ed" Sabol is an American filmmaker and the founder of NFL Films. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 as a contributor due to his works with NFL Films....
's favorites and he offered me a three-year contract to write, conduct, and produce NFL Films' music."
In Germany Sam Spence wrote several TV soundtracks with Hani Chamseddine, e.g. for the Francis Durbridge
Francis Durbridge
Francis Henry Durbridge was an English playwright and author. He was educated at Bradford Grammar School in Yorkshire where he was encouraged to write by his English teacher. He continued to do so whilst studying English at Birmingham University...
thriller "Wie ein Blitz". After his retirement in 1990 he returned to Munich. He achieved unexpected fame in 1998 with the success of a CD compilation entitled The Power And The Glory: The Original Music & Voices Of NFL Films.
CD
1998: The Power And The Glory: The Original Music & Voices Of NFL Films2007: Sam Spence - Our Man in Munich (2) (Allscore - Indigo)
2009: Autumn Thunder: 40 Years Of NFL Films Music
Remake
In 2005, Spence's music was remade by the hip hop musicHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group Da Riffs, which can be found in the soundtrack of the game Madden NFL 06
Madden NFL 06
Madden NFL 06 is an American football video game which was released on August 8, 2005. It is also a launch game for the Xbox 360. It is the 16th installment of the Madden NFL series by EA Sports, named for noted color commentator John Madden. The product features former Philadelphia Eagles...
. Along with the urban remakes, the original songs still play in the game's soundtrack. His music was also included in Madden NFL 07, Madden NFL 08 and Madden NFL 09, being remixed again by Da Riffs.
Criticism
One of the hallmarks of Spence's music is its intangible familiarity. Two film score enthusiasts have pointed out the similarity of his more popular themes to several contemporary film scoreFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
s; one has criticized them of "get[ting] too close to their obvious film inspiration." They have lauded some of his compositions as "cool homage[s]," while describing others as "barely disguised" "knock-offs." One example that stands out is a mid-1960s track titled "Take Six." It is a jazz track that deliberately resembles the Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
instrumental "Take Five
Take Five
"Take Five" is a jazz piece written by Paul Desmond and performed by The Dave Brubeck Quartet on their 1959 album Time Out. Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studios in New York City on June 25, July 1, and August 18, 1959, this piece became one of the group's best-known records, famous for its...
".
The familiarity of some of Spence's cues comes from his covers of several tracks by Ralph Dollimore, notably Dollimore's "Man, Go Man" which Spence retitled "The Lineman," and a direct cover of Dollimore's "Hit And Run." Other Spence cues betray influences from such tracks as Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
's Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
theme.