Big Thunder Mountain BGM - WDW Version

[Horizons]

Does anyone know how many different BGM's have played at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in WDW? The current BGM has 14 tracks and runs around 20 minutes.

I have seen one track that runs approximately 55 minutes posted on the newsgroups before, which obviously isn't the current BGM. But it also doesn't match up to a short live recording that I heard from the early 1980's, which matches part of the current BGM. However, this recording has a harmonica version of "Skip to My Lou" which isn't something that is included in the current loop, or the 55 minute loop. In fact, I am not sure if this song played in the queue, or, rather, was exterior music.

 

[DavidG]

If the loop is 54'54'', starts with "West of the Wide Missouri" and ends with "Old Dan Tucker" then it's most likely the Paris loop that you found, missing two or three tracks (maybe it's Tokyo's similar loop?). I came across that one a while back and it's indeed labled MK for some reason. It's a good bet that it never played at WDW and is simply mislabled.

 

[Horizons]

X-S Tech was kind enough to pass along some information on the 55m loop and it doesn't seem to be a version that has played anywhere. It seems that WDW has had two loops, each one being the same except for the addition of one extra song.

What I am trying to determine now is where the "Skip to My Lou" version that I heard in the live recording I mentioned fits into the area music. It's not part of the queue BGM. Perhaps the exterior music to BTM was different from the queue music. Currently, they are both the same. I checked the 1971 Frontierland BGM that I have and the song is not included. I think there have been one or two other versions prior to the 1991 (and current) BGM, so perhaps it's in there.

 

[Forever Magic II]

I dont remember "Skip To My Lou" being in the old or new loops for BTMRR, It's in the Splash Loop.

 

[Horizons]

I have a live recording from the early 1980's where Skip to My Lou is playing in the area of Big Thunder Mountain. Based on additional research, it is possible this track is from the Frontierland BGM from that era. It is not the version used in the Splash Mountain BGM.

 

[MiklCraw4d]

I have a live recording from the early 1980's where Skip to My Lou is playing in the area of Big Thunder Mountain. Based on additional research, it is possible this track is from the Frontierland BGM from that era. It is not the version used in the Splash Mountain BGM.

The changing of area and queue BGM loops over the years has long interested me - is this something that would actually be archived somewhere accessible within the Disney archives or is it left to groups like this to piece them together from research like this? I would hope that all these tracks have been documented at some point, as I'd love to have some "official" lists.

 

[Horizons]

I am sure there are "official" lists somewhere, but, for now, I think we are left on our own to figure it out.

Regarding Frontierland, it appears three area BGMs have played over the years. The one I have never been able to track down is the one that played (I believe) from 1976-1991.

 

[MiklCraw4d]

To answer my own question, and also my post about International Gateway, I just got an email back from Dave Smith at the Archives and he says that they do not maintain records of park tracklists. He said that WDI does, but he doesn't think that they release them.

So, there ya go. Anyone up for an infiltration mission?

 

[Horizons]

I have tried several sources trying to get track lists on just the needle drop loops and I have come up empty so far. No one seems to know where this information exits.

 

[X-S Tech]

And if WDI does keep records of this sort of thing, I think frequently they are badly organized. Don't know for sure though. Perhaps that's only the case with older loops.