New Album Available NOW!

Also available on iTunes.

Almost there... Stay on target...

In 1996 I made an "album" entitled H.E.M.S.H. It was really bad. Flash forward to 2011. I think I can say without arrogance that this next album should be slightly better. It's in the mastering stage right now. My old friend Adam Lazlo from the Score-Off Challenge days will be mastering. I am tentatively announcing early July for an actual tangible CD release date. I't might be available for download earlier. We'll see.

You can listen to the two singles "Kristy McNichol" and "Rut" here.


Not final cover art.

Stay tuned!

YOUR VERY OWN THEME SONG CONTEST!

Who doesn’t want their own theme song? Who would like to be the envy of their friends and proclaim, “Well, I have my own theme song, do you?” Who would like to walk down the street with the melodic confidence of an opening sequence sitcom character or park your car with the fanfare of an action star?

You would? Well, now’s your chance!

Starting Monday, November 8th through Wednesday, December 8th, with a purchase of $4.00 or more, you will be eligible in a random drawing. If your name is picked, I will write and record an actual theme song just for you to download and blast to the world! IT’S THAT EASY!

Just visit http://www.jamapes.com/ and purchase any number of track downloads from the catalog equaling $4.00 or greater. Heck, even if you don’t want the tracks, consider it a donation with the added bonus of personal theme song eligibility! The winner will be announced on Monday, December 13th 2010.

Make yourself stand out with your very own theme song! Great for office parties!

Visit http://www.jamapes.com/ and tell your friends who are in desperate need for their own theme song to become a fan on Facebook today!

(contest ends 11:59pm 12/8/2010)

Turnidoff Studios is GO!

Now that I am settled in to the new house, I finally got the basement studio somewhat set up. I am hard at work on my collaboration with Chris Waffle and I also finished the score to Transylvania Television's Halloween Special Show which airs on the CW Network on October 22nd. 11:00pm locally.

So, the plate is kind of full, but I did have time to make this sorta "promo" for the studio...



...over and out.

Album For Sale!

John Mapes' first official EP The Sesame Street Covers is now for sale for $5.00 at bandcamp.com



It contains 5 songs from the glorious golden age of Sesame Street.

1. Ladybug Picnic
2. I'm So Blue
3. Exit (is the way out)
4. The Fox & The Crow
5. Lowercase "n"

Download yours at bandcamp.com TODAY!

Up To Speed

Not a whole heck of a lot going on. Just a few music things of note:



Still working with Jared & the guys on Possible Oscar stuff. We are finishing up an album for Convergence 2010 which will consist of songs we did for the FuMP and a few fillers. It's been 4 years since our last one so we decided to wrangle up all the loose songs we had out there, package them up in an album, put them behind us and start working on a NEW record with a lot more new original material.

I also have been working with Chris Waffle from Hot Waffles on a super secret project that is really exercising the creative songwriting muscles. Since he lives in California, we've been collaborating via email so things seem to take a bit longer to create, but hopefully in the end it will all be worth it.

I have been taking a lot of my old Score-Off Challenge songs and adding video to them. Mostly old exploitation trailers. I made a single web page with all of them just as a visual resume if I ever come across someone who would want to use me. I titled it, "John Mapes-Composer". Just so you know, the "Composer" is to be taken lightly. Once I figure out how to read and write notation and actually get PAID for anything I have done, then maybe I could use the word "composer".




It's amazing how tough it is for me to get any motivation to SELL anything I have recorded. I find it so much easier to just put it out there for people. If they like it, they can have it. I haven't really gotten to the point yet where I feel I need to charge for my music. Maybe once I pay for professional studio time I will consider it, but for now, I'd rather just keep making fun songs. It helps keep the gears greased and gets me more in tune with some of the recording software I use.

Here is my latest which was made up in an afternoon. I started with just a simple progression and kept adding layers. Sometimes that works out, sometimes not.



Also, I am STILL working on the Sesame Street Covers EP and the Gli Scassinatori Experiment EP. Hopefully I get those done sometime in 2010 AC(after Chilton).

Sesame Street is 40 today!

Seriously, I cant imagine where I'd be without it.
Sonia Manzano's voice is as familiar as my own Mother's.

Rewatching the old ones again with my Son has further proved what an influence that show was to me, and hopefully to him.

Hearing some of those songs again really inspired me to try this EP. There were some that have been forever burned into my head.

Click here to listen to tracks from The Sesame Street Covers EP

Priorities!

OK, I am almost done with the Gli Scassinatori EP, but this one may be close behind...

The Sesame Street Covers EP



The Lowercase "n" EPIC VERSION is in the bag. Round 2 is the EXIT song:

9:09am 9/09/09

Why not.

New Song

My new challenge: Taking a minute long Steve Zuckerman Sesame Street classic and turn it into a 5 1/2 minute EPIC!

Lowercase "n". She's not lonely anymore...

The Horror Continues...

"After surviving the horrific incident two years ago, Julie and her family decide to move out. Little does Julie know, that while the family is out, the demon spirit has come back, and has taken possession of a beloved Muppet! Does Julie have the strength and firepower to defeat DEMON DOLL again?"

The Year Was 1997...

I had been trying to convert all my old VHS home movies onto DVD when I came across DEMON DOLL! I called up my daughter who is 19 now and asked her permission to post it on YouTube.

She reluctantly agreed.

She was 8 at the time and probably though her Dad was nuts. I know her Mom did.

I shot the video in sequence and did all the editing in camera as I was filming. The audio was all done on a 4 track and it took many tries to sync it up with the video.

There was a sequel(it's slightly better) which I might post later.


PART 1:




PART 2:

White Dog Trailer

I decided to cut a theatrical trailer for the 1982 film "White Dog".
Since the movie was never released theatrically, a trailer was never made.



There was one rough cut B&W dupe that was never finished, but it kind of erased the point of the film and made it more of a straight up "killer animal" flick.

So, here is my attempt to "replicate" an early 80's trailer for Samuel Fuller's WHITE DOG...



Does it work?
Does it make you want to go out and buy the DVD?
Should I keep my day job?

UPDATE: I did receive an email from Producer Jon Davison that was very complimentary, but he did notify me that I misspelled his last name...

damn.

Project #443

I am in the midst of a project.

It’s a project that I am actually following through on: a five song EP covering Morricone’s score to “Gli Scassinatori” (1971). I am already two songs in to it. Hopefully it doesn’t come off as to sacrilegious. I’m not a “visionary” like Zack Snyder.



I’ve been collecting a lot of obscure Morricone albums and this one came off as his most catchy and fun… so I couldn’t wait to get my grubby mitts all over it. The film itself is pretty standard and not too exciting. As you can see from the trailer, Ennio gets top billing along with the actors! Awesome.





Here are the first two tracks from the EP. When I’m finished, I'll post the complete album for those who would be interested.

Track 1: Gli Scassinatori




Track 2: Tema D'Amore

The Score-Off Challenge #15

Remember The Score-Off Challenge? You know, that unstoppable artistic expression of blood sweat and tears wrenched from the souls of your humble narrator and compositional contributors? It’s that ingenious conceptual enigma of three working components that can only be compared to say, the nuts, caramel and nougat of a Salted Nut Roll©.



Well, we are now in the throws of another round. In round number 15, we are summoned yet again by that ham-fisted cigar chomping producer Earl L. Luckes Jr. Our mission: To come up with a theme to “The 13th Promise of Death”. Did we succeed? One will never know if one doesn’t comment. Don’t be afraid of the comment box. We can take criticisms. What good are egos if they can’t be bruised?

And while you’re there, why not take shots at any one of these fine Score-Off Classics:

-Hitler’s Killer 6
-The House That Hell Birthed
-God’s Home Movies
-Mandor!
-Diaper Bag
-Day Of The Vagrant
-The Adventures Of Adam Quest
-In A World…
-The Homesteaders
-Somebody’s At The Door
-The Application
-The Mascot
-The Assassin’s Game
-Candy’s Sticky Cotton

Take your time and enjoy these gems, and remember, without film music, we’d all be dead.

Yes Virginia, there is a Nick Atoms Christmas Record

It's that time of year.

With a generous grant from The Nick Atoms Memorial Foundation, we were able to spread the joy of 2002's The Nick Atoms Christmas Record

Eleven tracks.
Free to download.
Free to enjoy.
Free to share.

A little voting music...

November 4th! Go out and vote!
All eyes are on America!

The Nick Atoms shall lead you to the polls through song!

Set the wayback machine to 2005!

August 2005: Turnidoff artists The Nick Atoms perform on a Talent competition for a local WB affiliate.

We were definitely the odd band out considering the other entries. I'm suprised we got as far as we did.



I think we got second place, but maybe they just told us that to shut us up.

The Score-Off Challenge #10

It's been a whole month!
I know you were all climbing the walls in scratchy withdrawl-like agony for the next installment of The Score-Off Challenge!

Have no fear... It's time to funk it up...

The energy of youth.

Yes, we have personal lives... and thanks to Turnidoff Productions, they are well documented.

Here's Little Johnto spazzing out to a great track I found on a 60's & 70's British film music library album. Every time I hear it, I think of him running around.

Enjoy!