Gamertell

One of Tommy Tallarico’s more successful projects, the Video Games Live concert series, is finally being pressed into a CD titled Video Games Live: Volume One. The name naturally supposes there will be at least a Volume Two, also likely to be produced under the EMI Classics label.

The tracks were recorded either live (as indicated on the track list below) or at the Abbey Road Studios in London (England), where all of the songs were engineered. Performances are by the Slovak National Orchestra, The Crouch End Festival Chorus and The Video Game Pianist, Martin Leung, and were conducted by concert co-creator Jack Wall.  The concert and subsequent CD will feature songs from many classic and modern video games including Halo, Kingdom Hearts, Tetris, Castlevania, Myst and Tron. The disc will retail for $16.98.

The press release describes the multi-step release process:

Video Games Live: Volume One will be released in two stages: The digital release will be downloadable in the UK from July 7th, 2008, with the option to pre-order from a week before that on iTunes and other DSPs (Digital Service Providers) with that capability; the release of the CD and iTunes exclusive, including digital bonus tracks, will be staggered to coincide with Video Games Live events, beginning in San Diego, California on July 24th (North America) and Leipzig, Germany on August 20th (Europe and worldwide).

The Video Games Live concert series began in 2005 and has toured around the world. Each concert includes live orchestra performances with a video screen backdrop and usually a few songs with Tallarico upstaging the orchestra by rockin’ across the stage with a wacky wireless guitar.

Here’s the complete track list:

1. “Kingdom Hearts” (Disney, Developed by Square-Enix Co., Ltd. Kingdom, written by Utada Hikaru. Orchestrator: Kaoru Wada)
2. “Warcraft Suite “(Blizzard Entertainment, Composer: Jason Hayes.  Orchestrator: Benot Grey)
3. “Myst Medley” ("Myst Theme” composed by Robyn Miller; Gallery Theme composed by Tim Larkin (BMI), “Myst III Main Theme” and “Myst IV Main Theme” composed by Jack Wall (ASCAP). Orchestrated by Steve Zuckerman)
4. “Medal of Honor” (LIVE) ("Operation Market Garden” from Medal of Honor: Frontline, published by Electronic Arts, Inc.  Composed and orchestrated by Michael Giacchino. Recorded Live in Brazil, South America)
5. “Civilization IV Medley” (Composer: Christopher Tin (BMI). Orchestrator: Christopher Tin. Alto solo: Nathania Reid. Tenor solo: Ron Ragin. Soprano solo: Nicole Bonsol. Choir: Stanford Talisman.)
6. “Tetris Piano Opus No. 1” (Tetris is a trademark of The Tetris Company and Blue Planet Software.  Tetris theme ("Music A") originally adapted and arranged from the Russian folk song “Korobeiniki.” Piano Arrangement:  Martin Leung. Performed by:  Martin Leung.)
7. “God of War Montage” (LIVE) (Published by Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. Composed by Gerard Marino. Recorded Live in Brazil, South America.)
8. “Advent Rising Suite” (Composers: Tommy Tallarico, Michael Plowman, Emmanuel Fratianni, Laurie Robinson. Orchestrated by Emmanuel Fratianni, Laurie Robinson and Christopher Nickel.)
9. “Tron Montage” (Composed by Wendy Carlos; Orchestrated and adapted for Video Games Live by David Kates. Synthesizers programmed and performed by Matt Robertson.)
10. “Halo Suite” (Composers: Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori. Orchestrated by Emmanuel Fratianni, Laurie Robinson, Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori.  Guitars:  Tommy Tallarico, Steve Vai, Chris Kline and Marcus Henderson. Voiceover: Cindy Shapiro.)
11. Castlevania Rock” (LIVE) (Castlevania series owned and published by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.  Composers:  Kinuyo Yamashita ("Castlevania"), Club Kukeiha ("Castlevania III") and Michiru Yamane ("Castlevania: Symphony of the Night"). Arranged by Tommy Tallarico. Guitars:  Tommy Tallarico and Dweezil Zappa. Keyboards:  Martin Leung. Drums:  Joe Travers. Bass:  Peter Griffin. Recorded at Plaza Calafia Bullring - Mexicali, Mexico.)

Although not part of this press release, you can cont on a followup DVD.

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Check out the gallery: Video Games Live EMI CD Box Art