As a kid, when I was reading through my copy of "The World of Star Trek" by David Gerrold, I discovered that the Great Bird of the Galaxy, Gene Roddenberry, had tried to sell producers on his magnum opus as a "Wagon Train to the Stars". There had been an NBC country-western TV series called "Wagon Train" in the early 1960s which was a No. 1 hit that lasted the better part of a decade. It's never a bad thing for a salesman to compare a new product as a similar version to an established product.
Maybe musician extraordinaire Masayoshi Takanaka（高中正義）had some "Star Trek" on the brain when he came up with not only the title but the arrangement of this eight-minute-and-change opening track on his September 1980 mini-album, "Finger Dancin'". "Space Wagon" can be an analogue for "Star Ship" and of course, "Wagon Train to the Stars" enters my Trek-addled brain when I hear that title. Even the opening measures of "Space Wagon" had me thinking a bit of Alexander Courage's original theme for "Star Trek" when it premiered in the 1960s.
As with any jazz/fusion musician, Takanaka allows "Space Wagon" to go on its own wayward adventures during its eight minutes, considering all of the genres that I've thrown at it in Labels. Overall, though, it kinda combines the spacy with some down-home feeling. Sounds like Masayoshi and Jim Kirk were able to share a raktajino somewhere on Earth.
I remember enjoying watching the movies and playing "Star Trek: The Promethean Prophecy" on my Commodore 64 back in the 80's. But, yeah "space wagon" makes sense as Star Trek is kind of a cowboy wester in space. Masayoshi Takanaka -- Space Wagon is well done! It is very colorful and moving I could see it being used as a theme as the USS Enterprise is moving through the universe.
ReplyDeleteHi, Brian. I didn't get up to a Commodore 64 but the prior Vic 20. Played Pac-Man and Asteroids on that thanks to the software on the ancient tape cassette.
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