ORANGE ALERT! Mysterious Cities of Gold:Super GOLDEN thread

[tigertail777]

Okay, so tomorrow is my birthday and I wanted to share something really special. This is one of my "holy grail" soundtracks I have been looking for many years for and recently was able to get pretty much everything available. "Orange Alert" is my personal little tag referring to my tiger name so people know its one of my threads.

Now a word of explanation; This first album is as far as I know the only official Shuki Levy album made for Mysterious Cities of Gold, and it leaves out a hell of a lot. Still this is a really difficult album to find and only available on LP for a very long time, so its part one of this three part treasure.

The other parts were 2 albums that were re-orchestrated based on the original music from the show, but done by ear since there appears to be no surviving master tapes, or music sheets. Plus the person that composed this re-orchestration is not Shuki Levy, but rather a deeply dedicated fan who originally put these up on a MCOG fan site for free download. But it was so good that a french company acquired the rights from both Levy and the fan composer (I will post his name later once I recall it), and put these out as official CD releases. As far as I know these were limited edition French only releases, but the great thing is the original english song intro is included. After listening to these re-orchestrations I would say they are about 90-95% accurate in every way so this is the closest thing I think to a real complete soundtrack we will ever see.

I have never posted pictures in a thread before so I hope this works ok, either way I hope you guys really enjoy these I absolutely love them and literally looked actively for at least 12 years to get any kind of copies whatsoever. If anyone has any other Shuki Levy music particularly Real Ghostbusters background music, I would LOVE to get my hands on it so please PLEASE share.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Mysterious Cities of Gold ORIGINAL album
(Les Mysterieuses Cites D'or bande originale de la serie televisee)

PART ONE: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
PART TWO: [Only registered and activated users can see links]

PASS: esteban


And the re-scored albums:
volume one
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

PART ONE: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
PART TWO: [Only registered and activated users can see links]

PASS: zia

And finally part three:
re-scored album volume 2
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Part one: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
Part two: [Only registered and activated users can see links]

Pass: tao

I hope everyone enjoys them, its really beautiful and exciting early electronic music for a ground breaking animated tv show. Cheers!

[katie price]

Wow! This is amazing Tigertail. I'm swept up by nostalgiac feeling because I grew up watching this epic foreign cartoon series, I just might shed a tear. I will surely download these albums.

Thanks for finding and uploading them, Tigertail. I will always be grateful to you, and to this amazing forum and its contributors and the front main site. Keep up the good work everyone.

[tigertail777]

Your very much welcome Katie! Enjoy them, I know you will I nearly had a heart attack when I finally was able to download them from somewhere after finding broken link after broken link for many years. The original site that the re-orchestrated albums appeared on is here: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
Well worth checking out for the MCOG fan, and there is a way to translate it into english but I can't quite remember how, anyways its a great site. Oh yeah hit the little "depart" arrow button at the top to see the rest of the site, sorrry thats how I have it bookmarked. There are even animation cel scans in there. :)

[l33tc4k30fd00m]

tigertail you are officially my hero. I didn't think in a million years I'd ever get hold of something like this. Good deal.

[boco777]

is there an english version to the theme song?

[tigertail777]

Yes, I believe it is on the re-scored volume 2 album if I recall correctly. I know its one of the re-scored ones and I think its 2. enjoy.

[HorrorFreakk]

Awesome!! thank you so much for sharing this =) you are great =)

[tigertail777]

Just want to give this a bump to make sure anyone who wants it can get it since it is so incredibly rare. If any links are broken let me know and I will re-up them. :)

[Argo1naut]

Thanks so very, very, VERY much, tigertail777. I have been looking for this music for almost as long as the show originally aired. Great stuff and very appreciated.

[chu-chu]

plz plz help! the links dont appear to work for me.. is there any chance for a re-upload to a different place e.g. filefactory?

thank u so much x

[Caper the Fox]

i never heard of this show but I'll give the music a download ^^

[chu-chu]

dont worry i can download now lol .. jus a technical glitch on my part..

thanx again for the albums :)

[tigertail777]

I am very happy you can download them, as I said it took me many years to find them so I know what a rare treasure they are.

Caper Fox: It was a show that was on in the very earliest days of Nickelodeon and in fact one of their first big hits. It is anime that was originally made for a French audience. The story continues in about 27 parts, so is one of the earliest anime serials translated into english (dubbed) and one of the few that actually had a planned ending with no sequal.

The story starts in 16th century spain where Esteban who is called the "child of the sun" lives. He is called this because the townspeople believe he has the power to command the sun, for every time they place him up high by hoisting him in a basket up a mast, the sun seems to come out. Esteban is deathly afraid of heights so does not like this one bit. He was brought up in a monastery by a priest after he is rescued from a shipwreck by Mendoza the sailor, who as a token of the rescue and to make sure he would one day find the same child took a middle part out of a mysterious necklace around baby Esteban's neck. Mendoza does indeed come back and find Esteban when he is grown more, and convinces him to go to sea with him to find the Mysterious Cities of Gold after giving him the middle of the necklace back and telling him what he can of his father from the sinking ship. Mendoza sometimes seems like he may be a scoundrel like the rest of the spanish crew greedily in search of gold, but really is quite the gentleman and handy with a sword. Aboard the ship, Esteban runs across Zia, a Indian girl ( I think Incan, its been a while since I watched this) who was stolen from her people to find the Cities of Gold and seems to have some power over nature somewhat like Esteban with the sun. The comic releif sidekicks of Mendoza who are greedy and stupid but still really help out when they are needed are Pedro and Sancho. These three help protect the children from a uprising on the ship stemming from the greed of the captain and his co-hort Sanchez, and end up rescuing them from the sinking ship as a result. The children, along with Mendoza and his sidekicks end up on an island where they run across Tao, the brainy other child whose relatives along with Esteban, and Zia's were related to the ancestors that created the Cities of Gold. The rest of the series goes from one breathless Indiana Jones like "puzzle" and adventure to another in pursuit of the Mysterious Cities of Gold (which they do eventually find in the spectaculor finale). A great deal of the art architecture in the series are based on real Maya, Aztec, Incan, and Toltec relics and at the end of each show there was a little history lesson talking about some of things that influenced the episode. The style of the art is very much in line with early Miyazaki films, and I have heard that several of Miyazaki's animation crew actually did work on the series.

[Mirai]

To Tigertail: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MCOG!!!

Btw: Do you know if they'll re-release MCOG on DVD? I use to watch this when I was young on Nickelodeon lol.

Thank you so much again.

[Argo1naut]

To Tigertail: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MCOG!!!

Btw: Do you know if they'll re-release MCOG on DVD? I use to watch this when I was young on Nickelodeon lol.

Thank you so much again.

Actually, it was just released on Region 1 DVD about two months ago by a company called Virgil Films. There are two versions available. One, just the show in it's entirety, the other, a deluxe box set with booklets and other goodies. Sadly, no Score CD was included. Bummer.

[tigertail777]

What Argo1naut said LOL

I will elaborate a little further: the deluxe set has postcards of the main characters, a poster map of where all they go in the series, and a very nice booklet. I believe both versions also have quite a few dvd bonus features: interviews with the english dub crew among other things. I would pick it up as soon as you can as it is somewhat small company that released it and who knows how long it will be in print. I am also a little bummed there was no isolated score, but then as I understand it no master tapes exist any longer for the music mixes.

[Mirai]

Argonaut and Tigertail: Thanks for the info, do you know where I can order them? I've never heard of that company and will it be in the original french version or american?

Thanks for the music Tiger you've made my day the other day and every day from now on!!

[tigertail777]

here is the deluxe version on Amazon: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
It also explains much more indepth what the bonus features are and all the extras under editorial reviews, product description. This newly released version is in english, previously the same set was only available in french. If you look on Amazon under "Mysterious Cities of Gold" you can also find the regular edition which is the same thing as the deluxe one but minus all the nifty extra packaging (the postcards, map, book) and minus some of the dvd bonus features. Personally I would spring for the deluxe version, its a bit extra but for major MCOG fans its well worth it.

[Mirai]

Thanks Tiger I just placed my order for MCOG on Virgil Films website. I can't wait!! This classic needs to be spread around.

I'm still listening to the original French soundtrack you uploaded. Thank you so much the music is hypnotic.

[Mirai]

I just got my order this weekend for MCOG on DVD from virgil films, I am very pleased with the fast delivery of my package, just wanted to thank Argo1naut and Tiger for the helpful information. 20+years later finally a re-release, I hope more fans will catch onto this. Thank you again

[tigertail777]

No problem Mirai, I too just ordered a copy for my birthday and got it yesterday. I have already watched 4 episodes and I must say this company did a spectaculor job the eps so far are cleaned up beautifully and are very crisp even on a high resolution screen. Plus the packaging is AWESOME!

[Mirai]

My bf was like "OH MY GOD" I REMEMBER THIS ON NICKELODEON (Sorry for CAPS) LOL This truly brighten both our lives. Thanks again Tiger!

[tigertail777]

LOL! Awesome! Very glad to help bring back happy childhood memories. Now if they would just release "Belle and Sebastion" which you also may have seen as it was often shown back to back with MCOG (about a boy and a big white dog in I think Switzerland trying to find his mother). There was also an interesting and bizarrely animated french show called "Sparticus and the Sun Beneath the Sea" that would be neat to see again as well. I already spent a crapload on bootlegs of all the Third Eye shows (Children of Stones, Under the Mountain, Into the Labyrinth, Witches and the Grinnygog).

[Chertomlik]

"Spartacus and the sun beneath the sea" got a cd release a few years ago in France. It's called in french "Les mondes engloutis", the french songs are featured on the cd, along with the english one by Cook Da Book, and some of the score composed by Vladimir Cosma. I have it and i'd like to upload, but sadly my computer freeze each time i'm trying to upload something... :( Maybe you could found a cd rip if you hunt for the french name...

[tigertail777]

Hey Chertomlik thanks for the info! I tried to do a search though and came up empty. if I gave you my email in a PM you think you could send a track at a time or something? Or I also have AIM (when it works) that I could download from... let me know if you think you could do one of these to send it? Thanks.

[Ricardo RASS]

I have a lossless rip from the cd released in France in 1998 with original recordings but without the first cd-rom data track or covers, also some tracks have clicks.
I should upload it?

[tigertail777]

Sure! Its better than nothing and its lossless. I am not sure exactly what the data track is for as I am somewhat new to lossless, but as long as it will still play and burn in some form to cd I will be happy. Thank you for the offer I appreciate it.

[Ricardo RASS]

The data track is on the original cd, I think the contents are trailers, wallpapers or stills from the cartoon.

[tigertail777]

Well anything you can upload that I can actually hear or view is awesome and very appreciated. I can't seem to find much at all on the series period, and few people in the US seem to remember the show. I know it was somewhat short lived here and did not have a lot of repeated runs like MCOG or Belle and Sebastion. Although Belle and Sebastion is impossible to find anything as well.

[Mirai]

Tiger the one I'm also looking for is "Grimm's Fairy Tales" It's JP animated shorts of popular faery tales it aired around early 90's or late 80's I believe. That one I cant find anywhere as well.

[tigertail777]

umm? JP? is that Japanese anime? Something like this does seem to ring a bell... a series that was on HBO or Showtime? Or are you still talking Nickelodeon?

[Chertomlik]

Hey Chertomlik thanks for the info! I tried to do a search though and came up empty. if I gave you my email in a PM you think you could send a track at a time or something? Or I also have AIM (when it works) that I could download from... let me know if you think you could do one of these to send it? Thanks.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Edit: just found it here: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
it'll give you a link for a rapidshare file (it works). The cover is the one of the lp, better than the cd one, BTW...

[Ricardo RASS]

Shuki Levy & Haim Saban - The Mysterious Cities of Gold
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Label: RYM Musique (France)
Audio: FLAC
Total size: 236 MB
Cover Scans: 600 DPI
Note: Not my rip. Some tracks have light click at the beggining.
This rip don't have the cd-rom data track available on the original cd.
Cover scans from [Only registered and activated users can see links]

Part 1 - [Only registered and activated users can see links]
Part 2 - [Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Argo1naut]

tigertail, as long as you have a winamp player on your computer, you can play and burn any lossless scores done in FLAC.

[tigertail777]

Thanks Ricardo Rass and Chertomlik! This version of MCOG seems to have a bit more on it than the original record version I posted above. I tried to bid on this cd on ebay, but was not willing to go too high because I did not know what tracks were on it. There is still a hell of a lot missing in comparison to the fan-made 2 part cd one also posted above, so I still think from everything I heard that many of the original source tapes have been lost. Downloading Sparticus now and can't wait to listen!

[Mirai]

Tiger: Grimm's Faery Tales was also japanese animated like MCOG, it also aired on Nickelodeon.

I'm looking for the DVD set, it ran quite a lot of episodes.