57: David Wise Before Donkey Kong Country

In 1994, David Wise became a video game hero as a result of his soundtrack to Donkey Kong Country, but he’d actually been composing music for video games for nearly a decade. This episode looks at his NES work leading up to DKC and pointing out where and when his genius for mood-setting, ambiance-encompassing first blossomed. By virtue of showcasing the best of early David Wise, this episode features some of the best music composed for the NES.

That Eurogamer interview with David Wise

The first ice level episode with the Battletoads track

The Donkey Kong Country 3 episode with the lesser-known David Wise soundtrack

The episode about Donkey Kong Land, the Game Boy spinoff to Donkey Kong Country

In 1994, David Wise became a video game hero as a result of his soundtrack to Donkey Kong Country, but he’d actually been composing music for video games for nearly a decade. This episode looks at his NES work leading up to DKC and pointing out where and when his genius for mood-setting, ambiance-encompassing first blossomed. By virtue of showcasing the best of early David Wise, this episode features some of the best music composed for the NES. The first ice level episode: https://singingmountainpod.com/episodes/diamond-dust-ice-music The Donkey Kong Country 3 episode: https://singingmountainpod.com/episodes/2018/5/11/24-dixie-kongs-double-soundtracks The Game Boy Donkey Kong episode: https://singingmountainpod.com/episodes/34-big-ape-mountain Track listing: 0:06 Fear Factory / Donkey Kong Country / David Wise 3:17: Life in the Mines / Donkey Kong Country / David Wise 6:00: Downhill Theme / Slalom / David Wise 10:19: Fire Cavern / Wizards & Warriors / David Wise 12:13: Inner Castle / Wizards & Warriors / David Wise 14:16: Princess Rescued / Wizards & Warriors / David Wise 15:39: Title Theme / R.C. Pro-Am / David Wise 18:14: Half-Pipe / California Games / David Wise 19:45: Foot Bag / California Games / David Wise 20:39: Flying Disc / California Games / David Wise 22:44: Continue Theme / Who Framed Roger Rabbit / David Wise 25:04: Title Theme / Wheel of Fortune / David Wise 25:30: Title Theme / Wheel of Fortune: Family Edition / David Wise 29:08: Title Theme / Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II / David Wise 32:52: Cave Theme 4 / Digger T. Rock / David Wise 35:41: Cave Theme 2 / Digger T. Rock / David Wise 40:16: Elm Street / A Nightmare on Elm Street / David Wise 43:24: Castle Harman / Time Lord / David Wise 45:33: Ending Theme / Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warship / David Wise 49:51: Surf City / Battletoads / David Wise 52:06: Ragnarok Canyon / Battletoads / David Wise 54:23: The Armageddon / Battletoads / David Wise 57:15: Stage House / Beetlejuice / David Wise 60:27: Prologue / Battletoads & Double Dragon / David Wise 60:54: Stage 3 / Battletoads & Double Dragon / David Wise 63:00: Stage 5 / Battletoads & Double Dragon / David Wise 66:13: OST 1 / Monster Max / David Wise 68:02: Approaching Planet / Monster Max / David Wise 71:23: Mining Melancholy / Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest / David Wise Drew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drewgmackie Singing Mountain on Twitter: https://twitter.com/singmopod On Facebook: https://facebook.com/singingmountainpod/ On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/singing-mountain/id1252832457 On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ISyNLUc1ALxzvjBqw4ru3 On Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifofiaeephbs27wb6cqr24dlgl4 On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/singingmountainpod/ On SoundCloud: @singingmountain On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9f9iAcO1ZMTYVH91c2Jsyw Official website: https://singingmountainpod.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tablecakes TableCakes Productions: https://www.tablecakes.com

Track listing:

0:06 Fear Factory / Donkey Kong Country / David Wise
3:17: Life in the Mines / Donkey Kong Country / David Wise
6:00: Downhill Theme / Slalom / David Wise
10:19: Fire Cavern / Wizards & Warriors / David Wise
12:13: Inner Castle / Wizards & Warriors / David Wise
14:16: Princess Rescued / Wizards & Warriors / David Wise
15:39: Title Theme / R.C. Pro-Am / David Wise
18:14: Half-Pipe / California Games / David Wise
19:45: Foot Bag / California Games / David Wise
20:39: Flying Disc / California Games / David Wise
22:44: Continue Theme / Who Framed Roger Rabbit / David Wise
25:04: Title Theme / Wheel of Fortune / David Wise
25:30: Title Theme / Wheel of Fortune: Family Edition / David Wise
29:08: Title Theme / Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II / David Wise
32:52: Cave Theme 4 / Digger T. Rock / David Wise
35:41: Cave Theme 2 / Digger T. Rock / David Wise
40:16: Elm Street / A Nightmare on Elm Street / David Wise
43:24: Castle Harman / Time Lord / David Wise
45:33: Ending Theme / Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warship / David Wise
49:51: Surf City / Battletoads / David Wise
52:06: Ragnarok Canyon / Battletoads / David Wise
54:23: The Armageddon / Battletoads / David Wise
57:15: Stage House / Beetlejuice / David Wise
60:27: Prologue / Battletoads & Double Dragon / David Wise
60:54: Stage 3 / Battletoads & Double Dragon / David Wise
63:00: Stage 5 / Battletoads & Double Dragon / David Wise
66:13: OST 1 / Monster Max / David Wise
68:02: Approaching Planet / Monster Max / David Wise
71:23: Mining Melancholy / Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest / David Wise