Braga: ‘I still cringe when I hear it.’ Apparently, it was a long road to the franchise’s most despised title music

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website⁩ to ⁨startrek@startrek.website⁩

https://www.slashfilm.com/1371589/star-trek-enterprise-theme-song-controversy-explained/

Working from the oral history in The Five Year Mission: The next 25 years, this is a fascinating deep dive that answers the question “How did a recycled cover of a 1998 song written for Rod Stewart, ‘Where My Heart Will Take Me’ aka ‘Faith of the Heart’ become the title music for Enterprise?”

Also, after resisting melodic scoring in all the 90s shows, it turns out this was the music Rick Berman liked?!!

“…I, for one, can tell you that I thought it was a great opening and I’m not alone in that. I don’t think I’m in the majority, but I’m not alone."

And it seems the song does have its own subniche of supporters who share Berman’s view. (But not I.)

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Comments

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flossdaily@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I honestly think that music did more to hurt the show than anything else. It was the musical equivalent of starting EVERY EPISODE with a voiceover saying: “we hate all that old star trek. This is the new WB Network Star Trek, with 70% more down home, Midwestern American values! Yeehaw!”

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- reddig33@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Gotta love how after hearing everyone complain about how bad it was, they doubled down and made a “jazzy” version for later seasons.
  
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  - vita_man@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Yes, and that song was even more unbearable (for me)
    
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- RoundSparrow@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  people did react that way, but I liked the song well enough, and grew to like it more.
  
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  - Corgana@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    It’s like root beer. The worst part is after a while you actually start to like it.
    
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- Reva@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I liked the song when I was a kid and watched Enterprise (and I liked Enterprise in general) but growing up, the sheer American nationalism throughout the series was pretty unwatchable. Still leagues ahead of the all-American new Trek.
  
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  - AzPsycho@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    To quote the great Nicholas Meyer (Director of Wrath of Khan) who spoke on this topic:
    
    “Roddenberry had his own utopian vision about he perfectibility of man, and I never really believed that. And I don’t think the show demonstrates that. I think it is about gunboat diplomacy. In the final analysis, the Enterprise fires. They’re always shooting and bringing civilization, and coming to worlds where they don’t approve of tyrannical enterprises – no pun intended – and they substitute their own quote unquote enlightened version of how society is supposed to work, which is essentially American.”
    
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Nmyownworld@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I get what they were going for with the song, but it’s a swing and a miss for me. I think the opening credits montage fits perfectly with the show, but not the song. When I watch ENT, the only time I don’t mute the sound during the opening credits is for “In a Mirror, Darkly, Parts 1 and 2.”

" … another ‘space theme for nerds,’ so to speak … "

Not so to speak. Exactly that. Give me the orchestral story telling. Give me that epic space theme.

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- WarmSoda@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I agree, the montage is really good. Showing the progression of flight through history works very well with Treks ideal of advancement.
  
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Haus@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

I don't hate it. I hate Nazis. I don't hate the theme song from 'Enterprise.'

¿Por qué no los dos?

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- _stranger_@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  stubbed toe —> ENT theme song ---->\ 10K light-years -–> Nazis.
  
  Can’t blame someone for wanting to use appropriately strong words for appropriately strong feelings.
  
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RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
This again. Can we just leave this be for good? Some people like it, some people don’t, potentially more people rather do not like it. That is it. Not a single one of these articles is ever adding anything more to the discussion.

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- Sertou@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  This article added quite a bit to the discussion. For one, U2’s beautiful day was also considered, as was a semi-operatic song performed by Russell Watson. It’s not simply a rehash of the hate it/love arguments. I encourage you to read it.
  
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- StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I posted this because it is incorporating the oral history, and puts to bed some unfounded speculation.
  
  The full books are reportedly excellent, but not that many of us have read them as yet.
  
  And no matter how great some fans found it, the song really contributed to the perception that the franchise shifted to be very American oriented over the course of Berman’s leadership. It was a real barrier to growing the international audience.
  
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- worfamerryman@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I’m happy to read this post. Its all new information to me.
  
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Psaldorn@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I hated it at first.

Then I grew to love it.

The show is about humanity taking it’s first steps into the wider galactic community, and the song is both about a journey but also less refined than other star trek intros, just like Starfleet is a less refined version of what we are used to.

🤷

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- CmdrShepard@lemmy.one ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I hated it until they changed it in season 2 or 3 and then I realized that I hated the new version even more and in retrospect the original wasn’t quite that bad.
  
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  - ummthatguy@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    If I’m not mistaken, that’s a classic sign of Stockholm Syndrome. But what do I know, it’s been a long time…
    
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- Sertou@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  The lyrics are generally fitting to the theme of the show. The Rod Stewart performance didn’t work for me then, later or now.
  
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  - RoundSparrow@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    I thought Stewart wrote the song, but the on-show singer was someone else.
    
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dichtbringer@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I love this intro and also Ent S3 and S4 is the only Trek that can compete with DS9, fight me.

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- startrekexplained@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Season 4 was legit awesome, especially the Mirror Universe episodes and its awesome intro
  
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- Corgana@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Bartender? This guy has clearly had enough, he’s just going around saying extremely inflamatory things.
  
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- Shua@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Season 4, IMHO, is among the best of all Star Trek. The Vulcan bombing 3 parter alone was such a great storyline, playing off of plot lines going all the way back to the first episode.
  
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Noit@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Right, so I didn’t actually mind the original ENT theme at all during my rewatch earlier this year. Far worse was the outro credits which were deeply jarring every single time.

The revamped theme is appalling though, it’s doubling down on everything that put people off about the original and it’s far, far worse.

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- osarusan@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Indeed. While I would have preferred an orchestral piece, the intro theme for Seasons 1 and 2 was jarring, but not bad. When they updated it for S3 and 4 it was absolute garbage.
  
  The one-shot intro for the mirror universe episode was absolutely fantastic though. They should have stuck with that one, or Archer's Theme, which has an appropriately Star Trek optimism to it, while still being a bit "pop"-y.
  
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  - worfamerryman@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    I’m not sure if you have seen archers theme played with the intro video, but the music lines up with the scenes very well. I’d bet that it was made as the opening credits scene.
    
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UlyssesT@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
It grew on me. It fit the intended mood of the show, at least until it got bogged down in time fuckery. I-was-saying

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- HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Enterprise would have been a lot better if they introduced the Romulans as the big bad in the pilot instead of the temporal cold war bullshit.
  
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  - UlyssesT@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Massive missed opportunity there. sicko-wistful
    
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metaStatic@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I love that my love of Enterprise alienates me from the majority of the fan base.

Season 4 is objectively the best season of any Trek.

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- sanmarzano@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I’ll back you up, brother. Season 4 had some of the highest highs.
  
  The Archer-Shran arc not only started to culminate (a 5th season would have fucking rocked) but was one of the best ways of telling the story of the early federation. The personal arc from enemies to allies demonstrated humanity forming alliances better than any other arc in Star Trek.
  
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- JackDark@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Image
  
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- ClarkDoom@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I 100% agree.
  
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comfortable_doug@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Aw, I liked it :c

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Myro@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I always loved the intro music, and never knew who it was from or how it was selected. It is a very optimistic song, and I think that’s what Star Trek is about as well.

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KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Yeah, I agree it was quite an odd pairing and it never quite sat right with me. I get the intent/meaning, but honestly it stands out as just… not fitting with the trek “theme.”

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WhoRoger@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I actually like it. TNG’s theme was annoyingly bombastic to my ears, DS9’s is basically nothing, Voy is okay I guess.

Not saying ENT song was the best choice there could be, but I don’t know why it should be gospel that ST has to have orchestral tunes. And for a prequel that was about how it all started, I think it was fine to go with something different.

And it’s not like an opening theme is a dealbreaker either way. I always skip the opening credits on the shows where they go for over a minute. I think for people who don’t like ENT (it’s not exactly popular) this is just another notch.

BTW I’m half way through SNW S02 and I’m not tired of its opening. First time ST nailed it in my book.

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- SeeJayEmm@lemmy.procrastinati.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Couldn’t skip back then.
  
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  - PassingDuchy@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Thought the time honored tradition was switching to another channel to watch another show’s opener so you’d know what was going on when you switched there during commercial breaks. Just my family?
    
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  - WhoRoger@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    You could’ve always muted the sound.
    
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- pixelmeow@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I agree with you about TNG and DS9 completely. SNW is the best music since the earlier movies, IMO. I love it.
  
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DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
The first season version, absolutely, but the seasons after they changed it to the acoustic version, much much better.

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famousringo@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
It’s actually pretty fun when you play it back double speed, chipmunk style.

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RavenFellBlade@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
The problem with Enterprise’s theme is that it undermines the fundamental principles the series had established in every other show. The song along with its imagery may feel like it’s fitting for “mankind stepping into the larger galaxy”, but it does so at great expense. Everything about that opening is anthropocentric. It’s all about humanity and Earth. The show is every bit as broad as its predecessors, but the opening seems to feel like the poster child for HFY fiction. It’s jarring.

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Taleya@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
We all cringe, Braga. You’re not special

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