The Torpedoes
The Torpedoes | |
|---|---|
 Logo used by the Torpedoes | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Sunnyvale, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1994–2001 |
| Labels | Resurgent Records |
| Past members |
|
| Website | thetorpedoes |
The Torpedoes were an American instrumental rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area. The band primarily consisted of guitarist Brian Pool, drummer Brandon Watson, and bassist Jason Brown. This line-up recorded their two albums, Good for the Country (1996) and Lucky You (1999). They are best remembered today for their music used in LEGO Island.
History
The Torpedoes were formed by guitarist Brian Pool in Sunnyvale, California in 1994.[1] Jason Brown was the band's original bassist;[2] drummer Brandon Watson joined in 1995. The group's musical influences included Dick Dale, Junior Brown, the Ventures, and AC/DC. The Torpedoes initially played at local clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area before touring around the United States.[1] After Watson's addition, the band recorded their debut album, Good for the Country, which released the following year in 1996.[3]
The Torpedoes were one of the musical groups interested in contributing music to the video game LEGO Island during its development. Mindscape initially suggested that the band contribute an original song for use in the game's beach area; other suggestions for beach music included "Catch a Wave" by the Beach Boys and Dick Dale's recordings of "Misirlou" and "Pipeline".[4] LEGO Island ended up using one original composition by the Torpedoes, "Lucky You", as well as four tracks from their album Good for the Country: "Manta Ray", which is one of the jukebox songs; "Interplanetary", which plays in the main beach area; "Torpedoe", which plays while building the Jet-Ski; and "Tarantula", which plays during the Jet-Ski race.[5][2] Two other tracks from their album were sampled in music composed for the game by Michael Blakeman: "Spanish Main" in the Information Center music and "The Naked Spur" in the helicopter chase music.[6] Brian Pool later stated that "Lucky You" had been inspired by his ex-wife, who had a new life and was "all set" while he was a "poor ass [sic] guitar guy".[7]
Jason Brown left the band on January 20, 1999; a week later on January 27, Justin Walsh joined as their new bass player. Brown returned to the band on March 1, 2000.[2]
Albums
Good for the Country
| Good for the Country | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by The Torpedoes | |
| Released | May 3, 1996 |
| Recorded | 1995[3] |
| Studio | Train Wreck Studios |
| Genre |
|
| Length | 32:23 |
| Label | Resurgent Records |
| Producer | Brian Pool, Ron Maeder |
Good for the Country is the debut album by the Torpedoes. It was recorded in 1995 and released on May 3, 1996.[8][9] The album contains seventeen instrumental tracks; an eighteenth track, "Shorebreak", was originally planned for inclusion but was cut from the released album.[10] Good for the Country features elements of skate punk (particularly in "Tarantula") and influence from spy film scores; the latter is most obvious in the album's only cover, "A Man Alone" from the 1965 spy film The Ipcress File.[10] "Midnight Surfer" is dedicated to Mark Foo, a professional surfer who died in a surfing accident at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay in 1994.[11]
The tracks "Manta Ray", "Interplanetary", "Torpedoe", and "Tarantula", as well as samples from "Spanish Main" and "The Naked Spur", were later used in the 1997 video game LEGO Island; the four tracks used were the only non-original one in the game's soundtrack.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Brian Pool, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Manta Ray" | 0:57 | |
| 2. | "The Hornet" | 1:42 | |
| 3. | "Interplanetary" | 2:07 | |
| 4. | "Spanish Main" | 2:36 | |
| 5. | "Nebula 33-7" | 2:11 | |
| 6. | "Green Light" | 2:20 | |
| 7. | "Half-Pipe" | 1:10 | |
| 8. | "The Mummy" | 1:46 | |
| 9. | "Midnight Surfer (Ode to Mark Foo)" | 2:27 | |
| 10. | "Gyro-scopic Control" | 1:43 | |
| 11. | "Theme From The Ipcress File (A Man Alone)" | John Barry | 2:19 |
| 12. | "Secret Agent in Berlin" | 1:39 | |
| 13. | "The Naked Spur" | 2:38 | |
| 14. | "Stockyard-250" | 1:23 | |
| 15. | "Torpedoe" | 1:51 | |
| 16. | "Tarantula" | 1:04 | |
| 17. | "The Snake" | 2:29 | |
| Total length: | 32:23 | ||
Lucky You
| Lucky You | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by The Torpedoes | |
| Released | March 30, 1999 |
| Recorded | August 1998 |
| Studio | House of Faith |
| Genre |
|
| Length | 29:13 |
| Label | Resurgent Records |
| Producer | Brian Pool |
Lucky You is the second studio album by the Torpedoes. Recording was completed on August 21, 1998, and the album was released on March 30, 1999. The Torpedoes were selected as the featured artist of the day on MP3.com the day after the album's release.[2] The album features thirteen tracks, including the band's only released vocal track, a cover of "Bad Boy" by Billy Zoom.[12] Two tracks on the album are new versions of tracks from previous releases: "Green Light", originally from Good for the Country, and the title track "Lucky You", originally from LEGO Island.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Brian Pool, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lucky You" | 1:55 | |
| 2. | "Green Light" | 2:20 | |
| 3. | "Bad Boy" | Billy Zoom | 2:11 |
| 4. | "Manhattan Skyline" | 2:37 | |
| 5. | "Batwing" | 2:23 | |
| 6. | "No Trace" | 2:42 | |
| 7. | "The Gunfighter" | 1:45 | |
| 8. | "American Heartbreak" | 2:35 | |
| 9. | "Big Sky" | 2:14 | |
| 10. | "Fishin'" | 1:41 | |
| 11. | "Lickety-Split" | 1:39 | |
| 12. | "Night of the Hot Rods" | 2:56 | |
| 13. | "Davenport" | 2:16 | |
| Total length: | 29:13 | ||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Underhill, Rod; Gertler, Nat (2000). MP3: Música en Internet [MP3: Music on the Internet] (in español). Translated by de la Barrera Ugalde, Ricardo. Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico: Pearson Educatión. pp. 251–252. ISBN 968-444-462-1. Translated from The Complete Idiot's Guide to MP3: Music on the Internet. ISBN 0-7897-2036-1.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Pool, Brian (2000). "Latest News". The Torpedoes Official Web Site. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pool, Brian (2000). "The Torpedoes Gig Site - Instrumental Rock Music!". The Torpedoes Official Web Site. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
- ↑ Mindscape (1996). "Adventures on LEGO Island Music/Voice/Talent" (Internal document).
- ↑ Mindscape (September 26, 1997). LEGO Island (Windows). Scene: Credits.
Torpedoes – Surf Sounds / Jetski – "Mantaray" (Juke Box song) – L.E.G.O. Radio tune
- ↑ "LEGO Island soundtrack" (YouTube video description). March 5, 2017. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2025 – via YouTube.
Information Center - by Michael Blakeman – samples "Spanish Main" by The Torpedoes ... Helicopter Chase - by Michael Blakeman – samples "The Naked Spur" by The Torpedoes
- ↑ Pool, Brian (2014). "hey the inspiration was that my ex-wife had a new life and I was a poor ass guitar guy, so lucky-you meant gee I guess your all set...lucky you" (comment on YouTube video " The Torpedoes - Lucky You .aka. Radio Tune #2 (1997 - Original - Simulated STEREO Mix - LEGO Island)" by Henry Johnson's Sounds Of Yesterday). Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025 – via YouTube. Off-site copy of the comment available here.
- ↑ Pool, Brian (February 11, 1997). "The Torpedoes – Present their debut CD – Good for the Country". The Torpedoes home page. Archived from the original on June 13, 1998.
- ↑ Pool, Brian (May 3, 1996). "tfc72.x2.lite.gif" (GIF). The Torpedoes home page. File date (obtained via wget). Archived from the original on June 13, 1998.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Dirt, Phil (May 15, 1996). "The Torpedoes - Good For The Country". Reverb Central. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ↑ Martin, Andy (12 January 1995). "Obituaries: Mark Foo". The Independent. Independent Digital News & Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Dirt, Phil (1999). "The Torpedoes - Lucky You". Reverb Central. Archived from the original on January 29, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
