In today's episode, I'm playing a song from the early 90s adventure game, King's Quest 6 - the instrumental version of "Girl in the Tower," which played at the end of the game if you had the CD-ROM version of the game, a feat that was pretty cool at the time. Although the song, composed by Mark Siebert , fit in perfectly with the top 40 adult contemporary hits of the early 90s and the themes of later JRPGs like those found in the Final Fantasy games, for me, it always stood out since it had all the parts I loved in 80s ballads - a catchy, hummable melody, an electric guitar instrumental break, and a piano instrumental. I've always loved the contrast between all those parts. Plus, it was the only CD we had for quite awhile. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that a fair amount of the sound that makes its way into The Thirteenth Hour soundtracks comes from songs like this. Girl in the Tower (CD version) Girl in the tower instrumental Cassima's Theme And that's why I wanted to dedicate today's episode and the rendition on piano that I attempted to Roberta Vaughn , who passed away recently, suddenly and way too young. She was instrumental in forming the Classic Gamer's Guild in Facebook, a welcoming, positive group dedicated to celebrating classic games, especially adventure games of the 80s and 90s. Truth be told, when I was playing with the idea of trying to figure this song out, I initially wasn't sure if I should. What if she hated the game? I wasn't sure and thought about asking folks who knew her better. But I figured, given the kind of person I understood her to be, even if she wasn't the biggest fan of the game or the song, she'd appreciate the inherent 90s cheese of the lyrics and the nostalgia of it all and get a kick out of it. At least I hope so. May there be the hint books be infinite and the copy protection miniscule wherever you are, Roberta. Thank you for all you did. This one is for you. Thanks for listening! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Once Upon a Dream , the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD! It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp , Spotify , and YouTube Music . (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.) The CDs are out now! -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album: -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack! Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi. Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people. Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify , iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM , Tunein , and Googleplay Music . Follow The Thirteenth Hour’ s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack. Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away , the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify . Join the mailing list for a digital free copy. You can also get it on CD or tape . Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book? Just email me at
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