Featuring Final Fantasy 6 and Between.
Greetings fellow game music lovers.
My vacation has ended, but Final Fantasy month goes into overtime featuring a well known song from Final Fantasy 6, the theme to everyone's favourite samurai "Cyan". For its first part, it combines a soothing, jazzy sound with traditional far eastern melodies:
Digging archives of exotic sounding jazzy songs, I eventually stumbled on the song "Barcelona Rain" by the german band "Between" from their debut album "Einsatz" (1971):
According to the wiki the band is mostly known for works in the areas "minimal music, ethno-jazz and world music". And in fact, I remember having heard similar tunes in several jazz lounges while traveling south america years ago. Are there more treasures to be unearthed in that area?
For the second part, unfortunately, I have no finding yet. Personally, it reminds me of upbeat, idyllic music from shows placed in the american old west like "Little House on the Prairie" or John Ford westerns. But if I find something, I shall add it here.
Phil out.
Update 24/11/2019:
A contender has appeared in the form of the song "Solitaire" from british folk rock group Shide & Acorn - also from 1971. Since Uematsu is a known fan of british prog rock, this is a more likely inspiration. I wonder if there is a piece that predates both?
Update 07/12/2019:
And another sample that might be a predecessor of the other two. By John Renbourn in his song "Can't Keep From Crying" (1967):