Rob Hubbard

Rob Hubbard (born 1955) is a British composer best known for his musical and programming work for microcomputers of the 1980s, such as the Commodore 64.

Early life and career

Hubbard was born in 1955<ref>ZZAP! 64, October 1985</ref><ref>Happy Computer, July 1986</ref> in Kingston upon Hull, England.<ref name="c64.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hubbard first started playing music at age seven. Whilst at school he played in bands. After leaving school, he went to music college.<ref name="ReferenceS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the late seventies, before scoring games, he was a professional studio musician. He decided to teach himself BASIC and machine code for the Commodore 64.<ref name="sidmusic.org">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Rob explained how he acquired his first computer, the Commodore 64, and why he chose that specific computer in an interview, "The buzz that was around at the time was that musicians are gonna have to get into computers." He ended up with a Commodore 64 specifically over any other computer because the others he knew of only had 8k or 16k of memory.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Music on the Commodore 64

Hubbard subsequently wrote or converted music for a variety of publishers on over 75 games between 1985 and 1989. Some of his most popular tunes include Commando, Monty on the Run, Sanxion, International Karate, Skate or Die!, Crazy Comets, Master of Magic, Delta, Thrust, Lightforce, Spellbound, One Man and his Droid. The game Knucklebusters includes Hubbard's longest tune: a 17-minute opus. Hubbard has mentioned his personal favourites are Sanxion, Kentilla, W.A.R., International Karate, and Crazy Comets.<ref name = "karsmakers.nl">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His least favourite was Samantha Fox Strip Poker, which he admitted to having done purely for money; he was listed in the game credits with the alias John York.<ref name="c64.com"/> He has stated that he had many musical influences including Jean Michel Jarre, Larry Fast and other synth bands.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Hubbard mainly composed for the Commodore 64's SID sound chip. He worked freelance and turned down offers from companies to work in-house.<ref name="ReferenceS" />

Move to Electronic Arts and the United States

After working for several different companies, he left Newcastle in 1988 and had the choice to work for Electronic Arts or Microsoft. Hubbard chose EA due to their prominence in the gaming industry as Microsoft had (as yet) no gaming platform. His work with EA Electronic Arts in America was as a composer.<ref name="ReferenceS" /> He was the first person devoted to sound and music at EA and did everything from low-level programming to composing.<ref name = "karsmakers.nl"/> One of his most famous compositions during his period at EA, is the music featured in the loading sequence of the Commodore 64 version of Skate or Die, which features multiple sampled chords of electric guitar and organ. Playback of samples was facilitated by exploiting a feature in the SID sound-synthesizer chip: altering the volume register produces an audible click, and altering the register thousands of times per second enables a relatively crude (but surprisingly clear and sophisticated for eight-bit computers) form of sample playback.<ref name=sidpage> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> He eventually became Audio Technical Director,<ref name="Reference">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a more administrative job, deciding which technologies to use in games, and which to develop further.

After the Commodore 64 period, he wrote some soundtracks for games which appeared on the Amiga, Atari ST, IBM PC and Mega Drive.

Recent activities

Hubbard recentlyTemplate:When contributed a few re-arrangements of his themes to Chris Abbott's C64 tribute Back in Time Live. Hubbard has performed several times with the Danish C64 cover band PRESS PLAY ON TAPE<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> who have covered many of his early tunes using a full rock-band arrangement. Hubbard has also performed his old music on piano with the support of violinist and fellow chiptune composer Mark Knight.

Hubbard left EA in 2002 and returned to England.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He has recently resumed playing in a band, and he has revisited his past game-music work in concert. His recent compositions have included music for mobile-phone games.

In 2005, music from International Karate was performed live by a full orchestra at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert. The event took place in Leipzig, Germany. Hubbard arranged and orchestrated the piece.<ref name="auto3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2014, Hubbard appeared in and composed music for the documentary feature film From Bedrooms to Billions, a film that tells the story of the British video games industry.

In November 2016, Hubbard received an honorary degree from Abertay University for his contributions to video-game music in the 1980s.<ref name="Abertay University">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Works

Year	Title	Notes
1985	Commando<ref name="the-commodore-zone.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || based on theme from Commando arcade game by Tamayo Kawamoto
	Rasputin<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || features traditional Russian songs
	Monty on the Run<ref name="the-commodore-zone.com"/>	partially based on "Devil's Galop"<ref name="auto3"/> by Charles Williams
	Thing on a Spring<ref name="zzap64.co.uk">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Confuzion<ref name="zzap64.co.uk"/>	Cover of the song "Confuzion" by the band Private Property which was also on side B of the game cassette.
	Crazy Comets<ref name="the-commodore-zone.com"/>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Chimera<ref name="ReferenceB">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Master of Magic<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || partially based on "Shibolet" from the Synergy album Audion
	The Last V8<ref name="ReferenceC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Action Biker<ref name="zzap64.co.uk"/>
	Formula 1 Simulator<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Hunter Patrol<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	One Man and His Droid<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
	Battle of Britain
	Harvey Smith Showjumping
	Up, Up and Away	cover of a song by The 5th Dimension
1986	Deep Strike
	Bump Set Spike
	Ninja
	Gerry the Germ<ref name="the-commodore-zone.com"/>
	Proteus	based on two separate songs from John Keating's album Space Experience ("The Unknown Planet" and "Space Agent")
	Thrust<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
	Warhawk<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || the same song as "Proteus", just an intro added
	Lightforce <ref name="ReferenceD">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || He was paid £750 for the tune according to the developers (equivalent to £2324 in 2020) which they claim was an absolute bargain.
	Geoff Capes Strongman Challenge
	Samantha Fox Strip Poker<ref name="gamegrin.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || credited as John York because as he said "[it] was such a cheesy title and they wanted that cheesy lame music along with it - I didn't want to admit that I did it just for the money".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Contains "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin and "The Stripper" by David Rose
	Tarzan	Based on the theme from 1960s TV show "Tarzan"
	W.A.R.<ref name="ReferenceD"/>
	Zoids<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || based on the track "Ancestors" from the Synergy album Audion
	Flash Gordon<ref name="auto2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Spellbound<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
	Hollywood or Bust	Covers of "12th Street Rag" by Euday L. Bowman and "Dill Pickles Rag" by Charles L. Johnson
	Human Race<ref name="ReferenceC"/>
	Kentilla<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
	Phantoms of the Asteroid<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Chicken Song	From the TV show Spitting Image
	Video Poker	contains "Easy Winners" by Scott Joplin
	Knucklebusters	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	International Karate<ref name="auto2"/>	parts are a pastiche of Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Forbidden Colours" from "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence"
	Sanxion	in addition to Hubbard's famous loader song,<ref name="ReferenceD"/> this contains "Dance of the Knights" from Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet"
1987	Jet Set Willy	Atari 8-bit version
	ACE II
	BMX Kids	the sampled voice saying "Go!" is actually Hubbard himself!<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
	Saboteur II
	Sigma 7	Commodore 64 arrangement by Hubbard; Amstrad original by Julian Breeze
	Thanatos	Commodore 64 arrangement by Hubbard; Amstrad original by Julian Breeze
	Thundercats
	Arcade Classics
	I-Ball	inspired by "Whip Blow" and "I Want You" by Cabaret Voltaire<ref name="sidmusic.org"/>
	Hydrofool
	Shockway Rider
	Auf Wiedersehen Monty	with Ben Daglish<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Chain Reaction
	Mega Apocalypse	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Nemesis the Warlock<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Wiz
	Bangkok Knights
	IK plus (International Karate plus)
	Dragons Lair Part II<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
	Star Paws<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Delta	The title song borrows few bars of melody from the Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack by Philip Glass. Also inspired by Pink Floyd<ref name="c64.com"/>
	Trans Atlantic Balloon Challenge
	Goldrunner	contains the same song as "Human Race"
1988	19 Part One: Boot Camp	an interpretation of Paul Hardcastle's "19"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Jordan vs. Bird: One on One
	Kings of the Beach
	One-on-One 2
	Power Play Hockey
	Skate or Die!<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Pandora	Based on the main theme from Dune
	Ricochet
1989	688 Attack Sub<ref name="auto1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||
	Budokan: The Martial Spirit<ref name="auto1"/>
	Indianapolis 500: The Simulation
	Keef the Thief
	Kings of the Beach
	Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs
	Populous<ref name="gamegrin.com"/>
1990	Low Blow
	Ski or Die<ref name="auto1"/>
	The Immortal
	John Madden Football
	Skate or Die 2: The Search for Double Trouble
1991	PGA Tour Golf
	Road Rash	with Michael Bartlow<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf	with Brian L. Schmidt
1992	Road Rash 2	with Don Veca and Tony Berkeley
	The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel<ref name="auto"/>
	John Madden Football '93
1993	NHL '94
1994	NHL '95	with Russell Lieblich
1996	The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose Tattoo
2014	From Bedrooms to Billions
2018	Go Go Dash

External links

• C64Audio.com
• Template:Musicbrainz artist