The Console Wars — XMas 1990
News program “Good Morning America” dated December 20, 1990 did a segment on Nintendo and its competitors during the 1990 holiday season. It was a question wether or not Nintendo could uphold their position as top game maker despite their older NES hardware compared to their rival’s 16-bit systems. Nintendo wasn’t gonna have their 16-bit system released in the States until the following year. More powerful systems also meant a higher price tag which was a major concern due to the US economy at the time.
Kate performs “Symphony In Blue” on the 1979 Christmas special. The opening music is “Gymnopédie No.1″ by Erik Satie. Lyrics: I spent a lot of my time looking at blue, The colour of my room and my mood: Blue on the walls, blue out of my mouth; The sort of blue between clouds, when the sun comes out, The sort of blue in those eyes you get hung up about. When that feeling of meaninglessness sets in, Go blowing my mind on God: The light in the dark, with the neon arms, The meek He seeks, the beast He calms, The head of the good soul department. I see myself suddenly On the piano, as a melody. My terrible fear of dying No longer plays with me, for now I know that I’m needed For the symphony. I associate love with red, The colour of my heart when she’s dead; Red in my mind when the jealousy flies, Red in my eyes from emotional ties, Manipulation, the danger signs. The more I think about sex, the better it gets. Here we have a purpose in life: Good for the blood circulation, Good for releasing the tension, The root of our reincarnations. I see myself suddenly On the piano, as a melody. My terrible fear of dying No longer plays with me, for now I know that I’m needed For the symphony. I spent a lot of my time looking at blue– No wonder that I blue it!
Video Rating: 4 / 5
September 19th, 2010 at 1:36 am
*sigh* Well, at least the Wii wasn’t the only good game console called a toy by many!!!
September 19th, 2010 at 1:51 am
I still think the SNES was Nintendo’s greatest system to date. Frack the Wee
September 19th, 2010 at 2:32 am
those kids are great
September 19th, 2010 at 2:57 am
The sega guy literally listed it has better graphics as almost every reason lol
September 19th, 2010 at 3:35 am
EXPLAIN DOOM BITCH
September 19th, 2010 at 4:18 am
“Nintendo Player” oh wow.
September 19th, 2010 at 4:22 am
Nintendo is on it’s last leg..lol..sega died off years later..
but the dreamcast was a good console..sonic advernture 1/2 anybody?
September 19th, 2010 at 5:13 am
great footage grooveraider, thanks for uploading!!!
September 19th, 2010 at 5:27 am
This is silly. Nintendo has been the most successful gaming company every generation going by money made.
Genesis sucked.
September 19th, 2010 at 5:33 am
@PearlJammer07 The power of today’s systems aren’t measured in bits. Bits actually stopped being a factor in a console’s power last gen.
Now you have to look at how powerful all the parts are as a whole: Video, sound, processor, etc. to get a good idea of what the system can do.
September 19th, 2010 at 6:26 am
nintendo is shit.
September 19th, 2010 at 7:08 am
I love NES because anytime i zhrow the controller it wont broke xd
September 19th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Hahaha! Nintendo is right it’s all about games, not the hardware. That’s what eventually caused the downfall of Sega. Even today, game companies don’t learn, look at the PS3, yes it may be the most powerful console on the market but it’s at the bottom. Look at the Wii, least power, but on top, look at the 3DO, more powerful, but got owned by the SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis, the Atari 2600 not as powerfull as the Intellivision, still won, the PS1 not as powerfull as the N64, it still won.
September 19th, 2010 at 8:21 am
@PearlJammer07 Nintendo marketed the NES as a toy to get it in to shops after the video game crash. Do your research before you start calling people stupid.
September 19th, 2010 at 9:13 am
@PearlJammer07 I didn’t stop caring ;’( lol
September 19th, 2010 at 9:25 am
@Madcope2k9 Wow, you have a very grim outlook on a good game series.
September 19th, 2010 at 9:44 am
@danielholmesmoo Arguments over graphics are still going on today.The reason bit measuring stopped is cause people stopped caring.
September 19th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Wow, this bitch is fucking stupid. The Nintendo Entertainment System is not a fucking toy. It is a video game system.A good one at that.
September 19th, 2010 at 10:41 am
@sneskegagama Agreed!
September 19th, 2010 at 11:07 am
@danielholmesmoo hahahahaha lol i fucking love it. the 16bit console wars was the shit not this xbox ps3 war.
September 19th, 2010 at 11:53 am
when did we stop measuring bits, one way to start an argument was over bits and graphics, shame thats gone
September 19th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
nice flashback of the history whats happening these days is like a dejavu of the past lol
September 19th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
So games were $60-70 even when I was a toddler? -_-
September 19th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Will it be nintendo last HA
September 19th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
@KungFuChess but modern warfare 2 is fucking bullshit its the nerdiest shitiest game ever made
THE WARRIORS on ps2 is the best game ever made!
September 19th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
It continues to amaze me how she makes everything she sings seem like heaven or otherwise just extremely cool. Like most people from the States, I discovered Kate in 1984 when “Hounds of Love” came out. I immediately bought all of her previous records and was even more blown away by the unique and ingenius songs, one after another without so much as a mediocre tune to be found. Consistently amazing stuff that I still listen to frequently, and probably always will. It’s almost spiritual.
September 19th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Hi Symphony. I won’t beleaguer the point any more than this. In my ex-professional opinion (I was a recording and radio engineer, live sound reinforcement engineer, and musician/performer) this video of Symphony in Blue is most definitely not live. The vocals are too smooth for one thing. She moves back and forth on the mic, but there is no change whatsoever in the volume or tone of her voice. Also in the very opening bar when the piano comes in, it doesn’t match what she is playing. Watch it!
September 19th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
@WowIndescribable No, all the songs were either performed live or recorded especially for the show. “Here Comes The Flood” and “December Will Be Magic Again” are definitely live and as far as I know “Symphony In Blue” and “The Man With The Child In His Eyes” are live too. All the other songs were mimed.
September 19th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Being a huge KB fan since the beginning – but never having seen this before – and after watching some of the others from this special, I have come to the conclusion that this is *not* a live musical performance but the songs are also *not* the album versions.
I’m convinced the songs were either re-recorded for this special – or (more likely because the sound is so similar to the album) they were alternate takes or remixes from the original sessions.
September 19th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
“lionheart ” is a truly classic album.i love to listen to it on vinyl equipped with a glass of red…..god bless you kate.a total genius.you are in my heart…thanks for posting this
September 19th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
@joha77johaa You’re welcome!
September 19th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
ain t she sweet??
thanks for the vid !!!!!
and
greetings from berlin
September 19th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
@mac3079 You’re welcome!
September 19th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Fantastic song!!! Thanks
September 19th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
she is my platonic love
September 19th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
30 years later I see this for the first time,
Help …. what else haven’t I seen? (panics)
September 19th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Definitely a 5 star performance!
September 19th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
fantastic voice the great 70 ‘
September 19th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
No, it’s not the album version. If you listen you will hear that the arrangement is different and the phrasing and her voice is different too. This is a live recording.
September 19th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
this is so the album version… why not live. i hate that…
September 19th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
ive got the whole of this show on dvd. it’s really good quality – better than this even
September 19th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
i love her
September 19th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
kate was sooo yummy.
September 19th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
i saw this on bbc four and recorded it but i couldn’t burn it to dvd – so happy i have found it here!
September 19th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Wonderful…truly
September 19th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
yes we have
September 19th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
You’re welcome!
September 20th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Thanks so much “Symphonyofflowers”!
September 20th, 2010 at 1:02 am
OMG utterly brilliant. The chords, the words, the musicianship, the voice, the arrangement, the way it ends on THAT chord. So clever, moving.
P.S. Why do we have to watch Simon Cowell’s shite 30 years later on TV? Have we gone backwards?
September 20th, 2010 at 1:05 am
I just can’t stop listening to this song!
It’s so beautifull!!
Great Kate!