Chiptunes Galore: The C64’s Cheerful Soundtrack!

Commodore 64 microcomputer, 1982-1985 (personal computer)

The Commodore 64, or C64, was a popular home computer in the 1980s and early 1990s. It had an impressive sound chip that produced unique and recognizable chiptunes. These cheerful, bouncy tunes are still beloved by gamers and music enthusiasts alike. In this article, we’ll take a nostalgic journey back…

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Rocket Man [ Bitpop Chiptune] – Tribute to Elton John

Rocket Man [ Bitpop Chiptune ] – Tribute to Elton John – Made with C64 Driver/Samples & DAW (6 Channels)

I remade Elton’s “Club at the End of the Street” on Bitpop 6 and I’ve been wanting to do another one of his songs. Since the movie Rocketman has come out, it’s inspired me to SIDifiy this one.

Made with ♥
Gavin

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Star Wars Cantina Band [ Bitpop Chiptune ] – Tribute to John Williams

Star Wars Cantina Band [ Bitpop Chiptune ] – Tribute to John Williams – Made with C64 Driver/Samples & DAW (6 Channels)

My cover of the Star Wars Cantina Band song has been influenced with a combination of the styles of Rob Hubbard, Fred Gray and Ben Daglish. They’re Some of my favourite Commodore 64 Maestro’s.

It’s all the usual people you think of when asked which C64 musicians are your favourite. Add Martin Galway and David Whittaker to the list, also.

This time I’m using multiple sound channels for layered trills and arpeggios, filters and some quirky wavetable modulations to try to make an alien sounding set of Cantina Band instruments.

Made with ♥
Gavin

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Magnetic Fields IV – Yie Ar Kung Fu [ Bitpop Chiptune ] – Tribute to Jean Michel Jarre & Martin Galway

Magnetic Fields IV – Yie Ar Kung Fu [ Bitpop Chiptune ] – Tribute to Jean Michel Jarre & Martin Galway – Made with C64 Driver/Samples & DAW (6 Channels)

This piece of music was one of my favourites of Jean Michel Jarre from his Les Chants Magnétiques album. Then 4 years later, a friend and me made a tape-to-tape copy of this game using a stereo system inside our local Chandlers store in Caloundra. We would ask if we could load the game in store to have a look at it and while we had the tape, we’d pop it in one of their dual tape Hi-Fi systems and copy it onto a black tape that we had just bought in the store. Haha. Naughty boys.

Anyhow, I loved Martin Galway’s rendition of this music. Since I’m a huge fan of both Jean Michel Jarre and Martin Galway, I wanted to do my own six channel version of this song.

Made with ♥
Gavin

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Two Tribes [Bitpop/Chiptune] – Tribute to Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Two Tribes [Bitpop/Chiptune] – Tribute to Queen – Made with C64 sound driver & DAW

Frankie Goes to Hollywood only made two albums and their first, “Welcome to the Pleasuredome” had multiple massive hits. Their music videos got banned then edited or replaced. They were ever so briefly huge!

Just another classic FGTH song gone Lo-Fi.

Made with ♥
Gavin

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Superstition [Bitpop/Chiptune] – Tribute to Stevie Wonder

Superstition [Bitpop/Chiptune] – Tribute to Stevie Wonder – Made with C64 Driver/Samples & DAW (6 Channels)

I started doing a cover of Stayin’ Alive by my ex-neighbours, The Bee Gees but the bass riff morphed into Superstition so I gave up fighting it and decided to do Superstition instead.

Made with ♥
Gavin

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I Want to Break Free [Bitpop/Chiptune] – Tribute to Queen

I Want to Break Free [Bitpop/Chiptune] – Tribute to Queen – Made with C64 sound driver & DAW

Made with the sounds of the Commodore 64 – 6 Channels

I wanted to do this one as a bit of a Rob Hubbard and Martin Galway hybrid in its feel. I don’t know if I’ve pulled it off bit I hope so.
Queen have gotta be my favourite band back in the 80s when I was growing up. I went back into their 70s stuff at the same time because they fascinated me with their “virtuoso” approach to music.

Made with ♥
Gavin

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Just Can’t Get Enough [Bitpop/Chiptune] – Tribute to Depeche Mode

Just Can’t Get Enough was made with the sounds of the Commodore 64 8bit home computer – 6 channels

Made with the sounds of the Commodore 64 – 6 Channels

I remember when I was friends with this guy I went to college with saying that “this should be my anthem”. He said that as a devout Christian making an unfounded assumption about my sexuality as being a promiscuous person. Haha. Boy, did he get that wrong! – I don’t consider it a bad thing if you do run wild and free, btw. More power to you!

Still, this song just brings back a memory.

Made with ♥
Gavin

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