The X-Files (composition)
"The X-Files" | |
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File:X-files (Mark Snow).jpg | |
Single by Mark Snow | |
from the album The Truth and the Light: Music from the X-Files | |
B-side | Various remixes |
Released | 24 March 1996 | (UK)
Format | CD maxi, Cassette Tape |
Genre | Downtempo, dark ambient |
Length | 3:25 |
Label | Warner Music WEA International |
Writer(s) | Mark Snow |
Producer(s) | Mark Snow |
"The X-Files" is a 1996 instrumental recorded by American film and television composer Mark Snow. It is a remixed version of the original theme Snow composed for the science fiction television series The X-Files in 1993. Released in March 1996 in most countries, it achieved a huge success, particularly in France where it reached number-one on the singles chart.
The composition has since been covered by DJ Dado and Mike Oldfield among others. The song was also used as background music for a sketch in the 1998 Alvin and the Chipmunks album The A-Files: Alien Songs where Alvin portrayed "Agent Moldy" and Brittany portrayed "Agent Scuzzy."
Contents
Mark Snow version
Song information
"The X-Files" typically used more instrumental music score than most hour-long dramas. According to the "Behind the Truth" segment on the Season 1 DVD, Mark Snow created the echo effect on his famous X-Files theme song by accident. Snow said that he had gone through several revisions, but Chris Carter felt that something was not quite right. Carter walked out of the room and Snow put his hand and forearm on his keyboard in frustration. Snow said, "this sound was in the keyboard. And that was it."
Chart performances
The single went straight to #2 on March 30, 1996, on the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for three weeks, then kept on dropping.[1] In France, the single entered the chart at #42 on April 6, 1996, climbed quickly until reaching #2 four weeks later. It remained blocked for five weeks at this position, behind Robert Miles's hit "Children", then topped the chart for a sole week, becoming the second instrumental number-one hit, before climbing. It totaled 12 weeks in the top ten and 30 weeks in the top 50. The single was re-charted from October 1998, but remained in low positions. It is the 754th best-selling single of all time in France.[2] As a result, a remix CD single was released, but is much more uncommon.
Track listings
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Credits
- Composed by Mark Snow
- Terrestrial mix: remixed and produced Flexifinger
- P.M. Dawn remix: guitar by Cameron Greider, remixed by P.M. Dawn, synthesizers by Henry Hay and Maurice Luke, recorded and mixed by Michael Fossenkemper
- Ravers nature remix: produced and remixed by John Bogota, Pedro Ferrari and Roy Ströbel
- Secret Session remixes: produced by Special Agents for MAP Productions, engineered and mixed by RoBo
- Map Mystery mix: produced and mixed by Moorcroft and Prins for MAP Productions, engineered and programmed by TK for MAP Productions
Certifications and sales
Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
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France[3] | Gold | 1996 | 250,000 | 425,000[4] |
UK[5] | Silver | April 1, 1996 | 200,000 |
Charts
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Preceded by
"Children" by Robert Miles
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French SNEP number-one single June 8, 1996 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "Macarena" by Los Del Rio |
DJ Dado version
"X-Files" | ||||
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File:X-files (DJ Dado).jpg | ||||
Single by DJ Dado | ||||
from the album The Album | ||||
B-side | Various Remixes | |||
Released | 19 March 1996 | |||
Format | CD single, CD maxi 12" maxi |
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Genre | Dream trance | |||
Length | 3:57 | |||
Label | ZYX, Subway | |||
Writer(s) | Mark Snow | |||
Producer(s) | DJ Dado, Robert Gallo Salsotto | |||
DJ Dado singles chronology | ||||
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At the same time, Italian producer DJ Dado covered the song with a dream trance version, which became a top ten hit in many countries, including number-one in Denmark, though it failed to reach the top 10 in France and Germany.
In the US, this version was featured on the Pure Moods compilation album 1997 re-release.
Track listings
- CD single
- "X-Files" (DJ Dado paranormal activity mix) – 6:38
- "X-Files" (Claudio Diva sub-dream activity mix) – 8:40
- CD maxi
- "X-Files" (radio edit) – 3:57
- "X-Files" (DJ Dado paranormal activity mix) – 6:42
- "X-Files" (Claudio Diva sub-dream paranormal activity mix) – 8:44
- CD maxi
- "X-Files" (radio edit) – 3:57
- "X-Files" (DJ Dado paranormal activity mix) – 6:41
- "X-Files" (Tom Wilson Dyme mix) – 6:38
- "X-Files" (dV8 deviant mix) – 6:29
- "X-Files" (freak bros area 51 mix) – 6:53
- "X-Files" (Claudio Diva sub-dream paranormal activity mix) – 8:44
- 12" maxi
- "X-Files" (DJ Dado paranormal activity mix) – 6:42
- "X-Files" (Claudio Diva sub-dream paranormal activity mix) – 8:44
- CD maxi – Remixes
- "X-Files" (2 Cowboys remix) – 5:07
- "X-Files" (Reygroove remix) – 5:02
- "X-Files" (Valez & L. Antolini remix) – 6:25
- "X-Files" (Alex Voghi remix) – 6:25
- "X-Files" (Miki B. remix – flute experience part I) – 8:38
- "X-Files" (Moroldo & Mensi mix) – 4:35
- "X-Files" (Hornbostel & M. Marvin remix) – 5:18
- "X-Files" (Fabio Locati remix) – 6:18
Charts
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Triple X version
The song was also covered by Triple X. This version was less successful than the other two, but reached number two in Australia.
Charts
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The X-Files movie single and Mike Oldfield version
"The X-Files Theme" | |||||||||||
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File:The X-Files Theme Japan.jpg | |||||||||||
Single by Various Artists | |||||||||||
from the album The X-Files: The Album | |||||||||||
A-side | "Tubular X" | ||||||||||
B-side | "The X-Files Theme" "The Source of Secrets" |
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Released | 8 June 1998 (Japan) | ||||||||||
Format | CD | ||||||||||
Genre | Pop | ||||||||||
Length | 3:53 | ||||||||||
Label | Twentieth-Century Fox | ||||||||||
Writer(s) | Mark Snow Mike Oldfield |
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Producer(s) | Mike Oldfield, and others | ||||||||||
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"The X-Files Theme" was released as a Japan only EP in 1998[38] from the soundtrack album The X-Files: The Album for the The X-Files movie.
The maxi-CD includes four remixes of Mark Snow's theme to the television series, The X-Files. Notably "Tubular X" is part Snow's theme and consists of parts of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells. Another track from Oldfield also appears, "The Source of Secrets", the opening piece from his Tubular Bells III album, which also based upon the same theme from the original Tubular Bells.
Track listing
- "Tubular X" - Mike Oldfield – 3:53
- "The X-Files Theme" - The Dust Brothers – 3:27
- "The X-Files Theme" - Satoshi Tomiie Radio Edit – 4:17
- "The X-Files Theme" - R.H. Factor Pop Radio Edit – 3:37
- "The Source of Secrets" - Mike Oldfield – 5:33
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Mark Snow – The X-Files". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mark Snow – The X-Files" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mark Snow – The X-Files" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ "Mark Snow: The X-Files" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Mark Snow – The X-Files" (in French). Les classement single.
- ↑ "Musicline.de – Mark Snow Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Archive Chart: 1996-03-31". Scottish Singles Top 40.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Mark Snow – The X-Files". Singles Top 60.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Mark Snow – The X-Files". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – DJ Dado – X-Files" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – DJ Dado – X-Files" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – DJ Dado – X-Files" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ Billboard, May 25, 1996: Page 67
- ↑ "DJ Dado: X-Files" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – DJ Dado – X-Files" (in French). Les classement single.
- ↑ "Musicline.de – DJ Dado Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- ↑ Italy: Top Singles of 1996
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – DJ Dado – X-Files". Singles Top 60.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – DJ Dado – X-Files". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Triple X – X-Files' Theme (Version Dance)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Triple X – X-Files' Theme (Version Dance)" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Triple X – X-Files' Theme (Version Dance)" (in French). Les classement single.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Triple X – X-Files' Theme (Version Dance)". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Triple X – X-Files' Theme (Version Dance)". Singles Top 60.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Pages with broken file links
- Singlechart usages for Scotland
- Singlechart called without artist
- Singlechart called without song
- 1996 singles
- 1998 singles
- Instrumentals
- DJ Dado songs
- Mark Snow songs
- Mike Oldfield songs
- Number-one singles in France
- The X-Files music
- 1993 compositions
- Television drama theme songs
- Songs written by Mike Oldfield
- 1993 songs