Hi everyone! So this is a beginning of a long road to score:

Ed Sheeran has contributed a new song titled "I See Fire" for the upcoming The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug soundtrack.
"I See Fire" is the first solo song that Ed has released in over two years.

soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/yoonalee-1/i-see-fire-ed-sheeran)

and extremely new trailer:

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Sneak Peek [HD] - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfflhfn1W-o)

I hate this song.

There. I said it.

---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:53 PM ----------

Where is Howard Shore's input here. I have a feeling with all the orchestration needed for the actual score, he wasn't available to help out with the end credits song for this film. Such a shame.

I love it

There. I said it.

Thanks for sharing :)

I like it. It's certainly got off to a better start for me than "Song of the Lonely Mountain" which required a few listens to grow on me. I really like this song. I'm looking forward to hearing it in the cinema.

Can't say I'm usually a fan of Ed Sheeran, but I feel like this song has potential to work really well as a credits song.

Can't say I'm usually a fan of Ed Sheeran, but I feel like this song has potential to work really well as a credits song.

It really does have the potential. I think it just depends on what note the film ends on as to how effective it will be. Still love the song regardless.

I don't know what to think, especially if it sounds like that at the end, where's the orchestra? Thanks anyway!

Here is the whole song on YouTube - I See Fire - Ed Sheeran (The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug Soundtrack) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91faznNr-Gs)

Edit: Not a fan of it.

The song as such isn't bad, but too modern sounding for a film like this... it needs a true bard ;)

"I See Fire" is the first solo song that Ed has released in over two years.

Really?
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sheeran_discography#Singles)

And I have never been a fan of Ed Sheeran... but i'll give it a listen

I don't know... it's a bit too calm...? Maybe it has to do with the ending and they don't want to ruin the mood after it.

Personally.. I don't like this song... but it's still cute. Nothing more.

I loved Song of the Lonely Mountain, and all the end credit songs from LOTR. This one is too "R&Bish" for me. It's not "foreign" enough to represent Middle Earth for me. It's not horrible, but I was hoping for another GREAT song.

Doesn't fit, especially not with a title that uses the word 'Desolation'. I will be deleting this one off the album for sure

I don't think anyone can say it doesn't fit until they've seen the film. We have no idea how the film ends. For all we know (and I assume) the film will end on a very somber note and this song was chosen as it fit the mood. Ed Sheeran wrote the song specifically for the film and Jackson liked it. Can we just wait until we see the film before we judge "it doesn't fit" or "it's the wrong style". I had these exact thoughts for "Song of the Lonely Mountain" and lo and behold it fit perfectly. Let's just wait for the film guys.

I think movie will end at the edge of Battle of Five Armies at one hand and the siege of Dol Guldur on the other. Soon after defeat of Smaug and madness of Thorin. Wait? Is it a spoilers, oh, c'mon...

Well, it's definitely something different. I love it!

I think movie will end at the edge of Battle of Five Armies at one hand and the siege of Dol Guldur on the other. Soon after defeat of Smaug and madness of Thorin. Wait? Is it a spoilers, oh, c'mon...


Not actually. Here's the tracklist of the extended edition of the score:


DISC 1

1. The quest for Erebor

2. Wilderland

3. A necromancer

4. The house of Beorn

5. Mirkwood

6. Flies and spiders

7. The woodland realm

8. Feast of starlight

9. Barrels out of bond

10. The forest river

11. Bard, a man of lake-town

12. The high fells

13. The nature of evil

14. Protector of the common folk

DISC 2

1. Thrice welcome

2. Girion, lord of dale

3. Durin's folk

4. In the shadow of the mountain

5. A spell of concealment

6. On the doorstep

7. The courage of hobbits

8. Inside information

9. Kingsfoil

10. A liar and a thief

11. The hunters

12. Smaug

13. My armour is iron

14. I see fire

15. Beyond the forest

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hobbit-desolation-smaug-original/id735323287

---------- Post added at 12:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 PM ----------

Over 2 hours this time, that's awesome.

While I will wait until I see the film to pass judgement on whether or not the song "fits", I gotta say by itself right now I do not like the song AT ALL! FOTR and ROTK end songs were amazing (actually May It Be is my favorite, such a beautiful song!). IMO the Song of the Lonely Mountain was also pretty good (but not great) which is kinda also how I feel about Long Ways to go Yet from TT. This however, just doesn't work for me. Doesn't sound "Middle Earth-ish" at all. Like I said though, I'll wait for the film to pass final judgement.

It may sound a tad bit different on the soundtrack album, like how the Song of the lonely Mountain sounded a bit different in the movie if I can remember right

While I do agree with some people here that it does sound a little too modern, I will also hold judgement on whether it fits in the film until I see it.

That being said, I don't see why people are passing this off as something that wont completely fit. I think it has certain elements that are reminiscent of previous songs from the past films. Obviously they could do a lot worse. Why don't we try putting Danny Elfmans Willy Wonka's theme song in there? :P

It may sound a tad bit different on the soundtrack album, like how the Song of the lonely Mountain sounded a bit different in the movie if I can remember right

Then yet we might get a new them for this movie like how the first hobbit film had orchestrated variates of the Erebor Theme and how Return of the King has variants of Into the West

As a stand-alone song, it's OK. Takes WAY too long to develop. As an end credit song, we'll have to wait and see. So far I give it a "meh" rating.

At least The Lonely Mountain had the hobbit theme. I can't hear any theme on that sh't '' i see fire'' :( or idk, but maybe the film version will be so different.

Don't like it, doesn't suit The Hobbit

terrible :( unexpected journey song is better!!

They missed/LOST something this time.

Included on the soundtrack is I See Fire, a new song created for the film by Ed Sheeran, the 22-year old British singer/songwriter and multi-platinum global phenomenon who was nominated in the prestigious “Song of the Year” category at this year’s 55th Annual Grammy Awards. Sheeran is also a two-time BRIT Award winner and recipient of the highly esteemed Ivor Novello award for best song musically and lyrically in the UK." “It was such an honor working with Peter Jackson on this song," Sheeran says. "Not only is he one of my favorite directors of my favorite films, The Hobbit was the first book I ever read as a child, so it means a lot that I get to produce music for the motion picture.”

Elaborating on the collaboration with Jackson, as well as filmmakers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, Sheeran stated, “I was allowed complete freedom to create what I thought was fitting for the film, which is very rare, and Peter, Fran and Philippa were always on hand to give notes and pointers. The entire team down in New Zealand was out of this world. The film is amazing, I'm still geeking out that I've done a song for a Peter Jackson film set in Middle-earth!”

"Ed Sheeran is a true Tolkien fan, and also happens to be a brilliant singer-songwriter,” offered Peter Jackson. I See Fire is Ed's emotional response to the film. It's perfect."

That's it, let's give him a chance :)

Look, here's the thing. I didn't really like the Song of the Lonely Mountain when I first heard it on the soundtrack. It was too modernized and echoey and had no real classical instrumentation to it and it sounded too much like a radio song... But when I saw it in the theaters, I REALLY enjoyed that theatrical surround sound mix of it. I mean I was BLOWN AWAY by the theatrical mix and I was like, "What song is this? I like this version of it!".

When The Desolation of Smaug comes out in theaters, I bet you there will be a different mix of the song (because it has to be remixed into 7.1 surround sound for even the home release of the film and Dolby Atmos for the new theaters) with Howard Shore's instrumentation in the background like in the theatrical version of Song of the Lonely Mountain which, as I said before, sounds totally different than the studio version on the soundtrack.

In the theatrical version of Song of the Lonely Mountain, there are more classical instruments to be found in the song. A whole orchestra fill the surround channels to provide the epic feel needed at the end of the film, while in the studio stereo copy, there are no real orchestral parts to be heard. Also, Neil Finn's vocals are much clearer and properly mixed into the theatrical version. In the studio version, his vocals have WAY too much echo and the modern instruments overtake his vocals to the point where you can only hear "All eye's on the hidden" and then "door" is overtaken. The same goes for "To the Lonely Mountain" and "bore" is overtaken. In the theatrical version, those lines are able to blend in with the mix without being overtaken.

This mix of the song is not mixed by the movie sound guys. This is mixed by the people working with the artist himself to make a version people would have on their iPods. The movie version will (should) be mixed to more compliment the movie's feel and the instrumentation will (should) be more classical to reflect that.

TL;DR - The Theatrical mix will (I hope) sound much better than the studio version that is out now.

And if anyone wants to hear some REAL middle-earth music, here is some right here:

Thread 163881

And if anyone wants to hear some REAL middle-earth music, here is some right here:

Thread 163881|The Desolation of Smaug Score Preview

it says page not found?

Okay, I got it now. You just have to click "reply with quote" and then only select the URL. Somehow some "regular" "non URL" stuff got added onto the end and messed up the link.

And if anyone wants to hear some REAL middle-earth music, here is some right here:

Thread 163881|The Desolation of Smaug Score Preview

fix your link bro

This mix of the song is not mixed by the movie sound guys. This is mixed by the people working with the artist himself to make a version people would have on their iPods. The movie version will (should) be mixed to more compliment the movie's feel and the instrumentation will (should) be more classical to reflect that.

We can hope :) because, as i said, this sounds too "modern". Not bad, but not... right