Ring Tones: Superstar it!
Last March, I purchased my first cell phone that let me tailor-make the wallpaper and sound files (providing I purchased the cable and software). At the time I was in the market for upgrading my family plan and out of contract with T-Mobile, so I shopped for the best deal. I went with Alltel because their rep at the booth said he would wave the activation fees if I signed that day. Seeing it would amount to a lot of money, I put my name on the dotted line several times.
I didn't count on him lying. My first bill had the activiation charges on it. When I called he said if I paid it this month, he would take care of it and credit it out the next month. By the next month, he was gone. Alltel then did their best Sergeant Schultz imitation: "They know nothing; NOTHING." So I was out the money.
Still, the cell phone is decent even if the company is not. It is an LG AX4250 that is durable and maybe not cutting-edge but much more solid than the fragile Motorola Razur 3C that is the current fad. Much smaller overall as well.
I already had some fun with the wallpapers , so I decided next to try making some ring tones. I was unable to find a midi file of the Jesus of Nazareth theme, but I found something almost as fun. I found some midi files from Jesus Christ Superstar . When I was a teenager, that musical was all the rage. It still is probably playing in some theatre in your hometown. It has even recently undergone a rival in the professional theatre and sparked a second movie.
So I tried my hand, and took the files that would appear to convert the best, shortened them, upped the volume as best I could, and made some Jesus Christ Superstar ring tones. I have cut down the sound files to play, at best, one verse of the songs. Even then, some of them are pretty long for a ring tone. I just could not bring myself to cut them down any further. Feel free to download them and modify and use them as you like.
(I am unable to figure out how to get WordPress to play these tones from the website itself with a button click. So be aware, clicking on the links will ask you to download the file to your own PC. After that, you can play it on any music program that plays midi files (Media player, WinAmp, or even iTunes. A little cumbersome, but the files are not large, and if you like them they will be ready to use.)
When my wife calls, the phone plays the title song, Superstar. No commentary on the virtue of my wife (though it is pretty high). It is just the loudest tone and the one most likely to catch my attention. Besides, my wife is the one to call me the most, so she may as well have the most representative song.
When my son calls, it plays Simon Zealotes. Another loud tone and one that does express his character to some degree. Anyone who has seen that song from the original movie would understand. They had to speed that scene up; no way anyone could move that fast for that long and live!
My daughter gets the other famous song from the play, I Don't Know How to Love Him. My daughter is prettier than the song and much prettier than Yvonne Elliman, but still I thought it suited her.
My mother was assigned John 19:41, more as a homage to the death of my father than anything else. It is also the same melody as "Oh Jerusalem" as sung by Jesus about the coming destruction of the city. In both cases, they are laments, but very pretty ones, so it works for her.
When someone from my mega-church-wanna-be calls, the phone rings The Temple. I make no commentary here on how that fits. (I do make it here however.) Friends from other churches are announced with The Last Supper song. When someone calls from work, it serenades me with What's the Buzz; unless my bosses call. Then it tones out Damned for All Time. (In light of my experience with Alltel, I thought of making that their ring tone, but since they never call me, it would have been a wasted joke!)
I have one friend who is fun but a little on the odd side. Herod's Song seemed a good representation for him. It makes no commentary on his lifestyle, but the song is just that: fun but odd; unique and good spirited.
All other callers not otherwise assigned or in my phonebook get Ciaphas' theme from "This Jesus Must Die." It is the faintest of the lot and the one I am least likely to hear–on purpose.
They all have the disadvantage I have found with midi-based ring tones. They all are fainter than the ring tones provided with the phones; some more than others. Still, I enjoy them and hope they give you some measure of pleasure as well.
And if anyone can point me to a midi of the theme from Jesus of Nazareth, I would be very grateful as well. It would match my phone a little better and keep me from humming "Damned for All Time" while I am working. My associates are starting to stare.