baron-pierreIV Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 the best closing ceremony ever staged... I'd say LA-1984 is still the greatest Closing. How can anyone top that UFO stunt?? London's was just one big, classy rock concert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul92 Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 One of the highlights for many was London Mayor Boris Johnson dancing to Spice Girls. You may presume that everyone is embarrassed by him. However he has done so well out of these Olympics and has never been so popular. People are already talking about whether he will run for Prime Minster in the future. (I guess you may have to be British to 'get him'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaqVLzQsMN8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainad Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 One of the highlights for many was London Mayor Boris Johnson dancing to Spice Girls. You may presume that everyone is embarrassed by him. However he has done so well out of these Olympics and has never been so popular. Don't forget he's just capitalising on Ken Livingstone's success in helping to get the Games for London in the first place.It was Livingstone who initiated the move for London to apply for them and had the vision of how they could transform the city. It was he along with Seb Coe, Tony Blair and Tessa Jowell who made the successful pitch to the IOC at a time when most people thought that 2012 was a virtual shoo-in for Paris. I highly doubt Boris and Cameron would have pulled it off or even had the vision in the first place. Boris has done well in the run-up and management of the Games but he has been riding on the vision and success of those who came before him! People are already talking about whether he will run for Prime Minster in the future. (I guess you may have to be British to 'get him'. Heaven forbid. That's just post 'Olympic euphoria' talking. I'm sure it's only a temporary form of insanity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul92 Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Don't forget he's just capitalising on Ken Livingstone's success in helping to get the Games for London in the first place.It was Livingstone who initiated the move for London to apply for them and had the vision of how they could transform the city. It was he along with Seb Coe, Tony Blair and Tessa Jowell who made the successful pitch to the IOC at a time when most people thought that 2012 was a virtual shoo-in for Paris. I highly doubt Boris and Cameron would have pulled it off or even had the vision in the first place. Boris has done well in the run-up and management of the Games but he has been riding on the vision and success of those who came before him! Don't get me wrong though - I'd would have preferred Ken to win in May. Boris does provide some funny moments though. Shame he didn't zip wire into the stadium last night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menegazfelipe Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaqVLzQsMN8 That was fun! I liked it. Everybody having fun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 Okay, I've just now finished watching the Closing Ceremony. I have not read any other comments about it here in the forums. I will just say ... BEST... CLOSING ... CEREMONY ... EVER! No contest. Not even close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 (edited) I am back from the Closing Ceremony. I was sitting behind the flame. The most spectacular element for me from the singing part was the Spice Girls with the taxis. The arrival of the athletes took longer than expected. They had to play recorded music towards the end. The musical part was a bit long, especially for my guests. I was surprised to see a lot of athletes leaving the central stage from 10:30/11:00 pm. I don't know, maybe they got bored, were too far from the stage or had other commitments. At the end of the Ceremony the Union Jack quadrants on my side of the stadium were quite empty. For the spectators the display pixel blocks at each seat made the arena extremely spectacular. It was my fourth closing ceremony, the most memorable for me remains Albertville 92, because the spectators were allowed to go down in the arena and rub shoulders with the athletes and performers at the end of the Ceremony. I remember doing the conga dance with Chinese female athletes on the central stage. These were more innocent times. Edited August 14, 2012 by hektor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filipe_Golias Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 The closing ceremony soundtrack album is an Olympic hit! http://www.apple.com/euro/itunes/charts/top10albums.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walei Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 I am back from the Closing Ceremony. I was sitting behind the flame. The most spectacular element for me from the singing part was the Spice Girls with the taxis. The arrival of the athletes took longer than expected. They had to play recorded music towards the end. The musical part was a bit long, especially for my guests. I was surprised to see a lot of athletes leaving the central stage from 10:30/11:00 pm. I don't know, maybe they got bored, were too far from the stage or had other commitments. At the end of the Ceremony the Union Jack quadrants on my side of the stadium were quite empty. For the spectators the display pixel blocks at each seat made the arena extremely spectacular. It was my fourth closing ceremony, the most memorable for me remains Albertville 92, because the spectators were allowed to go down in the arena and rub shoulders with the athletes and performers at the end of the Ceremony. I remember doing the conga dance with Chinese female athletes on the central stage. These were more innocent times. Instead of letting athletes roam around the stadium they were compartmentalized for too long. There isn't much they could do so maybe some of them got bored or just left to join other compartments. Still disappointed not seeing a impromptu conga line Spice Girls were amazing, they were also the highlight for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 (edited) Two questions: 1) I am pretty sure "Imagine" was already played at a previous Olympic Ceremony. Atlanta closing maybe ? Can a Ceremony expert confirm ? 2) When was the last day time ceremony ? I remember Seoul Opening was in daytime. Edited August 14, 2012 by hektor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 A question: I am pretty sure "Imagine" was already played at a previous Olympic Ceremony. Atlanta closing maybe ? Can a Ceremony expert confirm ? I thot the same. I think (because Yoko Ono is NOT one I care to keep in my memory bank) it was played with her appearance at the Torino Opening. But I will have to check that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 (edited) I remember there had been some complaints in France about the "and no religion too" line because some people felt that the Olympics by playing this song were making a non-neutral statement. But I can't remember which Games they were. Edited August 14, 2012 by hektor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 (edited) When was the last day time ceremony ? I remember Seoul Opening was in daytime. Nagano 1998 started mid-afternoon. So that probably was the last one still with daylight. And going into the 21st century, the Olympics went to the Dark Side. Re IMAGINE, OK just found it. It was in the Torino Opening, Yoko read a little preamble, and then Peter Gabriel sang the song. Edited August 14, 2012 by baron-pierreIV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 Thanks a lot for the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 "Imagine" was also played during Sydney's OC Pre-show entertainment. That doesn't count. It's pre-show. Only the stadium people see that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daze Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 What will happen to the phoenix? That would be a real good sign for the legacy of the Olympic Park. Does anyone know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 Nagano 1998 started mid-afternoon. So that probably was the last one still with daylight. Nagano's opening ceremony actually started already at 11 a.m. local time. And guess who asked for that start time (you probably know that already, Baron)? Exactly, the "we can do everything with the Olympics - even reschedule the swimming finals in Beijing" honchos of NBC - since they wanted to broadcast the opening ceremony live during primetime in the US. And yes, it was the last Olympic opening ceremony taking place in daylight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 Nagano's opening ceremony actually started already at 11 a.m. local time. And guess who asked for that start time (you probably know that already, Baron)? Exactly, the "we can do everything with the Olympics - even reschedule the swimming finals in Beijing" honchos of NBC - since they wanted to broadcast the opening ceremony live during primetime in the US. And yes, it was the last Olympic opening ceremony taking place in daylight. Well, it wouldn't have mattered anyway because, show-content-wise, it was still a corny, kitschy show. And I am sure the Nagano organizers were only too happy to oblige. Plus the older members of the IOC and the Japanese royals didn't have to endure the colder night-time temps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 The point here is that John Lennon's 'Imagine', like certain other songs and music, seems to universally touch an emotional chord of a world we're not in yet but would like it to be. The point of the original question was, if I understood it right, was "...wasn't there another appearance of the song in ANOTHER Olympic ceremony?" I am not questioning the universaility of the song. That was never in question. But the subtext of the original query was "...this isn't the virgin appearance of the song in an Olympic setting, is it?" -- thus I discounted your contribution. It was for local consumption therefore, it was not in its Olympic setting which is a universal one. Its two other appearances in Torino and now London were within Ceremony proper which is presented to and seen by the whole viewing world. That is how I mark the demarcation. Preshows are filler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 We had a nice set of British music during the pre-show. We even had the music of "The Avengers" (the one with Patrick McNee, not the one with the superheroes). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tower Bridge Fox Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 I loved the use of John Barry’s theme from Dances with wolves as the caldron went out The perfect end to a mind blowing show. Kim Gavin is directing the Paralympics closing ceremony as well so we have another sensational treat of exquisite artistry to look forward to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 I loved the use of John Barry’s theme from Dances with wolves as the caldron went out The perfect end to a mind blowing show. I found it a bit out of place. First, because it's a very American theme for a very American movie (even if it was composed by a Briton), although the music had been genuinely British throughout the ceremony. And secondly because I would have really wished for a new composition for that very significant moment. Its pathos and "melancholic heroism" was also a strange contrast to that modest and meditative "Caliban's Dream" they played during the cauldron lighting. But all that doesn't alter the fact for me that it was a fantastic closing ceremony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 How many millions out there would've known that that was from that boring film anyway?? Well, considering that that movie garnered more than 400 million dollars around the world, with more than 6.6 million people watching it in Germany alone, I suppose that quite a few million people around the people had a better memory than you and recognised the song. "around the world", not "around the people" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FDLondon Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 Now you've mentioned it, I recognise it. At the time, I was too busy blubbing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nacholympic Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 Watch the full Closing Ceremony on Youtube. You have audio options and videos of the performances. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij3sgRG5sPY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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