Dale Oliver

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Dale Oliver
Background information
Genre(s) Professional wrestling theme music
Associated
acts
BlackHawk

Dale Oliver is a music composer who works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling; he was formerly a member of American country music group BlackHawk.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Music composer for TNA

Like his WWE counterpart Jim Johnston, and his (original) ECW counterpart Harry Slash, Oliver writes a huge percentage of TNA's entrance theme tunes including themes for pay-per-view broadcasts. Unlike Johnston, Oliver performs the vocals and instruments for most of the theme tunes himself.

Oliver has been subjected to some criticism in that some say a lot of the theme tunes he has composed are closely modelled on popular songs. For example,Christian Cage's theme on "My Last Breath" by Evanescence, and Christopher Daniels' theme on "Disposable Teens" by Marilyn Manson. Sometimes, as in Daniels' case, these songs are already identified with the wrestlers from their use in independent promotions.

Some of his best-known themes include the original "I Am" theme, used by A.J. Styles, and "I'm Everything", used by Marcus Bagwell, Apolo, Konnan, Team Mexico, Mexico's Most Wanted, the Spanish Announce Team, and virtually every Hispanic wrestler to ever wrestle in TNA. "I'm Everything" is widely considered to be one of Oliver's best theme songs, but bears obvious similarities to Carlos Santana's "Smooth".

The shortest song that Oliver has composed was Chris Candido's 39-second TNA theme, which was said to be a modification of one of Oliver's own songs called "Born And Raised" (similar to Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A."). Another one of Oliver's shortest songs was Roderick Strong's theme at 42 seconds.

Oliver has also been praised for his themes for competitors in the X-Cup Tournaments.[citation needed]

[edit] Oliver's Remakes

Wrestler/Event Title Based on
Against All Odds 2007   "Rosetta Stoned" by Tool
A1 (*) "Iron Clad" "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath
Alex Shelley "Paparazzi" "The Fly" by U2
Apolo (*) "I'm Everything" "Smooth" by Carlos Santana
Balls Mahoney "Bigg Nuts" "Big Balls" by AC/DC
Big Vito   The Godfather theme
Bound for Glory 2006   "Alive" by P.O.D.
Chris Candido   "Born In The U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen
Chris Harris   "More Human Than Human" by White Zombie
Chris Sabin "Hail Sabin" "Offbeat Bare Ass" by 311
Christian Cage "Take Over" "My Last Breath" by Evanescence
Christopher Daniels "Manson" "Disposable Teens" by Marilyn Manson
Curt Hennig (*) "Champion" "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" by Queen
D'Lo Brown   "What's My Name" by DMX
David Flair "2003 Space Astrology" "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
DDP "Spirit" "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
Dusty Rhodes   "Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen
Erik Watts "Wattage" "We Will Rock You" by Queen
James Storm "Sorry Bout Your Luck" "Electric Rodeo" by Shooter Jennings
Jay Lethal "Static" "Push It" by Static-X
Jerry Lynn "Fear" "Scapegoat" by Fear Factory
Johnny B. Badd "Go Johnny" "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry
Justin Credible (*) "Snap This!" "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" by Prong
Kevin Nash "Dre" "Still D.R.E." by Dr. Dre
Kevin Nash (*) "Saturn" "Come with Me" by Puff Daddy
Kid Kash "Misfit" "Walk" by Pantera
Kurt Angle "My Quest" "Lunatic Fringe" by Red Rider
Lance Hoyt "Vast" "Touched" by VAST
LAX   "Psycho" by The Filthy Animals
LAX "Dawgz" "The Dope Man" by Cam'ron
Lazz "Oops" "Oops!... I Did It Again" by Britney Spears
Mascarita Sagrada "Latin Ryder" "Low Rider" by War
Maverick Matt "Machine" "Caboose" by Sugar Ray
Mikey Batts (*) "My Fist" "Stinkfist" by Tool
Monty Brown "Alpha Male" "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed
Nigel McGuinness (*) "God Save" "God Save The Queen"
Petey Williams (*) "Park It" "Readyfules" by Anberlin
Phi Delta Slam (*)   "Basket Case" by Green Day
Raven "Offspring" "Come Out and Play" by The Offspring
Raven "Scream" "Come as You Are" by Nirvana
Robert Roode "No More Fears" "Don't Stop at the Top" by The Scorpions
Sabu "Carpet Ride" "Huka Blues" by Harry Slash & The Slashtones
Scott Hall "Marvelous Me" "Those Shoes" by The Eagles
Shane Douglas "Deep" "Perfect Strangers" by Deep Purple
Shocker   "Whatever" by Godsmack
Sting "Stingellica" "Seek & Destroy" by Metallica
Team 3D "Bomb Fall" "Bombshell" by Powerman 5000
Team Canada "Oh Canada" "O Canada"
Team USA   "The Star-Spangled Banner"
Team USA (*) "Born and Raised" "Born In The U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen
The Diamonds in the Rough "Drain U" "Simon Says" by Drain STH
Tomko   "Vicarious" by Tool
The Harris Brothers (*) "War Neck" "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath
The Naturals "Smack" "Bad Religion" by Godsmack
The Sandman "Sandman" "Enter Sandman" by Metallica
Triple X "XXX Gonna Give It" "X Gon' Give it to Ya" by DMX
Vince Russo (*) "FU System" "Toxicity" by System of a Down

[edit] Mainstream songs that have been used in TNA

Wrestler/Event Song
Christy Hemme "Wasting Away" by Manic Drive
Insane Clown Posse "Down With the Clown" by ICP
Kazarian & Maverick Matt "Bad Influence" by Less Than Zero
Shannon Moore (*) "Chicken Huntin' (Slaughterhouse Mix)" by ICP
Sting "Yours" by tobyMac

(*) Indicates that the theme has been used for at least 1 other wrestler/stable unrelated to the wrestler listed, but the wrestler listed is the most recent one to use it.

[edit] External links