History Main / InvisibleBackupBand

-->-- '''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''', "Once More With Feeling"

-->"What killed me is that ''from nowhere'', an orchestra started. You know, violins and everything, right in the minute of a jungle. Isn't that silly?"

--->-- '''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''', "Once More With Feeling"

* In the [[{{ITV}} Granada TV]] adaptation of ''The Red-Headed League'', SherlockHolmes is accompanied by an imaginary orchestra as he whistles a theme from the concert he attended the previous night.

* ''Film/RoadToZanzibar'' discusses this together with MickeyMousing in ConversationalTroping during an OldFashionedRowboatDate which ends with BingCrosby conducting the invisible orchestra to accompany him while he sings the LoveTheme:

* This happens quite a bit in ''VideoGame/ArTonelico'', whenever one of the Reyvateils sings, thanks to their Song Server manifesting the song right as they imagine it, while they sing the main melody.

* ''[[Film/RoadTo Road to Zanzibar]]'' discusses this together with MickeyMousing in ConversationalTroping during an OldFashionedRowboatDate which ends with BingCrosby conducting the invisible orchestra to accompany him while he sings the LoveTheme:

* Averted in ''VideoGame/GitarooMan'', wherein every time a musical duel begins, the backup band is seen somewhere, even if only as barely recognizable faces in the background, whether it's a crowded street downtown or the depths of space, but played straight in the fact that they are never aknowledged by anyone. Their in game biography suggest that being the invisible backup band is their sworn duty.

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* [[MarxBrothers Harpo Marx's]] harp solos are typically accompanied by an invisible orchestra playing quietly in the background. Chico's piano solos are more often unaccompanied, but when he plays "Collegiate" in ''Horse Feathers'' the orchestra accompanying him obviously isn't with him in the hotel suite.

* A running joke during the making of ''StarWars'' was how come there's sound in space to accompany the fancy special effects shots? George Lucas would claim there was a huge backing orchestra floating around in spacesuits.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ''OuranHighschoolHostClub'': Haruhi is seen singing with beautiful music the background, when someone accidentally unplugs the music player.

* In ''TheWorldIsStillBeautiful'', Princess Nike has a magic song that causes it to rain. One has to assume that it also causes backing instrumentals to come in out of nowhere.

* This happens quite a bit in ''ArTonelico'', whenever one of the Reyvateils sings, thanks to their Song Server manifesting the song right as they imagine it, while they sing the main melody.

* Inverted in ''LocoRoco'', everybody is aware of game's background music and sing to it. It's played straight in a few cutscenes.

* Averted in ''GitarooMan'', wherein every time a musical duel begins, the backup band is seen somewhere, even if only as barely recognizable faces in the background, whether it's a crowded street downtown or the depths of space, but played straight in the fact that they are never aknowledged by anyone. Their in game biography suggest that being the invisible backup band is their sworn duty.

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* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in WaltDisney's ''MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers'', where, after Pete finishes singing his VillainSong, he wonders why the music stopped.

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* Used straight in ''Film/TheGirlInGoldBoots'' with solo guitarist Critter being accompanied by harmonica and other instruments from nowhere. Snarked by the The ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' guys: "I love the way you play the harmonica with your ass!"

* Azmaria Hendric of ''ChronoCrusade'' has a gospel chorus and a soft church organ playing beneath her songs. She also uses MagicMusic.

* Sort of parodied in ''Film/RockAndRollHighSchool'': Riff Randall is daydreaming about [[TheRamones Joey Ramone]] serenading her in her bedroom, and even though a full-band recording of "I Want You Around" is being used in the scene, it appears that he's only being backed up by Johnny Ramone on acoustic guitar. Then she opens the bathroom door and it turns out that Dee Dee and Marky were playing bass and drums in there the whole time.

* ''[[Film/RoadTo Road to Zanzibar]]'' discusses this together with MickeyMousing in a GenreSavvy dialogue during an OldFashionedRowboatDate which ends with BingCrosby conducting the invisible orchestra to accompany him while he sings the LoveTheme:

* ''[[Film/RoadTo Road to Zanzibar]]'' discusses this together with MickeyMousing in a GenreSavvy dialogue which ends with BingCrosby conducting the invisible orchestra to accompany his singing of the love theme:

* In ''TwinPeaks'', James' song he sings while playing guitar in the episode "Coma" has bass and percussion come out of nowhere halfway through.

May or may not accompany MagicMusic.

* Happens several times in ''CampRock'', most noticeably when Shane is singing to Mitchie by the lake. This is ''very'' Narmy as the movie is heavily promoted as not being a musical but a "movie with music".

* In ''FerrisBuellersDayOff'', Cameron is accompanied by a ghostly offscreen chorus while [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvdfNnYOECs singing sadly to himself in bed]].

* Justified in ''SenkiZesshouSymphogear'' as a secondary function of the girls' DiscoTech armor.

* The scene in ''GundamWing'' where Quatre and Trowa play a duet on violin and flute, respectively, while there are also drums and guitar in the background. Apparently a couple of Maganac soldiers were playing right behind the camera.

* The titular character of ''{{Kobato}}'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4TH3vShrKU uses hers in the first episode]]. She's accompanied not only by a piano, but also by synth effects, a spotlight, and [[CherryBlossoms flower petals]].

* Subverted in ''TheresSomethingAboutMary'': Every time the theme music was played, a breakaway shot showed two musicians, normally playing from an implausible position.
* Used straight in ''TheGirlInGoldBoots'' with solo guitarist Critter being accompanied by harmonica and other instruments from nowhere. Snarked by the The ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' guys: "I love the way you play the harmonica with your ass!"
** Ditto for ''{{Eegah}}!'' "I see he remembered to bring the Isley Brothers camping with him."
** Likewise, in ''WildRebels'', when the (anti-)hero is playing guitar for the love interest in the forest, and a horn accompaniment suddenly breaks in:

* In ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'', when Ranka begins to sing in public for the first time, initially you can see a guitarist at a music shop add some of his strings to her performance. This doesn't, however, explain the full drums and keyboard accompaniment.

* Fancy Lala has one in the [[MagicalStageFancyLala anime of the same name]].
* In ''MacrossFrontier'', when Ranka begins to sing in public for the first time, initially you can see a guitarist at a music shop add some of his strings to her performance. This doesn't, however, explain the full drums and keyboard accompaniment.

* ''CreamyMami'' had this effect as part of her MagicalGirl powers, which is how she ended up with a career as an idol singer.