diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc
index 051f983ea7..ccf4eab096 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc
@@ -674,90 +674,14 @@ TimeAxisViewItem::get_name_highlight()
 void
 TimeAxisViewItem::compute_colors (Gdk::Color const & base_color)
 {
-	unsigned char radius;
-	char minor_shift;
-
 	unsigned char r,g,b;
 
-	/* FILL: this is simple */
+	/* FILL: change opacity to a fixed value */
+
 	r = base_color.get_red()/256;
 	g = base_color.get_green()/256;
 	b = base_color.get_blue()/256;
 	fill_color = RGBA_TO_UINT(r,g,b,160);
-
-	/*  for minor colors:
-		if the overall saturation is strong, make the minor colors light.
-		if its weak, make them dark.
-
-   		we do this by moving an equal distance to the other side of the
-		central circle in the color wheel from where we started.
-	*/
-
-	radius = (unsigned char) rint (floor (sqrt (static_cast<double>(r*r + g*g + b+b))/3.0f));
-	minor_shift = 125 - radius;
-
-	/* LABEL: rotate around color wheel by 120 degrees anti-clockwise */
-
-	r = base_color.get_red()/256;
-	g = base_color.get_green()/256;
-	b = base_color.get_blue()/256;
-
-	if (r > b)
-	{
-		if (r > g)
-		{
-			/* red sector => green */
-			swap (r,g);
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			/* green sector => blue */
-			swap (g,b);
-		}
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		if (b > g)
-		{
-			/* blue sector => red */
-			swap (b,r);
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			/* green sector => blue */
-			swap (g,b);
-		}
-	}
-
-	r += minor_shift;
-	b += minor_shift;
-	g += minor_shift;
-
-	label_color = RGBA_TO_UINT(r,g,b,255);
-	r = (base_color.get_red()/256)   + 127;
-	g = (base_color.get_green()/256) + 127;
-	b = (base_color.get_blue()/256)  + 127;
-
-	label_color = RGBA_TO_UINT(r,g,b,255);
-
-	/* XXX can we do better than this ? */
-	/* We're trying;) */
-	/* NUKECOLORS */
-
-	//frame_color_r = 192;
-	//frame_color_g = 192;
-	//frame_color_b = 194;
-
-	//selected_frame_color_r = 182;
-	//selected_frame_color_g = 145;
-	//selected_frame_color_b = 168;
-
-	//handle_color_r = 25;
-	//handle_color_g = 0;
-	//handle_color_b = 255;
-	//lock_handle_color_r = 235;
-	//lock_handle_color_g = 16;
-	//lock_handle_color_b = 16;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.h b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.h
index 87101aad3b..6fb1926fb3 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.h
@@ -238,7 +238,6 @@ class TimeAxisViewItem : public Selectable, public PBD::ScopedConnectionList
 	uint32_t selected_frame_color_r;
 	uint32_t selected_frame_color_g;
 	uint32_t selected_frame_color_b;
-	uint32_t label_color;
 
 	uint32_t handle_color_r;
 	uint32_t handle_color_g;