Varèse Sarabande Rescues Fox Classic Series

by Lukas Kendall

20th Century Fox's long-delayed "Classic Series" of original film soundtracks will shortly be revived on Varèse Sarabande. Varèse has contracted with Fox to release a total of 16 albums over the next three years. The first CDs will be out in August: Jerry Goldsmith's Planet of the Apes (complete score for the first time, remixed from the original multitrack elements) coupled with a suite from the composer's 1971 Escape from the Planet of the Apes (in stereo); and Bernard Herrmann's 1959 Journey to the Center of the Earth (66 min.).

Released in September will be The Mephisto Waltz/The Other (Goldsmith, 1971/1972) and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (Herrmann, 1947). Late 1997 or early 1998 will most likely see the release of David Raksin's long-awaited Forever Amber (1947). All of these initial five albums will be in stereo.

Other titles remain undetermined at this point, but readers can assume that material originally announced for the series in 1994 will eventually be released. There will be several movie-musical albums as well as film-score albums. All CDs will be produced by Nick Redman, who has been with the series since its inception; coordinating the discs for Varèse Sarabande will be Bruce Kimmel.

Two titles announced at one time which unfortunately will not be released are Predator (Alan Silvestri) and Die Hard (Michael Kamen). To facilitate albums of these union-recorded scores, Fox has entered into a special arrangement with the American Federation of Musicians, to reduce the large re-use payments required to release the music. However, the deal only covers scores recorded before 25 years ago. Fair game for 1997 release, therefore, is any score recorded in 1972 or before; in 1998, 1973 scores will be-come available as well, and so on.

The Fox Classic Series was begun in 1993, overseen by Redman. Six titles were released that November on Arista, distributed through BMG: Laura/Jane Eyre (Raksin/Herrmann), Stormy Weather (musical), How Green Was My Valley (Alfred Newman), Star! (musical), The Day the Earth Stood Still (Herrmann) and The Robe (Newman). These titles are still in print on Arista and will remain so until at least 1999; the same holds true for the 4CD Star Wars Trilogy box set, also released by Arista in November 1993.

Sales were respectable for the first batch of Classic Series titles, and a second set of albums was prepared by Redman off and on the following year. However, relations between Fox, Arista and the musicians union never jelled to the point where they could be released. The series has been in limbo until this new agreement signed by Fox and Varèse Sarabande.

In Other Soundtrack Album News:

YES, COCOON: The New York-based Pendulum label is indeed reissuing Cocoon (James Horner) on CD. They expect this out in June. Pendulum is also doing Goldsmith's Lilies of the Field and Dune (Toto).

JOHN BARRY'S DEADFALL: The next release for Retrograde (FSM's label) is Deadfall, a 1968 score by John Barry to a Bryan Forbes thriller. The film is all but disappeared today (it stars Michael Caine) but the score is terrific, and includes Barry's 14-minute "Romance for Guitar and Orchestra," which he conducts on-screen in the film. The sound quality is excellent—we've remastered it from the original album masters which have survived the years remarkably well.

DINOSAUR DIORAMA: Get this: the soundtrack CD to The Lost World (Williams) is going to be some kind of pop-up diorama. Williams only finished recording the score a few weeks ago. I'm sure soundtrack buffs will love this album: wanna bet the track list will be on a sticker on the shrink wrap?

This Information...

Is culled from the new issue of FILM SCORE MONTHLY. See the "About FSM" site for subscription information. Subscribers should be receiving their copy today or over the next 5-7 days, depending on your location in the country or world.

Self-Diagnosis Corner:

Which acronym do you use more in everyday correspondence and/or conversation?

a) "O.H.M.S.S."

b) "S.T.:T.N.G."

c) "S.W.:A.N.H."

If you said (a), you will like the Deadfall album. If you said (b), you may not know what (a) is. If you said (c), you may not know what any of these are.

Hey! It's the weekend! Go see The Fifth Element!

Love,

Lukas Kendall