This News Friday 5/15/98
by Lukas Kendall
Introducing... FSM Silver Age Classics!
Okay, time to spill the beans. Here's why we were so interested in what
readers want on CD, and how they like to buy things.
We are starting a series of exclusive CDs sold through Film Score Monthly,
both the magazine and this web site. We are doing them like the old Varese
CD Club: limited editions, available exclusively from us. They will not
be available in ANY stores. The discs are not numbered (a last minute decision;
it was too bothersome, and we figured you guys want the music, not the
number on the disc) but are limited to 3,000 copies. This is enough to
make sure everyone who wants one can get one, but it's still limited, as
per our deals with the studios, union, etc.
The first release is STAGECOACH plus THE LONER, two westerns by Jerry
Goldsmith. Stagecoach is the 1966 film; yes, there was an album on Mainstream,
but that was a re-recording. We are releasing the actual film soundtrack
conducted by Jerry Goldsmith. The Loner is the 1965 TV series starring
Lloyd Bridges and produced by Rod Serling. Goldsmith wrote the main title
theme and two complete episode scores... we've got it all on our CD (20
min. total Loner). The theme is terrific and is right from the Lonely
Are the Brave/Rio Conchos playbook, and the scoring is a very interesting
take on Goldsmith's western style adapted to the TV medium.
Not part of our Silver Age Classics series but also available as an
EXCLUSIVE FSM offering is the stereo, restored 77 min. CD of THE WILD BUNCH,
as produced by Nick Redman for the Warner Home Video laserdisc box set
of the film. This is the ONLY way you will be able to buy the great Jerry
Fielding CD without getting the laser.
Each disc is $19.95 plus shipping: $3 U.S./Canada first disc, $1.50
each additional - and overseas, $5 first disc, $3 ea. add'l.
You can order in one of several ways:
Send a check or money order (U.S. funds only), or your credit card information,
to Film Score Monthly, 5455 Wilshire Blvd Suite 1500, Los Angeles CA 90036.
Or fax your credit card info (card # and ex. date) to 213-937-9277.
Or, if you're comfortable with it, e-mail the charge info directly to
Order@filmscoremonthly.com.
We are presently getting our own processing material set up, and in a matter
of weeks will be able to take credit cards through our web site in a secured
transmission. We will also be loading some sound clips, track lists, etc.
We'll be back on Monday with a longer column about the Silver Age series
and our plans.
By the way, all of this information is in the new May issue of FILM
SCORE MONTHLY, which is hurtling its way to subscribers now. We try to
distribute FSM in such a way that everyone receives it at roughly the same
time. However, we cannot control the vagaries of the post office (especially
overseas) so some people may get their copies later than others. Thank
you for your patience.
If you are (horrors!) not a subscriber to FSM, ask for a free trial
copy when you order a CD!
Right now we are looking at releasing an album every other issue. Composers
for upcoming projects include John Williams and Leonard Rosenman but that's
all we're saying for now!
Mark Snow X-Files Signing
From: Dan Goldwasser <dsg@soundtrack.net>
Mark Snow, composer of the music to the film and television show
THE X-FILES, will be at Creature Features in Burbank, CA. on June 6th to
autograph the score release of the soundtrack to THE X-FILES movie.
Hours will be from 1pm-3pm on Saturday, June 6th.
Creature Features is located at 1802 W. Olive Ave in Burbank. If
you have any questions, please call Creature Features at (818) 842-9383
Goldsmith Scoring News
From: "Debel" <dedunn@ibm.net>
I have heard a rumor that Graeme Revell is being replaced by Jerry
Goldsmith on the Disney/Touchstone movie "Eaters of the Dead"
aka "The 13th Warrior". Could this be true?!
The answer is, yes! Both Revell and director John McTiernan were dismissed
by producer Michael Chrichton on what is now called The 13th Warrior,
and Goldsmith has left the Ronin project to reunite with Chrichton.
Les Mis Trailer
People are still trying to figure out what music was used for this.
Here are the ponderings:
From: cooling <cooling@usc.edu>
My pursuit of the truth rivals that of Hugo's Inspector Javert.
Here is the URL for the ORIGINAL Les Miserables trailer (before they scored
the tv ads with Enya in an 'homage' to Titanic).
www.spe.sony.com/movies/lesmiserables/assets/lesmistrailer.mov
If you get a chance, take a listen to the first half and see if
you recognize it. I find it very haunting.
From: IRobiUK <IRobiUK@aol.com>
Hi. When I saw those comments last week about the Les Miserables
trailer I was hoping the music was the same as in the teaser. As I haven't
seen the full trailer, but know it's not Enya, what is the song in the
teaser? It sounds like an 80s euro-pop song but despite that sounds alright.
Although I actually have a problem with the Les Mis marketing: with all
this use of evocative music they're clearly trying to make people think
it's the musical.
From: "Dan Goldwasser" <dsg@soundtrack.net>
Regarding the Les Miserables Trailer question:
I don't have an answer, but the reply that you got involving "Book
of Days" by Enya is half right. That song was used in a lot of the
TV trailers, but not in the teaser, which is what I believe the original
question was referring to.
Teaser (traveling down a tunnel) - unknown song.
Trailer - unknown music / EMPIRE OF THE SUN ("Cadillac of the
Skies")
TV Trailers - Enya's "Book of Days"
So, the music is still unknown... (as far as I know....)
Most Memorable Themes
From: Barry Cooper <barry.cooper2@sympatico.ca>
Here's my list of top memorable themes from movies (in no particular
order):
1. Jaws-theme
2. Psycho-theme
3. Chariots of Fire-theme
4. Star Wars-theme
5. ESB-Imperial March
6. Jurassic Park-theme
7. Raiders March-theme
8. ET-theme
9. Gone with the Wind-theme
10. Titanic
Note that over half of these are John Williams' works. This is what
makes him-in my opinion-the best film composers today because he is able
to write great scores that are very memorable. By the way, I don't think
there are many poeple alive who have not heard Jaws and don't recognize
AT LEAST two or three of the above works by John Williams. I think Chariots
was so popular because it was a very good theme. One thing I'd like to
point out is the use of also sprach zarathrusta in 2001-it was a classical
piece but because of the way it was presented people tend to associate
with the movie instead-I had no idea it was not an original theme; if so
I would have included it on the list because it was very memorable too.
Thanks for your list! I'm going to say right now, DON'T send us your
list. Instead, let us direct you to our fabulous and now relatively spam-free
message board.
Make great film music lists there to your heart's content.
Alex North Comment
Responding to Jeff
Bond's review of the new Varese Viva Zapata! recording:
Sender: LDerichs@csi.com
"Gathering Forces" (a piece conductor Jerry Goldsmith
frequently puts into his concert repertory) is a textbook example of the
differences between how scores used to work in films and how they work
today: North was able to mix the exciting rhythms we associate with action
music with dramatic development so that his music actually said something
other than "this scene is supposed to be exciting."
This sums it all up. Wonderful comment about today's film scoring.
Another example for the old school of dramatic scoring is the famous "Grant
me an honorable way to die"-scene from Cleopatra, when Anthony wakes
up in his camp to find his troops have deserted him and rides off alone
to attack Octavius' approaching forces. North's anguished, screaming solo
trumpet during this scene is absolutely heart-wrenching. Maybe my most
favorite film music moment ever.
Godzilla
From: CsinoSkunk <CsinoSkunk@aol.com>
Sony can bite my ass! When they put Men in Black the score on hold
for over 4 months, i was pissed. I hate these stupid "music inspired
by..." soundtracks. The music has nothing to do with the movie, and
it wastes my time. Now, my second favorite composer, David Arnold, is getting
the same crappy treatment, with Godzilla. They are releasing a popular
music soundtrack, with two of David Arnold's cuts from the movie. I suppose
that i wont even see a full score, until November. The movie is already
going to be a blockbuster. Why wait until the hype goes down to release
a score? Is Sony going to call this soundtrack, "Godzilla the Album"?
Where do people come up with this stuff. I mean there were three different
soundtracks for Dick Tracy (music inspired by the motion picture, Madonna's
"I'm Breathless, and the origional score by Danny Elfman). Why cant
we just get one CD that has all the music from the movie? If they released
Men in Black with the will smith song, the score, and the elvis song used
in the movie, it would do just fine. Look at titanic. They did not add
a bunch of crappy songs inspired by the movie, and release the score months
later. They added the music from the motion picture, nothing more. Whoever
buys these "Inspired by" soundtracks is a weenie. Thanks for
listening to my ramblin'...
Well, okay. I hear there's all of four and a half minutes of Arnold
on the song compilation. He has not used any of Ifukube's material, of
course. We have a story on Arnold and the new Godzilla in our new
May issue.
Deep Impact Reaction
From: Michael Worden Skerritt <mskerrit@umich.edu>
I am a jaded Horner fan (while I do like most of his music, I refuse
to overlook his blatant self-plagiarism). This description would perfectly
describe my reaction to his newest score for Deep Impact. It is his best
score since, IMO, Apollo 13. And of course, it's not much different. Much
of the action material uses that old diehard military percussion and crashing
piano that Horner refuses to let go of. In that vein it sounds much like
A13 and, in turn, The Pelican Brief.
I must disagree with Paul Tonks on the issue of direct re-use of
themes/motifs. He directly quotes Titanic (boy he works quick, lol) and
Ransom on a few occasions. I do agree, however, that 77:15 is far too long
for this score (it's well over half of the film's 115 minute running time).
I did enjoy the more dramatic material in the score, especially
a lovely new theme which I can only describe as the emotional centerpiece
(I haven't seen the film).
The score is everything, for better or worse, that has become to
be expected of Horner. There are a few direct plagiarisms and an abundance
of stylistic plagiarisms (I do realize that Horner sounds like Horner,
just as every other composer has a distinct sound, but this action style
is too complex to be merely "similar"). But there are emotional
moments that save it from complete disarray.
Random IBM Question
From: Sam Gershman <Smartsam@aol.com>
Folks, if you can help, it looks like we need it.
Concerts
John Williams will conduct the Boston Pops in Boston's Symphony Hall
on May 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30. The May 23 performance will be taped for
PBS and include excerpts from Williams's song cycle Seven for Luck and
his score for Amistad as well as a newly arranged (by Alexander Courage)
suite from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess with violinist Joshua Bell;
the May 22 concert is the same. The other programs feature Pops concertmaster
Tamara Smirnova in Vieuxtemps' Second Violin Concerto.
Michael Kamen will conduct a concert of his film music next Wednesday,
May 20, at the Wadsworth Auditorum, Los Angeles, with special guests Eric
Idle and pianist Mona Golebek.
Call the respective box offices for more info.
Okay, have a good weekend, and thanks for your interest in our Silver
Age Classics series! As I mentioned, more Monday on our philosophy behind
the discs, and on the Stagecoach/Loner CD being offered now. Send
your questions and comments! MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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