Film Score Friday 4/23/99
by Lukas Kendall
This is short notice, but the Winfield Regional Symphony will perform
Elmer Bernstein's film score from To Kill a Mockingbird, 7:30P.M., tonight,
April 23, 1999, at Brown Center Theatre, 125 S Second ST, Arkansas City,
Kansas. Seats are $5. For more information or to make reservations call:
(316) 441-5252. Former child actress Mary Badham (who played Scout, Atticus
Finch's tomboy daughter) will be there to share stories about the making
of the film.
The cast of Star Trek: Voyager will perform a Saturday night
cabaret concert at this weekend's Grand Slam Star Trek convention in Pasadena.
Neil Norman and His Cosmic Orchestra will provide the musical backing.Reservations:
818-409-0960 ext. 225; Tickets: $16 and up.
Next week we'll announce our new Golden Age Classics release of a highly
sought after Franz Waxman score. Stay tuned!
Singles
Next week (4/27) will see the release of the CD single from The Phantom
Menace, "Duel of the Fates." Here are some letters from our
well informed readers about past singles from orchestral film scores:
From: skye@lightlink.com (Paul Andrew MacLean)
In answer to the question is Phantom Menace the first film score
to have a single released before the release of the album itself? The answer
is no. A single 45 was released for Gremlins in 1984, several weeks before
the release of the film and album. It featured a Jerry Goldsmith cue, "Late
for Work" on one side (and Michael Sembello's "Mega Madness"
on the other). I have no idea if this was the first score cue ever realease
as a single prior to the release of the film and album however.
From: Geoff <geoff@tribal.com.au>
I do remember a single of "John Dunbar's theme" from "Dances
with Wolves" hitting the shelves in Australian record stores. I can't
recall if it was before the release of the entire score, however.
From: "Larry Best Sr." <becis@email.msn.com>
Responding to a question from MaestroJW in Film score Friday 4/16/99:
He writes: "I was curious, is this a first for a film score?
That is, to have an orchestral piece from a film score be released as a
single before the release of the rest of the score."
This has not been a common practice for many years. Back in the
dim ages ago, (specifically the 40's, 50's and 60's, to be more specific)
though it was not the usual practice. Actually the common practice was
to release a Main Title or some version of the credit music as a single
in order to test the market potential for releasing a full soundtrack recording.
In the case of The Phantom Menace however, the intent is not to
test the market for score potential. On the contrary, the Star Wars franchise
is a proven commodity, and George Lucas is simply tapping every sliver
of the that market he can. Like it or not, great film maker, regardless,
Lucas is a hard core capitalist in spite of his liberal politics.
Regarding single that precede the score release, several titles
come to mind:
In 1958, Jerome Moross scored The Proud Rebel, released by Buena
Vista Pictures (though it was not a Disney movie). The producers requested
a popularized arrangement of the main theme and intended to release it
as a vocal single. Contrary to the liner notes of the CD re-release of
the score, Disneyland Records released a single instrumental version of
that popular arrangement. The following year, a limited edition of the
score was released on LP, but due to poor market response it was quickly
pulled from distribution.
In 1959, Columbia records released Percy Faith's somewhat faithful
rendition of Max Steiner's Theme from A Summer's Place". The popularity
of that single prompted the producers to release an abbreviated LP of the
score some nine months later.
In 1966 United Artists released Return of the Seven a sequel to
John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven. Elmer Bernstein reworked his score
from the original picture into the sequel and subsequently UA released
a limited edition single of the Main Title from that score. Later that
same year, UA released an LP of the score from Return of the Seven.
In 1968 United Artists released the single from Bernstein's Score,
Theme from The Scalphunters, and released a 32 minute LP of the Score six
weeks later.
Singles of main title tracks and popular arrangements of main themes
from various scores have found their way into to marketplace, however they
have not always predated the release of the score.
The original title music (as recorded for the 2 LP release of Star
Wars - A New Hope in 1978) was simultaneously released with the LP. A few
months later, a popularized disco version was released and even made some
of the charts.
The 1982 release of James Horner's score for Star Trek - The Wrath
of Khan marked the simultaneous release of a disco version of the main
theme (arranged and recorded by James Horner). The single did not receive
the popularity and play time that its' Star Wars counter part had a few
years earlier, so it was subsequently packaged as a 45 rpm 12 inch single
with the deluxe package of the Score LP set.
I'm sure there are also many examples of market test singles that
were never followed up with a score album.
From: "Opcode Authorization 1" <auth1@opcode.com>
The Universe is full of 'em. Midway by John Williams. The Reincarnation
of Peter Proud by Jerry Goldsmith. (the latter released by RCA in Japan
looks ligit but JG told me it was a rip off). These are both cases of singles
out before the film and in lieu of an album. I got lots of others. My favorite
is EBs From Noon til Three. There are lots of others by the original artists
and as covers by other artists. These are good items to look for at used
record stores because many contain film artwork and liner notes. In the
early 60s there were even EP (extended play 45s) with music from Staccato
by EB with 4 tracks and others. The small record format hasn't been ignored
but it was never very successful. Some cover items like Ferrante and Teichers
version of EGs Exodus were big hits. Go out and look for them as in many
cases they are the only way the theme or part of the score appeared at
all.
From: "karlton" <karlton@airnet.net>
In 1982 I purchased a single of "Flying" from E.T. The
"B-Side" was "Over the Moon" I'm not sure, however
that this was before the release of the film (somehow I doubt it).
I'm really enjoying your site. I just picked up my second issue
of the hard-copy magazine at the newstand. Good work to everyone!
From: David Prior <prior@lainet.com>
The release of a single from Star Wars may be unusual, but it isn't
unprecedented. I have several 45's from orchestral scores, released before
the soundtracks. Goldsmith's "Justine", a section from Wagner's
"The Ring" (with From the Soundtrack to the Film 'Excalibur'
on the label), some bits of David Shire's "All the Presidents Men"
score, and a few others. It's hard to believe these ever got any radio
play, but they did get made. Something from my dim past tells me there
was a single from Superman, but I may be mistaken. The practice has been
dormant for years and only something like Star Wars could bring it back.
Now if we hear "Duel of the Fates" on KIIS FM, then I'll really
know hell has frozen over.
CD Bargain Hunting
From: "Jeff Kaler" <jkaler@iolky.com>
I agree whole-heartedly with Mr.
Kurkoski's article on finding gems in the least likely places. Here
are my good luck stories:
I found Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom at my local used-cd
store for only $5.85. That's right, $5.85!!! At first inspection, the cd
was horribly scratched. But when I played it in the store's cd player,
it played fine as well as in my home cd player. And most used stores have
a policy where you can return the cd if it doesn't play or if you just
aren't satisfied with it. In this same store at different occasions I have
also bought Crimson Tide, The Pagemaster, Far and Away, Interview with
the Vampire, Star Trek Insurrection, Jurassic Park, Tomorrow Never Dies,
Braveheart, and Batman each for only $5.85. I also bought from them a brand-spanking-new
copy of the Star Trek The Motion Picture expanded edition for only $19.95
when the chain stores in my area where charging up to $25.
Another good place to check is the cut-out bin at Wal-Mart. My area
Wal-Mart has this huge tower bin full of these cd's. At first look it seems
to be full of rock groups that just didn't make it, but after some digging
you can find that gem. I found Batman Returns for $3.96 (a score that's
nice to have but I would never had paid full price for it), Waterworld
for $3.96, and a compilation cd containing wonderful performances of Patton,
Bridge Across the River Kwai, and The Magnificent Seven for $3.96.
If you are thinking of buying Titanic or The Mask of Zorro, before
you buy it new check out your local used cd store. Mine is full of them!!!
Most people bought these for the songs and then sold it to the used store.
(I also found the Armegeddon score because someone accidently bought it
thinking it was the song album.)
So check out those used stores and cut-out bins. And don't be turned
away if the jewel case is cracked, if the liner notes are torn, or if the
cd is slightly scratched because as we always say in this hobby "Just
the music is what matters." Happy hunting!!!
From: KUBRICK70@aol.com
I love buying CD scores a lot! I too hate those high prices but
I pay them. I payed $17.99 today for a CD score for BRAZIL, to celebrate
the DVD announcement from Criterion for their 3 Disc DVD srt slated for
June 29th!!
I also paid $17.99 for VERTIGO myself and I would not trade it for
anything in the world.
'Tis the Season...?
From: Thomas Clement <thomasc@nowtranslations.com>
I've loved film music since I first heard Barry's Zulu and Herrmann's
Mysterious Island scores on tv as a kid. I've tried evangelizing friends,
family, and total strangers to the wonders that are SCORES! I used to make
people tapes of my favorites, thinking this would jazz them enough to start
buying the music themselves. Well, if finally dawned on me (duh) that this
is not the way to go (and no, burning them CDs of my favorites was not
the answer). It was time to go to the wallet.
Face it, every week we have to buy people presents: birthdays, weddings,
mother's day, flag day, second-cousin's on my uncle's side day; it never
ends. And what does one usually spend on a present? $15-$20 bucks (lightbulb
appears over head). So why not buy them a film score (or two or three)?
Yes, I know they didn't ask for it, but do you really want to buy them
a shoe tree or a tortilla machine just because they "think" that's
what they want? Of course not (and anyone who asks for such things is obviously
in some sort of film-score denial).
So for all those people who claimed they loved that Jerry Goldsmith
"suite" I taped for them, now they're getting the entire score
on CD! The results? They like the CDs A LOT MORE THAN THE STUPID TAPES
I MADE THEM. So, they're happy. I'm happy. Silvascreen and Intrada and
Varese and Rhino and Play It Again (you get the idea) are happy. Amazon.com
is happy. And by gosh, Danny Elfman is happy! I don't have to go to Fry's
to find that soldering iron grandma might like for her birthday. I sit
here at the iMac (original Bondi Blue), key up an order, and know that
in 1-3 business days, my shopping (and excellent shopping it is) is done.
Of course, FSM can also use the rewards of this type of gift giving.
Need something for an employee or client? Try a Patton or a Fantastic Voyage
or a 1-200 Rifles! I just got Deadfall for a friend (and he'll remain a
friend because of it!).
And never again will you have to hang your head and say, "I
hope you like it, you're so hard to buy for and I didn't know what to get
you." Now you can stand tall and say, "Here's the best present
you're going to get today!"
Have a Good Weekend
Next week I enter deadline mode for an upcoming issue of FSM, so I'll
find out the latest news from around town. Back on Monday!
MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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