Rio Conchos CD
News flash by Lukas Kendall
Our newest FSM Limited Edition CD is out and it's... Rio Conchos
(1964)!
Jerry Goldsmith came into his own as a creator of thrilling western
scores with 1964's Rio Conchos, a hard-bitten action story that
starred Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman and Tony Franciosa. Rio Conchos
was in many ways a reworking of 1961's The
Comancheros (FSMCD Vol. 2, No. 6, music by Elmer Bernstein), but it
lacked the buoyant presence of John Wayne and told a far darker and more
nihilistic tale of social outcasts thrown together on a mission to find
a hidden community of Apache gun-runners. It was the dawn of a new breed
of grittier, more psychologically honest westerns, and Jerry Goldsmith
was the perfect composer to provide these arid and violent tales with a
new musical voice.
Goldsmith had already scored several westerns before Rio Conchos,
including the acclaimed contemporary western Lonely Are the Brave.
But Rio Conchos saw Goldsmith marshaling his skills at writing complex
yet melodically vibrant action music, with several early highlights of
his musical output contained within. The composer's title music is characteristically
spare and folksy, belying the savage intensity of what is to follow, yet
his main theme effortlessly forms the backbone for the score's violent
set-pieces and provides often soothing commentary on the decency and nobility
buried beneath the flinty surfaces of the film's reluctant heroes.
Goldsmith's psychological approach to the action extends to some vicious,
Stravinsky-like rhythmic music associated with the Richard Boone character
and his violent hatred of the Apache, as well as an alternately exciting
and brooding fanfare for the Native Americans. The composer's action music
ingeniously plays off both folk-based rhythms (translated to the powerful
forces of the full orchestra) and Spanish influences as the action travels
South of the Border.
The existing CD of Rio Conchos is a re-recording conducted by
the composer for Intrada Records in 1988. FSM's new release features the
original soundtrack--never before released--as recorded for the film at
20th Century Fox in 1964. The recording is complete, in chronological order,
and in excellent mono sound with eleven cues not included on the Intrada
CD, including a great deal of moody, flamenco-based material for Tony Franciosa's
character and a lengthy, bravura action cue ("Drag Race") written
almost exclusively for percussion. Bonus tracks include a seldom-heard
vocal version of the title theme and five tracks of score remixed in stereo,
focusing on the action-packed climax.
$19.95 plus shipping
Track List
Rio Conchos
1. Main Title (2:37). 2. The Prisoner (0:19). 3. Get Me Out (0:39).
4. The Exterminator (0:32). 5. Where¹s the Water (1:52). 6. The Fuse (1:00).
7. Bandits Ho (6:03). 8. Smoke Signals (0:54). 9. The River (1:53). 10.
Unlucky Lover (0:55).
11. River Crossing (4:21). 12. The Aftermath (2:09). 13. Lassiter Remembers/The
Lance (1:37). 14. Wall of Fire (2:15). 15. Lonely Indian (3:11). 16. Cantina
1 & 2/A Change of Luck (4:26). 17. The Captive (0:57). 18. Big Deal
(1:20). 19. Chief Bloodshirt (2:36). 20. Drag Race/The Corral (4:01).
21. Free Men/The Intruder (5:02). 22. Special Delivery (5:41). 23. Cast
Credits (0:29).
Title Song: 24. Rio Conchos (performed by Johnny Desmond) 2:36
Stereo Bonus Tracks: 25. Main Title (2:37). 26. River Crossing (4:21).
27. Drag Race/The Corral (4:01). 28. Special Delivery (5:41). 29. Cast
Credits (0:29
Total time: 75:28
Album Produced by Nick Redman & Rick Victor
How to Order
Please use one of these two options:
1) Use our
secure-server order form here on the website for credit cards.
or
2) Print
and fax or mail this handy form.
Our CD of Rio Conchos is IN STOCK NOW and we can ship within
one or two days. Please note: Our autoreply function is temporarily disabled,
so you will not get an automatic email confirming your order. Feel free
to request a confirmation... but you may very well get the CD before you
get the email!
Subscribers to our "Classics Charter Club" series who have
asked for Silver Age Classics -- your disc is in the mail! Go
here for more info on our Club if you want to sign up.
MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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