Film Score Super CD Groundhog Day

Surprise! This month for the first time ever we have released not one but TWO CDs in our Classics Charter Club. .The Stripper/Nick Quarry (Jerry Goldsmith) we announced last week -- another great piece in the '60s Jerry puzzle. Check out the sound clips in the CD page here on the site. This is our Silver Age Classics release for the month, although The Stripper aesthetically could be called either a Golden Age or Silver Age title -- it has that gorgeous '50s soap feel, as does our last release, From the Terrace (1960) by Elmer Bernstein. (Incidentally, we're told that last night the Terrace CD got a lot of airplay on the New York City NPR station -- how great!)

The new Golden Age Classics release is a biggie --

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) by the one, the only Bernard Herrmann. This is the long-sought-after complete score, in stereo, lovingly remixed and assembled in film sequence. Go here for the CD page on the site with sound clips.

Usually when we release a new CD we do a full column on it here on the web site. We did not do that with 12-Mile Reef -- yet -- as we're still a day or two away from having the CDs in stock. Still, the new issue of FSM announcing the title is beginning to reach people, so we wanted people who knew about the title to order it, and that's why the CD page appeared here on the site and on the order form. Please order now!

The Great Experiment

What I am about to say is very important. It affects the upcoming release of classic music from vintage films that collectors want.

We do not know if our two-CD-per-month plan will work. Ideally we want interested listeners to purchase both CDs that come out, although we of course recognize that not everybody is going to want every title, and we would never ask or expect people to spend money on music they did not actually like.

Nevertheless --

If we find that people, for whatever reason, are only ordering one of the new CDs, not both, we will not be able to afford to generate two releases each month. Perhaps it's economic, which is reasonable -- we expect people to need to buy things like food as well as classic film music.

What we are deathly afraid of is people passing up one title because they are more immediately interested in the other one, whereas if each title came out on its own, they would purchase both.

Geez, I don't want to start sounding like public broadcasting here... but the fact is, we are unlike most companies, most magazines, most record labels. Who in his right mind would release NICK QUARRY, a jazzy Jerry Goldsmith TV score to a busted pilot that most people don't even know about, and nobody in the public has ever seen?!? We do it because we love this stuff and we love digging it up, dusting it off and presenting it to our fellow fans.

So, in light of the healthy sales of our series so far, we're taking this chance. We'll hit our 25th Classic CD in a few months; we could hit 40 by the end of the year if we can keep the "engine" fueled. And that all depends on you: our loyal listeners. If you like our selections, our presentations, we hope you buy our CDs.

.Whatever happens in the long term, we can promise a stellar line up of six amazing titles released over the next three months...

FSM Vol. 4, No. 1 - '70a sci-fi doubleheader.
FSM Vol. 4, No. 2 - a '50s Fox CinemaScope classic.
FSM Vol. 4, No. 4 - Mr. Waxman -- '50s -- a goodie.
FSM Vol. 4, No. 3 - a '70s smash. This will be a popular title... [No. 3 and 4 will be released in flip-flopped order for production reasons]
FSM Vol. 4, No. 5 - oh, this composer is seldom represented -- state secret!
FSM Vol. 4, No. 6 - a classic '50s title nobody ever thought they would have.

Are you infuriated by these vague hints? Good!

Plan your spending accordingly! Two CDs per month! Spread the word!

Varese's Cleopatra aside -- due March 20th and we can't wait either! -- FSM is going to be the event label of the spring for classic film music. We promise! So you're allowed to allocate money to buy Cleopatra, but other than that we expect you to be there for us. (Please, I am kidding -- no angry letters. It's just that this is very important to us. Our staying in business, that is.)

Check out recent releases!

Vol. 3, No. 7 Batman (1966) - Nelson Riddle
Vol. 3, No. 8 From the Terrace (1960) - gorgeous Elmer Bernstein music.

And new ones!

Vol. 3, No. 9 The Stripper/Nick Quarry - classic '60s Jerry Goldsmith.
Vol. 3, No. 10 Beneath the 12-Mile Reef - Mr. Herrmann goes under the sea...

As a final postscript to this hard-sell Friday exuberance, if you are interested in obtaining one of the copies of Beneath the Planet of the Apes autographed by composer Leonard Rosenman, we're down from our initial stash of 50 to only six or seven. Please, order now. Don't worry, if they're sold out, we'll email you before doing anything with your order.

Books

As part of the site maintenance we've been doing, we have our books section fully updated with pages and cover shots of all the books we have in stock. See http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/books.

Anyone interested in the gigantic, hardcover, illustrated John Barry book from England, we're down to our last couple of dozen, and this baby is out of print. If you want one, act now, or else you'll be kicking yourself later searching ebay or something. Going...going...going...

Readers Like The Stripper

From: "L. Rob Hubb" <blackrose@valise.com>

Just received the disc today and finished the first listen. This is getting awful tiring, continuing to heap praise upon you & the FSM gang for yet another quality presentation - it's time for a major misstep and to eat some humble pie, for Chrissakes!! You realize that consistency in quality is HIGHLY un-American - pretty soon, we'll be expecting it Everyday!

In terms of archival preservation, I think this is one of FSM's best efforts. Thoroughly enjoyed "The Stripper", but the real find is "Nick Quarry"- too bad the show never got the go-ahead. From the info in the liner notes, it could've been one of those great 60's shows most of us geeks would still be obsessing over - AND we'd probably have more Goldsmith music from the show, too.

Looking forward to BENEATH THE 12 MILE REEF - and belated thanks for the past several discs also. You guys have gotten a lot of flack over the more cultish material, but I say bring it all on!

From: Reed Birney <reconepau@yahoo.com>

re: The Stripper

Hooray! A score I have loved since I saw the movie on Saturday Night at the Movies. An impeccable job as always. Keep digging! Reed Birney

Thanks guys!

See yesterday's column (with photographs!) of the premiere of the Cleopatra Symphony by Alex North in Europe.

From: "Lester Sullivan" <lsulliva@xula.edu>

Thanks for the February 1 report on the Gewandhaus Orchestra concert of film music. Conductor John Mauceri mentions "the newly created Cleopatra Symphony," but he never says who created it, certainly not Alex North. So, who? I assume that its consists of excerpts from the score. If so, why is it being characterized as a symphony, as opposed to, say, a suite? The prospect of Mr. Mauceri's recording such a piece would have been exciting had you not just informed us of the miraculous prospect of the forthcoming Varese issue of the complete soundtrack.

From: Sean Nethery, vramin@pcisys.net

Many thanks for posting the note from Maestro Mauceri on the Gewandhaus Orchestra film music concerts. Finding that I'm gravitating more toward suites of film music than full scores (happy as I am with Varese Sarabande's upcoming release of North's complete Cleopatra score), is there any word of a potential recording of the Cleopatra Symphony?

Hi guys -- I asked John Waxman. Here are his replies (not verbatim, of course):

There are currently discussions about recording the Cleopatra Symphony but nothing is ready to be announced.

Conductor John Mauceri was the person who assembled the piece. It is called a Symphony and not a Suite because it is in two parts -- reflecting the structure of the film, where the first half is Caesar and Cleopatra, the second Antony and Cleopatra -- and the label of "Symphony" seemed to be appropriate for the work.

From: <lwatteau@ifrance.com>

I wanted to point out that it wasn't the European premiere of Herrmann's psycho suite. This piece was performed several times in France and in Belgium a couple of years ago.

Aha! Good point, but I am informed that the version of the Psycho Suite referred to in the article and recently premiered is not the one that is commonly played, but a new suite reflecting Bernard Herrmann's own, recently discovered concert assembly of the music. It was first performed at the Hollywood Bowl at a Hitchcock celebration concert.

Speaking of concerts:

From: Robert Froehner <sawman@fastlane.net>

The United States Coast Guard Band will present a film music concert in New London, CT, on Sunday, February 11, 2001, at 7:30 PM in the Coast Guard Academy's Leamy Hall Auditorium. The program, conducted by CDR Lewis J. Buckley and Asst. Dir. Kenneth W. Megan, includes music from BATMAN, HOOK, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, HIGH ANXIETY, and more. Special guest, Texas thereminist Dr. Robert Froehner. The Band will also accompany a short Laurel and Hardy silent movie, and vocalist Tracy Thomas will perform a musical tribute to the 007 movies. Admission is free; no ticket required. For more information call the Concert Hotline 860-701-6826.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominees for the British Academy Awards, to be handed out on February 25, 2001. Nominees for the Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Music:

ALMOST FAMOUS - Nancy Wilson
BILLY ELLIOT - Stephen Warbeck
CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON - Tan Dun
GLADIATOR - Hans Zimmer/Lisa Gerrard
O BROTHER WHERE ARE THOU? - T-Bone Burnett/Carter Burwell

For a full list of all nominees, see http://www.bafta.org/bafta/3_film/3_NOMINEES.htm

Music Career Expo and Job Fair 2001 is being held by the Berklee College of Music in Boston on Sunday, February 25th at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street. It's designed for building careers in the music business, including film music -- composer Mason Daring will be doing a workshop session on the subject. See www.berklee.org.

From: "Scott Watson" <junglebound@hotmail.com>

I'm a Canadian on a six month tour of South America. I am pleasantly surprised to report that English copies of Film Score Monthly make it all the way down to the newsstands of cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, even if they are a few months out of date.

But, I have a very important question, which I'm hoping that one of your Argentinian readers can answer. At the front of all the films currently screening in Argentina (at the movie theater), there is an advertisement which was put together by Blockbuster Video, and Correro Argentino (the post office). Please, somebody, I beg of you, tell me what wonderful music they have used under the clips from the famous Argetinian films which start the commerical. It's inspiring, and sends shivers up my back.

Anybody?

Michael Ware, can you write me? I misplaced your email address and need to forward a letter to you.

OK, that's it. Your trusty FSM staff is going home for a well-deserved weekend break and when we come back Monday morning we expect to have hundreds of CD orders to fill.

Make us proud!

Thanks! We love you all!

--Lukas

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