[EDIT 5/5/22: I have changed the thread title to be more general, since the original series appears to have ended but other labels have jumped on the new Goldsmith recording train! I have also updated my own initial Wish List, because some of the scores have since been released, either in re-recordings like Black Patch or the original recordings like Shamus and Face of a Fugitive. While Thriller Vol. 3 may still happen with Tadlow some day, reconstructionist Leigh Phillips got impatient waiting on that and so decided to start his own independent Goldsmith Kickstarter campaign, after having restored Black Patch and The Man for Intrada's new RSNO recordings of same, with conductor William Stromberg. Leigh's new venture is to record Goldsmith's output for the half hour anthology series General Electric Theater, one or two scores at a time, and the first two -- "The Bar Mitzvah of Major Orlovsky" and "Sarah's Laughter" -- have already been successfully funded! The campaign continues for another 19 days, if you'd like to lock in your advance copies of both for only £6! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/129592672/the-bar-mitzvah-of-major-orlovsky-jerry-goldsmith]
[EDIT 4/24/19: Though I had thought this series was over, it seems the Thriller albums are continuing, with two out so far and co-producer/reconstructionist Leigh Phillips expressing an interest in funding a third and final volume through Kickstarter, as he mentioned when a guest on The Goldsmith Odyssey: http://goldsmithodyssey.buzzsprout.com/159614/944720-episode-17-thriller-the-poisoner-1961]
Now I know that it's annoying when we just keep asking for the next thing and ignore what's already done, but that's actually why I decided to start this thread, so that there's a place for people to come with their wish lists so they don't overwhelm the actual threads devoted to these releases.
The three releases so far in this series have been magnificent: Hour of the Gun, The Salamander, and QB VII, the latter two of which were high on my list in this very post before they came out. Here's my wish list of other Goldsmith scores which deserve the complete treatment (but tapes are lost for the original tracks):
1. BABE, THE GALLANT PIG (title of the film when Goldsmith scored the early, "darker" cut) -- Apparently this score was about 85-90% written when the film was re-edited to be less dark (I think it's still pretty dark in spots, and one of my favorite childhood movies) and Goldsmith's contribution was abandoned in favor of a score by Nigel Westlake featuring prominent adaptation of a theme from Camille Saint-Saens's Symphony No. 3 ("Organ"). I would desperately like to hear what Goldsmith originally wrote, and as it seems as if this never progressed to the recording stage, there is the possibility here of presenting a true Goldsmith premiere! An advantage for this score is that it would require little reconstruction, as it exists in written form in the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library: http://collections.new.oscars.org/Details/Archive/71303062
I think Babe would ideally be paired with Goldsmith's similarly substantially-written-but-never-recorded score to Disney's THE KID, which also survives in written form in the Herrick Library: http://collections.new.oscars.org/Details/Archive/71303062
For me, premieres of never-before-heard Goldsmith compositions would generally be an even higher priority than scores which can only be heard in the films themselves.
3. STUDIO ONE -- Goldsmith wrote at least NINE, possibly ten or more, scores for the final half season of this prestigious anthology series (origin of 12 Angry Men and several other stories which became beloved films) which was also the oldest series he ever scored (it began on TV in 1948 after an initial run on radio). His output for the series was incredibly varied, ranging from a full-on Thriller-quality work like "A Dead Ringer" to the minimal jazz of "The Fair-Haired Boy" (known to Goldsmith fans on album as "Jazz Theme #2" on his Twilight Zone disc, though that was a mere fragment from early in the score). Just listen to Goldsmith get his Herrmann on, here:
4. THE CHAIRMAN -- Tadlow's James Fitzpatrick and Luc Van de Ven (of Prometheus) already wanted to do this masterpiece complete, but the hold up is that Fox hasn't granted them access to the original written scores in their possession. The written scores do exist in the Margaret Herrick library however, and the Herrick was kind enough to supply Intrada with the original written scores for Black Patch (in Jerry's own hand!) so perhaps Intrada may tackle this some day.
5. PURSUIT / CRAWLSPACE -- I think a twofer with PURSUIT and CRAWLSPACE, the two best remaining Goldsmith TV movie scores IMO, would make a great disc of about the same length as BLACK PATCH/THE MAN. Maybe Intrada could consider it in the future based on the success of that album. For what it's worth, I know for a fact that the complete written music for PURSUIT survives, but as far as I know CRAWLSPACE would have to be reconstructed by someone like Leigh Phillips.
6. THE WALTONS -- After the pilot telefilm "The Homecoming" (released complete on CD by FSM), Jerry scored six episodes of this series (his most significant body of work for a TV show, post-Thriller) and his work is uniformly superb! It is also sadly lost. The Thriller volumes from Tadlow (and Leigh Phillips's new series of General Electric Theater recordings) have shown there is a market for re-recording Jerry's episodic TV work, and this features one of his most beloved themes of all time. All six scores should be able to fit on a 2 CD set. Here's a breakdown I did of the one Jewish-themed episode, "The Ceremony" (which is half Goldsmith Americana, half QBVII/Masada/David Lev sound world): https://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=117025&forumID=1&archive=0
7. UNDER FIRE -- I know many would question this but I'd still love to have the *complete* score (confirmed lost, for now) AND I'd be very happy if acoustic instruments were given the synth lines as personally they grate on me in this otherwise fantastic work.
8. RANSOM (aka THE TERRORISTS) -- I know Luc loves this score and it deserves a better presentation, as it was the worst LP ever produced of a Jerry Goldsmith score (three cues needlessly repeated instead of including other unique cues, one side in mono while the other was in stereo, and generally horrible sound).
9. THE SATAN BUG -- as Jeff Bond writes below, "The interesting thing about The Satan Bug is the cues that feature the hard-to-reproduce electronics are already quite well-represented on the FSM album, and in great sound. The big orchestral showpieces in the score don't really feature electronics at the forefront and I'd love to see someone take a crack at rerecording them"
10. IN HARM'S WAY / THE GENERAL WITH THE COCKEYED ID -- Of course if original tracks show up for In Harm's Way I'd prefer to get the original, but Intrada looked and could find them (it was one of their earliest releases after the Paramount vaults opened up, so maybe more stuff has been found now?) The General with the Cockeyed Id would fill out the disc nicely and while there's a poor sounding boot I'm not sure who owns the rights to release the original tracks. But this delightful music (including Goldsmith's first experience scoring animation) deserves an official album:
What does YOUR Goldsmith re-recording wish list look like?
I would buy anything with words Jerry Goldsmith on the cover, but speaking about some particular favorites, complete re-recording of QB VII would be simply marvelous. There are others too, which are probably lost and re-recording them is the only way we may all finally hear them - if I remember correctly there were some piano elements/overdubs missing for Peter Proud - that would be definitely fine to have re-recorded if there is no other way to hear it... Damnation Alley would be nice too, but it's probably too minor score to justify expensive re-recording. Or complete score from SECONDS.
I would buy most of the Goldsmith scores that have been released in mono or with mixed mono / stereo tracks. The Satan Bug should be a very good candidate, the FSM archival edition is horrible (not their fault)
I would buy most of the Goldsmith scores that have been released in mono or with mixed mono / stereo tracks. The Satan Bug should be a very good candidate, the FSM archival edition is horrible (not their fault)
Yes I was going to mention the Cassandra Crossing, which is in mono.
Personally, I don't think I've liked a re-recording. They almost never have the same personality or flavor of the original. Even Goldsmith himself, in his concert work and a few other projects, could never quite get them to have the same quality of his original recordings. Goldsmith's work in particular was dependent on the specific orchestration and conducting done at the time. It rarely seems reproducible. They're like an English translation of another language.
Played entirely on kazoos by the rare Vietnamese Tonkin snub-nosed monkey. The vocals will be done by Harlan Ellison, screaming at someone at a comic book convention.
I want it to have a 38 page liner note insert that folds out into a gatefold poster, a pop-tent, a hat, a unicorn and a life-sized bust of Adlai Stevenson.
It should be encased in a 16 karat gold CD case, etched by monks by the full of the harvest moon in the lower regions of Polonnaruwa but only while facing north.
It should be limited to three copies. I should own all of them.
Played entirely on kazoos by the rare Vietnamese Tonkin snub-nosed monkey. The vocals will be done by Harlan Ellison, screaming at someone at a comic book convention.
I want it to have a 38 page liner note insert that folds out into a gatefold poster, a pop-tent, a hat, a unicorn and a life-sized bust of Adlai Stevenson.
It should be encased in a 16 karat gold CD case, etched by monks by the full of the harvest moon in the lower regions of Polonnaruwa but only while facing north.
It should be limited to three copies. I should own all of them.
I have seen a copy of The Omen in a used CD bin, so...
THE LIST OF ADRIEN MESSENGER and Goldsmith's THRILLER scores would be my top priority--but only if the original tapes are lost. (It's looking that way for ADRIEN MESSENGER.)
A disc of suites from Thriller (complete episode scores would be too unwieldy IMO) QBV III The Chairman The General With The Cockeyed Id Planet Of The Apes Lionheart (a long suite might be adequate here)
I would say Adrian Messenger but it seems almost certain to come out from Varese
I'd like a re-recording of Planet of the Apes, Capricorn One and Total Recall. I've always desired to listen to them performed by some other orchestra.
Just think about Capricorn One performed in a "barbarian mood" by some Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Unione Musicisti di Roma Orchestra, or... Prague Orchestra!
I hope they stick to scores that are considered lost or that currently sound horrible, otherwise I'd be hard pressed to buy a Goldsmith rerecordings; you can't beat the originals.
For the record, my 'that's a great idea' was when Basil's post suggested Supergirl. Now that he edited it to suggest Legend, I'm not in as strong agreement. The garish synths in Legend work (just) whereas in Supergirl you just want them to go away.
I forgot to add in my wish-list a re-recording of THE FINAL CONFLICT and SECRET OF NIMH. These I'd buy at light-speed. (give me different chorus performances!)
