Zap, you're absolutely right. If this guy spends more than he'll make to allow this to happen, wouldn't that make him a moron?
A few months ago, I was cleaning out my attic and found my "Star Wars" laserdiscs. No longer having a laserdisc player, I was about to toss them, when I decided to put them on Amazon Marketplace, figuring whatever I could get for them would be better than nothing. I was wrong. Shipping wound up being so expensive that, though I sold the laserdiscs, I actually made a grand total of 83¢ once the box and shipping costs were deducted. And I spent about two hours doing it, meaning I made 41.5¢ per hour of work. I would have been much better off tossing them in the trash.
It's a shame that the climatic battle between Steve and Barney at the end of this episode isn't available on YT yet. Nelson's score in that sequence is brilliant.
Guys, there were a couple of threads discussing this topic here, a few months ago. It was interesting, but I can't locate it again. I think the subject header was "Favorite TV Scores" or "Favorite TV Soundtracks?"
Can I get any help locating it? It had some clips of Six Million Dollar man music posted on it.
Wasn't there some kind of legal reason as to why they have not released a collection of music from The Six Million Dollar Man? I thought there was a dispute over rights,but I could be mixing it up with another title.Anyone know for sure WHY something has not been released?
Wasn't there some kind of legal reason as to why they have not released a collection of music from The Six Million Dollar Man? I thought there was a dispute over rights,but I could be mixing it up with another title.Anyone know for sure WHY something has not been released?
There are many reasons: 1. Do the master tapes still exist after the fire at Universal? 2. Labels are not interested in jazz composer Oliver Nelson 3. There may be not enough people to buy a multi set 4. Releasing 30 scores by Oliver Nelson is a huge task
I would LOVE something like a MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.-esque 2CD of the best music from this series, but I have to say I think myself unlikely to be a STAR TREK-esque box set of everything.
I would LOVE something like a MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.-esque 2CD of the best music from this series, but I have to say I think myself unlikely to be a STAR TREK-esque box set of everything.
That would probably be my preferred option, and possibly make the whole project more 'practical' for a label to tackle. Personally I'd be amazed if a label hadn't at least looked into the possibility of a SMDM set....
If the tapes were gone, I think - looking optimistically at it - that we'd have heard about it by now
Incidentally, I think J.J. Johnson's music is also worthy of inclusion.
I'd sure go for a CD release. But at this point I'm just glad to have the series on DVD and the Oliver Nelson album SKULL SESSION. There's only one SMDM track on the album, but it's a good one ("Baha Bossa").
I'd sure go for a CD release. But at this point I'm just glad to have the series on DVD and the Oliver Nelson album SKULL SESSION. There's only one SMDM track on the album, but it's a good one ("Baha Bossa").
I'd sure go for a CD release. But at this point I'm just glad to have the series on DVD and the Oliver Nelson album SKULL SESSION. There's only one SMDM track on the album, but it's a good one ("Baha Bossa").
TSMDM would be a much-welcome release. However, even though I much prefer to hear the scores in context with the film/TV show, the exploits of Steve Austin are just sooooo putrid and hokey, as in "so bad it's bad." I just can't get through that stuff, not even for nostalgia purposes, especially his "mustache years."
I absolutely adore early-to-mid-'70s TV and film but in the case of TSMDM, the entire reason for watching this show now would be for Oliver Nelson's wonderful music.
You'll thank me in advance for not posting my 1970s photo of me with my Steve Austin action figure* (in this thread, anyway)
Corinne Camacho was the queen of 1970s robot TV. In addition to appearing in the Kolchak, The Night Stalker episode "Mr. R.I.N.G.", she also had a role in the SMDM and Bionic Woman crossover episodes, "Kill Oscar", (which boast excellent scores by Oliver Nelson and Joe Harnell).
I've mentioned this before, but I think that if a CD release ever sees the light of day, it'll sell mostly because of nostalgic reasons, and to a fairly large bunch of 50-year-olds. I imagine that those who bought the CD sets of THE SAINT (for example) weren't just Edwin Astley fans. So I don't believe it's a handicap at all that Oliver Nelson wrote a lot of the scores. People would probably buy it without knowing or caring who the composer was. But it would probably be wrong to do a 15-CD box, even if it were possible.
I'm slowly and unenthusiastically working my way through the first two seasons on DVD. I agree with Jim about the quality of the show. It's often mind-bogglingly underwhelming, and very often embarrassing - you know it's a bad thing when you cringe when watching it even on your own. But the music shines.
I've mentioned this before, but I think that if a CD release ever sees the light of day, it'll sell mostly because of nostalgic reasons, and to a fairly large bunch of 50-year-olds. I imagine that those who bought the CD sets of THE SAINT (for example) weren't just Edwin Astley fans. So I don't believe it's a handicap at all that Oliver Nelson wrote a lot of the scores. People would probably buy it without knowing or caring who the composer was. But it would probably be wrong to do a 15-CD box, even if it were possible.
I'm slowly and unenthusiastically working my way through the first two seasons on DVD. I agree with Jim about the quality of the show. It's often mind-bogglingly underwhelming, and very often embarrassing - you know it's a bad thing when you cringe when watching it even on your own. But the music shines.
Apart from the gloomy ABC Movie of the Week (with Darren McGavin and Barbara Anderson), the series is a cheap comic book drama made in a sausage factory. If you don't like the first two seasons, stop immediately because the rest is a catastrophy. I watched the first three seasons only for the sake of Oliver Nelson's body of work. Seventies Universal television-wise, only "Columbo" and "Kolchak" were good shows thanks to good scripts and Peter Falk and Darren McGavin.
Apart from the gloomy ABC Movie of the Week (with Darren McGavin and Barbara Anderson), the series is a cheap comic book drama made in a sausage factory. If you don't like the first two seasons, stop immediately because the rest is a catastrophy. I watched the first three seasons only for the sake of Oliver Nelson's body of work. Seventies Universal television-wise, only "Columbo" and "Kolchak" were good shows thanks to good scripts and Peter Falk and Darren McGavin.
With very rare exceptions, ABC was always the worst of the "Big Three" in terms of their programming. ABC used to stand for "All But Canceled" because they never gave their better shows a chance. The ironic thing is that when they finally became a success in the mid-to-late-'70s, the bilge they aired was even worse than when they occupied the bottom of the barrel.
Anyone watching TSMDM solely for Oliver Nelson's brilliant music is going to suffer, imo--which makes any release of his scores all the more desirable (for me). Those who still find much to enjoy outside of the music are an entirely different breed but then there's no accounting for taste.
I am waiting for a cheaper copy of the box set. By the way, is there a difference between the region 1 and region 2 edition?
Currently I only have season 2 and I am completely opposite of the dislikers. I like many of the stories finding the character of Steve Austin much wiser and able than I remember him from having seen in the 70s. The use of US-army stock footage gives it a realistic look. I don't have to compensate in any way to watch this series, and Oliver Nelson's music is a nice extra but I like his music because it reminds me of TSMDM series, NOT the other way around.
