Excited to finally have this great score expanded on CD. Thank you, La-La Land and all those involved. My only question is over the conducting credit being curiously omitted on the recently-revealed front cover. Any reason why? I believe the old Big Screens' edition included the full 'Composed and Conducted by' bit as most labels always tend to do, but it's absent here - only 'Composed By...'
I'm sure we'll get a full PR thread from LLL, but to tide us over here are the specs from the new release email:
SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER: LIMITED EDITION LLLCD 1355 Music by James Horner Limited Edition of 3000 Units RETAIL PRICE: $19.98
STARTS SHIPPING JUNE 16th
ORDER “SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER: LIMITED EDITION” at www.lalalandrecords.com on JUNE 16 starting at 12noon (PST).
La-La Land Records, Paramount Pictures and WEA proudly present a remastered and expanded re-issue of renowned composer James Horner’s (STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KAHN, GLORY, BRAVEHEART, TITANIC) original motion picture score to the acclaimed 1993 Paramount Pictures drama SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER, starring Joe Mantegna, Laurence Fishburne and Joan Allen, written and directed by Steven Zaillian. This emotionally stirring score, rich with flowering themes and a strong dramatic foundation is regarded as one of this master composer’s finest works. This new release brings the score back in print and back to life, with an expanded and remastered presentation. Produced by Dan Goldwasser and mastered by James Nelson, this special release is limited to 3000 units and features bonus tracks, including alternates and album versions. Exclusive, in-depth liner notes from writer Brian Satterwhite takes you behind the music while Dan Goldwasser’s sharp art design makes all the right moves.
TRACK LISTING:
1.Main Title 3:05 2.Washington Square 2:43 3.Chess Piece in the Dark*/Shirazi Game*/Little Castle* 3:44 4.Josh vs. Dad 3:17 5.Josh Wins in Chess Club* 1:25 6.Josh’s First Lesson 2:35 7.Master Class Points 2:32 8.Josh Watches Team Leave*/First Tournament* 1:30 9.Start Your Clocks 1:42 10.Early Victories* (film version) 3:28 11.Josh Sees Poe in the Park* 1:17 12.Poe and Josh in Chess Club*/Maybe It’s Better Not to Win* 2:49 13.Contempt** (original version) 2:44 14.Bobby Fischer Interview* 1:23 15.Josh and Vinnie 3:25 16.The Nationals 3:23 17.Poe Watches Josh Advance*/Certificate From Bruce* 3:01 18.Final Tournament** (film version) 4:56 19.Final Victory 1:45 20.Epilogue/End Credits 7:06 TOTAL SCORE TIME: 57:39
BONUS TRACKS 21.The Castle (album version) 2:24 22.Josh vs. Dad* (alternate) 3:18 23.First Tournament* (alternate) 1:12 24.Josh Sees Poe in the Park* (alternate) 1:20 25.Poe and Josh in Chess Club* (alternate) 1:44 26.Contempt** (alternate) 2:39 27.Josh and Vinnie* (alternate opening) 0:59 28.Epilogue/End Credits* (alternate) 6:54 TOTAL BONUS TIME: 20:25
TOTAL ALBUM TIME: 79:17 * previously unreleased ** contains previously unreleased material
Oh, this will be mine. I'm especially intrigued by that alternate version of the Epilogue/End Credits. The end credits cue chosen was appropriate and lovely but also a bit sleepy. I wonder if the alternate version has more oomph.
"Certificate from Bruce" is an intimate and gorgeous version of the main theme for a beautiful scene.
"Early Victories" was the best track on the album; I'm curious to hear how the film version differs. This sounds like something Rutherford would know.
Yes, my big screens copy has credit for Horner conducting.
I know it flies under the radar since it is for a very small and not very seen movie, but this is a great score. This is what Horner excels at for me. I know people love his action stuff, but his small scale emotional stuff is his greatest work to me personally.
I encourage the support of the score for LLL. It is nice to see smaller titles like this get such a nice treatment.
I haven't seen the movie in forever, great as it is, but boy, I hope those alternates are worthy enough to justify leaving off the album version of "Early Victories." Was that tinkly piano piece that happens in the movie before the beginning of "Early Victories" actually part of that cue? We'll always have the Big Screen version, at least. I've mentioned it in another thread, but this album was the first time I ever saw a picture of James Horner, who looked at the time exactly how I had imagined.
I never use words like this about anything, but really, what a wonderful theme.
Here's the scene, actually. Try watching that scene without the music once, and you'll see what actually makes it the "best scene."
Listening to this again currently. What a great score. Nice to have the little bits in there, unnecessary and repetitive as some of them are. I had forgotten how much I loved the Ben Kingsley or "teaching" theme (I can't remember for sure from the notes if it really was Kingsley's music).
Do you have the original album? The way it's presented on the LLL disc messes with perfection.
What's the difference in the film version?
We talked about this already, Skerritt! The film and LLL version connects this tinkly piano stuff onto it before the version from the album begins. It's just such a perfect, magical cue on its own that the piano bit tacked on in the film version just isn't necessary.
Do you have the original album? The way it's presented on the LLL disc messes with perfection.
What's the difference in the film version?
We talked about this already, Skerritt! The film and LLL version connects this tinkly piano stuff onto it before the version from the album begins. It's just such a perfect, magical cue on its own that the piano bit tacked on in the film version just isn't necessary.
Here:
1) I'm sorry, I am hungover on a school day.
2) We didn't really talk about it. Your quote above: "Was that tinkly piano piece that happens in the movie before the beginning of 'Early Victories' actually part of that cue?" THAT WAS A QUESTION NOT A DISCUSSION, A QUESTION THAT HAD YET TO BE SUFFICIENTLY RESOLVED
3) Thank you.
4) How is your day going so far?
5) Mine is fine, thanks. Except for the hangover, of course.
Haha I don't think the notes specify, but I can't remember now. With the other production choices they made to limit it to one disc (which I felt was fine otherwise), they should've just used the album version and said to hell with more tinkly piano. It's great to have it available for all the people who didn't know it blah blah blah.
Just to clarify, gents, are you saying that one should keep one's original CD of SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER if one wants a version of the track without the tinkly bits?
Because I don't play this score enough. And every time I do I'm reminded its a stunningly gorgeous score that lets me know the characters without ever having seen the movie. It has all the best parts of Field of Dreams musical character examination and Sneakers' propulsion. And that theme. Oh what an earworm that theme is.
Scores like this just aren't written anymore.
And on a sad note, looking at the date this was posted, I'd forgotten this was announced less than a week before Horner passed.
Because I don't play this score enough. And every time I do I'm reminded its a stunningly gorgeous score that lets me know the characters without ever having seen the movie. It has all the best parts of Field of Dreams musical character examination and Sneakers' propulsion. And that theme. Oh what an earworm that theme is.
This is a stunning score and a Horner "Top 10" for me. Bears out repeated listenings.
Incidentally, the summer 2023 Blu-Ray release includes a featurette focusing on Horner's score:
""Maybe it's Better Not to Win: Scoring Searching for Bobby Fischer" - in this new program, writer Brian Satterwhite discusses James Horner's soundtrack and how it impacts the progression of the drama. In English, not subtitled. (22 min)."
I just received the Blu-ray yesterday and watched the feature on the score.
It's an analysis of the various themes and their application, noting how a theme for Josh's father Fred is transferred to Bruce (in a more sternly performed style, how the Bobby Fischer theme throughout the film ultimately becomes Josh's theme for the final moments of the big chess match, and touches on Horner's love of the oboe (and how difficult it can be to play it) and how perfect a sound it is for childhood innocence.
The only unfortunate aspect of this bonus feature is that it plays almost fully with clips from the film, with no behind the scenes / behind the scoring photos or video of Horner or anyone else as Brian Satterwhite narrates. His narration is still engaging, so it's more a minor nitpick that it wasn't more engaging from a visual standpoint.
There are brief close-ups of various Horner-scored movie posters (Star Trek II, Glory) in the opening.
It's really an audio visual companion to his lovely liner notes from 2015.
The only thing I could say about the film itself in terms of its presentation, is that if you've seen any streaming versions of the film you know what to expect. The film looks like it was a 'fullscreen' / 4:3 version cropped to 16:9. Not the best looking film that's for sure.
