John Cacavas wrote many excellent scores for Kojak. Recently I watched the episode "Tears for All Who Love Her" from the fith season. He wrote a surprisingly "Airport-esque" score for it recalling his theme from the score to Airport 1975. Even the E-harpsichord was used in the Kojak score. Very nice work, would be great on a soundtrack CD.
John Cacavas wrote many excellent scores for Kojak. Recently I watched the episode "Letters of Death" from the fith season. He wrote a surprisingly "Airport-esque" score for it recalling his theme from the score to Airport 1975. Even the E-harpsichord was used in the Kojak score. Very nice work, would be great on a soundtrack CD.
I've always preferred Cacavas' KOJAK theme to Goldenberg's.
I recently acquired a 45 rpm single on eBay containing the Cacavas theme to KOJAK - only with lyrics! The song is called "Lollipop Man" and is reminiscent of the theme from SHAFT, in my opinion.
Aside from the AIRPORT 1975 LP/CD, there is an obscure 45 rpm single from Japan (with a picture sleeve) containing the song performed by the nun on the plane.
A re-recording of the AIRPORT '77 main title was also released as a single, as was the love theme (I am guessing this would be "Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder" - I could be mistaken).
AIRPORT 75 was the very first soundtrack I ever bought...and I haven't looked back since! This score still impresses me, not only it's proud yet melancholy main theme but the suspense cues are so brilliantly written. I love the harpsichord and Cacavas' use of echo and reverb in the wind section. The closing music where there is a fugue-like section in the strings gets me everytime - just beautiful!
Though not as good, Cacavas' score for AIRPORT 77 is also memorable for the same reasons - a great main theme, and some awesome suspense stuff. Cacavas is a major talent, too bad he never got to score some really BIG films in the 80's and 90's.
Though not as good, Cacavas' score for AIRPORT 77 is also memorable for the same reasons - a great main theme, and some awesome suspense stuff. Cacavas is a major talent, too bad he never got to score some really BIG films in the 80's and 90's.
I love Cacavas's two Airport scores and his Kojak TV stuff was fine, but I loathed the stuff he wrote for the 4th season of The Equalizer. Then again I loathed pretty much every score written for that show after Stewart Copeland left. It's like somebody was telling the new composers to write dull, plodding synth drones so as to be in direct contrast to what had gone before. Copeland owned that show!
The episode, chriss is referring too hase even more to offer than the fine Airport track. Cacavas´wrote two themes for Cristina Raines´character. Both have a rather melancholic feel, the one is more bluesy (with saxophone)the other is more "demented".
I'm glad that there are more people out there besides myself who appeciate Cacavas' film music from Kojak and Airport 1975/1977.
I had been looking for the longest time to find a brand new and sealed copy for Airport 1975. It's one of my most cherished soundtracks in my soundtrack collection for personal reasons.
I would love to see Cacavas' compositions from Kojak along with the works of the other composers used like Bill Goldenberg, Kim Richmond, etc. officially released sometime in the near future as well as "AIRPORT 1977" and "AIRPORT '79 THE CONCORD" by Lalo Schifrin.
I had suggested to Lukas by email not so long ago (perhaps he recalls) for FSM to release all Airport soundtracks as a package at least Airport 1977 & '79. Unfortunately in Lukas' response, if my memory serves me right, I believe there are the usual and typical problems with copyright issues owned by Universal which prevents FSM from releasing any Universal movie score.
I would like to join those wishing for releases of music by John Cacavas. It is a real shame that this great stuff remains locked in some Universal archive (if they haven't already discarded it).
Regarding BARETTA: I recall that the music for the episodes scored by Dave Grusin sounded like THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, which was released in the same year. Excellent stuff! But according to my memories John Cacavas didn't score music for that series, at least not for the episodes available on the first season DVDs.
I was surprised in 1974 to see Cacavas' name on the credits for Airport 1975. I had been in junior high and high school band, and his name always showed up as an arranger on the sheet music we used.
The Airport scores he wrote are fine (I like '77 better than '75) but as far as Kojak music goes, Goldenberg's Season 1 theme music is hands down the best for that series.
One can't forget the John Cacavas score to Hammer Film's "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" from 1972. A far cry from the James Bernard scores. But I enjoy this one in its very dated sound. Hope Buysoundtrax and GDI release this one.
The Airport scores he wrote are fine (I like '77 better than '75) but as far as Kojak music goes, Goldenberg's Season 1 theme music is hands down the best for that series.
I would also say that Goldenberg's pilot score and his music for two regular episodes are the best ones composed for the show. Incidentally I just yesterday watched the episode "Web of Death" which guest starred Hector Elizondo. It had a very Columbo-like story. Goldenberg's score is marvelous and resembled his famous early scores for Columbo.
