As far as extra music is concerned the production company/distributor credits are below.
Production Companies Palomar Pictures International Kingston Film Productions Ltd. (as Kingston Film Productions Ltd. London, England) Central Cinema Company Film (CCC) (uncredited)
Distributors Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (1968) (UK) (theatrical) (as Anglo Amalgamated Film Distributors Ltd) Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1968) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) Columbia-Bavaria Filmgesellschaft m.b.H. (1968) (West Germany) (theatrical) Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen) Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2008) (United Arab Emirates) (DVD) (Middle East) MGM Home Entertainment (2009) (Canada) (DVD) MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen) MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen) UFA Video (2007) (Germany) (DVD) VTI Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS) Warner Home Video (2004) (Canada) (DVD) Warner Home Video (1989) (UK) (VHS) Warner Home Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
Those who love the soundtrack album for SHALAKO might be interested in Network's 3-CD set on THE CHAMPIONS (that is, if this release is not already in your collection ). Robert Farnon wrote one full episode score entitled "The Beginning", which was the series' opener):
One of the musical motifs which is heard during SHALAKO comes from "The Beginning" - written one year prior - albiet in a jazzier mode than later heard in SHALAKO.
That lengthy main title is GREAT - Awesome A and B melody, orchestrations. Feels more like a concert piece for Harmonica and Orchestra, really. The song is cheesy and I could have done without it, but the melody is really terrific.
Lush and expansive Western music of the 'Traditional' variety, yet somehow to my ear is sounds very fresh and exhilarating. I REALLY dig this a lot.
Anyone know of the chances of this ever getting released?
For some reason, conductor Muir Mathieson receives the lion's share of the credit on the American Philips, which reduced Farnon to a co-composer status.
Does anybody know anything further about this curious alteration of composer credits?
[Mr. Mathieson doesn't get any credit at all in this Philips version]
It is odd that Mr. Mathieson is credited so prominently on the US LP and not the UK version. Mr M. is named during the film's screen credits, but I wonder if the LP is a re-recording in which case Mr. M wouldn't necessarily require a credit. Though that still doesn't explain why he's on the US album cover!
Let's not go overboard in how much the U.S. album mentions Mathieson in favor of Farnon. The U.S. LP has Farnon's name prominently in large print at the top of the front and back, only Farnon appears in the film's credits on the front, and only Farnon is mentioned multiple times in the text on the back. Mathieson is mentioned once, although I agree that it is unusual that his name is mentioned as a co-composer at all, and before Farnon's in that one location.
Let's not go overboard in how much the U.S. album mentions Mathieson in favor of Farnon. The U.S. LP has Farnon's name prominently in large print at the top of the front and back, only Farnon appears in the film's credits on the front, and only Farnon is mentioned multiple times in the text on the back. Mathieson is mentioned once, although I agree that it is unusual that his name is mentioned as a co-composer at all, and before Farnon's in that one location.
Yea, that is pretty weird. Maybe this is a situation where time was tight, Farnon was under the gun to meet the deadline and Mathieson provided some additional music to fill the gaps?
Either way, what little I've heard of this score I really love a lot. It feels very inspired to my ears despite all the key ingredients being familiar ones. I hope this sees some sort of release some day, for now my Youtube rips of the two videos posted elsewhere in this thread will have to suffice...
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