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Film Score Blog (July 2009): Oliver Nelson Works and Zigzag!

Posted By: Thomas Rucki on July 25, 2009 - 3:00 AM

A dichotomy exists amongst Nelson’s listeners: the purists and the musicians who only appreciate the jazz artist and the film fans who adore the soundtrack composer of the late 60’s till mid-70’s. These two parallel worlds never mix together. Have you ever tried to convince the jazz purists to dive into his 70’s television music? From a pure artistical perspective, Nelson belonged to a trio of supreme composers (1) that operated in the 70’s and did commissions for movies made for television and series. Nelson is famous to have given the best of his craft in the following Universal productions: Ironside, It Takes a Thief, The Name of the Game, Rod Serling's Night Gallery, Columbo (see "The Greenhouse Jungle"), The Six Million Dollar Man (perhaps, his all-time masterpiece) and the littlle gem Longstreet at Paramount Pictures.

Zigzag is a short original score of ten tracks that only lasts 26 minutes and 6 secondes and which is an exercice of style in the delicate art of "symphonic jazz" (with an emphasis on various percussions, bass, flute and piano but helped by strong brass and violin sections), and among other things, centered around the main title and its subtle variations. It combines uncompromising rhythm and tension, tender silky smooth melodies, sweet and muffled melancolic motifs. Some of his most modernist arrangements will speak to Don Ellis aficionados: see “Two MP’s”. Many cues and many portions of cues can be linked to the sound of his television work as Rod Serling’s Night Gallery and The Six Million Dollar Man. Find a selection of the most typical cues from Zigzag.

Rhythmic cues

• “Main Title” (#1): featuring a memorable and intense percussion introduction (dominated by bongo and drum) during the first 53 seconds.

• “Cartridge/Earphones” (#3)

• “Breakout” (#7): a flight of oratory that starts mid-track from 01:28.

• “Two MP’s” (#8): very “French Connection”-like.

• “The Other Car” (#9)

Downbeat cues

• “Insurrance Books” (#2): Nelson’s arch-motif that he used in all his television work, especially in Rod Serling’s Night Gallery season 2.

• “Holding Letter” (#3): serene rhythm and discreet melancoly that foreshadows Steve Austin’s gloomy moments from The Six Million Dollar Man.

• “This Robe is Shot” (#4): superb violin section that underlines the love theme.

• “The Walk to Court/My Maiden Name” (#5): a sad piece that slowly rises into hope.

• “Yes, Your Honor” (#6)

• “Breakout” (#7): depressing violin-oriented cue with tense and harsh piano until 01:28

Opening titles for Paramount’s series Longstreet.

Opening credits for Columbo segment: The Greenhouse Jungle.

End credits for Columbo segment: The Greenhouse Jungle.

Support the soundtrack CD of Zigzag because Nelson is so under-represented in the soundtrack department and, above all, his body of work is touching (with great sensitivity) and powerful (with great strength) at once. Zigzag was FSM's greatest title in 2006 that I can listen over and over and still finds fresh and engrossing. Since we know now that Universal has officially opened his vaults to labels, it’s time for a big move! Let’s hope a brave label will allow to release Nelson’s grand television trilogy which highlights his refined jazzistic science: Ironside, Rod Serling’s Night Gallery and The Six Million Dollar Man.

By all means necessary, order Oliver Nelson’s Zigzag:

http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm?ID=5047

Click on the cover to view the CD Page with the details!

Footnote:

1. Billy Goldenberg, Gil Mellé and Oliver Nelson. For the anecdote, both Gil Mellé and Oliver Nelson were former jazz saxophonists which became composers.

Return to Articles	More Posts by Thomas Rucki	Author Profile

Comments (26):

Posted by Graham S. Watt on July 25, 2009 7:57 AM

I've been playing ZIGZAG a lot recently, and I think it's a great score and a wonderful example of a sound so prevalent from that period, a sound which I associate particularly with Universal TV above all, and the works of Billy Goldenberg and Gil Mellé especially.

I love this score so much. Anyway, I'm just clicking away here spontaneously, so forgive me if I ramble a bit. I bought the LP of ZIGZAG way back in the late ´70s, and didn't even realize it was a "reworking" of the original music. Anyway, it quickly became one of my favourite LPs. Then, just a few weeks ago I ordered it in the FSM sale (I was interested in THE SUPER COPS too), and was absolutely amazed at just how good the original tracks are, and how different from the re-recording.

It's an absolute treat to have the original tracks paired with the re-recording on one CD, because they complement each other so well. There are many parts from both which I now can't imagine being without. The original score is much more "filmic" and showcases some wonderful atmospheric stuff like the electric violin (?), gorgeous harmonics for the softer string sections, and lots of throbbing double bass for scenes of ... probably just big cars going along the road. The re-recording on the other hand, apart from the songs, includes extended versions of the percussive "driving" music, plus, perhaps logically, a lot more room for the instrumental soloists to really shine. The completely new (as in not in the film) Bossa Nova version of the Love Theme for example, has got some absolutely amazing piano work from Artie Kane on it.

As Thomas said, buy this score! If you hate it, well, you can blame us. Oh, thanks for those YouTube clips as well.

I'll add to this thread later with more thoughts, but for the moment I'll just say that Oliver Nelson rules the world (he actually shares the dictatorship in my universe with about ten other composers, so he ain't a true tyrant), and we want more Ollie scores on CD!

Posted by Graham S. Watt on July 25, 2009 12:48 PM

Hi again! I don't want to derail this thread before anyone else has had the chance to post more about ZIGZAG and Oliver Nelson, but I suppose it's OK to mention the rest of the double-CD, in the unlikely event that someone will be swayed towards buying it by my opinion.

I must admit I was slightly dissatisfied with Jerry Fielding's THE SUPER COPS at first, but it has definitely grown on me. A lot. It actually plays like one of those Blaxploitation soundtrack LPs we old folks used to buy, you know, where even the score tracks sound like source cues. But once I got used to that idea, I re-listened to it in a new light, and there's a whole lot of super-funky Jerry Fielding stuff to enjoy. I still find the buffoonery of a certain comical motif a little annoying, sort of more akin to HOGAN'S HEROES than anything else, but that's a very minor and personal gripe. All in all this is actually quite addictive. I feel like listening to it again now!

The real surprise for me was the nearly half an hour of Fielding's episode scores for HAWKINS. There are quirky moments, but in general terms these are downright dark and fascinating pieces, as dense and serious as the composer's film work (well, except THE SUPER COPS). In fact, as LK points out in the liner notes, some of it IS actually heard in his film scores. I've mentioned before that I find Jerry Fielding endlessly intriguing when he just seems to be sitting there doing nothing, but there's an electrifying tension behind even his most seemingly static pieces, and HAWKINS is no exception.

Buy this great FSM CD! You'll get two and a half hours of super-duper music (or slightly less than that if you can't quite take to the country n' western bonus tracks from THE OUTFIT).

Right - who wants to talk about Oliver Nelson and ZIGZAG?

Posted by ZapBrannigan on July 25, 2009 8:19 PM

I don't have Zigzag, but as a SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN fan I found it illuminating to hear how similar his other TV work was in the Youtube clips. Like Nelson Riddle, it appears that Oliver Nelson had a very particular sound that would show up in more than one place.

Posted by Graham S. Watt on July 27, 2009 5:12 PM

So, Zap hasn't got ZIGZAG. Thomas and I do. That adds up to two. Was it really such a bad seller? Or do a lot of you out there actually have it, think it's rubbish, and don't want to post negative comments?

Come on you crackerbarrels - out with it!

Posted by Stefan Miklos on July 27, 2009 6:38 PM

Did you know that the complete "Longstreet" (1971/Paramount) on DVD was available in Japan?
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=MX-290S

The price is "extremely" expensive: $200!

Read what the customer says:

I love LONGSTREET !!! 2009/03/21
Reviewer: Kit (UNITED KINGDOM)

"It's a rare, classic, detective TV show from the early seventies starring James Franciscus and guess starring Bruce Lee. If you're considering purchasing, chances are you're well aware of the other details of the show. The picture quality is fantastic, seems restored even and although the sound was originally recorded in mono it's nice and clear. As for the packaging; it's a really top quality case with gorgeous artwork.
If you're a fan of the show it's an essential purchase. However if you're a fan of Bruce Lee, please be aware he appears on just four episodes and only very briefly."

Let's hope an American DVD edition will appear soon!

Posted by Graham S. Watt on July 29, 2009 11:56 AM

ZIGZAG is undoubtedly the worst score that FSM has ever released, in fact it's one of the worst scores ever written for a movie, period. It's like The Muppets Big Band, coupled with Mantovani's bloody 1000 Strings, and spiced up, supposedly, by some bloke banging away on an oil drum or something. Who is this Oliver Nelson guy anyway? Ah - Jazz! That says it all. Jazz is all improvisation. I'll say this for ZIGZAG though - it does sound as if Nelson made it up as he was going along. I feel sorry for the two punters above who actually shelled out good money on this trash.

Posted by Graham S. Watt on July 30, 2009 11:58 AM

Sorry Graham, you're wrong. It's great.

Posted by Graham S. Watt on July 30, 2009 11:59 AM

No I'm not, it's rubbish. ZzzzzzzzzzIGZAG!

Posted by Graham S. Watt on July 30, 2009 11:59 AM

Great! We've sparked some healthy debate!

Posted by Graham S. Watt on July 30, 2009 5:15 PM

Well, I tried. I'm still amazed that only two people have bought this release. Did nobody buy it for THE SUPER COPS? No opinions on ZIGZAG? I suppose we won't be getting any more Oliver Nelson scores from FSM if it sold so badly.

Anyway, to reiterate my opinion, the 2-CD set which FSM put out is wonderful. If you like the '70s sound so prevalent in movies (and TV) from that era, don't hesitate to buy this. I'd go as far as to say that ZIGZAG is an "obra maestra".

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