What Readers Want: Soundtrack Buying Habits

Compiled by Lukas Kendall

The responses have been overwhelming and most enlightening... the ideal form of market research! Stay tuned here at FSM for developments on why we were interested in knowing all this, and thanks for your contributions.

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From: "Shold, Kyle" <KyleS@humongous.com>

The number one question I ask when buying a new CD is: How much will my wife let me spend this week? Like most people I don't have money to burn on things that I may not like. I would rather spend it on something that have pretty good odds that I will enjoy it and not regret it. I tend to do research on many of the titles that I buy before I actually buy them. This includes knowing who the composer is, what's the composer's track record, actually seeing the flick, reading reviews if I can find them and then finding it for a good price. If I had the money to sample every score out there then sure I'd give many more titles a try. But I don't so I have to be fickle.

If I have 15 bucks in my pocket, an old Goldsmith album in one hand and Forever Amber in the other then I'm going to spend it on the Goldsmith title. Why? Because the odds that I will enjoy it are very favorable. I still end up with a bunch of CDs that I don't listen to and have to trade or unload for considerably less than I bought them for. A title like Last Stand at Sabre River I'm sure is very good, but I haven't seen the movie and I'm not too familiar with Shire's work. So I'm not going to spend my hard-earned money on it. On the other hand I just saw the new Moby Dick mini-series and I can't wait to get Christopher Gordon's score. I think that it's not all so one-sided as you think. It tends to even out. The telephone didn't stop face to face conversations and soundtracks won't disappear because we don't buy everything out there.

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From: Guy McKone <guymck@cims.net>

I used to buy from mail order a great deal, but with the Canadian dollar at some $1.45 exchange rate - I have to be picky. REAL picky. I used to buy all those Holdridge promos, Debneys, etc (the "sight unseen" jobs). Why? Haven't even seen the films yet.

That sort of nonsense for me had to stop. And all this material "languishing unrecorded" (to use a "Page Cook- ism") in the vaults... very upsetting.

"I'd rather be rich," a great tune by Maltby & Shire, but also my sentiments as well. But again - how many of these languished gems could be released if I was a mover-and-shaker?

I have to get back to the habit of actually experiencing the film first, in order to decide if I want to "live with" the music for the rest of whatever. (IF an album exists, however). As I've said, I'm buying albums of everything else, instead of what I really want. Reviews I often rely on, but in the final analysis it's a personal choice. We all have different tastes.

I do wish that with collector's editions that they were available separately, and not just included in high-end video editions (especially laserdiscs). I wouldn't have minded "Giant: Volume 2" (why wasn't that one included in the deluxe VHS boxed set?), or the stereo expanded Wild Bunch.

What Rhino is doing is a benchmark for soundtrack albums.

"Collectors" - I despise that term. It's like the guys who "collect" comic books - they never read them, just keep 'em in plastic bags. How about "listeners"? That's what records, etc., are for.

As for a Forever Amber, or anything else from the "Golden Age" for that matter - this is the material that paved the way for the Elfmans, Howards, Williamses, Horners; a rich heritage that must be preserved for the listeners and the audiences that grew up with these films - who anticipate the eventual release of these recordings. I'm hoping that more David Raksin music will be released (even The Patsy -!); the market is there.

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From: "David N. Butterworth" <dnb@mail.med.upenn.edu>

I know you're not asking for specific titles but I'll give you one anyway: Raise the Titanic. Not only is it probably Barry's finest unrecorded score but, with all the current Titanic hoopla, how could this soundtrack not sell? I mean, put it out on the "Celine" label and it'll sell twice as many! But I know it's not that simple.

I buy both from mail order and from local stores, depending on which gets what I'm after first (a lot of stuff is only available from some of the specialty places, like Screen Archives, Intrada, Footlight, etc.). If it's by Barry, I don't have to hear it, or get a recommendation on it, first. I'll just snatch it up (unless it's too pricey; then I have to think about it). For non-Barry music, I usually have to hear--and enjoy--the score in the movie in order to want to purchase it on CD; I obtained several Mychael Danna scores this way recently. I'm not really sure what the definition of "collector's editions" is. If it's Barry, I'll buy it for the completist in me, especially if it's got extra music (like Deadfall; great job in securing those two additional cues!).

As for the Forever Amber question, well, if a trusted source told me that if I purchased Forever Amber it would guarantee the release of, say, Hanover Street then absolutely I would buy it (I might even keep it if I happened to like the music). But we all know there aren't any guarantees in this world, right?

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From: "Pat H. Mooney" <phmooney@flash.net>

My brother reportedly almost broke his wrist grabbing Forever Amber when he saw it at a Barnes & Noble. I got mine a couple of days later at a record store. We had no idea it was coming. You say it's no Titanic; apparently few things are. Personally, I bought Titanic without having heard a note, though I'm sure part of that was because I'm a Titanic buff.

I've been listening to movie music for as long as I've been going to movies; I used to amaze my family by identifying the composer of darn near anything from Warners in the '40s after only a few notes. (The fact that I could say either Steiner or Korngold and be right more often than not may have helped, I'll admit.) So I'm basically looking for the older stuff, some of which I have on vinyl, but which it's hard to listen to when I want sometimes (CDs are so much more convenient). I recently bought with glee There's No Business Like Show Business; I love the movie and have watched it many times on AMC often just to hear the music. I have the Marco Polo King Kong on order and I'll probably spring for the expanded CE3K.

But what bugs me are what I call songtracks. I had to wait months for Elfman's Batman; that stupid Prince (or the artist formerly known as) thing was everywhere. I just bought Dark City for Trevor Jones, but I also have two songs that aren't in the movie. Ditto Starship Troopers; the Zoe Poledouris song was abominable, though mercifully you could barely hear it in the film (Actually, the other song she did onstage with the other two girls was sounded much better, so, no, I'm not bashing Ms. Poledouris.) Of course, sometimes songtracks work, e.g., American Graffiti, which I'm pleased to have.

What will I buy? I'm too eclectic to answer that, but I'll buy imports if I have to, to get what I want. I have the Japanese Superman, which I bought because it was as complete as I could get; not only was the American version shorter than the album, but they didn't even do me the courtesy of including the music they cut in preference to that terrible song (while that was playing during the movie I was hoping Superman would drop her). I buy many of the imports offered by Intrada, usually asking in advance about quality; if it's decent, I'll give it a shot. I am much annoyed when I hear that something is available overseas but not here. To my way of thinking, if you don't intend to market it here you shouldn't be allowed to bottle up the rights if someone else is willing to take the risk of putting it out.

You, too, have a place in what soundtracks I buy, as you are my principal source for what's coming up. So keep up the good work and by all means let me know if Barry's Raise the Titanic ever shows up. Like his King Kong, it's a marvelous score to a rotten movie. And to bring this letter almost full circle, maybe a word to the right people in the wake of the success of Horner's Titanic (deserved or not) might bring it to us while everybody is interested in the subject.

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From: scott clifford <scottc@irmh.com>

What do I want released on CD? The "orignal" and complete score to Jaws. Gerald Fried's and Fred Steiner's Star Trek scores, Young Guns II, Body Heat on a regular release (same goes for Witches of Eastwick), The Black Hole, any Bernard Hermann score that has not been released.

Do I buy from mail order? Only when the CD store does not have what I want.

Do I buy things based on sight unseen or rely on reviews? Both

What does it take to buy from unfamiliar composer? Good reviews of his/her score in your magazine or on websites.

Do you like Collectors Editions or distrust them? I like them as long as the sound quality is good and they are resonably priced. I rely on reviews before I will purchase them.

Would I buy Forever Amber if I knew its sucess would lead to more releases which I would be interested in? I bought Forever Amber because it is a good score. I may buy something I don't know anything about if it is a good composer and/or gets good reviews. I will not buy something I have no interest in just to keep record producers rich or to insure titles that may or may not ever be produced.

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From: Kate Birkel <hudunit@radiks.net>

My husband claims that if a piece of music sounds like John Wayne is going to come up over the hill at any moment, I will buy the score. I like the big, drum-driven action-romance type scores. Jerry Goldsmith is my favorite.

What causes me to buy a score I'm not familiar with? The single most important factor would be the ability to actually hear bits and pieces. Short of that, good reviews mentioning elements I'm interested in.

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From: Mark Trachtman <mtrachtman@henninger.com>

Okay, what will I shell out hard, cold cash for?

First, a score I've loved but haven't been able to get. That means something I have actually heard and know I like. That's why, as a Goldsmith fan, Varese releases like The Other will get my wallet out any time. Rerecordings like Tora, Tora, Tora and the older Islands in the Stream are questionable, but a good review on your website or somewhere else will help win me over (because I know it's the original I like, who knows what the redo will sound like? sluggish Herrmann re-recordings, etc).

Next is something from a composer I know and trust, but even there, if it's something really obscure, I'll wait until I hear a good buzz.

Something old from someone less universally known (like Forever Amber) won't get me buying right away - but if someone I know gets it and I can hear the score, and I like it, then I'll go out and buy it.

CDs of LPs I already have are less of a motivation to me, but that's because I've been at this a while and see no need to repurchase things I already have. Adding extra music to a previous release helps, but it's often not enough to push me over the top.

On older releases, it's also a fine idea to package two score as Varese has done with the Fox series. I assume this requires two reuse payments, so I understand that's a problem for the producers, but it does help me make the choice to vote with my wallet.

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From: wilson@teleweb.net (Kari Wilson)

When I was a teen, I would buy whatever I wanted to, if I thought it looked interesting. I was willing to take a chance on something being crap. Not any more. These days, I generally buy only soundtracks to films that I have seen or by composers I am a fan of. The latter reason is pretty much the only way I'll buy a score I haven't heard. I only have so much to spend, so why risk it on something I know nothing about, regardless of what people say about it? Now, if there's something I've heard about that sounds interesting, I can always go to a local Blockbuster Music, where they let you listen to a CD before buying. It's not what they had in mind, but they have beome an easy way to sample discs. The only way I try a score completely blind these days is if I see something in a used record store that catches my eye. I've bought various scores on CD and vinyl that I never would have paid full price for.

And as for the CD itself, I try to ascertain whether it looks good or not based on solely external appearances; how does the packaging look? Was there some care put into it? Does it look like there are some nice liner notes? Any extra tracks? It could be some of those bells and whistles that make me buy something I might have passed on. I guess in the end, though we might all profess to having some system or another, it can come down to a gut feeling about a CD, which could turn out to be right or wrong.

That's probably the last thing you wanted to hear, but sometimes it could be something as ridiculous as the color scheme on the cover that could sway someone into buying. I like to think it's the quality of the product as well as familiarity of some sort. For example, I bought the Deadfall CD at a local record store, but have never seen Pelham 1-2-3 and am not very familiar with Shire's music. It doesn't mean I don't want to hear it; it just means I'm not willing to pay for the opportunity at this point.

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From: sharol <sharol@jps.net>

I enjoyed reading about the restoration of Forever Amber. It is good to know that these old scores are being restored and released. About two years ago, I found Dimitri Tiomkin's Giant and was delighted! When I bought the score in the '50s, it was on an LP and through the years of playing, became quite a mess to listen to with the needle scratches. I would hope that all of Dimitri Tiomkin's scores are saved. I also found Picnic by George Duning.

The very first film score that I bought was Shane. I cannot remember the composer's name [Victor Young]. That score was on a 45. I do not know if that has ever been restored and released. That would be one that I would like to have again.

I have never seen Forever Amber or heard the score, but I would buy it if I knew that it would help to restore more forgotten scores.

As for packaging, I like the informative liner notes.

Most scores that I own were bought after I saw the film. John Williams is an exception. I am at the music store the day his new score or any new work of his arrives.

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From: Kevin F Dick <baleywik@tgn.net>

I will buy any film music CD, OST or rerecorded, of music from an "old" film (pre 1970) because 1) I am familiar with all the composers and 2) usually I've already heard it somewhere or already have an LP of the music.

In the case of Forever Amber, when I heard it was coming out, I was very excited because I've owned the Raksin recording of the suite on RCA since the LP came out in the '70s. I'm waiting on my copy to arrive since I do 90% of my purchasing through the mail, living in a small town with questionable CD availability. The stuff that Rhino puts out, for example, is great. All the Fox classics, now on Varese, I have bought. I just ordered the recording of Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex recently reissued on Varese. All the Marco Polo stuff is outstanding. Silva's another one. If a company is issuing "serious" film music and it costs to do so, charge a premium. The serious collectors will pay it, at least the ones I know, including me. That includes new recordings of "old" music, like the stuff Goldsmith and McNeely have been doing for Varese.

It's the new crop of composers I have less familiarity with. I look more to publications such as yours to give opinions of what is good and what is not. Most of the time I just don't like 'em. Everyone's sound is a derivative of everyone else, though I must say Thomas Newman and Michael Convertino are two examples of the "younger generation" that I have come to like, at leastly partly through score CD reviews since I rarely even go to the movies anymore.

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From: "James R. Auman" <jrauman@ncrb.org>

I'm finding I'm hitting mail order more and more often. Unless the CD is a worldwide release by a major company (e.g. Titanic by Sony Classical), I usually go ahead and try to find it mail order. I think I'd waste a lot of time driving around Raleigh, NC trying to find a re-release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture or even Close Encounters.

In the case of re-releases, I always buy sight unseen, but it's probably worth noting that by the time of the release I've probably heard several reviews by your mag and on the newsgroups by people who get advance copies. Take the Star Wars Special Edition soundtracks from last year. You guys should have gotten some percentage of the profits just from whetting our appetites. Same goes for the Close Encounters CD that is coming up.

"What does it take for you to buy something by a composer with whom you are unfamiliar?" Seeing the film is a start. Compilation CDs also help. I wouldn't have found an appreciation for Thomas Newman, if it wasn't for the Hollywood '9x series. Word of mouth is not enough for me (unless I was a millionaire with money to burn).

"Do you like "collectors editions" or distrust them?" The only thing I'm interested in is the music. I could care less if the CD itself was worth $1 or $1000, 'cause if I like the music, I'm never going to sell it. If a collector's edition came out of a CD I already owned, one of two things would have to be present: 1) more music, or 2) significantly better sounding music (e.g. remastering).

"Would you buy Forever Amber--a completely unknown title to you--if you literally knew that its success would lead to more releases, some of which you were interested in?" That's a hard question. If you came up to me and said "If we sell 1000 copies of Forever Amber, then we can release Superman IV," I'd probably buy 10 of 'em. But I know that you can't make those kind of promises, so I guess that answer is no (again due to limited funds)

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From: Kostas Anagnostou <mcaigka3@ist4.co.umist.ac.uk>

What I want from a soundtrack label is as much music as possible (not the 30 minutes of Varese), nice booklets and liner notes, and a nice packaging in general (picture disc, etc.). I am willing to by both by mail and by stores. Many times I buy soundtracks without knowing about them, "sight unseen" (and many times I regret it). In general I hate bootlegs, promos etc, because I lose the chance to buy a good score (I usually can't afford the >$50 it takes). By the way, it is unacceptable for an Oscar-nominated score (Good Will Hunting) to be released only in promo.

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From: LogieD <LogieD@aol.com>

This week you finally asked some questions I have a real interest in as a Fan/Collector: The question around what and why I buy. I'm going to stick with one area for this mailing, what would I like to see and why.

I would like to see more composers compilations with 4 or more movies represented they have done. This addresses a few concerns I have as a fan of soundtrack music. I am not one of the people who needs every note but am happy with a good representation of the music from the movie. Would like to sample a composers work before commiting to more. This offers more for my money than most soundtracks. A good example of this is John Scott conducts his favorites, Pino Donnagio/De Palma CD and Goldsmith's SFPM CD.

The complilations that Silva puts out are generally outstanding as are the Kunzel complilations and represent good value for movie music fans. Often I will here a theme which leads me to a full soundtrack CD. This type of movie music was very popular in the LP days with labels like UA. Because there are no more instrumental artists selling well today that do movie themes, the complilation part of the business is important. How well does VS do with their Hollywood 90s series?

I love my full scores also but shop carefully before committing. I don't have enough money to buy Saber River as a collector and is low priority as a fan. If you want to do this composer a favor, put out a compilation of his work with 60+ mins of music at a reasonable price and I will buy it. By the way I asked a noted collector what they would buy today, and they said "nothing that had collectors edition on it for starters"

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From: "Pieter Coenen" <mab@village.uunet.be>

I need music on a CD and since there is room for 80 minutes, as much as possible.

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From: borowski@earthlink.net (Robert Borowski)

What makes me want to purchase a CD? It can expressed in terms of a formula: composer + era = purchase. I've found I've been most satisfied with soundtracks composed in that golden era between 1970 and the early '80s. Even though I'm a huge fan of scores such as The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Vertigo and Mysterious Island, I've found that, divorced from the film, my ear just doesn't warm to them as a listening experience. Most of the scores I purchase I'm already familiar with, having seen the film. But others, like High Velocity, I bought solely because of the aformentioned formula. Sometimes I'm disappointed, but in other cases, such as Wild Rovers, I've felt as though I've discovered something special.

If there's one other factor involved, it's your magazine. Take your John Williams articles, for instance. I tend to like Williams, and your capsule reviews [Vol. 3, No. 1 and 2] were great reminders of what's in print and what I'd probably enjoy. I recently purchased Jaws 2, having seen the film years ago on HBO and thinking the score was kewl; but what put me over the edge was the article reminding me that it was composed back when Williams was still trying, that it's cheap and that it's readily available. The review of Jane Eyre, on the other hand, is a rare case of someone convincing me to purchase a CD for a film (or TV movie) I've never seen; it sounds like the type of music I'd really enjoy. Will I pay $200 for a copy? Of course not. Will I wait until it's reissued on CD, or perhaps hunt down an LP copy, if it's affordable? Absolutely.

And if there's one other variable to all of this... it's the used CD stores. We here in Southern California are spoiled silly; there are promo copies of the Ryko releases all over. I picked up Carrie for seven bucks the other day, and although the dialogue bytes bite, the music is really quite enjoyable... just as I remembered it.

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From: "Mark Bagby" <bagby@calcot.com>

As to film scores we'd like to have on CD...there are so many possibilities. Yes, we want extensive liner notes. Yes, we want first rate performances. And it's tough to figure out exactly what you want... for example, I'm not a big fan of Raksin's Forever Amber score, and the suite on the RCA Classic Film Score series is probably just fine by me. On the other hand, I'd really like a complete Alfred Newman Mark of Zorro score, Rozsa's Thief of Bagdad...

Will I buy an album in a series to make it successful so more will be available? That's a toughie. Admittedly, it's something of a stretch to charge full retail on a CD of music recorded a half century ago. I know, I know, there are extra costs in preserving, locating and sequencing the score elements, and maybe I'm being a cheapskate. But it's irksome when Titanic is on sale at Target for $12.99 and Herrmann's Journey to the Center of the Earth is $16.99... maybe that's not a good example... the Herrmann is priceless and the Horner is about $15 overpriced...

I think the pricing factor has a lot to do with the relative success or failure of this issue, as well as the age and appreciation of the 'typical' film music fan, if that isn't an oxymoron. I look at the lists of top ten composers of all time on rec.movies.music and it's pretty obvious that fans are younger from their selections of best composers... and their musical tastes are not so appreciative of older scores.

Combine musical sensitivities with a high price, and you rather snip off sales potential. I will say the Internet is full of possibilities to help... witness your site and Varese, where you can preview cuts and at least get an idea of whether or not a certain cue is on the album. On the other hand (I sound like an economist), the omission of a cue might keep a buyer from buying.

It's tough to find out what the public wants, especially a very selective public. We're back to that basic rule of economics: mass-produced isn't custom and is affordable; customized is harder to produce and isn't so affordable. And that really is the crux of the problem for a lot of released material--the audience is almost big enough to support the industry, but not quite.

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From: mlware@usa.net

I am extremely grateful a CD of Taking of Pelham One Two Three exists; it's one of my favorite scores of the '70s, and Mr. Shire is in my opinion plausibly the finest composer in the industry. A fine memory is of experiencing Return to Oz at the Chinese theater in a gorgeous 70mm print with staggeringly well- engineered magnetic sound; the music of course rocked, and was as breathtaking an experience as what I imagine seeing a film like El Cid or Garden of Evil would have been. I have the LP but missed Bay Cities' CD--it should be reissued. Thanks also for the CD of Last Stand at Saber River, which more people ought to be aware of--a superb work of near-Friedhoferian restraint, economy of design, and power.

I do wish there were more on John Morris. Elephant Man, Young Frankenstein, The Producers are available, but I remember the Varese LP of The Twelve Chairs, and an aborted album for The Doctor & The Devils. Granted, hardly anybody cares about him, but I would personally do much to ensure he's not forgotten. I wonder what happened to him since Scarlett in 1994.

Definitely, there should be a cd of Images. Some students I work with in dance (I'm in theater) are really fascinated with this. Elmer Bernstein's Saturn 3 was one of the first scores I noticed in a huge way, and a CD should be done of this as it represents a harsh, post-tonal, mostly electronic (w/ guitar I think) style I haven't heard from him since (except for Heavy Metal, which ought to be due for a digital rerecording w/ the Royal Philharmonic)-- it was like Zaruthustra meets Dawn of the Dead, just completely terrifying.

Also, even though he'll likely not appreciate it, somebody should recover Goldsmith's brief but insanely energetic and ferocious score for Frankenheimer's The Challenge. I think it's his best asiatic work, with the violence balanced out with a solemn meditative theme reminiscent of ST:TMP's Spock music that is worthy of a Kurosawa flick. Heavy on the Stravinsky/Bartok elements, but fiercely kinetic and beautiful.

Other wished-for CDs that come to mind: Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, Eye of the Needle (I missed the Varese club)... Corigliano's great Revolution--considering the composer's stature this shouldn't be such a minor thing for RCA to release that album we were promised in 85, and it is a galvanizingly fine work that blazes in the memory a decade on. Hugh Hudson's film was probably too involved w/ style and idea (Griffith meets Eisenstein by way of '80s fashion photography) to mean anything to audiences, but for some the populist idea of focusing on the ordinary laborers like Pacino's character at the expense of the expected famous historical figures was stirringly potent in a Rocky-like way (put Titanic together with Nixon and it will be an approximate genre with this). A 3hr recut was screened at MOMA in 1993 with the blessing of Al Pacino; it should be released to video (not that anyone would buy it).

I doubt anything that is not of a brand-name composer would sell even three copies. People seem hell-bent on staying resistant to anything they didn't think of first. I wouldn't know how to help elevate their self-esteem, except to provide as much information to choose from as I can in the overarching interest of filmusic. Sometimes reading FSM is frustrating in that the writers' often get in the way of the music and it's difficult to get a clean idea of what it is. There is that old question of whether it takes talent to recognize/respond-to talent. I don't know. I'm sure FSM is a worthy enterprise and I will support it. Also, I'm picking up a copy of Forever Amber next week.

I use mail-order (SAE, Intrada) to keep up w/releases, ordering every other month or so, lately. Local stores like Borders are pretty good w/ most new material (Marco Polo titles show up irregularly), especially with Varese, Koch, Silva, Edel. Few people in Wichita buy the things, so I rarely miss anything (there were three copies each of Planet of the Apes and Mephisto Waltz--the other two copies are still there). Intrada titles I order from Intrada (no problem purchasing esoteric titles like Rough Riders, Broughton's stunning True Women). It is kind of a habit, spending 15 dollars a paycheck for a score album, but at least I refuse to spend it at Blockbuster renting stupid Bruce Willis hamster-on-the-run movies. But there's also jazz, classical and blues CDs to get. I'm a non-professional musician, or at least I jam w/ blues and bluegrass specialists, so music is a large chunk of my life. I also write criticism for a local underground culture tabloid called Seen, so new material is important for me to be aware of.

Regarding film music, I follow specific composers I have much esteem for, like Shire, Scott, Morris, Sarde, Safan, all the Newmans, plus the brand-names, even Horner whom I usually ignore (to me, The Devil's Own is underrated, as is Patriot Games--I thought the ethnic element was interesting as it associated Ryan with his nemesis as basically two Irishmmen, rather than blasting a patriotic American theme over everything, and I took this to be an offensively anti-Irish film). Of course Goldsmith is special because I was aware of the music for Apes, and Papillon, The Omen, from early childhood, indeed, The Swarm and Star Trek-TMP were the first albums I purchased, aside from mainstream things I won't get into (Kiss). I would like to know more about new composers like Ed Shearmur, Debbie Wiseman, unless they turn out to be annoying clones like Frizzell, Glennie-Smith--please note I want everyone to do good work, but they'd better try! All of it can be cool fodder for ideas and inspiration. There are no apologies required so none accepted.

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From: Dave.Young@nextel.com (Dave Young)

You asked for some soundtracks that we would like to see on CD:

The Boys From Brazil (Jerry Goldsmith): I realize this was on the Varese label - but it got such limited release - No fair!

Magic (Jerry Goldsmith) Maybe someone could combine this one with another, like...

Black Sunday (John Williams)

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From: David Ferstat <dferstat@iinet.net.au>

What scores would I like to see released on CD? (Yes, I know you're not really interested right now, but... too bad)

How about:

Splash! Lee Holdridge... Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Barry/Black... Jagged Edge Barry... The rest of the studio work the Barry did for Columbia and Polygram in the '60s & '70s... All of Barry's Bond scores complete, not just the piddling selections... (and often not the best music, anyway) that made up the albums... Edge of Darkness Clapton/Kamen (Yes, I know it's only 20min, but it's a good 20min!)... Exodus Ernest Gold (Well at least re-release it!)... Runaway Jerry Goldsmith... On Golden Pond Dave Grusin... Eye of the Needle Miklos Rosza... WarGames Arthur B. Rubinstein... Silent Running Peter Schickele. [Some of these are on CD! See the soundtracks database accessible via our home page. -LK]

How do I buy? Currently I'm purchasing almost exclusively from Movie Boulevard, as they air-mail a catalogue and new-releases list to me every month. From that I select what I want, and they then air-mail my order out. I buy hardly anything locally. Locally is Perth, Western Australia; quite literally the most geographically isolated western city on the planet. It's also a small city (pop. circa 1 mill.) which makes the market for soundtracks damn small, and the chances of finding locally what I want remote, unless it's a major release like Titanic, or any Williams score. [Folks, Movie Boulevard is horrendously overpriced. I do not recommend them. -LK]

What do I buy? Other than work by John Barry, I won't buy music that I haven't heard. Barry is exempt, as he's my favorite composer, and it's almost unknown for me to not like his work. Other composers, I'm unwilling to risk unheard, simply because CDs, whether purchased locally or imported, are damn expensive, and the number second-hand dealers is minute.

Do I buy collectors editions? If that's the only way I can get what I want, and I want it enough to pay whatever the "collectors edition" price is, then yes.

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From: OpusMarch <OpusMarch@aol.com>

I buy mostly from mail order, since the CDs I want are never in the local "mainstream" CD stores. I am not a big fan of recent scores in general, so I have gone back and started listening to older scores, i.e. Golden Age. So, I am a candidate for CD releases of older scores. I have my favorite composers (Williams, Shore, Goldenthal, T. Newman, Korngold, Goldsmith, etc.), so I'd pretty much buy whatever came out of theirs.

I like the idea of the archival score, and I enjoy going back and listening to scores that took film scoring in the direction it has gone over the past century. The Varese Sarabande Classic Series does a great job of this; I would buy anything in that series because I know more will come if we support it. And, as an added bonus, I learn more about the history of a genre I enjoy very much. It's money well spent. Reviews and word of mouth are only as good as the spreader, and I don't really rely on them to 'sell' a CD to me. However, in the end, I can't buy everything since I am not made of gold; so, some CDs will be left out of the collection. However, I try and support specialty labels as often as possible because I know they are doing what they're doing out of respect and love for the genre.

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From: "PETER GREENHILL" <greenhil@rmplc.co.uk>

Yes I would buy Forever Amber based on a FSM review out of interest and if it meant more reissues. I buy a lot of stuff through mail order from the US (cheaper than buying in store in the UK). There is a lot of great stuff that should be reissued to save fans paying a lot of money on the open market. Personally I would like to see John Barry's Body Heat and The Last Valley reissued plus Justine by Jerry Godsmith (amongst others).

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From: LAWMANJCL <LAWMANJCL@aol.com>

I began to develop an affinity for dramatic underscores in 1977 with my first soundtrack purchase (Star Wars).

A recent article on your web page discussed the collective imagery evoked when listening to film scores as opposed to listening to Bach or Beethoven. Although I have not bothered to analyze my buying preferences along those lines, it may be that my soundtrack purchases are motivated by the desire to listen to music that will evoke images from films (or TV shows) that I have enjoyed in the past. So, since I have not seen Forever Amber, I would not be particularly motivated to buy it.

On the other hand, I am likely to purchase a "collector's edition" or expanded reissue if it means getting more music never released before from films I have enjoyed in the past. This explains my immediate acquisition of the recent reissues of the Star Wars Trilogy, Raiders, E.T., and Ladyhawke; my eager anticipation for the Star Trek: TMP reissue; and my hopeful optimism for a Superman reissue. I am also a sucker for claims of digital remastering, which would explain my forking over big bucks for the gold disc of Somewhere in Time.

I have rarely purchased "song" or "pop" albums for films. I resent the marketing forces at work in pushing songs or artists that only have at best a tangential relationship to the films I see. (At times, however, the "song" albums do reflect the film's score, which would explain my aberrational purchases of Footloose and Top Gun.)

My buying preferences changed when I bought a computer. Most of my CD purchases are now made online. I perceive greater customer appreciation and satisfaction from Intrada, for example, then from a music store in a mall.

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From: Tim Cissell <muwishbone@chrysalis.org>

Since I was motivated by Friday's FSD to try to get a copy of Forever Amber, I thought I'd also try to answer your questions. Yep, I buy from mail order. It's much easier to call Intrada (and the rest) than to get in Dallas traffic for what usually is an unproductive search...

I probably don't buy things "sight unseen" unless I know the composer's work or some folks who worked on it. Reviews or word of mouth are usually what opens my wallet.

I sometimes buy when I can see (or when I learn) information about a release containing unusual music, instrumentation, an unusual recording space or process and, of course, beautiful women slathered, or not, with whipped cream.

I like war-story liner notes and extra takes with all the mistakes... I don't like it when the sound gets worse.

I wouldn't want the ratio of stuff I buy to encourage additional releases to the stuff you call "some of which you were interested in" to get much beyond 10:1.

To answer the question, (I already mentioned) I wrote down Forever Amber on my list of stuff to get after reading Friday's FSD. It would be cool if the producers planned to use some of the money (if any) from that release to produce additional deserving releases.

My "habit" is to use FSM and other sources of reviews to guide me to music I am trying to buy.

***

From: "Michael A. Morrison" <morrison@phyast.nhn.ou.edu>

"Do you buy from mail order? Or do you wait until a CD is in a local store?"

As a rule, yes. Out here in the boonies (I live in Oklahoma) only a few soundtracks appear in stores locally (e.g., we never got Oscar and Lucinda, the Godzilla CD, several Varese titles). Often we get the (wretched) "song" album but not the score album (e.g., Beavis & Butthead Do America). Entire labels never show up.

"Do you buy things 'sight unseen' or rely on reviews and word of mouth?"

That depends a lot. If it's by a composer whose work I know and like, I'll buy sight unseen (e.g., Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 and Deadfall). If it's a work I've read or heard about but don't know, I'll often buy (especially if it's a historically important work) (e.g., some of the more obscure Rosza scores that have recently surfaced). But I can't possibly buy even a fraction of what's released nowadays, so reviews are very important to me. I don't particularly care whether someone I don't know likes or dislikes the music; I care very much what a review who knows music, film, and film music says about the score in the film and its CD incarnation. It's especially important that a review tell me enough about the music (e.g., by comparison to other works or by direct description) so I have some idea what I'm purchasing. It's also very important that I know how much actual music (as opposed to wretched songs) is on a CD. I've been screwed several times by ordering a CD based on a review only to find it has only 12 minutes of score and 60 minutes of (wretched) songs. Grrr....

"What does it take for you to buy something by a composer with whom you are

unfamiliar?"

A clear review that shows some passion for the work on the part of the reviewer. Preferably more than one such review. Such reviews have been godsends for me: I picked up works by Fred Karlin, Michael Lewis, Richard Hartley, Stanislas Syrewicz, Jean Paul Rappeneau, Randy Miller, Soren Hyldgaard, Ragnar Bjerkreim, Mark Ayers, and many other compsers---albums I love---based on reviews or the rare thoughtful comment on the web. Web writers sometimes seem unaware that just a posting that doesn't start a flame war isn't necessarily ignored.

The way companies market obscure releases amazes me. Why don't they catch on that we don't know everything about every composer but since we love film music we're likely to cough up the dough if given some encouragement? Years ago Silva Screen released Hyldgaard's The Chaplin Puzzle in the U.S.: a score by a virtaully unknown composer to a film that so far as I know never appears in theaters. I never saw this CD in a store, so I never could listen to any of it. It's delightful! How did I get on to it? A review and several enthusiastic comments from collectors. Yet commerically, I'd guess that the CD probably sank like a stone. This in turn led me to scores by Hyldgaard I like even more, such as Eye of the Eagle.

"Do you like 'collectors editions' or distrust them?"

I like them but I won't buy them unless they satisfy one of the above criteria. As a rule, the "collector's editions" I've bought have been assembled with loving care (e.g., The Searchers), have thorough notes (e.g., Cloud Nine's wonderful releases of works by British composers like Gerard Schurmann), and offer music we would never in a million years be able to get otherwise (e.g., the full score to The First Men in the Moon).

"Would you buy Forever Amber--a completely unknown title to you--if you literally knew that its success would lead to more releases, some of which you were interested in?"

Hard to say. To be honest, it would depend on the company and who runs it. Let me put it this way. I'm much more inclined to buy a work sight-unseen if it's released by a small outfit that I know cares a lot about film music and needs the support of us enthusiasts to survive. For instance, while I don't buy every Intrada release, I buy most of them, even though often they're by composers I don't know much about or (more often) works I've never heard. Two reasons: 1. they've been in the business a long time, I've bought a lot of their albums, and I've very rarely been disappointed in what I've bought (i.e., I've learned to trust Doug Fake's judgment); 2. they're not a big, rapacious megacorporation who doesn't give a damn about film music and cares only about making a profit; hence they really need our support to flourish. I want companies like Intrada to flourish because I know they're stable (they'll be releasing stuff long after I buy a particular CD) and more importantly, I know that the odds are that they'll release enough new works per year that many of them are things I will want and would not get otherwise. Take the Excalibur project: two fantastic Rosza scores in killer performances and spectacular, and up next, a score I've wanted my entire film-viewing life: Jason and the Argonauts! I'd do whatever I'm financially able to do to support a company that does stuff like that and with the track record Intrada has---including buying several copies of terrific releases to give to friends for birthdays and Christmas (a tactic that has converted at least three people to film-music fans and one to a rapid Rosza fan). (On the other hand, what do I need with a fourth recording of The Magnificent Seven or a third recording of The Great Escape? These are marketing decisions the wisdom of which eludes me... but that's another story.)

By contrast, a few other small companies (not yours) have released CDs many of which struck me as decidedly third- or fourth-rate, even when by well-established composers, or which have shoddy production coupled with mediocre music. So while I wish those companies well and would support them if I had limitless resources, I don't. And I absolutely will not buy anything from them sight-unseen (or more to the point, music- unheard) from them.

Varese and Milan are in the middle ground: they release too much of too varying quality for me to buy everything they put out. On the other hand, the service they do us is immense---where would we be today without these comparnies? I very much want them to survive and flourish, and I suspect that buying trends influence their future releases much more than, say, the next Sony or London product. So if I have the cash or if I have an inkling that an unknown score might be good (or better yet if I can hear part of it), I'll often take a chance.

I can't emphasize how important pre-listening is. I envy people in big cities who can go to their local Tower and sample anything they're considering. Most of us can't do that. So we're really dependent on site like Hollywood On-Line, which (much too infrequently) posts sample tracks from now releases which can be heard using RealAudio. (The URL is http://www.movietunes.com/news/moviemusic.html.) If the people who produce sountrack CDs, especially small labels or works by less well-known composers or from unfamiliar films, really want to influence sales, I think they should post sample cues on their web site and tell collectors about it through venues like Film Score Monthly and rec.music.movies and filmusL.

***

From: irmo@iquest.net

I do buy things "sight unseen" if they're from a known composer. We do not have radio stations playing the Air Force One theme in the same way as those with other musical interests have stations running, for example, Electric Barbarella over and over, such that they can decide whether Duran Duran is worth the investment this time. If I don't see the film (and I may not want to see Deep Rising, for instance), I have only my knowledge of the composer's work upon which to base my risk of disappointment. Reveiws and word of mouth help me very little. Not only do musical tastes vary, but ours seems like one off the hardest genres withihn which to articulate preference and quality. Even comparisons with other scores can be shaky in their trustworthiness.

What it takes for me to buy something from a composer with whom I am unfamiliar is for me to hear at least some of the music, and for it to be memorable enough to stick with me. Examples: I remembered the "theme" from Scent of a Woman for a couple of years after only a single viewing and eventually purchased it. I do not remember the music from Little Women at all, but I do remember noticing it throughout the film, and relishing it. This is one I'll probably pick up sometime when I am simply in the mood for any new score and have the spare cash.

I absolutely do not buy things to "support" the market. I'd rather pay a higher price for long awaited CDs than buy many I wouldn't otherwise care for to cast my vote for the genre in general.

I do buy mail order, but prefer to find things in stores. It's always cheaper after postage, and I get to hear the scores right away. This works for less-known-to-me composers, as it can be an In The Mood For It kind of thing. I realize there are plenty of things I'll only find through mail order, and since the store option isn't available, I don't miss it in those cases.

Separate thought... I say take advantage of the net situation. Instead of spitting out 4000 copies of a score, do a limited edition club thing, if that's the best way to avoid overproducing bombs, and allow some pre-ordering before you press. Plan on pressing 1000 for the general market or catalogue, and add the quantity of pre-orders to your 1000. If collectors know we'll be guaranteed a copy of a limited pressing by pre-ordering, I think we'll do it.

***

From: TheVamp <TheVamp@worldnet.att.net>

This may sound stupid but there is only one reason why I buy a soundtrack album:

I have seen the movie/televison show and liked the score.

Consequently my CD collection is not as big as some others and is missing some notable names because I haven't seen the movie or didn't like the score.

Schindler's List? Don't have it. Didn't see it.

Executive Decision? Don't have it. I'm a big Goldsmith fan but I just thought that he's done better.

Titanic? Saw it. Loved it. Don't have it. Jimmy, you've gotta be kiddin' with this one.

Drew Neumann: Eye Spy? Got it. I'm a big "Aeon Flux"/Drew Neumann fan and was prayin' for a soundtrack album for years. Got my wish in spades with this 2CD set.

That's it. I know guys that walk in to Tower or HMV or Footlight and just load up on stuff regardless whether they've seen the movie or even heard of the composer "just because." I can't do that. I have to have some connection with either the movie or the music before I plunk down my hard-earned cash.

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From: "Simon Walmsley" <simon@silverbrook.com.au>

The Black Hole by John Barry! I tried to get permission to get this released in Australia a few years back as a limited edition, and Disney Australia agreed in principle. I even got permission from Disney Hong Kong who were the Pacific distributors. I got the artwork approved (they would only allow the same music as the LP) and then they pulled the project - saying that 2000 copies was not enough and that they "might" release the score one day themselves.

My angle for getting permission was that it was the first digitally recorded score and that somehow this was yet another "first" for Disney - considering it was the first recorded score, why wasn't it on CD?!?

Since 1994 the people in charge of the various departments have moved around and no-one is interested in trying again. But you certainly have more chance of being more successful.

Vangelis releases that don't go through large companies. Vangelis is known for his intense dislike of large music companies. I'd like to see something like: Sex Power - originally issued on LP by Phillips but never seen since; The Bounty; Francesco; Bitter Moon.

The last two of these would not sell enough for a large scale release, but for a small label it would be worthwhile. The complete score to Antarctica (there is about 30 minutes missing from the official release) would be pretty excellent as well.

Basil Poledouris material like White Fang or Big Wednesday may be permitted as a release on Retrograde due to its limited nature. Now that would be nice.

BTW, what is stopping Dark Crystal from being reissued? A full Young Sherlock Holmes would be lovely as well.

But for all of these, I'd like to see complete remastered editions of all the Bond movie scores. That would be superb and I'm sure would sell very well.

***

From: "BRIAN D. MELLIES" <dialbri3@earthlink.net>

I am not inclined to buy a CD just because if I don't, a label might not release something else later on. That sounds like musical blackmail to me. I won't let you off that easily. If you want me to buy it, then release what I want, not what you want. The Forever Amber project is, of course, admirable, and I'm glad it is now available. By the way, whenever possible, lose the dialogue. If I want dialogue, I'll turn on the radio!

I'd like to see something done about Boys From Brazil by Goldsmith, North's Bite the Bullet and Rozsa's Eye of the Needle, and The Egyptian, cowritten by Newman and Herrmann. And how about a CD of the music Alfred Newman actually composed and recorded for The Greatest Story Ever Told, not to be confused with the mish-mash we ended up hearing in the film. Not many people know that in its original form this was, and is, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful scores ever written, is certainly Newman's masterpiece, and mostly ended up on the cutting room floor due to the machete-like editing of the film's failing director, George Stevens.

Well, those will do for a start. If you run out of things to do, just let me know. I can easily think of at least 100 more!

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From: Eric Wemmer <dragon7@icanect.net>

Hmm.. you've made me seriously consider buying Forver Amber and the David Shire score. Can you do us a favor as a readership? Maybe in the mag and on the site (one or both, you choice) you could offer up yours and various others... hidden overlooked gems or something like that. I think I remember back in the early issues of FSM you used to do something like that, but I think it would be neat. In my case, I probably overlook some real gems simply because I have never heard of some of them before. If you get my drift and know what I am trying to say, then thanks. If not, thanks for listening anyway.

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From: Bruce Younger <address withheld>

My buying habits are this: My first choices to buy are local Los Angeles stores, specifically the late, lamented Disc-Connection and Aron's Records. Places that don't actually charge full list for a CD and have a generous selection of soundtracks. I also hit the used bins in various stores, looking for titles I have no intention of paying full price for. There are so many soundtracks to buy and so little money. Since Disc-Connection is no longer with us (I hope Bernie returns) last Friday I ordered from a mail-order company I've done much business in the past. Screen Archives Entertainment. Craig has a nice selection, some prices that are good, reasonable shipping costs and for this Californian, no taxes. I also have shopped in the past at Intrada. But before I mail-order, I look locally.

Now, having mentioned that I look in the used bins, there are specific things I look for. Current releases (e.g. Air Force One) that I like but don't want to pay full price for, or something on a major label that will dump lots of cut-outs on the market, or something like Seven, a score I love, but only got what, 15 minutes on CD along with those crappy songs? I will not pay full price for a botch job like that under any circumstances. But if it's in a used bin...

However, having said that, there are soundtracks I will specifically and deliberately buy new. This includes the Varese Classics and Varese Fox Classics, the old Fox Classics, the Columbia/Legacy titles, and, believe it or not, Retrograde Records. For instance, I purchased The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 sound unheard for two reasons. One, I do like David Shire, although I don't remember liking this score when I saw it in the theaters. And in the write-ups it didn't sound like my cup of tea, but I did like some of the "seventies" sound, and it was a new venture by yourself, and as such, I felt like supporting it. I was rewarded with Deadfall. Pelham was pretty cool, too. Unfortunately, we haven't seen any more Columbia/Legacy releases, and the Fox scores spent a lot of time in limbo, but I do feel it is important to make a purchasing statement. I always buy John Barry's CDs new, simply because I want his labels (Sony, Polygram) to continue to issue his all too infrequent scores.

My basic criteria for purchasing a CD are I have to like the score, or the composer, or I know enough about the score to make a reasonably well-informed decision. To use Last Stand at Sabre River as an example. Intrada puts out quite a few CDs. I like David Shire. But not like Barry, Herrmann or Goldsmith.

I would have to see the movie before I purchased it. Or find it for a very good price. I did purchase Forever Amber. I have never seen the movie. I like Raksin, like Shire, but not enough to purchase without listening to it. In this case, I have. The selection on the old RCA LP/CD (w/ Laura and The Bad and the Beautiful) was enough to convince me this was a score I would like. And it is a Fox Classic.

I don't know exactly what you mean by "Collector's Editions." I know what that means on laserdisc, but with CDs, are you referring to GWTW or Ben-Hur on Rhino? If so, yes, I like collector's editions. But I also wouldn't mind the music with less extras for a reduced price.

As far as reviews (even by your crack staff) or personal word-of-mouth, I tread carefully. Nobody knows my tastes like I do, and I'm the only one I trust. For the most part. And for a composer I never heard of, no way. For example, no way I purchase The Usual Suspects without seeing or hearing it first. After I saw the movie, I was on the lookout.

Something that just occurred to me as I was listening to John Scott's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was that I purchased it (at a pretty penny) based on a review in Soundtrack! and the fact I like Scott, not because I saw it on television and liked it. The review sounded like something I'd enjoy, and I did.

The reason I mention this is that, when I first wrote the above, I was pretty emphatic in my declaration that I didn't buy sound unheard. As I looked at my collection I realized it simply isn't true. I've taken a chance on something I thought was rare, a composer whose past work I liked, or at a price point I could live with. Or any combination of the above. I have been burned, and I've had successes. If it is something that shows up on hard to find labels like JOS, Prometheus and the like, I sometimes gamble. There is no hard and fast rule, and I operate on gut feeling and instinct.

***

Thanks to everyone for your responses! If you made it to the end, pat yourself on the back.