I was wondering exactly the same thing. I'm pretty sure the recording was finished and all set to go, but was then held up around the same time that James Fitz brought his health problems to our notice. Any news through Facebook for example? I rarely look at it.
I've just done a quick search and it seems that it is indeed slated for a 2019 release. That's good news because it's the first time I've seen it mentioned with a (future) date attached, instead of just vague "postponed" comments. Ah wait, I see Mitchypoo says 2019 in his topic title.
Would be great to hear more specific news. Halloween time? That was the intention for 2018 I think.
As a financial contributor and supporter to this project, I am happy to report that just last week I reviewed the first draft of liner notes that James shared with me.
The project is making slow but steady progress (James's term), and photographs from the Hammer archives have been narrowed down to final preferences. The audio is terrific and the CoPPO did its usual remarkable performance almost exactly one year ago.
I don't have a release date yet. Sorry. Admittedly at this point the Dracula market got a little heavy with the release practically simultaneously of Williams' and Kilar's works.
Yes, thank you. There is a lot of interest in this, and in Hammer in general lately. A lot of people still discovering it thanks to new releases to the blu-ray format.
Does anyone know what happened to the session tapes for these films?
Not really. There was a fire at Bray Studios in the early '60s. Perhaps it damaged or destroyed whatever was there.
The only complete score released from that earliest era off the top of my head is The Mummy. I'm not sure if the two Quatermass scores by Bernard are complete but at least some cues were released on a compilation.
Most of the original tapes were not really stored properly. Hammer’s music supervisor, Philip Martell had them in his home. Money of the early films just don’t exist anymore. The Mummy I understand was found in a trash bin. GDI released quite a few between 2000 and 2002. Then BSX started to release Hammer titles including Captain Kronos, Dracula AD 72, Satanic Rites of Dracula and Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. Since 2012 they have not released any Hammer soundtracks. Supposedly Countess Dracula, Dr Jeckyl & Sister Hyde, Demons of the Mind are available amongst others. I do know that many people do not like midi recordings but some spectacular work has been done on the Film Music Midi Group on Facebook. Complete recordings ofDracula Prince if Darkness and Dracula Has Risen From the Grave. Even The Quatermass Xperiment is available. They really are terrific.
