Gave this a spin today! What a fun and jolly feel good western score from Goldsmith. Also watched a candid interview with Ryan O' Neal discussing William Holden on making WILD ROVERS and Jerry Goldsmith gets a nice mention here.... around 10:40 mark.
This has always been a favourite western score of mine by Jerry Goldsmith, even if the main theme wasn't actually composed by him. I like its lived-in, outdoorsy feel and Bronco Bustin is one of JG's standout cues in his whole career. I saw him perform it live with the National Phil at Maida Vale back in '89. Stunning concert. That Ryan O'Neill interview just backs up my feeling that 95% of actors either haven't got a clue and/or don't give a shit about the film once they've moved on to their next pay cheque. I remember the film being okay, if a tad slow, miserable and overlong. I haven't seen it in years. I have the LP and also got the LP programme on a two-fer CD that was released, but the FSM edition is the be all and end all of this score for me.
I really like the bonus unused Sheb Wooley vocal. I was interested to read in the notes that his performance was originally meant to be the original title song, but even though they dropped it, Wooley's name still appears in the movie's titles.
I remember buying the original LP (and loving it) and some years later buying it again (on MCA LP?) because it had a couple of extra score tracks. Am I remembering that right? And then the first CD issue was the LP programme (coupled with another score), until the FSM edition blew everything else out of the water. Three of my All Time favourite westerns by JG are STAGECOACH, CABLE HOGUE and this score, and there's quite a bit of 'bleed' between all of them in their sound, but especially between WILD ROVERS and CABLE HOGUE, so there must be something in the potion that stirs the magic for me.
Back in those days of Early internet I was pleasantly surprised to find samples of various Jerry Goldsmith samples from his early scores that I was only aware of by name. And Wild Rovers theme became an instant favourite. And then a short while later FSM issued this gorgeous album. Talk about timing, It was an instant buy!!!
I remember buying the original LP (and loving it) and some years later buying it again (on MCA LP?) because it had a couple of extra score tracks. Am I remembering that right?
When MCA re-released WILD ROVERS on LP and cassette in 1986, purchasers received a bonus, in the form an additional 2-minute track ("Friendly Advice") that was not on the original 1971 MGM LP. That track was also missing on the first two CD releases of the score--the Memoir CD (1990) and the Chapter III CD (2000). It wasn't until 2003, when FSM released their CD, that the track reappeared.
Bought the LP the day it came out--I think it was the same week as The Last Run. Missed out on the FSM CD. Hopefully, it will get re=leased by somebody.
What's the deal with Warner Bros? I keep seeing remarks like this and am totally out of the loop.
At the moment due to significant management changes and reorganizations at Warner Bros. our friendly neighborhood soundtrack specialty labels are not able to license new albums. It's not necessarily permanent but it's something to consider when making open requests for such-and-such to be reissued or released on CD.
What's the deal with Warner Bros? I keep seeing remarks like this and am totally out of the loop.
At the moment due to significant management changes and reorganizations at Warner Bros. our friendly neighborhood soundtrack specialty labels are not able to license new albums. It's not necessarily permanent but it's something to consider when making open requests for such-and-such to be reissued or released on CD.
