Yes, I know we already have the ultimate - the original tracks in stereo. But considering the importance of this score (and the love many have for it) is a more modern take justified? I certainly have room for two versions of it on my shelves, just as I have three versions of El Cid.
I'l like to hear what the Prague orchestra can do with it - provided they have all the percussionists required. ;-)
Yes, I know we already have the ultimate - the original tracks in stereo. But considering the importance of this score (and the love many have for it) is a more modern take justified? I certainly have room for two versions of it on my shelves, just as I have three versions of El Cid.
I'l like to hear what the Prague orchestra can do with it - provided they have all the percussionists required. ;-)
I agree but then it's up to James Fitz and his associates.
I have my doubts that it'll happen, because Newman isn't thought of as a big seller (though he occasionally has a very good seller, and Captain from Castile might be one of them). I have to say, however, that if anyone did produce a complete new recording of Captain from Castile, I would be first in line to buy it as it is my FAVORITE GOLDEN AGE SCORE by my FAVORITE GOLDEN AGE COMPOSER.
Seriously, the score has 10+ well developed themes, all of them amazing (two of them gorgeous love themes) and simply some of the best action music anyone ever wrote, particularly in De Vargas Family Escape. I'm long overdue in writing a thorough analysis of this score but I love it like no other. It just has everything. My only regret is that the excellent novel's second half was too graphic to be adapted in Hollywood at the time, or they could've made an amazing "Part 2" with even more amazing music when things really start going down (I recommend you read to book to find out what I'm talking about).
While I'm in my little mental wish fulfillment land, I might as well say that while I'd LOVE a complete recording from Tribute or Tadlow, what I'd love even more is if Alfred Newman's son David (who inherited some of his conducting talent as well as his composing talent) would personally oversee and conduct a complete new recording of his father's masterpiece himself! Hell, maybe Thomas and Randy could pitch in somehow too. And yes, I'd love to have that short but awesome Prologue cue that didn't survive on the original recording...
Main Title (impossible to hum but that hasn't stopped me from trying!):
De Vargas Family Escape:
Anyone who doesn't own it already should buy the SAE album of the (almost) complete score -- it's one of their absolute best productions, which is of course saying something. An amazing deluxe booklet, fantastic packaging and artwork, and the score sounds AMAZING for 1947 (better than the Youtube samples I found to post).
No offense to anyone, but aside from one brief cue that coulnt be found, we have the score conducted by Newman himself. I am quite content. However, if Tadlow wanted to tackle a Newman work that has not survived (apparently) then what about THE MARK OF ZORRO, THE RAINS CAME and BLOOD & SAND?
Yes, but it'd still be great to have this score in modern sound quality (even though the original sounds great for 1947, as I mentioned). But I understand: Mark of Zorro for example should be an even bigger priority because the original tracks didn't survive. And given that it's *Zorro* I think that it has a much greater sales potential than almost any other Newman or Friedhofer score that either Tadlow or Tribute might consider...
Incidentally, while Newman is probably my favorite Golden Age composer and The Rains Came is a very good score by him, what I want a complete re-recording of much more is Friedhofer's score to the remake, The Rains of Ranchipur. All we got was four surviving tracks of the original recording from Varese, and a short rerecorded suite from Bill and John on Marco Polo (which frustratingly overlapped the surviving music from the original tracks a lot)...this could quite possibly be my FAVORITE Friedhofer score if it only existed in extended (if not complete) form...it's just gorgeous.
Yes, I know we already have the ultimate - the original tracks in stereo. But considering the importance of this score (and the love many have for it) is a more modern take justified? I certainly have room for two versions of it on my shelves, just as I have three versions of El Cid.
I'l like to hear what the Prague orchestra can do with it - provided they have all the percussionists required. ;-)
I remember watching "Conquest" being recorded in Prague. James used 6 percussionists, possibly more. It was a very exciting performance! Engineer John Timperley spent a lot of time adjusting the mics to get the sound just right.
Yes, I know we already have the ultimate - the original tracks in stereo. But considering the importance of this score (and the love many have for it) is a more modern take justified? I certainly have room for two versions of it on my shelves, just as I have three versions of El Cid.
I'l like to hear what the Prague orchestra can do with it - provided they have all the percussionists required. ;-)
No trouble with getting enough percussionists....I used 11 on Lawrence and 12 on Villa Rides. Having already recorded Conquest for Silva I would love to record more...but that will not happen in my lifetime as I would think Quo Vadis will be my last..... as these recordings just do not sell enough anymore to warrant the huge expense ! If I had saved all the money I had spent on these CDs I could have been quite well off......
Very sorry to hear this news myself. I've enjoyed all of the Tadlow/Prometheus releases I have immensely. I'm looking forward to 'Empire' and 'Quo Vadis', and I hope it's not the last we hear of James' involvement in releasing great film scores. He has incredibly rerecorded two of my favourite ever scores, 'Lawrence' and 'The Alamo', which are majestic, cannot be bettered and will be cherished forever.
Very sorry to hear this news myself. I've enjoyed all of the Tadlow/Prometheus releases I have immensely. I'm looking forward to 'Empire' and 'Quo Vadis', and I hope it's not the last we hear of James' involvement in releasing great film scores. He has incredibly rerecorded two of my favourite ever scores, 'Lawrence' and 'The Alamo', which are majestic, cannot be bettered and will be cherished forever.
I feel the same way about EL CID and Taras Bulba and looking forward to Quo Vadis!
...I would think Quo Vadis will be my last..... as these recordings just do not sell enough anymore to warrant the huge expense ! If I had saved all the money I had spent on these CDs I could have been quite well off......
Looking at all of your TADLOW rerecordings of single-title film scores...
THE GUNS OF NAVARONE... THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES... TRUE GRIT... EL CID... EXODUS... THE ALAMO... LAWRENCE OF ARABIA... CONAN THE BARBARIAN... VILLA RIDES... TARAS BULBA... THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE... CONAN THE DESTROYER... QUO VADIS...
I was hoping that Jarre's complete JESUS OF NAZARETH would one day make the list, but the above list is quite an accomplishment, James... and every one of these scores was extremely well recorded (and is, or will be in the case of the last three entries, in my CD library, many in multiple copies).
Perhaps, when QUO VADIS is finished, and you've had a well-deserved holiday on some sunny beach, do what Charles Gerhardt did and issue a SPECTACULAR WORLD OF TADLOW CLASSIC FILM SCORES retrospective to promote these thirteen rerecordings.
No offense James, but I've heard you say "I'll probably stop after _____" before so I choose to be cautiously optimistic that you'll change your mind again. I think you enjoy doing it too much...and also you know all of these are going to lose money in the first place -- doesn't it serve as sort of a tax write-off for your successful contracting business? There are still a number of great epic scores left to do, and recently it sounded as if you were seriously considering The Ten Commandments in particular...
I hope that James and Tadlow go on forever! There's still so many great scores to be rerecorded. I've preordered FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, even though I don't care for the score itself. Why? Purchasing a Tadlow product is like purchasing a Cadillac--you know that you'll be receiving a top quality product.
I hope that James and Tadlow go on forever! There's still so many great scores to be rerecorded. I've preordered FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, even though I don't care for the score itself. Why? Purchasing a Tadlow product is like purchasing a Cadillac--you know that you'll be receiving a top quality product.
SAE just sent me a notice that my three Cadillacs, er, copies of FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE have shipped... one week earlier than the anticipated Oct 18 release date.
Yes, but it'd still be great to have this score in modern sound quality (even though the original sounds great for 1947, as I mentioned). But I understand: Mark of Zorro for example should be an even bigger priority because the original tracks didn't survive. And given that it's *Zorro* I think that it has a much greater sales potential than almost any other Newman or Friedhofer score that either Tadlow or Tribute might consider...
Incidentally, while Newman is probably my favorite Golden Age composer and The Rains Came is a very good score by him, what I want a complete re-recording of much more is Friedhofer's score to the remake, The Rains of Ranchipur. All we got was four surviving tracks of the original recording from Varese, and a short rerecorded suite from Bill and John on Marco Polo (which frustratingly overlapped the surviving music from the original tracks a lot)...this could quite possibly be my FAVORITE Friedhofer score if it only existed in extended (if not complete) form...it's just gorgeous.
