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No doubt most of us know her from half a dozen projects, mainly "Batman: The Animated Series".
I was wondering what else is there to enjoy, aside from the stuff I already know about, so I decided to go on a odyssey to hear as much of her work that I can.
Her scoring career, according to her Cinemusic website, was a 1968 art film called "Bob's Dance". I couldn't find anything else about it.
"Lou Grant"
According to the Cinemusic site, she scored three episodes of the series.
Season 3:
"Guns"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaBUz1H5tpY
Snare drum, electric guitary, and tom toms dominate the first cue of the episode, right after the opening credits. It's about a minute long. Certainly a different sound than I'm accustomed to from her. About 1:00 into the episode.
There's some source music in an Irish pub, but it may not be original, plus the first cue sounds like it might be performed live.
There's a thirty second odd-sounding cue with an Irish tint, but it's nothing to take away from the episode. There's another cue in a somewhat similar vein also not worth taking away, not too long after.
There's also an Irish-sounding source cue at a stage show. I can't say it's original for sure.
About 33:18 in is another cue I'd take away from it. It's about thirty seconds long.
41:58 in is like a combination of parts of the opening cue and the Irish-sounding material. It's over a minute long.
There's a short closing cue; pleasant enough but nothing special.
"Hazard"
It took about twenty-two minutes for the first cue to short up -- a short outro cue with piano chords. That's literally all I could find. Easiest pay check ever.
Hell, they could have just tracked a cue.
I didn't locate the name of the third episode.
"Tucker's Witch"
Suggested by Brad fiedel to take over the series, Walker only ended up doing one episode: "Abra-Cadaver".
It's quiet, all over the place, odd choices that don;t work, and some of it is mixed low. I have a feeling they didn't like what they got. In the end J.A.C. Redford did one too, then fiedel came back and co-composed the rest of the episodes with a pianist whose name escapes me at the moment.
There's nothing to take away here.
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I double checked all the "Lou Grant" episodes (except "Generations" -- every load had the end credits cut off) and I can't find a third Walker score. I remember finding it listed at a copyright website, but the site or listings, are gone now. So apparently one of her scores was rejected. I seem to recall it being for season five (the final season).
Next up is a 1982 film called "The End of August". All I could find is a short four minute clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CMcoENDnMw
There's a brief string piece, barely noticeable. Then an acoustic guitar for the dinner party.
A very short solo harp piece.
Next up is "Touched", a 1983 film.
https://ok.ru/video/4954336004749
All I can find are short clips of the film. It's weird as David Shire is credited for an original song in the opening credits, as well; I wonder if she replaced a score by him. I don't know, off hand, any films where he only provided a song -- he typically did both.
It's a weird 1980's sax' lead score with some synth work and other odd elements. Stylistically, it's kind of all over the place. There's nothing here worth taking away from the film based on the score I heard.
I found nothing for a 1983 Disney TV movie titled "The Celebrity and the Arcade Kid".
I'm going to skip co-scored stuff like "Ghoulies" Maybe just for now.
In 1984 she did a score which was rejected and not used for a film called "The Ladies Club"(AKA: "The Violated"). It's not been released.
Walker scored one episode only of a short-lived TV series called "Berrenger's". The episode in question was titled "For Gloria's Benefit". the load on Youtube is gone now, but I watched it to hear her score. Again, stylistically it was all over the place. I remember nothing standing out.
"Fluppy Dogs" was a 1986 Disney animated pilot that never made it to series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWeQbMOIJz4
It's orchestral in nature. It's competent and does it's job. It's not for me I guess. You may like what you hear.
Again on another TV series, this time "Cagney & Lacey", she scored two episodes:
"The Rapist: Part 2" and "The Gimp". For some reason she didn't score Part I.
The videos are blocked all over. Couldn't find either episode.
I think that's it for today. Tomorrow, episodes of "Knots Landing".
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I double checked all the "Lou Grant" episodes (except "Generations" -- every load had the end credits cut off) and I can't find a third Walker score. I remember finding it listed at a copyright website, but the site or listings, are gone now. So apparently one of her scores was rejected. I seem to recall it being for season five (the final season).
FYI, ASCAP has her listed as writing cues for LOU GRANT.
No specific episode is listed, but she's getting paid when it airs.
Ford A. Thaxton
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Ford, re-read what I wrote...
"Knots Landing"
Walker's cinemusic site says she scored four episodes. Thus far I can only find one.
Season 9:
"The Blushing Bride"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIC3qJj0in4
A legato strings and piano heavy score. Some of the strings sound real, while others are clearly synths.
Mostly soft, some mystery, and sound awful dated-when-it-was-made stuff.
There's nothing here that needs to be heard apart from the episode.
"Angela Lansbury's Positive Moves"
A straight-to-video special. IF you enjoy seeing an old Angela Lansbury half naked and rubbing her legs and in a bubble bath, then there's something wrong with you. So, if you are brave enough, there's score to hear in this chunk from the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6gbqugDx9E
I am not that kind of brave. So I had to work around it by using the whole special:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eXdJHVf9gU
It's synth music with even some drum machine. There might be some real instruments here and there like some piano and tambourine. It's co-composed with somebody named David Hamilton.
It's meandering, cheesy and not something you need to hear.
I had to skip a 1990 movie called "Strike it Rich", since I couldn't find any video.
"China Beach"
Walker's cinemusic site says she scored four episodes. She's credited with three on IMDb; I checked all the episodes on IMDb. Unless there is a bad submission, that either means a fourth was counted based on tracked music, maybe counted as a fourth because of additional uncredited music, or a rejected score.
The series fan for a few seasons. I'm skipping over "Falcon Crest" to do this, since she scored more episodes of FC and I need more time to go over them.
Season 3:
"Phoenix"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4st5z5
Strings, percussion, ethnic flavors.
Cues that stand out, in my opinion of course:
2:08 in.
14:49 in. It's mixed a little low when it opens.
About 33:00 in.
"F.N.G."
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4st616
44:28 in. A touching closing cue, with harmonica.
"How to Stay Alive in Vietnam: Part 2"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4rtha4
Paul Chihara scored Part 1.
1:33 in.
42:56 in.
About 45:40 in.
Robert Picardo when he had hair.
Walker's work on the series is way way better than her work on in previous series thus far (I still have to find the "Cagney & Lacey" episodes).
That's it for today.
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Credits on my Shirley Walker website were provided by Shirley herself, so I would consider them as accurate.
There are also non-film/TV works that should be detailed at some point. If I had time I could provide samples from those as they are of course excellent. This thread makes me miss Shirley.
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Yes, I suspected they came from her since many are unique to your site. But regardless, there are inaccuracies. It's like I said in my comments above in "China Town".
I'd go over her non film score work, too, but as far as I know there are only two promos and they're so obscure I don't actually know anybody who has them. Surely some label would like to rectify this?
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There are also non-film/TV works that should be detailed at some point. If I had time I could provide samples from those as they are of course excellent. This thread makes me miss Shirley.
Please do provide samples when you have the time.  Such a great composer. I will buy anything of hers that gets released.
Yavar
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"Falcon Crest"
NOTE: I am assuming the recaps that open the episode are not original Walker pieces. If I am wrong, then count them as highlights.
Admittedly, I have no interest in watching the show, so I skimmed episodes to find score. That's how I was able to plow through all these in a day.
Walker's cinemusic site says she scored eleven episodes, but she's credited with twelve. Yes, of course I checked the end credits of all the episodes below.
Season 4:
"Pain and Pleasure"
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22ffaf
Highlights:
About 15:50 in. There's more about a minute later.
About 22:00 in.
24:16: short but sweet.
28:11 in. I wish we had heard more of this Walker.
32:30 in: short but sweet as well.
About 41:25 in.
This is good. I wouldn't necessarily be apposed to the whole score being released.
"The Showdown"
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22fg5r
Highlights:
3:22 in.
About 5:50 in.
41:44 in.
"The Decline..."
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x23c0ge
Highlights:
20:17 in.
About 27:10 in: trembling strings with woodwinds bouncing around and huffing as a character sneaks away from being held captive.
31:31 in.
41:05 in.
43:14 in. There's a brief lull and the music closes out the episode.
Hey, it's Jonathan Frakes.
Season 5:
"Echoes"
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x23citr
Highlights:
1:55 in: a repeating triangle pattern, with swirling strings and a little electric guitar thrown in. Different from Walker works heard before.
21:33 in: sounds like a classical string quartet work. There's an additional end bit at 22:46 in.
26:32 in.
28:28 in.
About 19:10 in. Oh, some of those "Knight Rider" drum machine sounds.
"Changing Partners"
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x23cpsu
Highlights:
About 22:36 in.
Around 26:00 in.
"Inconceivable Affairs"
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x23cpvq
Highlights:
17:42 in: a low-key piece. It's a long cue at nearly five minutes in length.
40:34 in.
43:07 in.
"Checkmate"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ig3ut
Highlights:
About 11:20 in.
Somewhere after 27:00 in.
About 32:30 in.
About 43:30 in.
"Shattered Dreams"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ipl30
Highlights:
1:52 in.
14:04 in.
17:56 in.
41:23 in.
"Finders and Losers"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ivwit
Highlights:
About 1:50 in.
3:54 in.
11:16 in.
13:53 in. And after the commercial break.
16:30 in.
About 20:30 in.
22:59 in.
27:06 in.
28:44 in.
About 30:30 in.
About 35:55 in. There's a lull.
38:35 in.
"Dangerous Ground"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4jiriz
Highlights:
About 6:00 in.
10:05 in. And the brief bit after the commercial break.
16:27 in.
About 36:50 in.
About 40:20 in.
In between this season and season eight the show radically changed composers, dumping all the previous ones and using almost exclusively three composers. Maybe new producers wanted something different, maybe it was a budget cutting decision, but what ever the reason the decision was obviously found to have been a bad one and when season eight came on, familiar names were back.
Season 8:
"Tuscany Venus"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22wnal
Highlights:
About 7:00 in.
23:38 in.
41:26 in.
Around 44:50 in.
"Suspicion"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22wnmo
Highlights:
2:15 in.
9:20 in.
About 20:50 in.
44:10 in.
And that's all she wrote for the series. I wish all her efforts had been up to the same consistent quality as the first episode she scored.
That's it for today. I think twelve episodes is more than enough.
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"Born to Ride"
A 1991 film.
The score is over half way rock-based, with electric guitar and a drum kit*. It's a low point in her scoring career, in my opinion. Only something those who gotta hear every second of her work, should seek (with some exceptions).
The film is sparsely scored, with only fourteen cues that I counted
* = Seven exceptions:
There was one cue at a night transport-loading sequence with no rock but instead some brass and snare drum.
And overseas scene with a slow piece with trumpet and tuba and a little timpani.
A motorcycle group chase piece with brass, woodwinds and snare more akin to her "Space: Above and Beyond" work.
A short brass cue on a train.
A plane chasing motorcycles and firing on them, with brass.
Another short cue for a motorcycle chase; brass a plenty. There more a minute of so later.
I'd say if there is a Walker score that doesn't quite fill up a CD, to pair it with the orchestral pieces from this score. Or save them to a Walker compilation.
For now I am skipping "Chicago Joe and the Showgirl" as I don't have the soundtrack on me and it's not loaded to Youtube. I am also skipping (for now) the TV series "The Flash"; I need to go through the episode listing and see what La La Land Records didn't cover, then I'll concentrate on those episodes.
I've also had to skip a 1992 TV movie called "Sexual Advances", as I couldn't find a copy of the film.
"Memoirs of an Invisible Man"
In 1992 Walker found herself as a replacement composer on this doomed film. Forgotten and best left to internet reviewers, she replaced the score of another composer. I haven't been able to find out precisely who was the one who had the score tossed, though I have been able to find out Jack Nitsche was originally attached to the film. So it's very likely him.
The score is an serviceable orchestral effort, though it's nothing special. Take this main title piece which goes in one ear and out the other despite the writing effort:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiUuqOIiZ7Y
Perhaps there are better cues, not released, in the film.
I've also had to skip a 1992 TV documentary called "Promise Not to Tell", as I couldn't find a copy of the film. The same for a TV movie called "Majority Rule" from that year.
I've had to skip a 1993 short film called "Fait Accompli", too.
And a 1993 TV movie called "Other Mothers"; all I found was ten minutes of clips from it and not a single note of score was to be heard.
"The Haunting of Seacliff Inn"
A small intimate (and unreleased) score with strings, woodwinds and piano (mainly). Some darker cues also, with the usual low sounds and scary-sounding orchestrations -- no new ground is broken here.
The score is not particularly memorable and I can't even recall the theme -- even after hearing it.
The darker stuff is very unimpressive and while like I said it doesn't break any new ground, it still doesn't even try to be good at previously treaded ground.
Not a highlight of her scoring career.
I gave up on the score and movie half-way in.
You just know you're got a "winner" on your hands when the wife of the young couple goes upstairs to the bedroom of an old lady who's house they are interested in selling, finds stuff knocked over, blood, blood on the bathroom door, and her dead on the floor with a puddle of blood by her head and the cops say she hit her head, made it to the bathroom, and bleed to death. Then the cop hands them a note of a family member, who wants now owns the house and may sell; like two minutes later, happy music and the couple hugging and smiling how they now own the house -- never mind the poor old lady who died a terrible death that the wife witnessed minutes earlier.
I'm skipping for now her work on the "V.I.P.E.R." TV series.
"Prelude to Eden"
Is a 1995 short film, not even running a full four minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5nrEgs8L0s
Surprisingly it's scored with a real orchestra with light touch combo of "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Superman: The Animated Series".
The creator of the short actually goes into a ton of details about the whole recording, even offering sound samples from the orchestra and well as the complete score in MP3 format:
http://www.gagneint.com/Final%20site/misc/Prelude%20to%20Eden/Shirley_walker/Shirley.htm
That's it for today.
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I'll probably have to save "The Flash" for Monday and Tuesday. I'll probably do "V.I.P.E.R." tomorrow.
I'm also going to have to contact a director to find out information on another project. Hopefully he answers.
EDIT:
I forgot an entry.
"Morningstar/Eveningstar"
A short-lived 1986 TV series.
Walker's cinemusic site says she scored two episodes. I've been searching probably for two or three years now for any episodes on Youtube or even Dailymotion, but none ever pop up. I have no idea which she scored.
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Yes, I'll be handling the episodes of "Space: Above and Beyond" not represented by La La Land Records.
I seem to recall that show and "The Flash" didn't sell well for the label, so I suspect more music from them isn't likely.
With this and other series, I'll probably be doing score reviews for two or three years. Time and no dying suddenly permitting.
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Yes, I'll be handling the episodes of "Space: Above and Beyond" not represented by La La Land Records.
Great to hear! (And maybe some of the barely represented ones, too, pretty please? It's arguably her best work.)
I seem to recall that show and "The Flash" didn't sell well for the label, so I suspect more music from them isn't likely.
I don't remember seeing that but you're probably right since no subsequent volumes came out despite their love of Walker. But they've also said that producing a second volume of a TV series is much less expensive than the first volume...maybe if they did a more limited 1000 copies Volume 2 release. Their 1000 copy limited release of Wild Wild West did well...enough for them to be considering a Volume 2 of that.
Yavar
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"V.I.P.E.R."
The 1994 version of "Knight Rider", except it wasn't "Knight Rider".
The show was cancelled after twelve episodes, then a couple years later revived for another season or two.
Walker shared scoring duties on the season with Eddie Jobson (who did the theme music). Neither returned when the show was picked bay up.
"Safe as Houses"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vl3yr
Highlights:
12:22 in: a simple repeating wooden sticks clacking pattern.
About 24:30 in.
About 27:50 in.
About 29:40 in.
37:58 in.
Mostly synth dated-sounding work with some real instruments like piano.
"Firehawk"
Part 1: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2dfx2t
Part 2: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2dinjm
Part 3: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2dkzqr
(the quality sucks)
Highlights:
Part 1:
0:00 in.
Part 2:
About 7:20 in. Until the electric guitar cuts in. Then there's a bad music edit in the episode and the music stops abruptly.
Part 3:
Nothing.
"The Face"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vl4af
Highlights:
About 11:50 in.
About 22:30 in.
37:08 in: chase music on a synth budget.
A lot of the scoring in here is, quite frankly, a real low point in her career. Even though there were hour shows and even sitcoms with real scoring at this time, I bet the producers blew smoke up Walker and Jobson's butts about not having a budget for a real orchestra.
"Wheels of Fire"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vl4ah
Highlights:
14:42 in.
About 17:00 in. There's a brief lull.
35:50 in.
"Past Tense"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vl4ai
Highlights:
1:55 in: a pleasant riff on Jobson's theme music, with soft wordless synth female choir and a solo synth trumpet.
9:08 in.
About 25:40 in.
About 31:10 in.
"The Scoop"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL4bUHMbYPU
Highlights:
13:30 in.
16:07 in.
19:26 in.
28:10 in.
"Thief of Hearts"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzl9iHxej4k
Highlights:
25:35 in.
30:01 in.
32:41 in.
11 tracks (15:34) is score was found on a release referred to as a promo, though I think it's likely more along the lines of something Walker probably sent to a fan and therefore not a promotional release. The sound is not so great.
Evil Lady: "First you're a liar, then you're a sneak, next thing I know you'll be parking in handicap spaces."
"Crown of Thorns" (finale)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vl4am
Highlights:
19:44 in.
31:46 in.
If they had just budgeted some real percussion players and let Jobson go wild like he did on "Nash Bridges", it really would have helped the series.
"M.A.N.T.I.S."
Another short-lived series.
Unfortunately, she scored one episode and the score was rejected. I've not been able to track down which episode it was, though I've tried. I presume it's the pilot film, which in the end Joseph LoDuca did a fine pastiche score for (aping "Predator" a little). Interestingly enough, he wasn't the first composer; Terrance Blanchard was originally hired to score it and even talked a little about the gig.
Walker's cinemusic site used to reflect the score was not used, but it was later edited to remove that.
The composer roaster in the end was:
Joseph LoDuca (1)
Christopher Franke (7)
Joseph Conlan (1)
Randy Miller (14)
"The Crying Child"
A 1996 TV movie. For a short stretch there it looked like she might go the Mark Snow route and score a bunch of TV movies. It didn't turn out that way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq-Me8Z1QvQ
Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzMkDARQfIg
Meh-lights:
About 19:00 in: unremarkable repetitive string work.
43:22 in. There are some edits in this load for some reason. This scene ends abruptly.
40:40 in.
53:49 in.
59:06 in. Probably the only worthwhile cue in the score, with a nice ending.
1:01:07 in.
Opening:
8:42 in. The TV movie actually began with some real orchestra. Unfortunately, the cue doesn't really go anywhere and suddenly transitions into awful synths.
A cheap-sounding synth score that even sounded dated back in 1996, especially considering what Mark Snow was doing at the time on "The X-Files".
Limited budget? Last minute replacement score with no more budget? Who knows. Can't imagine this was a willing choice.
Certainly not a highlight of her career and another low point.
That's it for today.
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