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 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 12:04 AM   
 By:   Rollin Hand   (Member)


THE DON IS DEAD - ISC 454

Label: Intrada
Film Date: 1973
Album Date: 2020
Price: $21.99
Tracks: 25

First-ever release of Jerry Goldsmith score from '70s Mafia crime thriller!

MORE INFO
First-ever release of Jerry Goldsmith score from '70s Mafia crime thriller! Richard Fleischer directs superb cast led by Anthony Quinn with solid support from Frederic Forrest, Robert Forster, Al Lettieri, Ina Balin, Abe Vigoda. Universal releases in late 1973. American crime-family thriller has either good fortune to be one of the first major Mafia tales following mega-success of The Godfather one year earlier… or misfortune of being sandwiched between that legendary 1972 Francis Ford Coppola epic and his equally legendary 1974 sequel, The Godfather Part II. Some obscurity resulted. No matter. The Don Is Dead holds it own albeit on a smaller scale. Greedy mob consigliere from one family sets into motion events that bring all-out warfare between two other families. Transfer of power between crime families, loyalty and honor, brotherhood, love - all play out on violent canvas.

Enter Jerry Goldsmith. His score is brought to life by a full symphony, augmented by one solitary synth that provides prominent rhythm and color to key suspense sequences. Cues develop with synth device, strings, piano as mobsters work within garages, warehouses, other places. As graphic violence inevitably results, Goldsmith brings in entire orchestra with bursts of aggressive action music. One such grim highlight: The beating of girlfriend (Angel Tompkins) by Forster affords Goldsmith opportunity to unleash dissonant strings, wild brass punctuation (especially with striking wah-wah effects) and other Goldsmith signatures. Similar chaotic orchestral fury also plays during vivid Quinn heart-ache scene, where entire orchestra cries out in pain.

Other action bits come with intense strings, percussion of “The Confession” and climactic chase “A Great Memory”, where classic Goldsmith rhythmic ostinato leads the pursuit. In contrast are numerous sequences of suspense as well os gorgeous love theme, heard both in vocal rendition, “Our Last Night”, written by Goldsmith with wife Carole and in transparent orchestral treatment. CD also features beautiful arrangement of love theme, recorded for but not used in final film, as well alternate version of lengthy title sequence. Mixed, edited and mastered from pristine condition 1/2” three-channel stereo session masters. Informative booklet notes by Jeff Bond, dramatic graphic design by Kay Marshall. Recorded in April and June of 1973. Jerry Goldsmith conducts. Intrada Special Collection CD available while quantities and interest remain!

COMPOSER
Goldsmith, Jerry

LINK
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl?it=A&id=12192

TRACK LIST

01. Emblem – Main Title (Revised) (5:18)
02. The Test (1:27)
03. The Meeting (1:25)
04. The Confession (1:40)
05. No Trouble #1 (0:56)
06. Our Last Night (Love Scene) (3:57)
07. The Beating (3:56)
08. The Hit (1:15)
09. A Little Help (0:57)
10. Back Fire (1:45)
11. Florida Retreat (1:57)
12. Angie’s Home (0:40)
13. No Trouble #2 (1:30)
14. The War (4:27)
15. Anything She Wants (0:31)
16. The Set-Up (2:01)
17. The Bomb (2:14)
18. Final Meeting (2:51)
19. A Great Memory (1:14)
20. End Title (1:29)
21. Our Last Night (Love Theme – Instrumental) (2:31)

Total Time: 44:56

The Extras
22. Emblem – Main Title (Original) (5:19)
23. Our Last Night (Audition) (3:02)
24. Car Radio Source (0:16)
25. A Great Memory – Stinger (0:06)

Total Extras Time: 8:56

Total CD Time: 53:52

DOWNLOAD PLAY ALL CLIPS
http://www.intrada.com/sound/DONisDEAD.m3u




 
 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 1:17 AM   
 By:   Hurdy Gurdy   (Member)

Let me be the first to say, Well Done Intrada! (Yavar's podcast preview really did a 180 degree opinion on me about this score).

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 1:25 AM   
 By:   ROBERT Z   (Member)

Sounds very good to my ears, old fashion Goldsmith thriller score.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 1:52 AM   
 By:   Rollin Hand   (Member)


The Don Is Dead - Trailer

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 1:57 AM   
 By:   Rollin Hand   (Member)


The Don Is Dead - DVD

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 2:29 AM   
 By:   Rollin Hand   (Member)


Odyssey Soundtrack Spotlight - The Don Is Dead (1973)

August 22, 2020 • Season 3 • Episode 10

With Yavar, Doug, Roger

https://goldsmithodyssey.buzzsprout.com/159614/5097955-odyssey-soundtrack-spotlight-the-don-is-dead-1973

Show Notes
The Goldsmith Odyssey is thrilled to present a brand new sub-series! In our very first Odyssey Soundtrack Spotlight, Yavar chats with Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson of Intrada Records about their forthcoming release of Jerry Goldsmith’s score for the 1973 crime drama The Don Is Dead. Over the course of this half-hour chat, you’ll hear about the movie’s place in pop culture history, the score’s distinctive instrumentation, the album production process, Jerry’s first artistic collaboration with his wife Carol, and more. Along the way, you'll be treated to some wonderful samples from the new album. You can purchase your own copy of the score at intrada.com. Enjoy!

Duration
00:31:16

Chapter Markers

00:02:09 … Doug’s Trivia Minute

00:03:48 … Why So Obscure?

00:05:31 … Jerry's Approach

00:08:04 … Production Story

00:09:31 … The Don Is Dead is a Land of Contrasts

00:14:03 … A Longer-lined Theme on Synth

00:15:11 … No Brass? Are You Serious?

00:16:13 … Goldsmithisms

00:17:38 … The Meaning of the Synth

00:18:12 … The Heart of the Picture

00:23:31 … Other Motifs

00:26:07 … The “Italian” or “Old World” Theme

00:27:36 … Of Sausages and Ice Cream


The Goldsmith Odyssey: All Episodes
http://goldsmithodyssey.buzzsprout.com

Contact The Goldsmith Odyssey
mail@goldsmithodyssey.com

* * *

 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 3:00 AM   
 By:   Nicolai P. Zwar   (Member)

Just ordered it, along with THE LONELY GUY and the 3CD set of HOWARD THE DUCK.

Great Scott, I accumulated almost $70.- in Intrada loyalty points, so I finally cashed them in. :-)

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 5:48 AM   
 By:   William R.   (Member)

That picture sums up the movie perfectly. A very ketchup-happy attempt to cash-in on THE GODFATHER.

Hopefully the samples here will end all of the kvetching about the synths, as the score is mostly orchestral. Quite a lovely end title too!

 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 7:08 AM   
 By:   Commodore   (Member)

Oh, yes...a definite order! (I'm throwing in Time Bandits as an added bonus) wink

 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 7:30 AM   
 By:   Mike Esssss   (Member)

A very ketchup-happy attempt to cash-in on THE GODFATHER.

Haha gotta love those 70's squibs.

 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 8:06 AM   
 By:   Gold Digger   (Member)

Fantastic news. Amazing to see a rare and obscure JG score come out after all these years. Sounds great in stereo too. Well done Intrada and thank you. Can’t wait for 70s Goldsmith goodness.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 8:12 AM   
 By:   CCOJOE   (Member)

Ordered and so excited to hear this!!

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 8:13 AM   
 By:   CCOJOE   (Member)

Nothing like a double post.

 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 9:07 AM   
 By:   Sean Nethery   (Member)

Wow! I just watched the movie on youtube a couple weeks ago, and the score made nothing like the impression of the clips.

Not exactly breaking new ground, but tilling in the same wonderful soil. Just about my favorite kind of Goldsmith!

The synth in The Confession is giving me a Take a Hard Ride vibe.

 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 2:07 PM   
 By:   historicalproductions   (Member)

After hearing the samples, this sounds like a great release. I'm always thrilled when a new Goldsmith score I've never heard appears. Thanks, Intrada!

 
 Posted:   Aug 25, 2020 - 7:44 PM   
 By:   scottthompson   (Member)

Great release!
My continued gratitude to everyone at Intrada for all the hard work.

SCOTT

 
 Posted:   Aug 27, 2020 - 10:42 PM   
 By:   Sirusjr   (Member)

Looking forward to this. Ordered soon after it was posted. Didn't listen to the samples much other than to confirm it was crisp and clear as usual. Glad we can still get surprised with unexpected Goldsmith releases.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 29, 2020 - 6:18 PM   
 By:   patrick_runkle   (Member)

Received today. Where has this score been all these years? This is a nice one. Not flashy but just well crafted and interesting throughout. I think I started the movie one time but got distracted and never watched much of it. The score is super nice, though. Lots of it reminds me of the suspenseful parts of Twilight's Last Gleaming. The debate about Goldsmith synths is always tiresome to me, especially on scores of this era because the analog synths are more interesting and organic than the Rent-a-Cop synth drum stuff that came later.

And the long-lost Carol Heather love song is a special surprise. Not that memorable a song, but fun nonetheless. Who on here remembers Jeff Bond's proposed Carol Heather lyrics to the Star Trek Voyager theme?

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 2, 2020 - 2:56 PM   
 By:   George Flaxman   (Member)

I'm really looking forward to playing "The Don Is Dead". Where Intrada being prescient ?.

 
 Posted:   Oct 2, 2020 - 3:10 PM   
 By:   Zoragoth   (Member)

I picked up the French blu-ray to help me appreciate the score. Another undersung winner from Richard Fleischer. I like Goldsmith's score and Intrada's liner notes supply excellent insight into its subtle artistry.

On first hearing, the song kind of went by me, but it's actually pretty catchy!

 
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