1000000 Eyes of Sumuru Berserker Her Privat Hell The Hunch Journey to the Unknown Stranger in the House The Amsterdam Affair Loving Feeling Crooks and Cornets Violent Enemy Trog Mr.Shepard and Mr.Mille Penny Gold
Yes his "newer" scores, but all the pre 1975 ones are just non existnet (almost)...And those are very interesting ones...but you are right there are others like Stanley Myers..Charles Bernstein...etc. that are even more underrepresented..
I'm actually fairly lukewarm when it comes to (Patrick) John Scott, but coincidentally I watched one of his "from your era" (moolik) films last night - the Freddie Francis frighful frightfest from 1974, CRAZE, which had Jack Palance sacrificing all sorts of young lovelies (Julie Ege, Suzy Kendall, eh... Diana Dors, eh.... Edith Evans...) to a bug-eyed statue of the African god Chuku (?). Lots of nutty nonsense, and Palance is just so much fun to watch when playing a sleazy, wheezy antiques dealer (in this case).
John Scott's score was pretty good, with lots of chamber-style groupings, rattling percussion etc. There's a recurring theme, or more of a motif, which appears throughout, often on saxophone (but not used in a jazz style). I wouldn't be surprised if it was the composer himself playing the instrument.
Have you seen that one, moolik? It's on YouTube in "acceptable" quality for those of us who got used to going to the local fleapit in the '70s and watching the films out of focus or half off the screen.
@Graham: Thanks..no I havent but sounds like fun.I just would like to get all of his "funky" ones.I mean he is a hell of a classical composer..GREYSTOKE is a masterpiece for me...but he has some really fun obscure funky ones from his earlier days..
What a great idea to launch a new John Scott appreciation thread you had!
Whatever it's about Lalo Schifrin in other threads or now John Scott here, I totally share your interest into these composers specific '70is output.
Especially for John Scott, all the stuff that came before THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (1980) (except ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA, PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT and A STUDY IN TERROR) is rather unknow and rarely discussed here. And totally under-repesented on album. Thus one question haunts me: does John Scott sell?
Anyway, there are some score suites on Youtube to figure out how these late 60ies to late 70ies obscure or forgotten things sound like:
STRANGER IN THE HOUSE (1967) is great indeed:
BERSERK (1967) is gorgeous - reminds me some Les Baxter stuff:
CROOKS AND CORONETS sounds very british 60ies:
PENNY GOLD (1973) is great too:
ASSASSINATION RUN (1980) is more modern in orchestrations, a first step into the 80ies:
And there has been an 45Rpm for THE AMSTERDAM AFFAIR (1968)
But John Scott also did some terrific non-film music library stuff for the BRUTON / KPM british album series, in which you recognize immediately his style, especially in solo trumpet, brass effects and also strings arrangements.
Here are a few and nice examples of the like:
John Scott - MOTORDOWN
John Scott - TEARAWAY
John Scott - UTOPIA REVISITED
And here is complete terrific other Bruton album.
John Scott - THEME SETS (1980)
The begining sounds very much as a possible unreleased THE FINAL COUTDOWN cue, if any!
Well, John Scott is terrific and sadly underrated and underrepresented on album (at least all pre-1980 stuff). Who's gonna try to release some album with more obscure pre-1980 John Scott music?
The man himself specialized widely in his 80ies and 90ies stuff through his JOS records label....but what about the older stuff?
Some of the Bruton Music library cues ended up in the ITC series RETURN OF THE SAINT. Scott had been engaged to do the incidental music for the series - and very good it was too - but they couldn't afford it so did a deal with Bruton. It was the case that the stuff specifically composed for the series no longer survives or is missing. That would make a good CD if ever it does show up.
I'll never understand why John Scott didn't become an A-lister - he and Michael J. Lewis were perhaps the two most gifted composers who emerged around the same era, capable of writing big orchestral scores with memorable themes that fully deserved but didn't manage to do bigger things in their careers. And if we know what happened with Lewis, in Scott's case I'm scratching my head...
I'll never understand why John Scott didn't become an A-lister - he and Michael J. Lewis were perhaps the two most gifted composers who emerged around the same era, capable of writing big orchestral scores with memorable themes that fully deserved but didn't manage to do bigger things in their careers. And if we know what happened with Lewis, in Scott's case I'm scratching my head...
According to John Scott in an ancient interview (I can't refer you to the precise source), he said his career was just about to really take off in Hollywood with Shoot To Kill but he declined the following high profile offers because he returned to England to look after his ailing mother instead. This decision might have cost him the A-List status but made him a real human being.
Accoring to a member of this board who doesn't post that often anymore MJL seemed to have serious issues with certain parts of his 'lifestyle' which prohibited him from getting at the top, or, at least land a decent film to score in Hollywood.
But hey, Lewis scored 11 Harrowstreet which is a terrific score and an excellent film all in one package.
Yes we know that John Scott is a classy gentleman with high values, no question. Anyway, he would have been really great if ever stayed in Hollywood after his major SHOOT TO KILL effort indeed.
About Michael J Lewis, it's 11 HARROWHOUSE actually...and yes, its absolutely terrific, both film and score! Especially the Really Big Chase long track....
Michael J Lewis would have been perfect to score Roger Moore JAMES BOND stuff if John Barry had to ever quit.
According to a member of this board who doesn't post that often anymore MJL seemed to have serious issues with certain parts of his 'lifestyle' which prohibited him from getting at the top, or, at least land a decent film to score in Hollywood.
...
Yes, I am aware of the Lewis issues, that's what I wrote. So sad... But I didn't know about the problem Scott had with his mother.
I have more than 40 CDs of John Scott's scores, so I'd say he's quite well represented. But there's always room for more of his fine music.
It would be great if he would release the full score for Greystoke- so much excellent material missing from the commercial release. Until then there is a lovely suite a "friend" of his post on YouTube with Scott's permission (evidently)
