'The Music of Goodbye' is a vocal version of 'Karens Theme' with lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman.
A gorgeous melody and touching lyrics are given a ghastly 80s show bizzy treatment by Jarreau and Manchester.
I have a bit of a weakness for that track, but objectively I must admit, it’s not very good. Particularly it doesn’t really go with the movie or its score – sounds rather like “Moonlighting”.
I don't think that Barry had anything to do with the arrangement or the recording. I suspect that it was put together after he'd left the project.
The artwork of the LP that I own has the credits for the song even in a different typeface for no apparent logical or aesthetic reason. Looks rather like a hastily added afterthought with no access to the original typographical elements.
It 's funny because i bought the lp when the film was released and listened to it many times, i was a young teen then and I liked.
Fast forward : yesterday, I bumped into the CD in a store for 1€. Without any hesitation I grabbed it and listened to it later in the day. When the CD ended, I said to myself "What's wrong with it?? Is it over yet? Where is the song???" I had no idea that the song was not included. Not that I particularly liked it, even if i was young in 1986, I knew they were kind of cashing in with that song since I had realized it was not included in the movie when I saw it, but because I couldn't see any reasons why the MCA cd didn't replicate the MCA lp. I saw on Soundtrack collector that some versions of the LP do not include the song either. There must some be some copyrights issues with either Al Jarreau's or Melissa Manchester 's record company... Or maybe Jarry Barry realized that its inclusion was pointless and managed to do something about it.
I couldn't see any reasons why the MCA cd didn't replicate the MCA lp. INTRADA have access to the MCA-catalog. This is a big classic and prominent score. So I wait for a complete release by INTRADA; its really overdue. And I hope, the CD will contain this song too !
On topic - only original one! No-one can re-record Barry music!
And as for complete/expanded edition - I think that it's not so easy - it's like Titanic (or Somewhere In Time) - too popular, and original album is still in print - why MCA should gave rights for album, which still sells well?
But of course I'm waiting for complete version in any case.
A complete edition would be nice, but I think mastering-wise we already have the best we are ever going to get: the original CD without the song at the end was mastered b Steve Hoffman (no less)...
And as for complete/expanded edition - I think that it's not so easy - it's like Titanic (or Somewhere In Time) - too popular, and original album is still in print - why MCA should gave rights for album, which still sells well?
Does it still sell well? I can't imagine that, given the film is largely forgotten, as are CDs. I'm not saying it's a poor seller, just that I imagine it's gone the way of most scores of its ilk.
And you might well think the same thing about "Dances With Wolves," but obviously that got an expanded treatment.
