Earlier in September I announced the imminent end of the FSM CD series after we release our 250th album next spring. The reaction was sad, but also warm and supportive, so what can I say but—THANK YOU.
Special Deal Good Through End of Day E.S.T. Friday, Sept. 30th—Buy $100 Worth of FSM CDs and Get FREE David Raksin 5CD Set!
On September 15th I went through the early years of our CD catalog to let collectors know which titles were sold out, which were getting low (including exact quantities) and which would be around for some time to come. This is to better allow you to plan purchases.
Here’s an overview of what’s still around from CD Volume 5 (2002). Volume 5 marked the beginning of our sublicensing relationship with Turner and Rhino that represents around 40% of our catalog (thank you George Feltenstein!).
(This always confuses people, but these are the historical M-G-M catalog films…that is the M-G-M catalog—The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain—that was sold to Ted Turner, then Warner Bros., NOT the historical United Artists catalog, and post-1986 films, owned by the current MGM film company…although we released scores from that library as well. No matter how many times I explain this, people get them confused…but no matter!)
Vol. 5, No. 1: Lust for Life (Rozsa): Such a great score! We pressed all 3000 units and have the last 191 in stock. (We later included some tracks at, ahem, corrected speed—long story, sorry— on our 15CD Miklos Rozsa box set.) I can’t promise that this won’t be reissued by someone else…just that the last 191 copies of our version are now available.
Vol. 5, No. 2: Logan’s Run (Goldsmith): We have pressed 7000 units of our 3000-unit limited edition. Perhaps you are wondering about that math…we decided that rather than let it go out of print, it would be better to: (a) ask for the AFM to change their rules as to how many limited-edition units they will allow under their “archival rate” that makes all of these CDs affordable—they did, up to 10,000, (b) keep on pressing and selling the CD, and (c) eventually beg forgiveness of you, the collectors. The message board was alight for days. Anyway, we will endeavor to keep Logan’s Run available as long as we can, even after we stop releasing new titles. For now, we have 534 in stock. (A shout-out to our friend Daniel Schweiger who told me this was his all-time favorite score and was very complimentary about the CD!)
Vol. 5, No. 3: Joy in the Morning (Herrmann): We pressed all 3000 units. 467 are left in stock.
Vol. 5, No. 4: The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (Williams, with rejected Michel Legrand score). I actually got the late actor/director Richard Sarafian on the phone to try to recall the change of composers for the liner notes. We pressed all 3000 units. The last 302 are in stock—Williams fans, do not miss this gorgeous Americana/folk score!
Vol. 5, No. 5: 36 Hours (Tiomkin): We have pressed 2500 of the 3000 units. We have 367 in stock. It remains to be seen if we will press the final 500, which you can assume to be the case for all the titles for which we have pressed fewer than the allotted run—usually 3000.
Vol. 5, No. 6: The Traveling Executioner (Goldsmith): We have pressed 2500 of the 3000 units. We have 560 in stock. Great Goldsmith Americana score for a black comedy/drama film that sort of defies description.
Vol. 5, No. 7: Point Blank/The Outfit (Mandel/Fielding): We have pressed 2500 of the 3000 units. We have 153 in stock. I have to imagine we’ll press up the last 500. Point Blank was a dream for me to release, what an amazing movie! I asked Johnny Mandel if he had any opinion about the interpretation of the movie (in some film critic circles) that the entire story is Walker’s dying dream-fantasy. He replied, kind of indignant, “What the hell are you talking about? Of course it’s real! It’s not a dream!” Don’t cross Johnny Mandel! (Maybe next time they [pointlessly] remake the movie they can name the character “Mandel.”)
Vol. 5, No. 8: On the Beach/The Secret of Santa Vittoria (Ernest Gold): On the Beach I dedicate to Mike Murray, “Recordman,” who told me for years how wonderful it is—and he’s right! This was not a Turner title but an MGM license from the United Artists catalog—and it’s near the end of its 3000-unit life…only 295 left. Special close-out price: $14.95
Vol. 5, No. 9: The Prodigal (Kaper): We have pressed 2500 of the 3000 units. Our first Kaper—Old Testament style! I didn't grow up with them, so these '50s CinemaScope Biblical epics always look like Vegas to me. We have 419 in stock.
Vol. 5, No. 10: I Spy, Vol. 1 (Earle Hagen): Only 312 units left of the 3000-copy run. I worked quite hard on this project. Robert Culp's booklet foreword was done by his dictating it to me over the phone, then I faxed it to him to mark up corrections. What an amazing find to get several first-season original soundtrack episode recordings in true three-track stereo, including the theme! Special close-out price: $14.95
Vol. 5, No. 11: Above and Beyond (Friedhofer): We have pressed 2000 of the 3000 units. 257 are in stock. What a gorgeous theme—you must discover Friedhofer if you have not already done so.
Vol. 5, No. 12: The Gypsy Moths (Bernstein): We have pressed 2000 of the 3000 units. 257 are in stock. (Note: NOT a typo—the exact same number of units have sold, and are still in stock, of Above and Beyond and The Gypsy Moths. Weird!)
Vol. 5, No. 13: Scaramouche (V. Young): We have pressed 2800 units and 404 are in stock. This title did surprisingly well for a very old score by a composer with few CDs available—it is a famous swashbuckler. The irregular number of units pressed is because some booklets/tray cards were lost, and reprinted, then they found some anyway…I am not even sure how many extra booklets we have.
Vol. 5, No. 15: The World, the Flesh and the Devil (Rozsa): We have pressed 2500 of 3000 units of which…62 are in stock, I am alarmed to learn?! I will get with Craig and we should make the final 500!
Vol. 5, No. 16: The Prize (Goldsmith): Classic early Goldsmith score—we have pressed all 3000 units. 529 in stock. Goldsmith fans, you must have this!
Vol. 5, No. 17: The 7th Sin (Rozsa): One of the lesser-known Rozsa scores, and in mono, but still quite lovely. We have pressed 2000 of the 3000 units, of which 295 are in stock.
Vol. 5, No. 18: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Goldsmith)—Volume One. Like Logan’s Run, this was a runaway hit so we have converted it into a 10,000-unit edition, of which we have pressed 7000 and have 434 in stock. By the way, people compliment me on our U.N.C.L.E. albums for which I was responsible for ONE decision—hiring Jon Burlingame to produce them!
Vol. 5, No. 19: Tribute to a Bad Man (Rozsa): Great Rozsa western! We have pressed 2500 of the 3000 units. 343 are in stock. Not to name drop but when I worked on the Big Wednesday CD with Basil Poledouris, he told me how much he admired this Rozsa score so I gave him a copy.
Vol. 5, No. 20: Never So Few (Friedhofer)/7 Women (Bernstein): Intriguing two-fer we justified by the fact both movies were set in Asia. We have pressed 2500 of the 3000 units. 572 are in stock.
Next Time: Vol. 6 (2003) CDs!
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