Soundtrack Review
Entries from January 2008
Film Score Monthly has released the original soundtrack from the terrific 1960s action adventure Dark of the Sun (released in the UK as The Mercenaries) starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Brown and Kenneth More. Here are the official release details: What
decade would have a great score by a French composer for a violent
English film done in Hollywood style set in Africa? The 1960s, of
course -- and you can find the CD on Film Score Monthly’s Silver Age
Classics.
Dark of the Sun (1968) starred Rod Taylor and Jim Brown as
mercenaries (the film is also known as “The Mercenariesâ€) on a mission
in war-torn Congo of the early 1960s to retrieve refugees and an
expensive cache of diamonds before they can fall into the hands of
Simba rebels. The film becomes a “Heart of Darknessâ€-style tale plagued
by violence, betrayal and murder—and it has a corker of a score by
French composer Jacques Loussier, famous for his “Play Bach†jazz
albums and largely French film and TV assignments such as the theme to Thierry la Fronde.
Loussier’s score to Dark of the Sun matches the offbeat
melodic invention of Ennio Morricone and the brassy inflections of John
Barry’s James Bond scores while remaining the very personal work of its
composer. The main theme consists of three layered ideas: a plucked
pulse, a jazzy, syncopated bass line for piano and harpsichord, and a
distinctly European minor-mode melody often voiced by strings. The
score expresses the tragedy and subtext behind the violence of the
on-screen images, while acknowledging the action explicitly in several
jazzy action cues.
The Dark of the Sun score somewhat defies description
except that it abounds with the kind of invention and melody that
marked 1960s film scoring (such as that of Barry, Schifrin, Legrand,
Goldsmith, Morricone and others) and has long been a favorite of
soundtrack collectors. Loussier never again scored this kind of
mainstream adventure film but he provided a winner in this premiere
effort.
FSM’s definitive CD of Dark of the Sun features the
complete score (less one brief cue which was lost) in stereo,
containing all of the music from the previous MGM Records LP (and
Chapter III CD) -- and much more -- in improved sound quality. Liner
notes are by Didier C. Deutsch, Alexander Kaplan and Lukas Kendall
incorporating new comments by the composer. TO ORDER CLICK HERE UK ORDERS CAN BE PLACED THROUGH MOVIE GROOVES BY CLICKING HERE
Composer Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for the 1969 western 100 Rifles starring Jim Brown, Raquel Welch and Burt Reynolds is available as a limited edition CD from Film Score Monthly. Here is their official description of the soundtrack:
It's that time again, for us to make available our latest limited
edition soundtrack CD from the glorious "Silver Age" of film music,
roughly defined as the late 1950s through the mid-1970s. This is an
explosive Jerry Goldsmith western score from the 20th Century Fox
archives, 100 Rifles (1969), commercially unavailable -- until now! Hopefully, longtime Goldsmith fans will be drooling at the mere mention of the title, 100 Rifles.
For the uninitiated, this is a South-of-the-Border adventure starring
Burt Reynolds, Jim Brown and Raquel Welch. The score takes Goldsmith's
western style from Rio Conchos, Bandolero! and Hour of the Gun
and elevates it to a new level of excitement and aggression, with
Goldsmith's avant garde sensibilities blending brilliantly with Mexican
gestures. The
main title alone is a robust tune for horns counter-balanced by
mariachi rhythms and effects that ends in an audacious brass flourish.
The rest of the score maintains the energy level and should be pure ear
candy for Goldsmith aficionados: it flows with memorable melodic
nuggets at the same time as it rattles with prepared piano, unusual
percussion and even an Indian sitar. Goldsmith fans are well aware of
the composer's genius for using instruments in weird ways and in the
extremes of their ranges, especially brass; 100 Rifles is full of such bellicose outbursts. This FSM release presents the 100 Rifles
score not once but twice: first in stereo, with all but three cues
(which were lost) newly remixed at 20th Century Fox; and then in mono
(complete) from the original mix made for the film. Yes, this sounds
silly, but if it was totally stupid we wouldn't be doing it. Each mix
has its pros and cons: the stereo mix is, obviously, stereo, but the
mono mix contains nuances and sweeteners (not to mention the three lost
cues) which are no longer unavailable. Rather than switch back and
forth between sources, we have decided to give all of the mixes to you,
to decide which you prefer. It's sort of "200 Rifles"! It's
not often that we say, trust us, you'll like this CD, but this is one
heaping helpin' of Mexican morsels that will fill you with delight.
It's a complete Jerry Goldsmith score (twice!) from his glory days of
the late '60s, and both mixes of the score are in excellent sound
quality. The 16-page booklet features photos from the 20th Century Fox
archives and liner notes by Jeff Bond, Doug Adams and Lukas Kendall. TO ORDER CLICK HERE
The good folks at Monstrous Movie Music have done it again with the release of a unique soundtrack album for a cult movie classic. In this case, it's the soundtrack to the 1958 sci fi classic The Blob starring Steve McQueen (or "Steven McQueen" as he is known in the credits). The soundtrack not only provides every cue relating to the movie, including the immortal rock song composed by Burt Bacharach, but also alternative tracks and music not heard in the film. An additional bonus is material from other sci fi movies. Here is the official press write up:
The Blob (and other creepy
sounds) features the complete original Ralph Carmichael soundtrack from
the 1958 cult monster movie starring Steve McQueen. The CD features
every cue from the movie as well as music not heard in the picture,
totalling about 37 minutes -- all in original, gorgeous monophonic
sound. Of particular note is the unused “Main Title,†which was
replaced by the Burt Bacharach/Mack David novelty song. The original
orchestral cue is an outstanding piece that perfectly prepares you for
the unfolding horror of the movie – as opposed to the humorous approach
the song took. Both opening cues are included in this release.
The remainder of the CD is packed with almost 40 minutes of horror,
suspense, and atmospheric cues from the Valentino Production Music
Library, including pieces used in The Green Slime, The Brain That
Wouldn’t Die, Terror From the Year 5000, as well as in the collectible
album “Attilio Mineo Conducts Man in Space with Sounds.†Film composers
represented include such distinguished figures as Angelo Francesco
Lavagnino, Roger Roger, and Mario Nascimbene. To order click here
Dimitri Tiomkin's score for the epic film Land of the Pharahos has been released on CD by Film Score Monthly as a 3,000 unit limited edition set. Here is the official press release: One of the greatest epic scores of the 1950s comes to CD in complete form: Dimitri Tiomkin's Land of the Pharaohs (1955), for Howard Hawks's mammoth spectacle set in ancient Egypt. The composer, in a press interview at the time (transcribed to illustrate his Russian accent), explained the film's story: "Pharaoh
gung build pyramid. Needs harchitect. Harchitect say OK, I gung build
pyramid... if you sat my pippel free. Lots pippel dyink, all over the
picture... Pharaoh say OK, I sat your pippel free, you build nice cozy
pyramid. Harchitect say OK... Pharaoh don't understand why big chariots
all over the place. Pippel dyink. Harchitect a fine man. All this
hoppen long time ago." In
addition, there is a delightfully campy romantic plot in which a sexpot
princess (played by a young Joan Collins) acheives her quest to become
Queen of Egypt -- but with a deliciously dark twist. The
film remains a curious blend of jaw-dropping spectacle and drawing-room
scheming, with the international cast also including Jack Hawkins,
Alexis Minotis, James Robertson Justice and Sydney Chaplin. Perhaps
Hawks himself best summed up his creative dilemma in making the
picture: "I don't know how a pharaoh talks." But the music! Tiomkin: "Why
you think top producer spend more moneys on music for picture than for
A picture? Music can help picture. I should know. I work mostly in
medium mediocre pictures... I have spashil script. Not regular script.
Spashil script. Script don't sayink 'Close-up on Tootsie' only, scripts
I got sayink 'Close-up on Tootsie, she very sad.' That way, I can write
the good music... Work to within third of second. Third of second
important. Third of second enough time to go boom-de-boom. Boom-de-boom
important sometimes." Boom-de-boom only begins to describe the greatness of the Land of the Pharaohs
soundtrack. Huge choral setpieces dominate the first half of the film,
as the Egyptians perform songs to honor their dead and to accompany
their decades-long endeavor to construct the great Pyramid; in the
second, Tiomkin accompanies the romance and treachery of Collins's
villainous princess including several action scenes. But
it is emblematic of Tiomkin that at the most unexpected moments -- such
as the main title -- he goes "small" instead of big, with his beautiful
melodies carried by solo instruments. In other scenes, Tiomkin seems to
be setting a musical freight train underneath dialogue, churning with
the emotional undercurrents of the drama. The score to Land of the Pharaohs
was conceived almost like that for a silent film, in that the music
virtually never ceases. The complete score (presented over FSM's 2CD
set, with alternate and additional selections closing disc 2) has been
painstakingly assembled from the monaural mixdowns saved in the Warner
Bros. vaults. (Although recorded in stereo, the score survives only in
mono; however, the use of separate tracks for percussion, chorus and
other solos has allowed several passages to be reconstructed in stereo
-- including huge set pieces like "Pharaoh's Procession.") All this hoppon long time ago! CLICK HERE TO ORDER
Intrada has released composer Jerry Fielding's score for the Charles Bronson western Chato's Land on CD. The release is limited to only 1500 units. This is the first soundtrack to be made available from the 1972 film directed by Michael Winner. Here is the official press info: World premiere release of complete Jerry Fielding 1972 original
soundtrack from Michael Winner pursuit & revenge western with
Charles Bronson, Jack Palance. Fielding responds to savage tale with
intense strings, blazing brass, harrowing percussion. Blistering
landscape of story inspires plethora of subtle percussion figures,
demanding woodwind solos while fierce violence incites vicious brass
motifs, dollops of thundering snare, bass drum. Fielding divides time
between imposing flamenco-ish main melody & ever-winding secondary
menace melody. Two themes jockey for supremacy throughout score like
movie's on-screen adversaries. In stroke of brilliance, Fielding
declares landscape the final winner, closes not with either melody but
with ferocious display of percussion instead. Impressive highlight:
"Titles" bookends with florid trumpet statement of main theme,
spotlights twisting woodwind variants in between. Another rousing
highlight: Building rhythm of "Indian Rodeo" becomes wild display for
virtuoso French horn, trombone & trumpet. Entire score presented
for first time from MGM master elements in stereo. Dynamic recording
made by Richard Lewzey at CTS Studios in London. Colorful graphics,
notes from Winner/Fielding authority Nick Redman complete package.
Jerry Fielding conducts. Special Collection release limited to 1500
copies! - Douglass Fake, Intrada producer
1. Titles (4:38)
2. Peeping Tom in the Bushes (0:42)
3. Mind Your Ma; Whiskey and Hot Sun (1:26)
4. Coop Falls (1:22)
5. Pain in the Water Bags; Burning Rancheros 1 & 2 (4:44)
6. Peeping Tom on the Ridge; First Stampede (3:01)
7. Indian Convention (1:32)
8. The Snake Bite (1:18)
9. Chato Comes Home (1:50)
10. Indian Rodeo; Chato Bags Horse (2:18)
11. Junior Blows the Whistle (0:39)
12. Fire and Stampede; Joan of Arc at Stake (3:52)
13. Mr. & Mrs. Chato Split; Massas in the Cold Cold Ground (1:24)
14. Hot Pants (2:43)
15. Rainbow on the Range (0:55)
16. Ride Like Hell (0:48)
17. Big Stare Job; Here-There-Everywhere (2:16)
18. Attack in Gorge (1:51)
19. One Big Pain in the Neck (2:33)
20. Lansing Scalped (1:43)
21. Elias Gets the Snake; Malechie Gets Shot; Finis (5:02) CLICK HERE TO ORDER
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