Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s - Soundtrack Review

SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: "THE TALL TEXAN" RELEASED BY MONSTROUS MOVIE MUSIC

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:37:00 -0500

The Tall Texan (1953) (MMM-1974) was another low-budget B Western movie and starred Lloyd Bridges, Lee J. Cobb and Marie Windsor. It was directed by Elmo Williams, (the Oscar-winning editor of High Noon). The basis of The Tall Texan was a familiar one, a collection of five travellers set out in a wagon through Comanche territory. The group includes a tinhorn and his woman, a sheriff escorting an accused murderer, and a sea captain. After a renegade Indian tells them about a virgin gold field as thanks for saving his life, the group becomes fixated on the gold and greed becomes their main objective. Bert Shefter, this time working without his collaborator Paul Sawtell, took a thematic approach to this rather rich sounding score. Shefter provides themes to several of the central characters, including a menacing (if rather traditional) woodwind and native drum rhythms for the Indians. Shefter also and makes good use of a couple of traditional standards, Yankee Doodle Dandy can be heard, and is gently woven into the fabric of Luther Adler’s character Joshua Tinnen. The composer also introduces the old sea shanty Blow the Man Down which works surprisingly well as a dramatic motif. So, is there anything that makes this stand out from any other B movie western score of the time? Well, yes, actually there is. The Celesta is an instrument that conjures up numerous magical memories. Today, it is probably more associated with the Harry Potter themes or perhaps traditional arrangements of Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. However, Shefter took its distinctive sound and applied it to the film’s silent character, the gold. The Celesta was certainly an inspired choice of instrumentation by Mr Shefter. If rousing western scores from the 50s are your thing, you are sure to enjoy this nugget. Another excellent 20 page booklet (written by David Schecter) is included with the CD.

This fascinating collection from David Schecter’s Monstrous movie music continues to reiterate their place in the soundtrack market. Their tireless efforts, attention to detail and commitment to explore new genres, continue to feed our high expectations. Check them out for yourself at: http://www.mmmrecordings.com/

Darren Allison- Cinema Retro Soundtrack Editor

SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: "VIRGIN SACRIFICE" FROM MONSTROUS MOVIE MUSIC

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 16:29:19 -0500

By Darren Allison, Soundtrack Editor

Virgin Sacrifice (1959) (MMM-1973) starred David DaLie as Samson, an American hunter on a safari in Guatemala. While tracking game, Samson encounters a strange ceremony in which a young woman named Morena (Angelica Morales) is to be sacrificed at the bidding of her father to appease the gods following a vicious animal attack. Morena is able to escape, and Samson gives chase, hoping to rescue her before the tribesmen can capture her and complete the ritual. Sound like drivel? Well… you’d be right. So let’s waste little time and talk about the finer side of Virgin Sacrifice, the team of Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter. Sawtell and Shefter are no strangers to Monstrous Movie Music soundtracks, with previous releases including Kronos, It! The Terror From Beyond Space and The Last Man on Earth. For collectors of Sawtell and Shefter, this rarely seen exploitation film contains a rather unique and satisfying score from the pair. Diverse and subjective in its approach, the score leads us through the beauty and dangers of its Guatemalan jungle setting. The music is peppered with expressive and melancholy cues. The film’s main title is both tranquil and dramatic, before both male and female chanting is applied, perhaps in order to remind us that this is a jungle movie. Tracks such as Medal of Death make clever use of keyboard tricks (provided by Jack Cookerly’s ‘magic box’ organ) and work to startling effect. Flittering clarinets and brooding flutes maintain that the majority of score is designed to hold us in suspense whilst providing a sense of mystery throughout. However, it is the use of Hammond organ that really provides the pay-off, used sparingly in tracks such as Through the Cave, it makes a wonderfully spooky touch. At 54 minutes, Virgin Sacrifice is a generous score that benefits from some fine orchestration. Collectors of Sawtell in particular, might well be reminded of his music from the Tarzan films he wrote for RKO. Again, an excellent 20 page booklet provides a unique and well researched written history of the production.

Click here to order

SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: "HELLGATE" AND "THE LOST CONTINENT" RELEASED BY MONSTROUS MOVIE MUSIC

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:22:00 -0500

By Darren Allison, Cinema Retro Soundtrack Editor

When considering the scores for movie Westerns, film music collectors often refer to classics such as Max Steiner's The Searchers, Dimitri Tiomkin's Rio Bravo or Victor Young's Shane, all of which are, of course, fabulous scores. Monstrous Movie Music have again, (and in keeping with their refreshing style), ventured into new territories with the release of Paul Dunlap’s Western score to Hellgate (1952) (MMM-1972). Rather surprisingly, this CD marks the first full release to feature Dunlap’s film music. The composer was incredibly prolific throughout his career scoring diverse projects which spanned from many of The Three Stooges movies to the cult classic AIP horrors including the Teenage Frankenstein/Werewolf series of films. For a B movie western, there was something a little different about Hellgate – it was really rather good! Hellgate was directed by Charles Marquis Warren, a tough all-rounder who would go on to produce the popular TV series Rawhide. The film boasted a strong, testosterone fuelled cast featuring Sterling Hayden, James Arness and Ward Bond. Hayden plays a veterinarian who is wrongly convicted of guerrilla activities shortly after the Civil War. The prison camp is tough and he has to survive the sadistic commandant (Bond), a cruel guard (Robert Wilke), and deceitful prisoners like Arness. Throw in some Pima Indians (who patrol the canyon walls) in order to catch any escapees for a reward, prisoner punishment that involves being baked in metal coffins or whipped within an inch of their lives and you have a Western story that is well above the expected standard of Poverty Row Lippert Pictures. Dunlap’s music is incredibly dramatic throughout, but it isn’t your regular western score. His main theme begins with heavy brass and drums, but slips into a more solemn, string based theme before it builds gently and provides a sense of hope. It sets the tone perfectly and emphasises the film’s opposing themes of hatred vs. forgiveness. Tracks such as “Kearne Makes Lunge at Nye” illustrate Dunlap’s ability to create genuine excitement by employing his full range of brass and string sections. Quality, for the best part of this score, is highly acceptable. MMM took the decision to release Dunlap’s original recordings in place of re-recording his score, which I believe was the correct option. Whilst there is some minor noise (from the surviving acetates) evident on a handful of tracks, it does not detract or spoil the acoustic soundscape and naturally maintains the composer’s original work. As a bonus, Monstrous movie music has generously included Dunlap’s excellent score for The Lost Continent (1951). A simple enough story, The Lost Continent successfully merged two fantasy elements, combining rocket ships with roaming dinosaurs on a south pacific island. Making good use of an increased budget, Dunlap was able to employ a 47 piece orchestra, and it was warranted – given the enormity of aircraft, rockets, natural disasters and battling monsters that confronted the composer. The result was a highly enjoyable score, and whilst some of the music has been lost in time, the 28mins of music included here make this a CD that is hard to ignore. We can only hope that there is a lot more of Paul Dunlap’s music to come. Included is a great 20 page booklet that covers just about every aspect of the music, composer and the film, all written (in exquisite detail) by David Schecter.

Click here to order

Click here to read review of Hellgate DVD

"SHE DEMONS" AND "ASTOUNDING SHE-CREATURE" ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS RELEASED BY MONSTROUS MOVIE MUSIC

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 20 May 2013 05:48:00 -0500

By Darren Allison, Cinema Retro Soundtrack Editor

From its heavy percussion based main title, She Demons (1958) (MMM-1971) opens with a sense of heart pounding excitement and sets the tone for what is to follow. Nicholas Carras’s jungle-based score is threaded with dramatic cues of which the composer makes impressive use of his 22 piece orchestra. Whist She Demons (as a movie) was never going to attain the title of ‘classic’, Carras’s music, as is often the case, promotes the film to a higher level. Cues such as Escape and Nazis in Pursuit make excellent use of the orchestra’s brass and string section. Carras provides a hopeful, triumphant end title that runs concurrent with a few lonesome drum beats which provides continuity with the film’s central themes. For an isolated island movie (occupied by scantily clad girls, caged mutant women and Nazis) they probably don’t come any better than this. MMM have previously delighted us with a couple of superb Carras scores such as Missile to the Moon and Frankenstein’s Daughter. Their commitment to the composer’s work has proven to be a fruitful decision as She Demons is certainly one of his most accomplished scores.

Doubling up very nicely with She Demons is Guenther Kauer’s score to another low budget slice of sci-fi, The Astounding She-Creature (1957). If Carras’s score for She Demons was impressive, Kauer’s is simply enlightening. Granted, Kauer’s score was recorded using a 45 piece orchestra and as a result, the sound is a great deal richer. Perhaps more remarkably, Kauer sent his 33 minute written score to a friend in Germany who conducted and recorded the music (performed beautifully by The Stuttgart Symphony Orchestra) without screening the actual film. Cue timings were sent, but it often meant that final cues were not always precise. However, what emerged was a wonderful sounding score. Ronnie Ashcroft’s rather poor film succumbed to many edits and, as a result, the final music mix suffered. Thankfully, all of Kauer’s score is delivered here and is an orchestral delight. It is a beautifully crafted and intelligently written composition that really has no right to accompany such a lacklustre movie. Like many sci-fi classics, there is an undeniable ambiance that is certainly Herrmannesque in its delivery, and that can’t be a bad thing. Included is a super 20 page booklet that covers just about every aspect of the music, composer and the film, all written (in exquisite detail) by David Schecter.

TO ORDER CLICK HERE

"BANDOLERO" SOUNDTRACK RELEASED ON CD

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 13 May 2013 05:50:00 -0500

La-La Land has released Jerry Goldsmith's original soundtrack score for the 1968 Western Bandolero as a limited edition CD. The release includes the original album originally released on vinyl as well as never-before-released tracks. Curiously, the cover art depicts James Stewart and Dean Martin - though Raquel Welch is not depicted. On the original album, Martin could not be depicted because his image could only be used on Reprise Records during that period. The same thing occurred with the soundtrack for Lady in Cement- which could not depict the film's star Frank Sinatra. To order the album click here

UPDATE:

Contributing writer Nick Anez supplies us with the following facts:

Regarding the notice of the new Bandolero CD soundtrack on the Cinema Retro website, I have the original LP album. It is true, as the article states, that Dean Martin is not depicted on the album's cover. But what is even stranger is that his name is not even mentioned. On both the front and back of he album, the cast is listed as "James Stewart, Raquel Welch, George Kennedy in Bandolero." The album has a gatefold cover and opens out. Inside are six photos from the film, none of Martin There is also a complete summary of the story. As each character's name is mentioned, the name of the actor portraying him or her is mentioned afterward in parentheses - except for Martin's character. No actor is listed for his character. It's ridiculous. Dean probably couldn't have have cared less.

Nick

Retro Responds: Thanks for the interesting facts, Nick....Sinatra's name wasn't used on the Lady in Cement soundtrack, either, if we recall correctly. Talk about stringent adherence to contractual terms!

"VON RYAN'S EXPRESS" AND "THE DETECTIVE" DUAL JERRY GOLDSMITH SOUNDTRACK RELEASED

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 05:45:00 -0500

Intrada Records has announced the premiere of Jerry Goldsmith original soundtrack scores for two great Frank Sinatra films: Von Ryan's Express and The Detective. Both scores appear on the same special edition CD. For details click here to order from Screen Archives.

SPY SOUNDTRACKS RETURNING TO VINYL!

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:54:35 -0500

The web site SpyVibe informs us that some ultra groovy 60's spy soundtracks from classic TV series are being made available...some in glorious mono! Among them is a repressing of the original soundtrack from The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. Click here for more info

"THE WILD BUNCH" 3-CD SOUNDTRACK RELEASED BY SCREEN ARCHIVES

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:58:00 -0500

Screen Archives has released Jerry Fielding's Oscar-nominated score for Sam Peckinpah's 1969 classic The Wild Bunch as a 3-CD special edition with the complete score, remastered soundtrack album and collector's booklet.

Please click here to order

MUSIC THAT LIVES LONG AND PROSPERS: THE "STAR TREK" SOUND ANALYZED AND CELEBRATED

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 05:47:00 -0600

Click on image above to order from La-La Land Records.

Writer Thomas Vinciguerra pays homage to the legendary themes from the original Star Trek in conjunction with a major boxed set of soundtrack CDs from the series released by La-La Land Records.. Click here to read the Wall Street Journal article.

JOHN BARRY'S SCORE FOR "KING KONG" (1976): DELUXE 2 CD COLLECTOR'S EDITION RELEASED BY FILM SCORE MONTHLY

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:36:00 -0500

Press release from Film Score Monthly:

The 1976 Dino De Laurentiis remake of King Kong (starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange) was one of the first scores John Barry composed after settling in Los Angeles from his native England. Although the composer was forced to write quickly due to production delays, he provided a powerful score that reflects both the film’s exotic adventure setting and the love story at its emotional center.

An unusual variety of melodic ideas to characterize Kong and a strong romantic theme endow the score with a lush sensuality and emotional poignancy that balances the harsher and more horrific elements. Barry’s music ranges from the primitive dances of island natives to the soft saxophone strains of contemporary romance without missing a beat.

FSM released the 1976 Reprise Records album master of King Kong in 2005 when no additional material was available. But now, with the cooperation of Paramount Pictures, we are able to premiere John Barry’s complete score newly mixed and mastered from the 2" 24- and 16-track masters on the first disc of this 2CD Deluxe Edition. We again present the album master on disc 2, augmenting it with several film alternates to make this the most complete possible representation of Barry’s effort.

Informative notes by John Takis, numerous film stills and dynamic original poster art comprise FSM’s colorful 20-page booklet.

If viewers of King Kong care about the hulking creature, it is in no small part because Barry makes them care. Through his art, painstakingly preserved and lovingly presented on this 2CD set, listeners are able to see past the mask of the monster to the infinitely lonely soul locked within.

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"THE MOLLY MAGUIRES": A TRIBUTE TO HENRY MANCINI'S SCORE

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:31:00 -0500

The Molly Maguires was director Martin Ritt's gritty look at Irish coal miners working in Pennsylvania in the 19th century. The film was a costly financial flop despite starring Sean Connery and Richard Harris, but that doesn't diminish its merits as an excellent film. One of the best aspects of the movie is Henry Mancini's wonderful score. Click here to listen

SOUNDTRACK REVIEWS: DUTTON VOCALION RELEASES "WARNING SHOT" AND "BIG WAR THEMES" ON CD

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:18:00 -0500

WARNING SHOT and other themes composed by Jerry Goldsmith - SI ZENTNER

Dutton Vocalion is a company whose soundtracks feature regularly in our printed version of Cinema Retro. Just missing the deadline on this occasion are two superb debut releases, one of which includes Jerry Goldsmith’s excellent score (performed by Si Zentner) for Warning Shot (1967). Originally released on LP (LST 7498), Vocalion’s new CD (CDLK 4470) has smartly doubled up the release to include Si Zentner’s 1964 album From Russia With Love (originally released LP LST 7353). Warning Shot is a relatively short score, but as with the original album, it includes some great interpretations of Goldsmith favourites such as the Von Ryan march, The Prize, A Patch of Blue and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Warning Shot is a film that generally tends to slip under the radar. However, it’s a neat little thriller starring the ever reliable David Janssen and a host of other great character performers. Made in the 1967, it came to Janssen during the same year that his enormously successful TV series The Fugitive entered its final season. Goldsmith’s music plays perfectly as an accompaniment to this minor action thriller. The composer’s score in its original form has never been released on any format, but Zentner’s arrangement does a highly capable job of capturing the essence of Goldsmith’s composition. As always, Vocalion have dressed this release to replicate the original album, adapting the LP artwork to also incorporate Zentner’s From Russia with Love sleeve. From Russia with Love (as with Warning Shot) contains a straight remastered version of the album content. Its twelve tracks include a superb array of crime jazz themes from the day including Burkes Law, Mr Lucky, Dragnet, The Third Man, Peter Gunn, Charade and the aforementioned The Fugitive. Vocalion’s latest CD provides a cracking stereo mix and again proves that modern day collectors are only too eager in welcoming these charismatic crime jazz classics from the past. Keep ‘em coming!

BIG WAR MOVIE THEMES – GEOFF LOVE and his Orchestra

Last year Vocalion made the smart move to begin re-releasing the extremely popular series of MFP albums from the 1970s by Geoff Love and his Orchestra. Recent releases included Big Terror Movie Themes, Big Suspense Themes and Bond Movies. Now, Vocalion have released one of the most popular titles in the series, BIG WAR MOVIE THEMES (CDLK 4468). The original 1971 LP (MFP 5171) has arguably become an iconic image. Culturally, and perhaps because of its original budget price, the album found its way into thousands of vinyl collections across the UK. Making its debut on CD, BIG WAR THEMES has lost none of its power to thrill. Unlike similar cover compilations (which had a tendency to sound either weak or tipped in comparison), these beautifully recorded themes retain an epic and sumptuous edge. Love and his Orchestra are clearly on top of their game and one can only imagine the brisling atmosphere that immersed Studio 1 at the Abbey road studios. The album offers a generous collection of the most memorable war themes including Ron Goodwin’s Where Eagles Dare, Battle of Britain and 633 Squadron, Dimitri Tiomkin’s The Guns of Navarone and Maurice Jarre’s enigmatic Lawrence of Arabia. A wonderful remastering job provided by Michael J Dutton helps propel this vintage recording to a worthy high end, professional standard. As a bonus, Vocalion have also doubled up on this CD and included Geoff Love’s 1972 album BIG CONCERTO MOVIE THEMES. Originally released on LP (MFP 5261), the album concentrates on the cinematic use of classical themes. As one would expect, there is a more serious edge to this collection of music. However, it remains a glorious reminder of how the influences of classical composers and their works have lived on through cinema history. Vocalion’s continued commitment to these long lost classic albums is certainly worthy of the highest respect. - Darren Allison, Cinema Retro Soundtrack Editor

To order: http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk

"55 DAYS AT PEKING" SOUNDTRACK ISSUED AS LIMITED EDITION CD

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:17:00 -0600

La La Land Records has issued a 2-CD original soundtrack recording of Dimitri Tiomkin's score for the 1963 epic 55 Days at Peking. The Samuel Bronston film remains woefully underrated in its telling of the rebellion by the Chinese Boxer movement against American and European governments that they perceived had encroaching influence in China. The resulting clash saw the U.S. and European garrisons fighting against overwhelming odds. The film, which mingles the merits of the political stances of both sides with major battle sequences, starred Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven. Tiomkin's wonderful score can now be enjoyed in its true glory- but you'd better hurry. This is limited to only 2500 units. Click here to order

"BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS" SOUNDTRACK RELEASED

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 05:29:00 -0500

The label Buysoundtrax has released James Horner's score for Roger Corman's 1980 sci-fi movie Battle Beyond the Stars as a limited edition CD. The film starred Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn and George Peppard. Only 1,000 CDs have been pressed. Click here to order from Film Score Monthly,.

SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: "UP THE JUNCTION" COMES TO CD

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 04:53:00 -0500

By Darren Allison, Cinema Retro music critic

Peter Collinson’s directorial career may have been cut tragically short (he died of cancer at the age of 44), but the British born director left an indelible mark in cinema during the latter half of the 1960s. Collinson made a powerful debut with the disturbing The Penthouse (1967), a film which caused Film Review magazine to comment, ‘quite brilliantly achieved.’ In 1969 his contribution to cinema would become eternally cemented with the classic The Italian Job, a film that turned Michael Caine’s popular Charlie Croker into a movie legend. In between these two projects, Collinson directed the gritty drama Up the Junction (1968). The film centred on a mixed class romance between middle-class Polly (Suzy Kendall) and working-class Peter (Dennis Waterman). Most of Up the Junction’s soundtrack (RPM 189) was written by Mike Hugg and Manfred Man. It may have been perceived by some as a bold move on Collinson’s part, but the director was more than happy with the eventual outcome, ‘The result was incredible’ Collinson said. ‘They had captured the heart of the picture. Their music belonged to the picture, it was not superimposed.’ The music has a mellow mix of harmonious songs and instrumentals which capture perfectly the heady social movement of swinging London. The film’s main theme, which was also released as a single (Feb 3^rd 1968), contained the B-side track Sleepy Hollow, a song that failed to make it to the original soundtrack album. However, RPM records have included this rarity on the CD as a welcome bonus track. The fold out sleeve notes are very informative and contain a nice selection of tie in memorabilia as well as a choice of both original U.K. and U.S. album art. Up the Junction’s is a great slice of 60s social history and representative of London’s cultural past. Check it out for yourself at http://rpmrecords.co.uk