By Darren Allison, Cinema Retro Soundtrack Editor
Steiner – Das Eiserne Kreuz, Teil 2 (aka:
Breakthrough/Sergeant Steiner); the German-British movie from 1979 brought
together Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum, Rod Steiger, Curd Jürgens and an uncredited
Christoph Waltz.
Following the immensely successful and
profitable School Girl Report movies, producer Wolf C. Hartwig could afford a
much bigger international production. Cross of Iron was based on a World War II
novel and of course directed by Sam Peckinpah. The music was set to be composed
by Peter Thomas. However, on meeting, the two did not get along (interview with
Peter Thomas in “Der Filmkomponist Peter Thomas” by Gerd Naumann, 2009 ibidem
Verlag). In the end, the American composer Ernest Gold scored the movie.
Despite several financial squabbles, the film became a great international
success in 1977.
A sequel was quickly set in motion. This time
directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, and with a score finally written by Peter
Thomas. The new director and the composer hit it off right away. The title
melody by Peter Thomas was released as a single by Ariola shortly after the
film premiere in 1979. The film Steiner – Das Eiserne Kreuz, Teil 2, however,
was unable to match the success of the original movie despite an impressive cast
and the reuniting of Burton and director McLaglen who had worked so well on The
Wild Geese (1978). A proposed soundtrack LP release of Thomas’s score was
therefore shelved due to the film’s poor reception.
Allscore Media’s new revised release marks
the vinyl premiere of the film music, supplemented by a previously unreleased
track that was not included on a long out-of-print CD release from 1993. Following
Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra – Bruce Lee: The Big Boss (CD/LP ASM 048, Allscore
2020) and Winnetou and Old Firehand (CD/LP ASM 049, Allscore 2021), this is the
third CD/LP release in a series dedicated to the legacy of composer Peter
Thomas.
Steiner-Das Eiserne Kreuz 2 is presented in a
very limited edition of 500 and comes in an orange translucent vinyl (LP
22228-1) with a super gatefold sleeve featuring brand new artwork by the
talented artist Adrian Keindorf. This release is also available in a digipack
CD release (CD 22228-2). The audio quality is remarkably clean and wide in its
delivery, suggesting that the masters have survived and been kept very well.
Available whilst stocks
last at https://www.allscore.de/