A gentleman and a scholar (Part 1)

Generally, I would continue exploring the world of Film Music collecting, and originally I had planned on talking a bit about e-commerce and its effect.

But when it came to showcasing an author, and since I had started with him last week, I decided to work a little harder on the genius of one of the greatest composers of all time, Jerry Golsdmith.

I first started looking into what works I wanted to showcase. I have after all 100+ of his scores at home. So after selecting them, I started organizing so that they would work on the other sections of the blog, and with the result, I realized I had enough for the next four postings.

So, let me start showcasing why he is one of my 2 favorite composers. And I’ll do it by presenting a lot of music here. Not a lot of criticism though. I encourage to listen to the selected tracks, and form your own opinion.

Wikipedia / IMDB

Relevant website

Filmtracks’ Tribute to Jerry Goldsmith

Clear and to the point. A great starting point to discover the master.

A Few more favorites

Total Recall

One of the composers favorites. Vibrant, exciting, full of action.

Track: The Dream

The Shadow

One of those clear examples where the music is better than the film itself. A personal favorite.

Track: Chest Pains

Medicine Man

A gorgeous main theme showcases this “tribal” example

Track: The Trees

The Mummy

From one of his last works. Half horror half action score, all Goldsmith

Track: The Sand Volcano

First Blood

Due to the sequels success, it’s easy to remember the type of story First Blood was, but this main theme is a perfect reminder

Track: Home Coming

Collectors corner, Must-Have & Small Gems

As the section indicates, here I’ll try to name 3 scores; the first, a difficult to find title, the second, is pretty much given, and the third, is a score that you may not think about that often (mainly due to the quality of the film), but it’s a surprising find.

Collector’s corner: Islands in the Stream – Jerry Goldsmith

My personal favorite, also happens to be Goldsmith’s too. A beautiful score. And copies can still be found

Track: The Letter

Must-Have: Basic Instinct – Jerry Goldsmith

Another Oscar nomination for Goldsmith (his 15th) for some really steamy music.

Track: Pillow Talk

Small Gems: The Ghost and The Darkness – Jerry Goldsmith

Out of his tribal or ethnic scores, certainly the most authentic one. Another personal favorite

Track: The Bridge

Trivia

Goldsmith sported a long ponytail for many years. Apparently, Sean Connery took inspiration of it for his “Medicine Man” character, which Goldsmith scored. So Goldsmith receives double credit on the film, as Music composer, and Hair Designer

You have no idea no idea what I found on the web today….

So, last time I mentioned that I was going to point out the internet effect on film scores.

However, thinking about it a bit more, that’s not it. It’s simply technological advances. Advances that allow the sharing of music.

For once, now we can all produce our own CD’s, a medium with little degradation (And if you need a new one, you just burn another). With a little investment, anyone can have an industry type duplicator.

The formats themselves have improved, from CD’s to electronic media. Now everyone can share and import MP3’s. And sharing this files via the net is just as simple as drag and drop.

All this advancements combined, have made it possible for this little music niche to expand, and touch many more collectors at the same time. And now, rare and out-of-print scores are easily available. People sharing and finding those rare scores that for years you only saw on a friends collection, or announced for auctions.

It’s gotten even, a bit oversaturated. Now it’s not just about finding the complete editions. Now there are original recording sessions being shared. Expanded, re-expanded and complete editions… Almost too much. So, like everything else, moderation is key. Research helps to find about the quality of this recordings, and to see if they are worth the time and effort. I can say from experience, that I’ve had plenty of rewards, finding some titles that had eluded me for years.

Anyway, there is another way that the market has changed, and that is thru e-commerce. So that’s for the next time

Outstanding upcoming release(s)

The Dark Knight-Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2 CD Special Edition)

A limited release, slated for December 9 (Coincides with the DVD release); it’s basically the original release on the first CD, and brand new themes on the second.It’s strange to find this kind of releases being done by the original publisher. So it is a welcomed piece. Just from looking at the track names, I can see that we will have a chance to listen to some of the tracks that I was missing on the first release. Particularly concerning the Joker’s final attack (The Ferries), or his hospital scenes.

“The Dark Knight” was a hard CD for me to listen to the first time around. It took me several tries until I recognized were his strengths lie. Ever since, I’ve been listening to it more, so an expanded version is always time to rejoice.

Now, if we could be so lucky to get an expanded “Batman Begins”, then I’d be flying high…

Amazon wrote:
'The Dark Knight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' returns with the ASCAP-winning composers from Batman Begins- Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard for a powerful orchestral score. The Special Edition features the complete score on two CD's plus four bonus remix tracks; it also contains an 8x8x40 page hardbound book.

Track: Like a dog chasing cars

Relevant website

Filmtracks

Reviews and more reviews. I don’t consider them completely impartial (Their dislike for Zimmer seems evident) but their articles and points are good and valid. Always a great resource when researching a title

A favorite composer: Jerry Goldsmith (1 of ???)

One of the greatest names in film music, and always fighting with Danny Elfman for the top spot in this collector’s heart. By my last count, I have 150+ of his scores in various formats, so choosing some will be hard. Probably his greatest asset was the fact that he could tackle pretty much any genre.

ilmtracks Minisite

Wikipedia / IMDB

A Few more favorites

Suites and Themes (1988)

One of the reasons Goldsmith was so loved was because of his concerts, showcasing a lot of his work. He played all over the world, creating suites for some of his most memorable music. This was one of the first CD’s with some of this compilations, including his TV Themes Suite, his Generals Suite (MacArthur and Patton) or a Film Suite.

Track: The Generals’ Suite (McArthur & Patton)

The Film Music of Jerry Goldsmith (2001)

Similar to the above mentioned, but with more music, and a few key changes to the perennial favorite suites. A lot easier to find too

The Omen

His only Oscar (even if he was nominated 18 times), comes with a quintessential horror score, marked mainly for its choral works.

There is just so much to Goldsmith, that I’ll just name a few essentials now until the next post…

Basic Instinct, Rudy, A Patch of Blue, Papillon, Planet of the Apes, the Russia House, Star Trek, Supergirl, Legend, Islands in the Stream, Hoosiers, Ghost and the Darkness, LA Confidential, Gremlins, Lionheart, Alien, Poltergeist, Rambo, The Mummy, Masada, Chinatown, Total Recall

Collectors corner, Must-Have & Small Gems

As the section indicates, here I’ll try to name 3 scores; the first, a difficult to find title, the second, is pretty much given, and the third, is a score that you may not think about that often (mainly due to the quality of the film), but it’s a surprising find.

Collector’s corner: Regarding Henry – Hans Zimmer

A very simple score, with very few instruments, and accentuated by the jazz tones of Bobby McFerrin (Yep, as in “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”) Very scarce nowadays after its original release, but a very interesting notch on Zimmer’s career

Track: Walkin’ Talkin’ Man

Must-Have: The Last of the Mohicans – Trevor Jones & Randy Edelman

Two renowned names for 1 score. Each with a very distinctive sound (And clearly identified “who-did-what”) The results is an incredible blend of styles, that should be part of everyone’s collection

Track: Main Titles

Small Gems: The Man without a Face - James Horner

On a similar vein to “Searching for Bobby Fischer”, James Horner surprises again with a more minimalistic approach. A gorgeous masterpiece, from top to bottom.

Track: Lost Books

Trivia

Danny Elfman contributed one theme to the “Army of Darkness” soundtrack; it was mainly a favor to his friend Sam Raimi, since his name allowed for a better orchestra to be contracted to record the score by Joe LoDuca.

Hey mister, this CD is very short…

Last time I mentioned a place called “Cinescor” in Madrid. That place was my second home for years. It was simply a music store specialized in soundtracks and theatre music. A dream come true for a novice collector. Its owner has since then become on of my very best friends. Here I had a chance to compare knowledge with persons who shared my interests, and listen to music I didn’t even know existed. And it was there that I started finding out a few facts about the released music on CD’s.

One of them was, that for many record companies, film score publishing is a very marginal business. Except for very specific examples (e.g. Star Wars, Titanic,) no film score sells highly. Soundtracks do, but scores not so much. So the production of titles was always very limited. Titles would be normally produced to coincide with the release, but after initial runs, they would stop producing more, making many of this titles out-of-print. This scarcity makes some of this titles highly sought after.

Thankfully there are also some labels specialized in films scores. Varese Sarabande Records is one of the main ones. A company almost exclusively dedicated to releasing scores. And there are others, like Intrada or Milan Records. But a lot of these releases are very short. Very often, under 30 minutes of the music are included in the discs. This has to do with the amount of royalties the labels have to pay for the discs, which are based on the length of said discs.So, a lot of music actually goes unreleased, which makes complete or extended editions highly sought after too.

But like in many other cases, the internet will play a big role in a fundamental change for film score collectors. A change that I’ll go thru in detail in my next post.


Outstanding release(s)
The Lord of the Rings: The Complete Recordings

The original releases for the scores of The Lord of the Rings were high quality ones. An excellent example of cramming as much music as possible in 74 minutes cd’s. A total of 3 ½ hours of award winning music.But that was not enough, and a couple of years after the original releases, the complete editions for each of the films was made available. Beautifully boxed sets, with excellent notes. 11 cd’s in total. And each title with an audio DVD of each score with a 5.1 mix. A dream come true for a film music lover like me.They were limited releases, but copies are easily found via Amazon or Ebay. Expensive, but worth every penny.

Release description :
(This pertains to The Fellowship of the Ring complete recordings)
An epic film score receives epic treatment with The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings. Released for the first time on CD, the complete score for the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy contains more than 180 minutes of music on three CDs plus a DVD-Audio disc of the entire score in Surround Sound. Breathtaking and majestic, the 2001 Oscar and Grammy winning score compsted by Howard Shore also includes Enya's Oscar nominated "May It Be." For fans of any of The Lord of the Rings films, the Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings is an essential experience.

Track: Return of the King: The White Tree


Relevant website
Soundtrack.Net

Another great film music site, with reviews, news on upcoming releases, exclusive features and the best resource for trailer music.


A favorite composer: Danny Elfman (& 2)


Picking just a handful of favorites last ime was too hard. This time, I’m going with other lesser titles that I feel warrant some consideration too.
Wikipedia / IMDB

A few more favorites

Good Will Hunting
For a movie in which the dialogues are the main driving force, Elfman’s subdued score might not be so recognizable. Listening to it, with its simpler, more Irish sound, one can truly appreciate its minimalistic approach. Just a handful of instruments and very light choral sounds.

Men In Black
If I had to define this score, I’d have to label it as retro; both for its actual main theme sound, and also, for Elfman’s return to it’s rock roots, mixing orchestra sounds with electric guitar.

Nightbreed
It was Elfman’s first adventurous score, using tribal rhythms to help elevate the horror. Because this was supposed to be a horror film… Still is a magnificent piece

Sleepy Hollow
The perfect mix of Gothic horror orchestra with choral layers. It is the evolution of Elfman’s horror sound, starting with “Nightbreed”, continuing with “The Frighteners”, and achieving its best results here. Grandiose and macabre

Beetlejuice
A rollercoaster ride, zany and perhaps too incidental to be listened as a whole. But it is still an enjoyable ride


Collectors corner, Must-Have & Small Gems

As the section indicates, here I’ll try to name 3 scores; the first, a difficult to find title, the second, is pretty much given, and the third, is a score that you may not think about that often (mainly due to the quality of the film), but it’s a surprising find.

Collector’s corner: Hocus Pocus – John Debney
A very scarce promotional release, mainly released thru its own composer (John Debney – Cutthroat Island, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Relic, Elf). 33 minutes of hijinks, tempo changes and, in general, a delightful and magical score.The original copies were, for many years, one of the top 10 most sought after scores.
Track: Witches on Holiday

Must-Have: The Magnificent Seven – Elmer Bernstein
Arguably, some of the most famous film music ever composed. Just go ahead and tell me that you don’t recognize the main theme.There is a widely available, re-recorded album with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra in Koch Records, that the composer considers the ultimate interpretation.
Track: Main Titles and Calvera’s Visit

Small Gems: Much Ado About Nothing – Patrick Doyle
Exuberant and jubilant; one of the many collaborations between the composer and Kenneth Branagh, and considered by many as his masterpiece. Works mainly by using two main themes, one for the men, and the other for the women. An excellent approach for a story mainly based on the Battle of the Sexes
Track: Overture


Trivia
The famous shower scene from “Psycho” was originally going to be, thru Hitchcock’s vision, played with no music.Classic film composer Bernard Herrmann, Hitchcock’s frequent collaborator, had already seen Hitch pull his music out for a scene (The plane sequence from “North by Northwest”). But this time, he convinced the director that he could create something perfect for it. And he did.

A couple of notes before we begin…

So far, I’m hosting the MP3’s that I offer as examples on a GoogleSite. But there is a limit to it, so I may have to take down some links a few postings after their debut…

Following a suggestion by Nunis, who asked me to add some of my favorite scores to this posts, I’m opening a new section devoted to a specific composer every week, picking some of their best work. Between that and the “Collectors/Must-Have/Small Gems” section, I think the list will keep growing at a great pace.

Finally, it should be pretty obvious that I don’t consider myself a music critic. Not even by a long shot. I just know when I listen to this music, whether if I’m moved by it or not. So my recommendations are mostly coming from the heart, from someone who just wants to share his passion and knowledge on the subject.

All right, down to business…



A Collector’s Trek

I’ve been into film scores for many years, but the one that really started it all for me was Danny Elfman’s “Batman”. A tape that I listened to over and over, until it finally gave up. Soon after I found out that another score that I really liked was Elfman’s “Beetlejuice”; so that made me stop and then start looking more into this Elfman fella. And from then on, my collection started growing, realizing what scores I enjoyed, and which composers’ style I was more into. For some, I just bought specific titles; others like Elfman, Goldsmith, Bernstein, I just had to find and buy it all. Thus, the collector in me was born. But not all this titles were easily available. I needed to find someplace where I could satisfy my crave. And I did. A place where I learned almost all I know, where I met fellow collectors, and where I was introduced to some of the people that nowadays I consider my best friends. A place in Madrid called “Cinescor”…and we’ll leave it there until next week.


Outstanding recent release

The Boys from Brazil (Jerry Goldsmith – 2 CD Set)

Limited edition of 5000 copiesAn incredibly hard to find score, gets the treatment it deserves! I think that the Intrada notes will explain it better than I can.

Intrada wrote:
Wow! 2-CD world premiere of complete Academy Award-nominated Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack for Franklin Schaffner thriller from Ira Levin novel, starring Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier. Shaffner always inspired best in Goldsmith. Here he responded with global action, excitement! Original 1978 LP was a favorite of composer. He personally edited 35 minutes of highlights into unique 3-movement suite plus one song. Intrada now proudly presents entire 55-minute score, mixed from magnificent condition multi-track session masters. Ferocious action cues (missing from LP) are highlights! Lengthy "The Killers Arrive" with dynamic tuba/bass trombone "Nazi" motif another previously-unreleased gem! Intrada also offers all-important original LP, fully remixed & remastered for best audio ever! Still more bonus material: classical excerpts conducted by Goldsmith at sessions, original radio "samba" (by Arthur Morton!) heard on boy's radio in Paraguay plus pair of score alternates! Thrill to every note of Goldsmith's masterpiece in powerhouse stereo! Detailed notes by Jon Burlingame complete dramatic package. Jerry Goldsmith conducts National Philharmonic Orchestra. By exclusive arrangement with Licensor, Intrada Special Collection limited to 5000 copies!

Track: Main Title
(.ram file directly linked from Intrada)


Relevant website

Intrada Store
Intrada is not only a Soundtrack record label, but their store is pretty good too. And not just for their own releases. A definite recommendation for those titles that you won’t find at Amazon


A favorite composer: Danny Elfman

One of the most famous composers nowadays, especially for his work with Tim Burton. Also, provides the singing voice for Jack Skellington in “the Nightmare before Christmas”.
Wikipedia / IMDB

A Few favorites

Music for a Darkened Theatre (Vols. 1 & 2)
Two excellent releases, with examples from his career and a few rarities and unreleased works. A definite must, that allows you to compare his various styles.

Batman/Batman Returns
I can’t say much about this two. Contemporary classics. And a theme remembered by all.

Sommersby
Not one of his most famous titles, but a varied, at times hopeful and mostly tragic, symphonic score.

Nightbreed
From his day of Oingo Boingo fame, Elfman has experimented with a lot of percussion. This was his first score were he incorporated a lot of them, giving it an intense tribal sound.

Black beauty
Another of his lesser known titles. But trust me, it is a gorgeous theme, and a beautiful symphonic score mixing celtic/irish sounds in the recording.

Nightmare before Christmas
The music is definitely good, but the songs are just too good to pass. Funny, creepy, sad, a joy to listen to...



Collectors corner, Must-Have & Small Gems

As the section indicates, here I’ll try to name 3 scores; the first, a difficult to find title, the second, is pretty much given, and the third, is a score that you may not think about that often (mainly due to the quality of the film), but it’s a surprising find.

Collector’s corner: Chinatown – Jerry Goldsmith
This academy award nominated score (one of the composers personal favorites), has always been difficult to find. It is definitely a highly sought after title. But it’s not its rarity that makes it great. It’s the fantastic film noir approach given by Goldsmith. It just sounds like a classic. And its most famous theme, often played by Goldsmith in concerts is a prime example
Track: Love Theme

Must-Have: Edward Scissorhands – Danny Elfman
I purposefully left this one out of the Elfman list, because it is, in my opinion, his best work. Absolutely magical, and comical, and tragic (And there’s Tom Jones too….) I just can’t describe it, but I can say that it moves me every time I listen to it.
Track: Grand Finale

Small Gems: Untamed Heart – Cliff Eidelman
A very short release (26 mins. of music only) from a movie that all I can say is “the music was really nice”. It is a beautiful theme, and a score driven by a very melancholic piano. It’s minimalist approach and sound is what makes it such a nice piece to listen to.
Track: Untamed Heart titles


Trivia
There are many theories floating around about why is the “Jaws” theme so effective. A popular explanation is that those basic two notes repeated over and over, sound like the heartbeat of the shark approaching.In reality, John Williams was sitting at the piano, and just started playing those two notes while thinking about a scene. When he realized what he was hearing, he quickly incorporated it into the score, until he actually transformed it into the main theme.

The Tuesday Night Film Music Club

Well, the first experiment didn't work, so instead, I'm going to post my Filmwise.com film Music thread...

So, as demonstrated by my host game, I’m very much into film scores. I’ve always enjoyed them, and over the years I’ve amassed a collection that I’m quite proud of (Around 1500, in all sorts of formats).

So, I thought I could try to share some of my knowledge, news, anecdotes in a semi-regular posting here.

Like everything else, collecting soundtracks has changed a lot over the years; the rise of the internet, has brought it to a whole new level, allowing rare scores to be distributed at a much faster pace. In the early days of CD’s, some scores became highly sought after by collectors. It is a well known story how a copy of “Cherry 2000” fetched $3,000 at an auction (Pre-Ebay days…).

Yes, a lot of the scores were in very limited runs, and the market has always been pretty small. That is why a lot of scores go out-of-print so often. But peer-to-peer sharing, plus the possibilities of burning high quality CD’s, has brought to life a lot of lost gems.

There’s much more to this history, and I’ll continue to add more, but for right now, I’d like to open a couple of sections that I hope will become staples here.

Outstanding upcoming release

Indiana Jones: The Soundtracks Collection
Releases on November 11, 2008.

What a start, and what a great looking limited edition. For years, “Raiders” and Temple of Doom” were some of the most sought after CD’s in the market. A couple of new editions appeared after a while, but this whole box packs a punch

Amazon wrote:
Boxset includes remastered versions of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Expanded to include previously unreleased music -- as well as the original Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull soundtrack. Plus a bonus cd with even more previously unreleased music and featuring interviews with John Williams, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas on the making of this historic music. Relive the musical adventure today!
Track: Slave Children's Crusade
(This one is from the original Japanese release of "Temple of Doom", which is not that easy to find)


Relevant website

soundtrackcollector.com

An excellent database of titles and their different editions, composers, new releases and news. The “IMDB” of film scores.


Collectors corner, Must-Have & Small Gems

As the section indicates, here I’ll try to name 3 scores; the first, a difficult to find title, the second, is pretty much given, and the third, is a score that you may not think about that often (mainly due to the quality of the film), but it’s a surprising find.

Collectors corner: Predator – Alan Silvestri(Varese Sarabande CD Club edition)
This 3000-units limited edition, has been quite a staple in the last years on Ebay, fetching $150-$300. A cornerstone action score whose author (the Abyss, Lilo & Stitch, all Robert Zemeckis films) has cannibalized in his subsequent action releases (Judge Dredd or Eraser for example). Even when you listen to it, you feel like you are being watched…or hunted…
Track: Main Titles

Must-Have: Rudy – Jerry Goldsmith
From one of the greatest composers, comes this inspirational score. It is a prime example of how a main theme can be manipulated via tempo and intensity, and provide a soothing melody (Main Titles), or a rousing anthem capable of lifting a stadium from his feet (The Final Game). A masterpiece
Track: Main Titles

Small Gems: Searching for Bobby Fischer – James Horner
A magical sound provided by a minimalist piano sound, moving to rising strings. Works in perfect unison with the film, but can be listened without and still feel all those emotions.
Track: Josh vs. Vinnie


Trivia

Blade Runner’ Original score was initially never released. It was re-recorded by an orchestra, making the original sound highly sought after. A full edition is now out there, but in the meantime, at least 5 different editions have been made available.Well, it is a start. I hope you guys like it, and if so I'll continue with it, or it'll just die, in the well of forgotten posts.....