Cinemusic.net - Film Music and Soundtracks

Cinemusic.net is new again

2007-02-20T23:36:00.000-05:00

After some furious work, the newly redesigned Cinemusic.net is online. This blog will function as an archive of soundtrack news, etc. from the past year. Please visit the new site and say "Hi".

Oscar noms for Music categories in

2007-01-23T13:44:00.000-05:00

Music (Score)
Babel - Gustavo Santaolalla
The Good German - Thomas Newman
Notes On A Scandal - Philip Glass
Pan's Labyrinth - Javier Navarette
The Queen - Alexandre Desplat

Music (Song)
"I Need To Wake Up" - An Inconvenient Truth
"Listen" - Dreamgirls
"Love You I Do" - Dreamgirls
"Our Town" - Cars
"Patience" - Dreamgirls

Score one for the team

2007-01-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

The once-solitary job of film scoring is becoming a collaborative effort.
By Jeff Bond
Jan 5, 2007

(via The Hollywood Reporter) As most filmmakers will attest, making movies is an immensely collaborative process. While producers, directors and writers often end up getting the lion's share of the credit when a film succeeds, the reality is that great movies are never the work of one person. The same cannot be said of film scoring. The life of a film composer is frequently a solitary one, with weeks, months and sometimes years spent painstakingly writing and rewriting the cues and themes that can bring a movie to life.

Lately, however, the traditional view of a film composer slaving away all by his or her lonesome has changed, and it's more and more common to see multiple composers on a movie receive screen credit, whether they start out as composing teams or when extra hands are brought in to help out late in the process.

This year boasts a number of high-profile collaborations, some between composers and artists who might be considered outside the music world altogether -- namely, directors. Read more...

Thinking in Colors and Textures, Then Writing in Music

2007-01-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

By JON BURLINGAME
Published: January 7, 2007
(From The New York Times)

The trouble with Hollywood film scores these days is that so many sound as if you have heard them before. That’s less the fault of composers than of directors, who commonly prescore their films with temporary music during editing, then frequently expect the final score to emulate that “temp track.” So originality, when it occurs, can be startling, as when American audiences first heard the enchanting waltzes of Girl With a Pearl Earring in 2003, or the fairy-tale flutes and surging orchestral drama of Birth in 2004.

Both scores were the work of Alexandre Desplat, a 45-year-old Paris composer who also scored Syriana in 2005. His music for The Queen and The Painted Veil has raised his name as a potential Oscar nominee this season.

He wrote and recorded the score for The Queen in just three weeks, after Stephen Frears, the film’s director, decided another composer’s score wouldn’t work. “The first thing I said to Stephen was, ‘It’s very tricky,’ ” Mr. Desplat said on a recent visit to Los Angeles. “You can’t go too dark, too suspenseful, too funny or too sweet. What I felt was necessary was music with some grandeur and elegance, but still wit. It’s a witty movie.” Read more (subscription req'd)...

"Movie and music: It's a package deal"

2007-01-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

Director Tom Tykwer knows the score -- because he wrote it. His latest film is "Perfume."
By Richard Knight Jr., Chicago Tribune

"There are a lot of renowned collaborations between film directors and their favorite composers — Steven Spielberg and John Williams, Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. But it's rare to find a film director who also serves as his own composer. Clint Eastwood is one; another is German-born director Tom Tykwer, whose latest movie, "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," opened in L.A. last week". Read more...

2006 "Best Music" Awards (so far...)

2006-12-29T13:18:00.000-05:00

Chicago Film Critics:
The Fountain - Clint Mansell

Phoenix Film Critics ("Best Use of Music"):
Dreamgirls - Various

San Diego Film Critics:
Babel - Gustavo Santaolalla

Las Vegas Film Critics:
The Good German - Thomas Newman

The Black Reel Awards:
Best Original Score
Akeelah and the Bee - Aaron Zigman
Dreamgirls - Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas
Idlewild - Antwan Andre Patton
Inside Man - Terrence Blanchard
Something New - Lisa Coleman & Wendy Melvoin

Satellite Awards:
Babel - Gustavo Santaolalla

Critics' Choice Awards ("Best Soundtrack" & "Best Composer"):
Babel
Cars
Dreamgirls
Happy Feet
Marie Antoinette

Philip Glass - The Illusionist
Clint Mansell - The Fountain
Thomas Newman - The Good German
Gustavo Santaolalla - Babel
Howard Shore - The Departed
Hans Zimmer - The Da Vinci Code

Los Angeles Film Critics:
The Painted Veil and The Queen - Alexandre Desplat

New York Film Critics Online:
The Illusionist - Philip Glass

Annie Awards (Animation):
The Ant Bully - John Debney
Bah Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas - Gordon Goodwin
A Monkey’s Tale - Laura Karpman
Cars - Randy Newman
Ice Age: The Meltdown - John Powell

THR: 'Clef Notes'

2006-12-21T01:19:00.000-05:00

"Clef Notes", an interesting article from The Hollywood Reporter (appearing way back in November) on this year's scores predicted to get an Oscar push. Read more...

Tyler Bates' '300'

2006-12-19T22:49:00.000-05:00

Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 free Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian slave army. Facing impossible odds, their valor and sacrifice ultimately inspired all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy to fight for democracy.

For this "Battle Epic" director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) engaged Tyler Bates to create a score that embodies expansive orchestral and choral themes that express a sweeping palette of color and emotion, while embracing a tonal palette unfamiliar to studio films of its nature.

In developing a sound that wouldn't betray the Frank Miller-inspired dark and stunning backdrop, the rugged stature of the Spartans, and the threatening characters they encounter on their quest to preserve freedom and democracy, Bates chose percussion as an effective foundation for much of the score. Bates explains, "My intent was to support the physicality of the actors, while staying true to the inspiration of this film and that of the Spartans -- freedom and will." Singer Azam Ali (Niyaz, Vas) served as both the voice of Sparta and the Persian threat. Orchestra and choir were recorded in London at Abbey Road studios, serving as the emotional canvas for the many colors and textures of Azam's haunting voice. Bates designed score pieces to incorporate Ali's many singing techniques in a broad range of emotions. Feeling it important to not color the story with specific words, yet to be bold and confident with voices throughout the score, Azam's vocal melodies were written in a phonetic language, as were all the choral parts. The guitarviol, an obscure electric bowed instrument, was used to create the crude melodies and much of the score's darker atmospheres, in addition to hand-crafted ambient sound design apparent in the music.

Bates comments, "The greatest challenge to writing and producing the music for 300, was to bead a musical thread throughout the film's ever-changing landscape of visual art and its ominous, horrific and mystical beings, while sustaining the epic and emotional qualities from which this film was made. I had to approach it in a style as inventive as the film itself." Warner Bros Records is distributing the score soundtrack album, comprised entirely of Bates' music, with the film's March 9th theatrical release. More: tylerbates.com.

Intrada: McKenzie's 'Blizzard'

2006-12-15T00:08:00.000-05:00

Intrada Signature Edition: Blizzard
Music by Mark McKenzie

Katie wanted only one thing: to ice-skate. While practicing on an outdoor rink, Katie is befriended by former Olympic skating champion Otto Brewer, who offers to teach her "proper skating." Under Brewer’s tutelage, Katie blossoms into a magnificent skater. When Katie’s family is forced to move to the big city, Katie is devastated. Meanwhile, at the North Pole, Santa and his elves are celebrating the birth of baby reindeer Blizzard. Blizzard possesses all three magical reindeer gifts: the ability to fly, the power of invisibility, and the gift of seeing with her heart. Using her empathic ability, Blizzard feels Katie's sadness and flies to Katie’s home, where these two strangers from different worlds help each other. Set in a post-war 1940s, BLIZZARD stars Brenda Blethen, Christopher Plummer and Kevin Pollack

McKenzie's score to Blizzard features a 100-piece orchestra and is a sweeping, colorful work in every robust, decadent Christmas sense. McKenzie received the assignment while orchestrating Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek: Nemesis, and was encouraged by the veteran composer to take on the project. Upon hearing McKenzie's results, Goldsmith said he admired the very tender, gentle, sweet, and pretty nature of the score. The powerful, exciting flying and skating sequences might even suggest a nod to Mr. Goldsmith.

This release is limited to 1000 copies.

Intrada Signature Edition - ISE1011 - In stock now
For cover art, track listing, and sound samples, please visit intrada.com.

Also see: markmckenzie.org

Ennio, meet Oscar. Oscar, meet Ennio

2006-12-14T01:37:00.000-05:00

From The Associate Press...

Italian composer Morricone to get honorary Oscar
Wednesday December 13 9:11 PM ET

Italian movie composer Ennio Morricone, famed for his work on such "spaghetti westerns" as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "A Fistful of Dollars" will receive an honorary Oscar during the Academy Awards ceremony next February, organizers said on Wednesday.

Morricone, 78, has composed more than 300 motion picture scores during his 45-year career, but had never won an Oscar. He was nominated five times, for "Days of Heaven" (1978), "The Mission" (1986), "The Untouchables" (1987), "Bugsy" (1991) and "Malena" (2000).

The honorary Oscar, determined by the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, went this year to director Robert Altman, who died last month.

"The board was responding not just to the remarkable number of scores that Mr. Morricone has produced," said Academy president Sid Ganis, "but to the fact that so many of them are beloved and popular masterpieces."

Morricone's other credits include the scores for "Once upon a Time in America," "Cinema Paradiso," "Bulworth," "In the Line of Fire," "La Cage aux Folles" and the 2008 release "Leningrad."

The 79th annual Academy Awards will be held in Hollywood on February 25.

Your latest listening options

2006-12-06T23:46:00.000-05:00

Cinematic Sound is presenting a 3-hour tribute to Shirley Walker, in honor of her career. Including The Black Stallion, The Flash, Memoirs of An Invisible Man, Batman: Mask of The Phantasm, Space: Above and Beyond, Willard and more. View the playlist.

More listening...

Composer Hans Zimmer is the latest guest of On The Score at filmmusicradio.com. Spotlighted on the show will be Zimmer's romantic-comedy approach for director Nancy Meyers, beginning with Something's Gotta Give, and continuing now for The Holiday. Zimmer's lush music links the film's star-crossed characters from LA to London- a mult-faceted score that drew Zimmer to such collaborators as composer Heitor Pereira and singer Imogen Heap - as well as Zimmer's wife Suzanne. Head to www.filmmusicradio.com for more.

Shirley Walker, 1945-2006

2006-11-30T17:49:00.000-05:00

Shirley Walker, composer, conductor has died. She was 61.

This is truly sad news. And very personal for me. Many years ago I had the pleasure of talking with Shirley, and creating a website for her dedicated to her film music. Since then she made maintaining the site a pure pleasure. She was generous, supportive and thrilled that she had fans of her music - and they were many.

Shirley was a pioneer, but she was also an underdog. Her magnificent talents were often suggested by dreaming fans for every blockbuster assignment. Her music often proved more memorable than the films they were written for, a testament to her abilities and her enthusiasm for the art of film scoring.

I wish I could write more, but I am still shocked by this news. Shirley, I will miss you. My efforts on your website will never equal the memories and emotions you have given me both as a person, and through your music.

Ryan Keaveney

Vidgames: 'Untold Legend'

2006-11-22T14:30:00.000-05:00

Four-time Emmy award-winning composer Laura Karpman (EverQuest® II, Steven Spielberg’s TAKEN) has written the original music for Untold Legends Dark Kingdom, the action-RPG launch title for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The fantasy score was recorded in Prague with the FILMharmonic Orchestra and Choir, with Karpman conducting. The lyrics sung by the choir were adapted by Karpman from portions of the medieval poetry text “William Wallace” in Middle Scots - the literary source for the legend of “Braveheart” - and woven into the score to complement the game’s intriguing narrative and dramatic storyline.

Glenn Stafford, Audio Director for Untold Legends Dark Kingdom at Sony Online Entertainment, said, “The score for Untold Legends Dark Kingdom was beautifully composed and recorded, including a full live orchestra and choir. The recording is exceptionally high quality and was recorded in one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the world - the Rudolphinum in Prague, Czech Republic. The music enhances and highlights the dynamic and changing moods throughout the course of this intense action/adventure RPG game, and is wonderful to listen to on its own as well.”

After writing music for Sony’s smash hit Everquest II, Karpman went on to become the resident orchestral composer of Sony Online Entertainment. In 2005 she received a Game Audio Network (G.A.N.G.) award for her video game music, which has been performed by orchestras internationally. For more information visit: www.laurakarpman.com.

Tuesday 11/21: New Releases

2006-11-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

It's new release Tuesday! Now available: Harry Gregson-Williams' broiling electronic Deja Vu (Hollywood Records / on iTunes)... Lakeshore Records has a handful of new titles: Various artists comprise Deck The Halls (with "Silent Night" performed by... The Deck The Halls Holiday Orchestra)... Michael Suby's chiller The Zodiac (no not the David Fincher movie Zodiac), and Home of The Brave by Stephen Endelman. Also released: Clint Mansell's The Fountain featuring Kronos Quartet and Mogwai (Nonesuch).

Each week, AOL Music streams new soundtrack albums, sometimes before they hit stores, as a "CD Listening Party". This week they've spotlighted Fast Food Nation (Various) and Babel (Gustavo Santaolalla, various).

"Welcome to my life" - HGW

2006-11-14T17:08:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from: "Blow it Up and Do It All Over Again"
Published in the New York Times, November 13, 2006
By Laura M. Holson

In October, ago Mr. Bruckheimer attended a music meeting for “Déjà Vu” at a studio in Venice. The meeting was to begin at 4 p.m., but he and Mr. Scott were late. The producer had spent the morning at a screening of “Déjà Vu” and, midday, had been whisked to the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, where he introduced Mr. Scott to an eager crowd of Disney movie executives who had gathered for their annual meeting. (Later that night he attended a charity event honoring Mr. Iger.)

Mr. Scott and Mr. Bruckheimer were to review music composed by Harry Gregson-Williams for several movie scenes. Mr. Bruckheimer tends to work with the same people; this was his fifth movie with the composer. Mr. Scott, dressed in a sweatshirt and shorts, sat in a chair and tapped his foot nervously, while Mr. Gregson-Williams fiddled with a few keys on a monitor to bring up the scenes on a large screen. Mr. Bruckheimer, prone to long silences, sat quietly on the couch.

The composer showed a car chase where Mr. Washington followed a killer to a hideout. The music was loud and unrelenting. "It would help us if we had a melody, maybe his melody," said Mr. Bruckheimer, referring to a leitmotif that signaled when Mr. Washington’s character was onscreen. “You zone out. You need something over it that distracts you.”

The exchanges were polite — Mr. Bruckheimer rarely spoke above a loud whisper — but Mr. Gregson-Williams seemed unnerved.

For another scene, Mr. Gregson-Williams had created a haunting melody, but left out the last notes. "You didn’t finish it and if you did, I’d be happy,” Mr. Bruckheimer said.

“All right," said Mr. Gregson-Williams, dejected. "I’ll have another go at that."

As Mr. Bruckheimer and the crew were leaving, the composer turned to a guest and smiled meekly. “Welcome to my life,” he said.

Mr. Bruckheimer said afterward it was up to him to remind the composer of the audience. “I know what I felt it should be, and when he got it there, he loved it,” he said. “You don’t just not do it.”

Quote of the Day: Jack Black

2006-11-13T15:03:00.000-05:00

"I loved Lord of the Rings, but I think Peter Jackson fumbled the ball a little bit there because he had so much good fuckin' Led Zeppelin and he decided to go with the Howard Shore classical music. Which I'm sure JRR Tolkien would have approved of, but I wanted the rock! That's a fuckin' movie I'd like to see - Led Zeppelin's Lord of the Rings." - Jack Black (via Guardian.co.uk)

Elfman's 'Charlotte's Web' on the web

2006-11-10T12:36:00.000-05:00

Sony/BMG has samples from every track of their upcoming (December 5th) release of Danny Elfman's Charlotte's Web. Listen to them here.

Also... In select theatres today is Night of The Living Dead 3D, with music by composer Jason Brandt. Lakeshore Records released the NOTLD 3D score album on iTunes and in stores on October 31st.

There will be a CD signing for Night of The Living Dead 3D at Dark Delicacies in Burbank on November 11, 2006 at 2pm. Night of The Living Dead 3D director Jeff Broadstreet & Jeff Brandt will be there to sign CDs & mini posters. More info at Dark Delicacies.

Basil Poledouris has passed away

2006-11-08T20:52:00.000-05:00

Basil Poledouris, popular and prolific film composer, has died. News of his passing has first appeared at Film Score Monthly's message board, via publisher Lukas Kendall.

Basil was 61. He penned some of the most enduring film scores of modern times, including Conan The Barbarian, Flesh and Blood, Farewell To The King, Robocop and The Hunt For Red October among many others.

Messages for his family can be left on his official website.

Update (11/09/06), from Yahoo! - "Emmy-winning composer Basil Poledouris, best known for his powerful music for action-adventure films of the 1980s and '90s, died of cancer in Los Angeles on Wednesday, a spokeswoman said. He was 61.

Poledouris worked on the scores for the early Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicles "Conan the Barbarian" (1982) and "Conan the Destroyer" (1984), and his orchestral-and-choral compositions came to be considered high points in the genre of music for fantasy films.

His other feature credits included "The Blue Lagoon" (1980), "Robocop" (1987), "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), and "Free Willy" (1993). He won an Emmy in 1989 for his folk-based Western score for the miniseries "Lonesome Dove."

The Kansas City, Mo., native is survived by his mother and two daughters. No services are planned."

New Varese club titles announced

2006-11-06T11:53:00.000-05:00

Varese has announced their latest club titles. And they are:

Birdman Of Alcatraz, Music by Elmer Bernstein
Limited Edition of 3000 copies

Runaway: The Deluxe Edition, Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Limited Edition of 2000 copies

Lucas, Music by Dave Grusin
Limited Edition of 2000 copies

Seven Cities Of Gold / The Rains Of Ranchipur, Music by Hugo Friedhofer
Limited Edition of 1000 copies

Careful, He Might Hear You, Music by Ray Cook
Limited Edition of 1000 copies

For soundclips and to order visit varesesarabande.com.

Intrada brings Broughton's 'Eloise' home for 'Christmastime'

2006-11-02T11:51:00.000-05:00

Intrada Announces:

Eloise at The Plaza / Elouise at Christmastime
Music by Bruce Broughton
Intrada Signature Edition ISE1009

Eloise is a precocious six-year-old girl who lives at the New York Plaza Hotel. She roams its halls day in and out in search of adventure. In 2002 and 2004 Handmade Films brought ELOISE to the small screen in two live action adventures: Eloise at The Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime. Both were directed by Kevin Lima, who had graduated from such animated fare as Disney's The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Tarzan (which he co-directed). Actress Sofia Vassileva (Medium) brings the energy, sass, and shrewdness of the beloved children's book character to life in both sparkling adventures at the Plaza Hotel. Julie Andrews plays Nanny, a tolerant, motherlike figure to Eloise's who still appreciates her young charge's exuberance.

Composer Bruce Broughton and Lima were on the same page with regards to the musical approach -- the movies' quirky energy and frenetic pace called for high-energy music -- much like a cartoon score. In Eloise at The Plaza, Broughton graces the score with 1950s New York sophistication. He took two approaches to the score: the hotel, city, and romantic scenes are underscored by full orchestra, while the music associated with Eloise is performed by a playful nine-piece ensemble. The score for Eloise at Christmastime takes on even larger orchestral proportions. For a festive holiday feel, Broughton weaves elements of "The Nutcracker" into the score, going so far as to Nutcracker-ize some of his own themes. The end result are two effervescent, fun-filled scores...the closest thing to capturing a rambunctious childhood musically on CD.

Intrada presents both scores on this 2-CD set and is limited to 1200 copies.

For cover art, track listing, and sound samples, please visit intrada.com.

Dooley skips the Moon & Jupiter, goes straight to 'Mars'

2006-10-30T14:15:00.000-05:00

UCLA Wind Ensemble to perform World Premiere of acclaimed 'Mars Underground' score as a suite-to-picture

Multi-talented composer of When a Stranger Calls, DreamWorks' First Flight short, SOCOM video game series and contributor to The Da Vinci Code and Pirates of the Caribbean also to appear.

James Dooley - established composer with a diverse and successful recent repertoire of feature films, animated shorts, video games, theatrical trailers and TV commercials- will appear on Wednesday, November 15th, 2006 at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall of Music. The UCLA Wind Ensemble will perform its first-ever live suite-to-picture performance of portions of Dooley’s original score from the 2005 landmark documentary, The Mars Underground.

The Mars Underground, directed by Scott J. Gill, is a CGI-driven documentary about the possibilities of colonizing Mars. The film focuses primarily on Dr. Robert Zubrin and his grassroots push for human exploration and settlement of the Red Planet. James Cameron was quoted as calling the film “the manifesto of the new space generation.” The film will be screened along with the live music.

The score itself has been critically acclaimed as well. Dooley was given the challenging task of writing music for numerous scenes of the “camera” panning across projected CGI landscapes of Mars and keeping the viewer interested while the landscape races past the screen. His contemporary approach produced a much greater musical presence for The Mars Underground than would normally accompany a documentary, but this was required given the distinct visual journey of the film.

For more information or to purchase tickets for the event, please see the UCLA Event website at calendar.ucla.edu/ or ticketmaster.com.

Samples of James’ scores can be heard on his official website jamesmichaeldooley.com.

New releases 10/24/06

2006-10-24T14:51:00.000-04:00

Okay, enough slacking. Let's look at today's new soundtrack releases.

The Nightmare Before Christmas
Walt Disney Records / Music by Danny Elfman
Re-released to coincide with Walt Disney Pictures' limited 3D release of the film, disc one is a straight re-issue of the '93 OST while a second disc of all new material features four Elfman demos ("Making Christmas", "Oogie Boogie's Song", "Kidnap The Sandy Claws" and "This Is Halloween", an alternate version of the demo that was previously released on Elfman's Music For A Darkened Theater Vol. 2 set) and five interpretations of Elfman's songs by Marilyn Manson, Fiona Apple, Fall Out Boy, She Wants Revenge and Panic! At The Disco.

Also new and Elfman related is Lakeshore Records' Nacho Libre, which features dialogue clips, Elfman's "Ramses Suite", tracks from Beck, the immortal "Religious Man" from Mr. Loco and a couple of library tracks (!) from John Cameron and Allan Hawkshaw.

Destroy All Humans! 2
Lakeshore Record s/ Music by Garry Schyman, various
Following the popularity of the original game and score, Lakeshore Records releases 12 tracks of Garry Schyman's evocative (and orchestral) throwback score mixed with period tunes performed by contemporary music acts. Equal parts Herrmann and Barry (by way of Bond).

The perks of being a U.S. iTunes customer: Download Chris Young's The Grudge 2 several weeks early (the disc streets November 7th).

BuySoundtrax: 'Lifeforce'

2006-10-13T15:16:00.000-04:00

'Lifeforce' 2CD set to be released by BuySoundtrax. Limited edition expanded soundtrack contains over two hours of music composed by Henry Mancini and Michael Kamen

BuySoundtrax Records will be releasing a 2CD set of music from Lifeforce, composed two legendary composers, Henry Mancini and Michael Kamen. The package will contain the complete original score composed by Mancini, the additional music by Kamen, the Film Version of "Grandson of The Web of Destiny", in addition to the original soundtrack album.

Lifeforce was the film adaptation of the novel The Space Vampires, by Colin Wilson. Director Tobe Hooper, took some liberties with the story to tie it in to the reappearance of Halley's Comet. A space shuttle mission investigating the comet inadvertently brings back a race of space vampires to London who seek to transform the populace into zombies. Cannon Films, felt the title Space Vampires seemed too low budget and the film was renamed Lifeforce.

In 1985 when the vampire science fiction film Lifeforce was in need of a composer, the Academy Award winner Henry Mancini seemed an unlikely choice. But when Hooper's first choice, James Horner, hot off the heels of his work with the first two Star Trek sequels, proved unavailable, Mancini was brought on board.

Henry Mancini may best be recognized for his work with more lighthearted film fare, like Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Pink Panther film series, but earlier in his career Mancini was a member of the music department at Universal Pictures. As such he composed the scores for numerous horror and science fiction films like It Came From Outer Space, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and The Monolith Monsters, which led Hooper to see if Mancini was interested in revisiting the genre.

Mancini composed a provocative, dramatic and dynamic orchestral score, an hour and forty minutes of music, which mostly fell victim to the cutting room floor. When Mancini did not want to go back and compose new materials for the film, itself now 20 minutes shorter, Michael Kamen was called in to fill in the musical blanks. Kamen was an up-and-coming composer, having already completed scores for David Cronenberg and Terry Gilliam.

BuySoundtrax Records presents a limited edition release (3,000 copies) of Lifeforce, featuring Henry Mancini's complete score as recorded in sequence, along with Michael Kamen's additional tracks. The package also includes the original soundtrack recording and a special bonus track, the film version of "Grandson of The Web of Destiny" performed with choir.

Lifeforce-Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on BuySoundtrax Records is available for pre-orders at www.buysoundtrax.com, and will be in stores on October 17.

Intrada: 'The Pick-Up Artist'

2006-10-10T09:45:00.000-04:00

Intrada Announces:

The Pick-Up Artist
Composed and Conducted by Georges Delerue

Sherlock Holmes In New York
Composed by Richard Rodney Bennett
Conducted by Leonard Rosenman

Intrada Special Collection Volume 37

In this installment of the Intrada Special Collection, Intrada presents two New York-based 20th Century Fox film scores. The 1987 romantic film The Pick-Up Artist features Molly Ringwald and Robert Downey, Jr., telling the tale of a womanizer who eventually finds the right girl and is confronted with having to change his dastardly ways. The 1976 telefilm Sherlock Holmes In New York features none other than Roger Moore as Holmes up against his archnemsis Moriarty (John Huston).

Although Delerue wrote a concise 25-minute score for The Pick-Up Artist, most of it was deleted from the film. The score is both wistful and hopeful, conjuring up a spirit that could have lifted the film to an entirely different level if the score had been left intact. Director Ken Russell once described Delerue's gift for enhancing a director's work this way: "If you wanted to evoke a beautifully sunny day and it was raining, Georges' music could bring the sun out. Not many people can do
that. Only God and Georges Delerue." This score is evidence of just that.

In Sherlock Holmes In New York, Richard Rodney Bennett was fresh off Murder On The Orient Express and wrote a compelling adventure score, filled with suspense, unfulfilled romance, and excitement for what was his first American television project.

Both scores were assembled from pristine sounding stereo elements. This release is limited to 1200 units.

For cover art, track listing, and sound samples, please visit Intrada.com.

Eastwood: 'Flags of Our Fathers'

2006-10-05T15:07:00.000-04:00

Milan Records will release the score to Flags of Our Fathers featuring music composed by director Clint Eastwood. The soundtrack is due in stores 10/17, while the movie will hit theatres on 10/20. Now for the press release...

Milan Records releases music from the motion picture Flags of Our Fathers, featuring an original score composed by Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, previously Golden Globe nominated as a composer for his work on Million Dollar Baby. Along with his score, his son Kyle Eastwood also provides re-recordings of classic music from the period. The Milan soundtrack features nostalgic standards arranged by Kyle including works by Irving Berlin, Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne and John Philip Sousa, as well as original recordings by Dinah Shore and Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five. Milan releases the soundtrack on October 17.

In addition to directing and acting in his films, Clint Eastwood has a long history of involvement with film music, dating back to Escape from Alcatraz. For Bronco Billy, Tightrope and Hearbreak Ridge, Lennie Neuhaus would write the score while Eastwood would write the songs. Starting with Unforgiven and continuing through Space Cowboys, the two wrote the scores together, resulting in a series of successful works. Eastwood has since written the scores to Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby on his own; the latter was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2004. For Flags of our Fathers, Eastwood writes, and Lennie Niehaus continues to orchestrate and conduct.

For tracklist, cover art and audio samples visit milanrecords.com