Film Score Friday 8/14/98

I have no earth-shattering news today. I have brought shame to my ancestors. Maybe somebody will get fired and we'll get our kicks next week...

Poseidon Comments

More responses to our new Silver Age Classics release: The Poseidon Adventure/The Paper Chase by John Williams, because we're so lovably smug about it right now. (Order info here!)

From: "PAUL W. CONWAY" <PWC@bgg.com>

Received my copy yesterday! Thanks so much for making this possible after so many years.

Ironically I was listening to the end titles walking home from work, stopped by the supermarket for a few items and standing in the aisle in front of me was Stella Stevens (seen her in the neighborhood for years)! Though I was "tempted" I resisted speaking to her (living in NY for 20 years, you learn to respect people's privacy particularly celebrities). Though now I'm thinking of carrying the liner notes with me in case I see her again and possibly ask her to sign the "racy" negligee photo inside!

I respect your decisions (you are, after all, the producer), but wish the cover of the notes had been the movie poster reproduced inside.

Thanks again, Lukas and looking forward to the future releases.

You're welcome! We like to use movie posters as covers but if you look at the Poseidon poster, its impact would be screwed up by the square cover of a CD booklet. Stella Stevens, hubba hubba! "Oh, my Linda...!"

From: Corey C. Witte, Galt1138@aol.com

As usual you guys continue to amaze. It must take a tremendous effort to keep the web site, magazine and now CD releases going. The fact that you manage to do all this with great care and attention to detail is greatly appreciated by both the fan in me and speaking as a professional.

The Williams CD is one of the most satisfying purchases I've had (and for just $20!). It was good accompaniment to watching the Perseids meteor shower too.

I'm writing this at midnight, so yeah, it does take an effort to do the mag, site and these CDs. But you noticed so I am validated.

From: MarcGothic@aol.com

The new CD is really great. I remember as a 16 year old looking for the soundtrack for The Poseidon Adventure only to find out there wasn't any... Imagine that! A few months ago I mentioned about doing an album of Les Baxter's scores for House of Usher and Pit and the Pendulum. Is that feasible? Also what about the film music of Paul Sawtell and Bert Schecter? As always the magazine is great. The website is great. And these wonderful CDs are truly great and superb. All my best.

Cool. We are going to be releasing some vintage horror music soon but not by any of the composers listed above. Even though our discs are designed to make their money back with limited sales, we have to be careful in what we do. We're definitely going to be adventurous soon, so sit tight...

From: Daniel Robuck <robuck@hpl.hp.com>

Guys, I have purchased everything you are pitching, and although I cannot say every second has held me with baited breath, you have truly overdone yourselves to give full value for the price. THAT I truly respect. I would never have thought that I would own the scores to 'Poseidon' or even 'Paper Chase,' but my hands were shaking when I popped the disk in the paper. Wow, just to hear once again that odd little minor note in the 'Paper Chase' theme sent chills down my spine.

For the umpteenth time, though, may I once again mention the soundtracks of Quincy Jones, especially 'The Italian Job' and 'In Cold Blood.' You have yet to respond to my comments about Jones and his scores. It makes me think you know something about them -- and a goodly number of them used to exist on vinyl -- that I am missing. Go ahead. I can take it. If they are awful, fill me in. I can use the education. But to ignore sharing any comment about them leaves me wondering just what you guys do think of Quincy Jones.

We love Quincy Jones. He is bad, which is to say, good! We have something upcoming in the works by him but not any of the scores mentioned above. I think both Italian Job and In Cold Blood are controlled by record labels with whom we do not have relationships... yet!

Thank you for your nice comment about us providing value for money. We're aware of what we're asking, re: sending $20 in the mail for a CD... that's why we try to do elaborate artwork, informative notes, plus (the most important thing) lots of music: 76 minutes in the case of Poseidon/Paper Chase.

From: martia@webtv.net (marietta satifka)

I received the new John Williams CD & I just want to thank you so much. Back when Poseidon Adventure was released, I looked for the soundtrack everywhere. You have made it real, finally.

I had never heard Paper Chase before, but it is lovely. It all brings back the era when I first discovered Mr. Williams. I enjoyed the trip back.

I always say, in my heaven, John Williams music will be playing, always.

Cool, nice! But everyone knows, you hear the last cut from Herrmann's Fahrenheit 451 in heaven...

From: Robin Anderson, EnterAct@aol.com

I've had the latest FSM disc for a few days, and I gotta tell you...it was well worth the wait (and the bucks)!

Initially, I wasn't overly excited about "The Poseidon Adventure". I loathed the movie when I saw it in my local theater, and I probably still would today. However, after hearing the score for the first time since 1972, I was pleasantly surprised. The music is tuneful and involving; the main and end titles are especially good.

"Conrack"? Never seen it. It's got a really nice main title, though. Thanks for putting it on the disc.

But, for me, the reason to get the disc was for "The Paper Chase". I've loved this movie when I saw it, and I still love it today, despite the ghastly '70's clothing on unfortunate display throughout the film. Williams' score for the movie is one of his better "light" scores, giving him a chance to be fun and flighty...something we're simply not seeing in his recent stuff (though perhaps we'll get another taste of that spirit in "Stepmom"). The breezy feeling from most of the "Paper Chase" cues make it perfect summer listening!

Also, I really enjoyed the little "dialogue" excerpts on the back cover of the CD...Gene Hackman's over-the-top ranting from the ending of "Poseidon" and the opening narration to "The Loner" gives the discs a sense of fun I can really appreciate.

Again, guys...thank you, thank you, thank you!

I'm waiting with bated breath for the upcoming Leonard Rosenman disc, as well as the second Goldsmith volume. I know you won't announce what it is just yet, but I have no doubt it'll be great. (I'm still hoping for "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" or "Fantastic Voyage")

I am so dying to write what the album is, but I can't, because we can't go back on our word about not announcing these until they're ready. I'll say one thing: it's a score Leonard is very excited about having available.

Also, speaking of how we give collectors what you want: we put our dialogue in writing on the back of the tray card--not on the CD during the program!

Noah's Ark

From: Michael Caruso, CarusoMA@aol.com

I don't know if you were aware of this, but producer Robert Halmi, who did Gulliver's Travels, The Odyssey, and Merlin is producing a Noah's Ark miniseries for this year. I was wondering if you happen to know who will be composing the music for it. I would love any info you might have. Thanks.

This is a good question, and I do not know the answer. Maybe some super spies know what's going on?

Logos

From: FoxMulderQ@aol.com

I have an interesting question. You know all of the little movie company logos (Paramount, Universal, Touchstone) and even some of the newer ones like Dreamworks is there any cd out there with these little clips of music on them? actually didn't some big people do a few of these? that might make for an interesting feature one day.

There are a couple of movie logos on CD, but there is not a compilation of them. Go here for a list of logos and their composers from Soundtrack.net: http://www.filmmusic.com/composers/logomusic.html

Term Licenses

From: Mark R. Smith, mrsmith@nr-ikon.com

I was listening to "The Witches of Eastwick" last night and wondered why certain CD go out of print. Do they get a license from the studio to release them for a certain time? "Jane Eyre" was released by Silva several years ago and in now out of print. Would they have to pay more reuse fees to release it again? Just wonderin'.

The answer is yes, many soundtracks are released as term licenses: they have the right to sell it for a period of time, after which the license is over and they may not sell it, unless they and the film company renew the agreement.

In the case of things like Witches, the record label may not opt to keep the title available... I know this sounds bizarre, but a label as huge as Warner Bros. has hundreds of records that probably sold better than Witches of Eastwick, and they would want to keep in print those titles that made more money. Welcome to showbiz!

re: Re-Use fees, no, those do not have to be paid again once the CD or LP has come out in the first place... unless they wanted to add music to a reissue, and it's an L.A. recorded score.

The Reason Why...

From: Indysolo@webtv.net (Neil Bulk)

One of your readers wrote in saying that the Bride of Frankenstein music reminded him of the old Flash Gordon serials, and this is for a good reason. Much of Waxman's music for the Bride of Frankestein was used in Universal's Flash Gordon serials with Buster Crabbe, and personally, I feel it works better in those serials than in the Bride of Frankestein. Les Preludes, also mentioned, was also used throughout the Flash Gordon serials, most notably as the opening music to the third serial, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe.

D'oh! I knew this and should have mentioned it. Thank you, Neil.

Snake Eyes Trailer

From: BWillNCC1701E@webtv.net (Bill Williams)

In response to Jeff Allen's question about the music in the "Snake Eyes" TV and theatrical trailer, I can offer this much. The music he is referring to is the "conspiracy" music composed by John Williams for his soundtrack to "JFK", which was used frequently throughout the movie.

From: "Dan Goldwasser" <dgoldwas@earthlink.net>

The 1st TV trailer for SNAKE EYES used music from THE USUAL SUSPECTS.

The RETURN TO PARADISE trailer was THE PEACEMAKER, and THEN was followed by DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY. :)

From: "William Kanas" <wskesq@email.msn.com>

I'm not sure exactly what trailer that Jeff Allen is referring to with regard to the commercial for "Snake Eyes" but in every one that I've seen, the opening music is from the score to the Val Kilmer version of "The Saint" which came out last year, with even some bits of Edwin Astley's original version of the theme from the old show that Graeme Revell worked into his wonderful score. It seems a bit odd that a theme so closely identified with one character (at least for me ) is used to advertise anything that is not "The Saint"--it's like the James Bond theme being used to advertise a non Bond film or other product (of course, EON's lawyers have been very swift in stopping that from happening in the past. This still does not explain how the music heard in "GoldenEye" during the end conflict between Bond and Trevalyan seems to have made its way into nearly every action movie trailer for the past 3 years--but I guess Eric Serra owns that and not MGM or EON)

No, the film company almost certainly owns that score. I don't remember any GoldenEye used in trailers... thanks to everyone who has helped with these trailer questions!

From: stuart dunn <dunndesign@sprintmail.com>

Does anyone know what music was used for the Schindlers List trailers. This has been bugging me for a while!

I think there was an original piece written for the Schindler's List trailer but I do not recollect who did it.

Soundtrack Fans, Travel Well

From: LJ Linton <LJLinton@BLomand.Net>

I just returned from NYC this past weekend. While there I visited FOOTLIGHT RECORDS in Greenwich Village, a soundtrack specialty store.

I haven't been there in approximately 15 years, but I still suffered from sensory overload and "blank brains." All of a sudden, in the face of so much to choose from, I couldn't remember my private "want list." I recovered sufficiently enough to pick up a few things I'd been looking for a long time, but I shudder to think of all the soundtracks I couldn't bring to mind.

I just wanted to tell other readers that the staff was very helpful and surprisingly knowledgeable. Prices varied from fair to high for the extremely rare stuff. They even arranged to send my stuff to me by mail so I wouldn't have to trust the airline with my booty. It arrived neatly and carefully packed yesterday. Everything survived the shipping in fine shape.

Any readers visiting NYC should make a point to check out FOOTLIGHT. It's really worth the effort. How about other readers sharing their favorite soundtrack stores in other cities?

Many times have I been in New York in the freezing winter and I've ducked into the warmth of Footlight to look at cool CDs and vinyl. It is a terrific store. Readers: check out Intrada in San Francisco, Super Collector in Orange Country, and Aron's Records in Los Angeles. And probably lots more I am forgetting. Send your travel tips!

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