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He also handled orchestra and chorus duties on 2 of Dr. Samuel Hoffmann's theremin albums for Capitol in the late 40's, MUSIC OUT OF THE MOON and PERFUME SET TO MUSIC. available with MUSIC FOR PEACE OF MIND on a Basta records 3 cd set I picked up called DR. SAMUEL HOFFMANN and THE THEREMIN.
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My copy just landed on my desk courtesy of our local mail courier. Holding it finally in my hands was almost surreal. I don't want to bore folks with personal minutiae but briefly...
I immediately flashed back to 1961 when I was thumbing through the record bins at the five and dime -- probably some Mancini lps, Bernstein, Rozsa epics, Elvis soundtracks ("Blue Hawaii" came out that year), a few Disney releases. Then that gorgeous fiery orange and red cover just leapt out at me from the bin. Jules Verne! Vincent Price! A customized dirigible! I had to have it -- the first of so many seductive calls of the soundtrack siren. I grabbed the lp and paid for it with a pocketful of quarters.
When I think of Baxter scores -- flashes of orchestral color come to mind (lean and impressionistic textures -- Ravel, Debussy's La Mer) with often driving percussive elements or belching electronics. He was also good at comedy (Corman's "The Raven" comes to mind -- also the wild surfer riffs of "Muscle Beach Party" -- Fender electric guitar and bass, sax, orchestra). I also loved his "exotica" records when I discovered them.
Although I had been exposed to classical music, it was this score for "Master of the World" that truly opened the door wide for my imagination to sounds of a symphony orchestra. I probably had the entire album memorized within a week or two. This must have led to my purchase of my very first classical record set -- the Dorati/London Symphony Orchestra versions of Tchaikovsky's 1st - 3rd Symphonies. I was so new to classical recordings that I didn’t understand how to properly play a multi-lp set on our stereo. I stacked the 3 lps and listened – not knowing that in effect I’d shuffled the deck and was hearing the 3 symphonies in a bewildering mix. It was a shock when I figured out the correct order.
Anyway, thanks Intrada !
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You want to know something? I'm almost looking forward to hearing this as much as I am ONE LITTLE NATIVE AMERICAN.
I'll just have to wait until they can ship them both...
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Posted: |
Apr 16, 2009 - 6:18 PM
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By: |
Morricone
(Member)
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Just got mine and whoa, this takes me back. I saw this when I was ten...and hated it. How could this be? A ten year old doesn't have a lot of critical faculties. The film starred that guy from Famous Monsters of Filmland, Vincent Price, who I loved in movies like HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, THE FLY and HOUSE OF USHER. On top of that the poster artwork and Jules Verne promised all kinds of things I'd seen before like 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, THE LOST WORLD and THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD.
Well the movie was talky, nothing seemed to happen and when it did, it seemed to happen on another planet. Later I learned this had a lot to do with what was called stock footage.
The director, William Witney, had shot movie "programmers" in the thirties, spent his later days in TV, did this film and pretty much returned to TV. So much was shot in wide shots from the side, it could have come out of early silent movies. God, I wish they had let Roger Corman do this one. Nothing was adventurous or magical (and not just because there was no Herrmann).
I even thought I recognized music from a movie I had seen on TV the night before called FIRE MAIDENS FROM OUTER SPACE. This astute kid wasn't far off. That was scored from public domain "Polovestian Dances" by Alexander Borodin, you know, "Stranger in Paradise". I am sure you can hear the similarities.
Now with time, hearing the score away from the film I feel Les Baxter was scoring a different, better movie. Something closer to AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS. It does not match MASTER OF THE WORLD and that is a good thing.
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Just finished a first listen. I haven't spun this score in a long long time (my ancient lp is in storage). Hearing something this familiar after a bit of time has passed is always interesting -- just as wonderful to me as ever even though it is so hyperbolic -- a bit overblown and bombastic. Love those semi-lounge-piano moments (eat your heart out Liberace) and heavenly choral overlays. The songs are just sooooo over the top!
"...lean and impressionistic textures -- Ravel, Debussy's La Mer..." -- well maybe not. But I was grinning from ear to ear for the entire 53:16
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Damn that ONE LITTLE NATIVE AMERICAN!
It's preventing me from listening to "Over the Rocks".
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