Quartet Records is glad to present its three new limited edition releases…
F/X 2 Music Composed and Conducted by Lalo Schifrin Limited Edition of 1000 units
World premiere release of Lalo Schifrin’s rhythmic, exciting action-suspense score!.
The 1991 film F/X 2 was a sequel to the successful 1986 thriller F/X, directed by Robert Mandel. The idea of a movie special-effects man being brought in to use his cinematic illusions to thwart mob attempts to kill him was an innovative novelty, and made for a clever and engaging thriller which became one of the blockbusters of the mid-eighties. A sequel to this film was not a surprise. Although the cast was the same as in the first film (Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy), the director of F/X 2 was the Australian Richard Franklyn (Patrick, Psycho II, Link).
Another important change was the composer. For F/X, Bill Conti had written an excellent suspense score performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. For the sequel (more an action film than a suspense film), the producers wanted a more rhythmic, modern-sounding score. The choice of Lalo Schifrin was natural because the composer had written recently exciting and innovative scores for such action-thrillers as The Osterman Weekend, The Fourth Protocol and two Dirty Harry sequels: Sudden Impact and The Dead Pool. The score of F/X 2 is an exciting hybrid of Schifrin’s taste for electronics and orchestra, full of action cues, suspense sounds and great source pieces.
When the film was completed, the producers demanded some changes in the editing and the music, but Schifrin was not available at the time. The session keyboardist and composer Michael Boddicker was responsible for rescoring some portions of the film. This release includes the complete Schifrin score, as he conceived it for the movie, sequenced in film order and including every second of music recorded by Schifrin for the film.
Our CD was produced using the original 3-track stereo session masters, courtesy of MGM. The package includes a 16-page booklet with liner notes by Randall D. Larson.
ESCAPE FROM THE DARK (aka THE LITTLE HORSE THIEVES) Music Composed and Conducted by Ron Goodwin Limited Edition of 1000 units
Quartet Records, in collaboration with Capitol Records, presents the premiere CD release of the innovative Ron Goodwin score for the Disney production Escape From the Dark (aka The Littlest Horse Thieves).
Directed by Charles Jarrott (Anne of the Thousand Days, Mary Queen of Scots, The Dove, and later the Disney films The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark and Condorman), and starring Alastair “Scrooge” Sim and Peter Barkworth, Escape From the Dark is not one of the most-remembered Disney films, but is still a good movie, with a very realistic look, thanks to its carefully chosen Yorkshire locations. The plot begins when, after the owner of a Yorkshire coal-mine decides to mechanize in order to increase profits, the mine's pit ponies are scheduled to be destroyed. Three children plan to steal them to keep them safe. But when they're caught, it's up to the mine owners and the miners themselves to decide what's right.
The music was composed by the gifted British composer Ron Goodwin (633 Squadron, Battle of Britain, the Miss Marple films), who, two years earlier, had scored Disney’s One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing. After Escape From the Dark, Goodwin did more work for the studio, including memorable scores for The Spaceman and King Arthur and Candleshoe.
Escape From the Dark is unique in Goodwin’s output (and perhaps in all film music) because it is written entirely for brass band – no strings or woodwinds, and rather limited percussion. The music was performed by one of the most distinguished brass bands in South Yorkshire: The Grimethorpe Colliery Band, under Goodwin’s baton.
The album of Escape From the Dark was released on LP, concurrently with the film, by EMI in the UK, and was one of the very few scores for a live-action Disney movie ever released. The album included the original recording made at Anvil Studio (not a re-recording, as was usual in those days), and, curiously, included not only the complete score, but some cues that were not used in the final cut of the movie. Our CD is mastered from the original 2-track stereo tapes stored in the EMI vaults at Abbey Road, and the package includes an 8-page booklet with liner notes by Frank K. DeWald.
LA RAGAZZA CON LA VALIGIA (aka GIRL WITH A SUITCASE) Music Composed by Mario Nascimbene Limited Edition of 500 units
Mario Nascimbene (The Vikings, The Barefoot Contessa, Barabbas, Solomon and Sheba) was one of the most memorable maestros from the Golden and Silver Ages of Italian film music. This November, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth (Nov. 28, 1913) with the world premiere release of one of his most wonderful scores: La ragazza con la valigia (aka Girl with a Suitcase, 1960).
Directed by Valerio Zurlini (whose successful professional relationship with Nascimbene included Estate violenta, Le Soldatesse and La prima notte di quiete), La ragazza starred Claudia Cardinale and Jacques Perrin. Shot in glorious black-and-white by Tino Santoni, the film is a romantic melodrama, remembered as one of the most iconic Italian films of the period.
Nascimbene wrote a classy, bittersweet score dominated by the unforgettable and sad Aida’s Theme and the nostalgic Lorenzo’s Theme. The full score was conceived for a small chamber ensemble (a “black-and-white” music) – with such guest soloists as Mario Gangi (guitar) and Bruno Nicolai (harpsichord). Nascimbene composed several source cues, including an adaptation of the popular “Degüello” by Dimitri Tiomkin.
The composer selected six cues for a 45 RPM extended-play disc that was never released. These appeared three decades later on CD in a compilation from CAM, along with short selections from Estate violenta and Morte di un amico. This is the first time that the complete score of La ragazza con la valigia has been released in any form, mastered by Claudio Fuiano from the original mono sessions, courtesy of Gruppo Sugar. The richly illustrated booklet includes liner notes by Miguel A. Barroso.
These releases will be availables for shipping next Monday 25th. For more information and to listen audio samples, please visit www.quartetrecords.com
Escape From the Dark is unique in Goodwin’s output (and perhaps in all film music) because it is written entirely for brass band – no strings or woodwinds, and rather limited percussion. The music was performed by one of the most distinguished brass bands in South Yorkshire: The Grimethorpe Colliery Band, under Goodwin’s baton.
... which was a brass band originally founded by mine workers, which lends added poignancy to their employment here .
This is a welcome re-release of an original and pleasant (if a bit one-note) score by Goodwin. The original LP suffered from poor sound.
F/X 2 is a no brainer purchase for me. Was watching the DVD the other night and wondering how/why no other label had jumped on it before!!! Keep up the stunning releases!
When the film was completed, the producers demanded some changes in the editing and the music, but Schifrin was not available at the time. The session keyboardist and composer Michael Boddicker was responsible for rescoring some portions of the film. This release includes the complete Schifrin score, as he conceived it for the movie, sequenced in film order and including every second of music recorded by Schifrin for the film.
Boddicker seems to have been the go-to guy for this kind of last minute re-scoring. See Red October and Outland...
Does anyone know which parts of FX Michael Boddicker rescored (question mainly aimed at Quartet)? Just curious to see which parts weren't Schifrin’s and therefore aren't included.
I wonder if Schifrin's 1985 score to TERROR AT LONDON BRIDGE "aka Bridge Across Time" will ever see the light of day, I Think MGM owns the rights to thisone.
