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I know he's put a lot out on his own promotional label, but this guy has some chops.
11 Harrowhouse, The Unseen, The Legacy, The Sphinx, his score for the TV movie of Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, he's had some great moments, and I was wondering if we'd ever get to have them officially. I know we got Theatre of Blood and thankfully so!
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Posted: |
Feb 1, 2018 - 4:28 AM
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By: |
HARRYO
(Member)
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He is a true genius and I have been privileged to speak to him on more than one occasion , and apart from being a great composer, he is a very nice man indeed.
His first score, for Bryan Forbes THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT is just amazing ,and even now after, what is it 50 years, I still get goose bumps ever time I hear it.
The great thing with his music is that it on most instances you get an emotional response. That comes from the man. Think of THEATRE OF BLOOD, THE LEGACY - OK not that much of a Movie, but my God, the music is brilliant, UNMAN, WITTERING AND ZIGO and you know what I mean.
One film that seems to have escaped any Video / DVD release is RUNNING SCARED with Robert Powell and Directed by David Hemmings. I would really love to hear that score before I pop this mortal coil - well it would be too late afterwards wouldn't it!!
I would be really grateful if anyone has come across this movie anywhere
That said, not many movies with his name on, but what ever he has done, he has done with style. Better half a dozen movies done with panache, than hundreds of scores just xeroxed out.
Thanks Michael. Thank you for the Music!!
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I don't know, but these days the guy is living in rural Missouri (!) and I just think that's a damn shame. He ought to be writing music for film or the concert hall. I'll never understand why he up and vanished after moving to Hollywood.
The Strange Case of Michael J Lewis.........could well be an Agatha Christie novel.....in which a brilliant much used and highly respected film composer composer decides to leave his native country and move lock stock and barrel to USA......and basically vanishes into thin air..
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Posted: |
Feb 2, 2018 - 10:25 PM
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By: |
bobbengan
(Member)
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Second hand stories lose authenticity. Those it happened to, quite a few, can tell those stories if they wish. Suffice it to say if you know any hardcore alcoholics there is a Jekyll/Hyde personality combined with a longterm rollercoaster downward spiral that most have in common. The Hyde parts can get pretty ugly for all concerned.
That is a very terrible shame - but also explains a lot and makes complete sense, given what gaps in his biography I've been able to fill in with the various interviews he's done over the years.
I've often wondered how the hell the guy supported himself over all these years. Surely this handful of mostly-forgotten movies he scored haven't reaped much, if any, residuals to speak of. According to his website he's scored load of commercials but none of my old-school commercial contacts - ranging from directors and producers to ad execs and agency reps - have ever heard of him. The mystery deepens...
Have you guys read the interview he did three or four years ago, where he talked about a big doc he was set to (and had actually begun) scoring? The producers asked for a few MIDI mock-ups to hear his progress and he refused, quitting immediately, and trying to sue them when they waned to forfeit his pay over the abrupt departure. Whatever the doc was, he said it went on to great acclaim - I wish I could find this interview but for the life of me I can't right now! If anyone else knows where this interview is, please do share it here!
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Looking forward to April's 10 disc set compilation.
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Looking forward to April's 10 disc set compilation.
(I always liked North Sea Hijack myself...)
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Lewis also composed the music for a Broadway musical, CYRANO (1973), which has a lovely melodic score. Won star Christopher Plummer a Tony. The show only ran for 49 performances.
Originally released as 2-lp set, but later available on CD.
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