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Roger Feigelson writes:
INTRADA Announces:
THE 10th VICTIM
Music by PIERO PICCIONI
THAT MAN IN ISTANBUL
Music by GEORGES GARVARENTZ
INTRADA ISC 410
On this CD premiere, Intrada presents two LP programs from the classic Mainstream catalog. Spy films were prevalent during the mid-1960s, and 1965 was a peak year for the genre, ranging from the Oscar-winning spectacle of Thunderball to the gritty suspense of The Ipcress File and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. In between these classics were the “Eurospy” movies and ’65 saw the release of two lively entries in the genre—the cult classic The 10th Victim and the action-packed That Man in Istanbul.
While not technically a spy movie, The 10th Victim's cat-and-mouse story line, European locations and glamorous stars often place it in spy movie retrospectives. In its future, war has been replaced by “The Big Hunt,” where volunteers join a legally sanctioned murder game. Its protagonist is a veteran hunter surprised to learn that his new target is a woman. Piero Piccioni's score is dominated by its main theme, which frequently blends cool organ sounds with the vocals of singer Mina. The film’s love theme is performed unromantically on an organ, emphasizing the shallowness of the characters and their romance.
That Man in Istanbul is a more traditional “Eurospy” adventure. “That man” is Tony Maecenas, an American rogue who has fled to Istanbul where he runs an underground casino. Investigating the apparent death of a kidnapped nuclear scientist in a plane crash, gorgeous FBI agent Kenny is convinced that Tony is involved. Hunting for the missing scientist, Tony and Kenny encounter a complex web of espionage in the Turkish seaport. The Los Angeles Times’ Philip K. Scheuer called the film’s score “just corny enough to be noticed,” and that “corny” score was the work of Georges Garvarentz. Unlike the European scoring style of 10th Victim, Garvarentz takes the American approach, with his music following the action closely while varying the tone wildly to match the mood of the moment. Garvarentz’ music shows the influence of the James Bond scores, with its repetitive motifs, sinister stings and brassy rhythms, but balances the thrills with lighter cues fitting the film’s flippant tone.
The two seemingly unrelated soundtracks paired together on this CD have more in common than it may seem. Both were recorded with orchestras in Europe. Both were recorded in 1965 for pictures released respectively in December and August of that year. Both are receiving their U.S. premieres on CD, with That Man in Istanbul receiving its first CD release anywhere. Both were first available in the U.S. on the Mainstream label and, perhaps not coincidentally, both were assigned sequential part numbers: S/6071 and S/6072. And finally, both have brisk, flavorful scores. One nice bonus on Istanbul was the presence on the master tape of an additional track previously unreleased, featuring a “finale” version of the title song with a stronger finish befitting the conclusion of this bright spy/adventure score.
INTRADA ISC 410
Barcode: 7 20258 54100 0
Retail Price: $17.99
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For track listing and sound samples, please visit:
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.11574/.f
THE 10th VICTIM
01. Main Title – The Tenth Victim (2:57)
02. The Chase (2:12)
03. The Rendezvous (2:02)
04. Main Title (1:02)
05. Keep Running (1:33)
06. The Pawn (1:24)
07. Main Title (0:51)
08. Quiet Interlude (1:55)
09. Spiral Waltz (1:39)
10. A Place To Hide (2:09)
11. Reprieve (1:06)
12. Main Title – The Tenth Victim (1:46)
13. The Trap (1:41)
14. Main Title (0:49)
15. Love Theme From The Tenth Victim (3:22)
16. Main Theme – End Titles (1:55)
Total Time: 28:57
THAT MAN IN ISTANBUL
17. Love Was Right Here All The Time (2:39)
18. A Strange Exchange (3:22)
19. Fight In The Circle (2:04)
20. Confidences For Confidences (2:27)
21. The Man With The Steel Hand (2:07)
22. Picking Up The Check At The Mauteur (2:20)
23. A Surprise Depot (2:37)
24. The Bulldozer Leads The Dance (3:32)
25. The Man Of Istanbul (2:30)
26. The Surprises Of The Depot (1:19)
27. Fight At The Turkish Bath (2:27)
28. Chase On The Calatma Bridge (2:05)
29. Victory (1:43)
30. The March Of The Man In Istanbul (1:35)
31. Love Was Right Here All The Time (Finale) (2:24)
Total Time: 35:40
Total CD Time: 64:40
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....and the hearts sink to the knees.
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The Mainstream release of "The 10th Victim" was my introduction to Piccioni, some 30 or so years ago when I found a well-played copy in a used record store, so if this release allows more people to make a similar discovery, I approve! The "love theme" is one of my all-time favorites.
It does seem like a somewhat odd choice though, with the expanded Easy Tempo release covering so much more ground. I see a couple copies currently on eBay for big bucks, but "completed listings" shows that a copy sold just this past April for US $23.00. Also, if this was to be coupled with another Mainstream release, Piccioni's '"A Moment Of Truth" would seem like a more natural fit.
Though, I'll be happy to get an official release of "That Man In Istanbul." We can use more Garvarentz! I managed to track down the Harkit CD a couple of years back but I've never been quite clear on the legitimacy of the Harkit releases.
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Apparently fans I'm pretty sure this is according to Roger himself) when it came to the Mainstream records catalogue, Goldsmith's Stagecoach was one of the few times (perhaps only) that it was a re-recording.
Yavar
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