It's been ages since I watched this spy romp featuring a forgotten beat group. KT's underscore is great. I realize that some of it was on the American LP but I seem to recall that there was much more in the movie. Would there theoretically be enough music for a complete CD release of the original music? Would anyone buy this? Would there be contractual issues with releasing just the underscore, and would (surviving) members of the beat group object?
The rights issue could be a mess, but Prometheus did manage to release a suite of the score on their wonderful second volume of "The Film Music of Ken Thorne". I'm with you on this one though: we NEED more Ken Thorne scores on CD!
The thread is very well timed given that just today the Beatles' old albums are being released in remastered sound.
The suite on the Prometheus CD contains all the score tracks that were released on the old American LP, comprised into one track. It's very good but I think that you have to like the Beatles tunes in order to enjoy Thorne's variations on them.
I have the film on DVD and like to watch it from time to time. I believe the Thorne cues would not be enough to fill a whole CD but it could always end being paired with something else as long as the copyright issues allow it. I would buy it.
The thread is very well timed given that just today the Beatles' old albums are being released in remastered sound.
The suite on the Prometheus CD contains all the score tracks that were released on the old American LP, comprised into one track. It's very good but I think that you have to like the Beatles tunes in order to enjoy Thorne's variations on them.
I have the film on DVD and like to watch it from time to time. I believe the Thorne cues would not be enough to fill a whole CD but it could always end being paired with something else as long as the copyright issues allow it. I would buy it.
So the suite has the same literal recordings that were on the American LP? Anything extra? I always wanted a longer edit of that dramatic spy cue that you hear in the film. There is a very very brief version of it on the LP right before the title tune, but you hear much more of it in the film.
I was reading that the US Help! LP was assembled in a marathon session, that the Great Dave Dexter chose and sequenced the tracks. He also provided the titles for Thorne's cues. The mono was a fold down from the stereo, despite the fact that mono mixes of both the Thorne and Beatles tracks were made for the film.
My question is this:
There is a lot of great spy music in the film that is not on the LP. Does anyone know if the masters exist? The piece that I read suggested that Capitol was supplied with a tape of Thorne's music, and that Dexter chose the tracks he wanted. Could the full score be sitting in a Capitol archive someplace?
I think that Thorne's arranging of Lennon-McCartney's songs in his score for "Help" are the most creative use of their songs in instrumental form in a film score. The promo from Prometheus has some scoring that wasn't heard in the original album.
I'm listening to the American soundtrack album, which was just released on CD. Great fun.
I've known the British pop album, with just the songs, since I first discovered the Beatles in high school in 1995, as it was the only CD available until now.
It's such a different experience to hear the songs mixed with the score, I'm glad this was finally released.
Thorne's score is great and anyone who enjoys John Barry's 60s Bond scores will like this, as Thorne seems to be clearly referencing that style.
Has anyone else bought the new CDs? I also bought the soundtrack album to A Hard Day's Night, as I also only knew the British pop album that has been on CD for so many years.
OnyaBirri, thanks for keeping this thread alive! Thanks to others who have contributed as well. The Ken Thorne compilation (~11 minutes) is wonderful if too brief, and I listen to it very often. I split it up for my playlist so that it reflects the film order as well as I can remember. I also added a good recording of the end titles (I call it “The Beatles of Seville”). I haven’t had a chance to watch “Help!” in a while so I’ve got the cues in this order (score only): 1. The Bitter End 2. From Me To You Fantasy 3. In The Tyrol 4. “James Bond” Intro 5. You Can’t Do That Fantasy 6. Another Hard Day’s Night 7. Awards Ceremony 8. Can't Buy Me Love Fantasy 9. A Hard Day's Night Fantasy 10. You Can't Do That Fantasy Part 2 11. She's A Woman-A Hard Day's Night Fantasy 12. End Titles ("The Beatles Of Seville")
Tracks 1 – 6 are pretty much as they appear on the Capitol album except where I’ve split them off if they were combined before. “Awards Ceremony” is simply that clip in which Klang wins the downhill ski jump and was combined with Lohengrin, split and put in chronological order (I think). I didn’t include “The Chase” for my playlist as I don’t recall its use in the film, plus, while I don’t dislike it, I don’t find it very listenable, even though I’m usually a complete-ist. I do need to watch “Help!” again as I recall there are some brief cues that are very nice as well but omitted from “An Orchestral Fantasy”. I’m a bit OC for album chronology and would appreciate correction if anyone can provide.
OnyaBirri, thanks for keeping this thread alive! Thanks to others who have contributed as well. The Ken Thorne compilation (~11 minutes) is wonderful if too brief, and I listen to it very often. I split it up for my playlist so that it reflects the film order as well as I can remember. I also added a good recording of the end titles (I call it “The Beatles of Seville”). I haven’t had a chance to watch “Help!” in a while so I’ve got the cues in this order (score only):
Where did you get those extra tracks from? Are they isolated on the DVD?
And how could you possibly leave out "The Chase?"
Also, isn't the opening spy music snippet that opens the "Help!" LP much longer in the film, or did they simply loop it so that it goes on longer?
Where did you get those extra tracks from? Are they isolated on the DVD?
And how could you possibly leave out "The Chase?"
Also, isn't the opening spy music snippet that opens the "Help!" LP much longer in the film, or did they simply loop it so that it goes on longer?
Part of it is from “The Film Music of Ken Thorne Volume 2”; some I found and downloaded. I’ll try to watch “Help!” this weekend, but I think you’re right about the “Bond” theme being looped. "The Chase" just doesn't do much for me, so I left it off my playlist. Here is a posting on youtube if you haven’t seen it there before. It is essentially the same as what I used for my playlist, but I diced and spliced mine for chronological order, plus I added "The Beatles of Seville" end titles for my own listening pleasure:
Part of it is from “The Film Music of Ken Thorne Volume 2”
Wow, I was mistakingly under the impression - I may have read it here - that the Help! suite simply contained the Help! LP tracks sandwiched together. I didn't realize that there was so much extra music.
Can you find this CD for reasonable prices anyplace? It is expensive on Amazon.
Part of it is from “The Film Music of Ken Thorne Volume 2”
Wow, I was mistakingly under the impression - I may have read it here - that the Help! suite simply contained the Help! LP tracks sandwiched together. I didn't realize that there was so much extra music.
Can you find this CD for reasonable prices anyplace? It is expensive on Amazon.
Unfortunately, I haven't found it for less than $60 yet.
