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Posted: |
Nov 9, 2019 - 10:17 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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The original Italian version of Mario Bava's ERIK THE CONQUEROR (aka Gli invasori) had a score by Roberto Nicolosi, which has been released on CD by Digitmovies in 2007 and on LP by Arrow Records in 2018.
When American International Pictures released the 1961 film in the U.S. in 1963, in a dubbed English-language version, they also supposedly replaced the Nicolosi score with one by Les Baxter. Baxter's score has never had a release, so the only possible way to hear it is via the mixed tracks on the English-language version of the film.
The most recent video release of the film, a 2017 Blu-ray from Arrow, has both an Italian and English-language track. Most reviews of the film do not state what score is on either track. But two of them do. The review on Rock!Shock!Pop!.com states that "It’s interesting to note that the scores are different on each track (Roberto Nicolosi scored the Italian version while Les Baxter did the American version)." The review by DVD Savant. on the other hand, states that "A choice of audio tracks gives us the dubbed English, which isn’t bad, with the original Roberto Nicolosi score — we don’t find out what Les Baxter’s A.I.P. re-score sounds like."
Does anyone have this Arrow disc (or even the 2007 Anchor Bay DVD, which also had dual language tracks) and can ascertain whose score is on the English-language track?
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Hi, Bob.
I've never seen any version of this Bava movie, but I do own the Digitmovies 2-CD edition as well as the Arrow double LP issue.
According to the liner notes written by Tim Lucas for Digitmovies' premiere of this Nicolosi music, Mr. Lucas claims that AIP left the Nicolosi score basically intact.
Perhaps Baxter music was tracked into the Americanized version or maybe Baxter only wrote music for a few scenes?
[the IMDB doesn't even credit Les Baxter for this title]
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Posted: |
Nov 9, 2019 - 11:34 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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According to the liner notes written by Tim Lucas for Digitmovies' premiere of this Nicolosi music, Mr. Lucas claims that AIP left the Nicolosi score basically intact.
Perhaps Baxter's music was tracked into the Americanized version or maybe Baxter only wrote music for a few scenes?
[the IMDB doesn't even credit Les Baxter for this title]
Well, that may be the answer right there. I guess the first question is, "What has led anyone to believe that AIP had Les Baxter re-score this film?" Apparently both Glenn Erickson (DVD Savant) and Ian Jane (Rock!Shock!Pop!.com) believe he did, but why?
Soundtrack Collector shows:
Composer(s):
Roberto Nicolosi
Les Baxter (US-version)
But anyone could have added that information on Baxter to the site. No other source confirms it. As noted, the IMDB does not show Baxter's name. Neither does the film's entry in the American Film Institute Catalog. Only Nicolosi is listed as composer.
The book Fast and Furious: The Story of American International Pictures by Mark Thomas McGee does not include ERIK THE CONQUEROR among Baxter's scores for AIP, although it does include his re-scores for other Italian pictures like GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON, BLACK SABBATH, and GOLIATH AND THE BARBARIANS.
As near as I can ascertain, the video versions are taken from the original Italian materials. Consequently, they show the Italian credits and thus have Nicolosi's name on the music credits. The Blu-ray.com review says that the Arrow Blu-ray booklet states that "All restoration work was carried out at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned..." These materials undoubtedly have only the Italian credits for the film. The booklet goes on to say that "The mono Italian language track was remastered from the optical sound track negatives. The English language track was sourced from the best master elements available." Still, if no re-score was done, the English-language track would still have Nicolosi's score. Only a look at the English-language credits for the AIP version would confirm who the credited composer was, and those credits do not seem to be extant.
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