Hey folks, Harry here... Ol Lukas Kendall has been doing his regular KICKASS job over at Film Score Monthly, not only getting us the latest news on Film Scoring... but also they continue to put out the single most eclectic and compulsively entertaining line-up of music to get lost in. Look at their latest line up below in Lukas' letter... Now I know many of you are probably salivating over the thought of getting the Danny Elfman PLANET OF THE APES or John Williams A.I. (and I highly recommend Alan Silvestri's MUMMY RETURNS score), but folks... The music FILM SCORE MONTHLY puts out is the stuff mere film going mortals don't know about. This is a label that is founded by Film Score Gluttons that know what is missing from their collections, and want to fill that hole!
For example... Their TOWERING INFERNO score by John Williams... How can you not get it? It is classic disaster music... and from an incredibly different period in his career. Or the Don Ellis FRENCH CONNECTION scores... THESE ARE MADE TO DRIVE TO! Chase the L man! Chase it all the way through hell! You literally feel super cool... But there's a part of me that wants the entire chase scene with movie soundeffects too!
Putting out CONQUEST and BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES is just perfect... and the TV theme by Lalo! I mean... GODDAMN stand back and think about that! Sure, Elfman's Apes music may be cool... But will it top the classic sounds? However, the duo of BENEATH THE 12 MILE REEF and THE EGYPTIAN... two scores by Bernard Herrmann that... well, I've only heard samples of... and getting the entire EGYPTIAN soundtrack so I can listen to one of the great teamings in film score history between Herrman and Alfred Newman... Well... It really doesn't feel more special than to have these.
I haven't listened to THE STRIPPER or HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE yet, but I know both of those movies quite well... and their scores are... well if memory serves, everybit as solid as the above scores!
All the discs are limited and the only way a series like this continues is if folks like you continue to support it! This long on-going series is what the dream of giving back to the fan community is about... Presenting materials that no one takes a gamble on... but we all want. Here's Lukas... Go support them!
Hi Harry,
I hope you are well! We have recently released a fistful of great new soundtrack CDs -- limited editions, mail order only, packed to CD capacity with great artwork and liner notes.
Here's the slate:
On the Silver Age Classics side, movies from the '60s and '70s:
First and foremost is THE TOWERING INFERNO, the 1974 disaster score by the world's most famous composer, John Williams, newly remixed and expanded to 76 minutes!
New this week is THE FRENCH CONNECTION / FRENCH CONNECTION II - essential '70s jazzy/thriller cop music by the late jazz artist, Don Ellis.
For APES fans the first ever release of the 4th and 5th films' music, CONQUEST FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (Tom Scott) / BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (Leonard Rosenman) -- also including the TV series theme by Lalo Schifrin.
For Jerry Goldsmith fans, his 1963 score to THE STRIPPER (jazzy drama, directed by Franklin Schaffner of Apes/Patton fame) plus a rare TV private dick busted pilot score, NICK QUARRY (sounds like Our Man Flint).
On the Golden Age Classics side, '50s movies:
BENEATH THE 12-MILE REEF (1953), the underwater adventure score by Bernard Herrmann, later made famous as the jetpack music in Lost in Space!
THE EGYPTIAN (1954), the only collaboration between Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Newman, for Fox's opulent historical epic. (This is akin to Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams doing a film score together, or Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer!)
UNTAMED (1955), a completely obscure South African adventure film with great score by Franz Waxman in his Taras Bulba style.
HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953), comedy score by Cyril Mockridge quoting songs of the period -- sounds like Tom & Jerry music! Also includes Alfred Newman's onscreen prologue, "Street Scene."
We have a revamped store at this location -- it has an easy to use shopping cart system and full track lists and sound clips for all of the CDs.
That's it! I look forward to whatever help you can provide... by the way, we sold over 50% of the 3,000 copy Towering Inferno run already (6 weeks!).
Thanks!
Lukas Kendall
