Leaderboard

JWFan was born 25 years ago today! Hard to imagine back then that the site would still be up and running two and a half decades later, let alone that the Maestro would still be active after having composed nearly thirty more film scores and a similar number of concert works, as well as conducting over 200 concerts including Vienna, Berlin, Milan and Japan! Dozens of his film scores have received perfect releases during all this time, providing fans with the confidence that many more will come in the future, while maintaining and further enhancing the collective appreciation and admiration for the music we all love and which will remain with us for the rest of our lives. The analysis and discussion of his work has reached such level of comprehensiveness and detail, that our forums have become an essential reference for fans and scholars, while fomenting the creation of fascinating projects that expand and deepen the study of the Maestro’s oeuvre and contribute to increasing its appreciation by future generations who, without doubt, will continue to ensure that his name is in the place it deserves in the history of music and cinema. Thank you, Mr. Williams, and thanks to all those who have contributed during this time to make the site such a wonderful place. Here’s to 25 more! PS. The following quoted post, written for this thread 10 years ago, provides a short summary of the origins of the site:

I'm not going to lie—I was excitedly curious how quickly this news would hit JWFan! For those who don't know me, I've been writing about film music and interviewing composers (and directors and actors) professionally for the past decade. Besides the many liner notes, I also write articles and create radio stories for mainstream news outlets like the L.A. Times and NPR. I teach a film music history course at USC. And I've been a card-carrying member of this site since 2003. I won't divulge too much just yet, because it's still a little early, but I was excited to finally make it public that this book is happening. I've been working on it for three years now, and I've interviewed approximately 150 people. The big kahuna, of course, is John Williams. I plan to share the story of how that happened one day, but not yet. Thanks for your excitement! I can promise you that there are many things (stories, facts, quotes) in this book you have never heard... Tim

Apparently Tim Greiving has just announced the first English biography on John Williams, to be released in 2025: https://timgreiving.com/john-williams-in-his-adventure-on-earth/

The happy news I cryptically alluded to last week is now something I can make official: I just signed a book contract with OUP for 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴: 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘴! It's a book it feels like I've been writing in my head for a long, long time -- since middle school, kinda? And unless Williams somehow returns to write another entry in the series, I'm treating it a chance to provide a properly 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤 investigation into these scores, all nine of them. Even Rise of Skywalker?? 𝘌𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 Rise of Skywalker! My hope is this book does some justice to the complexity, challenge, and sheer magic of this music. Now, back to the grindstone! https://www.facebook.com/Falstaft/posts/pfbid0L6wUjeDDxj6AmhwHh1f9obrVMJfYbPx4GJM8YaEWiZtqxwp37A88monPFVDxBQ26l Congratulations, @Falstaft!

And finally...last but not least... BANGARANG!!! HOOK – THE ULTIMATE EDITION: EXPANDED & REMASTERED LIMITED EDITION (3-CD SET) LLLCD 1632 Music by John Williams Limited Edition of 5000 Units RETAIL PRICE: $39.98 STARTS SHIPPING DEC 1 Available to order now at www.lalalandrecords.com La-La Land Records, Sony Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and Sony Music present HOOK – THE ULTIMATE EDITION, a remastered and expanded 3-CD soundtrack presentation of legendary composer John Williams’ (STAR WARS, E.T., HARRY POTTER) original motion picture score to the 1991 adventure-fantasy HOOK, directed by Steven Spielberg. An undisputed masterwork within the treasured John Williams and Steven Spielberg collaboration that has spanned five glorious decades, HOOK is an astounding orchestral odyssey that exemplifies the Maestro’s musical genius—a sonic epic that soars with imaginative joy, wonder and adventure! This remastered ultimate presentation unleashes Williams’ iconic score as never before, expanded beyond any previous soundtrack release, with never-before-released score, alternate tracks, songs and source music. Produced, edited and mastered by Mike Matessino, in consultation with the composer, Disc One of this deluxe reissue contains the score presentation, which continues through Disc Two with additional music tracks. Disc 3 offers a sumptuous bounty of songs (highlighting the wonderful songwriting talents of Leslie Bricusse), alternate cues and source music! With stellar art direction by Jim Titus, this limited-edition release of 5000 units features a 48-Page booklet that includes exclusive in-depth liner notes by Matessino and associate producers John Takis and Jason LeBlanc. The track listing is featured on a 12-page second booklet within the package. TRACK LISTING: DISC 1 SCORE PRESENTATION 1. Hook Prologue (Extended Version) 1:33 2. We Don’t Wanna Grow Up (Extended Version) * 2:57 3. Banning Back Home (Film Version) 3:21 4. Wendy’s Entrance 2:12 5. The Bedroom 1:08 6. The Nursery Scene 1:40 7. Saying Goodnight :57 8. Hook Returns To Kensington 2:00 9. Hook Is Back 2:09 10. Forgotten How To Fly :56 11. The Stories Are True 2:24 12. The Arrival Of Tink 3:33 13. The Flight To Neverland 2:40 14. Pirate Town And Presenting The Hook 5:09 15. Hook’s Entrance 2:42 16. Draw Your Sword! 2:14 17. Peter’s Challenge 5:42 18. From Mermaids To Lost Boys (Film Version) 4:26 19. Enter Rufio 1:19 20. The Lost Boy Chase 3:35 21. The Face Of Pan 2:42 22. Hook’s Epiphany 2:16 23. Smee’s Plan 1:46 24. Pick ’Em Up * 2:56 25. Hook’s Lesson 3:08 26. The Banquet 3:14 27. The Never-Feast (Film Version) 4:41 28. When You’re Alone * 3:17 29. Goodnight Neverland 1:45 Total Time Disc One: 78:54 DISC 2 SCORE PRESENTATION (Continued) 1. Stop That Clock! 4:05 2. Home Run And Follow That Shadow 5:24 3. Peter Remembers (The Flying Sequence) 8:23 4. You Are The Pan (Film Version) 1:26 5. Tink Grows Up 2:21 6. The Ultimate War (Film Version) 8:02 7. Death Of Rufio 4:23 8. The Sword Fight And The End Of Hook 7:07 9. Farewell Neverland 10:18 10. Hook End Credits And Exit Music 5:52 Total Score Time: 2:16:23 ADDITIONAL MUSIC 11. Hook Prologue 1:25 12. Banning Back Home (Extended Version) 4:24 13. From Mermaids To Lost Boys 4:26 14. The Face Of Pan (Choral Version) 2:43 15. The Ultimate War 7:54 Total Additional Music: 21:00 Total Time Disc Two: 78:32 DISC 3 SONGS, ALTERNATES AND SOURCE MUSIC 1. We Don’t Wanna Grow Up * 1:52 2. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen 1:10 3. Childhood * 3:54 4. When You’re Alone – Moira’s Lullaby * :46 5. The Stories Are True (Alternate) 2:24 6. The Arrival Of Tink (Alternate) 3:35 7. The Flight To Neverland (Alternate) 2:33 8. Low Below – Pirate Sequence * 4:58 9. Hook’s Entrance (Alternate) 2:42 10. The Lost Boy Chase (Alternate) 3:34 11. The Never Song * 2:04 12. The Never-Band 1:20 13. The Never-Feast 4:42 14. When You’re Alone (Instrumental) 3:19 15. Mothers * 2:26 16. Stick With Me * 2:00 17. Take Me Out To The Ball Game 2:18 18. Remembering Childhood 11:06 19. Believe * 3:01 20. Farewell Neverland (Short Version / Alternate) 6:54 21. Hook Exit Music (Alternate) 1:48 BONUS TRACKS 22. Pirate Sequence (Instrumental) 3:59 23. Smee’s Concertina Medley 4:50 24. Presenting The Hook (Vocal Version Segment) * 1:38 Total Time Disc Three: 79:17 Three-Disc Total Time: 3:56:43 * Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse This is a CD format release https://www.facebook.com/lalalandrecords/posts/pfbid0v345Qm15U7zFVDxCpCQ1Xv3cJRByUzeWBTASjKsLmzW59uKwsNhhYCCuoN8ujV53l https://lalalandrecords.com/hook-the-ultimate-edition-expanded-remastered-limited-edition-3-cd-set/

I wonder what a potential tracklist would be. 1. Main Title: New York, 1932 (4:06) 2. Dead Composers Anecdote (3:54) 3. John Meets Steven (2:34) 4. George's Theme (11:38) 5. Dead Composers Anecdote (Reprise) (3:54) 6. Arrival in Boston (4:35) 7. The Microediting Montage (15:48) 8. Dead Composers Anecdote (Reprise) (3:54) 9. Scherzo for Turtleneck and Orchestra (2:49) 10. The Lasik Scene (5:23) 11. Journey To Tanglewood (3:45) 12. Dead Composers Anecdote (Reprise) (3:54) 13. Welcome To Vienna (1:42) 14. Turning 90 and The Adventure Continues (7:03) 15. Dead Composers Anecdote (For Violin And Orchestra) (feat. Anne-Sophie Mutter) (4:21)

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/john-williams-oscars-star-wars-steven-spielberg-collaborations-1235929403/

SCORE ONLY VERSION!!! https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/101023-0700

It's real. It exists. Pictures courtesy Mike Matessino, who shares them with this message Once again it didn't feel real until I actually saw and held it as a three dimensional object. So much work went into this with so many people involved. It's taken years but here it is! I can't emphasize strongly enough that listeners should enjoy the crafted album experience of Disc 3 as we've presented it. I'm so thrilled this can finally be shared.

For Helena’s Theme

I made this last year and now I can finally use it!!!!

These must be preserved for future generations!

Feature Story | February 2, 2024 An Interview with John Williams By Simon Woods https://symphony.org/features/an-interview-with-john-williams/

Beautiful

I know it’s mentioned a lot, but I’m not sure we really recognise how incredible it is that this music was written and mostly conducted by a 90 year old man. Most people his age are either dead or not eating solid foods. I know we have some legitimate complaints about the album presentation, use of older themes etc, but how many other 90 year olds are active and working, let alone writing a cue like “To Athens”. It is an astonishing achievement whatever you think of the soundtrack. Just listen to the orchestrations in “Tuk Tuk to Tangiers”. A man who statistically should be dead sat down at his piano and came up with that. I remember back in 2015 when we all freaked out because he’d pulled out of writing music for Bridge of Spies and 8 years later he’s conducting at the premiere of the 5th Indiana Jones movie. Blessed we be.

Okay quick thoughts since I know you guys are waiting End credits order is Indy fanfare for the main credits (that appear one at a time) Maybe 2-2.5 mins Helena's theme begins when the scrolling portion starts. Full suite played. Following that - seemed to be like another suite, going through as many as 4-5 themes. Most of these are sinisite / villain or macguffin themes. I think there are 2-3 villain themes and 2-3 macguffin themes. This is where the credits end, the Indy fanfare is not reprised after the villain suite. (This could be a film cue too). Some other thoughts Honest to god, score is mixed well. None of should be able to complain. I could hear it throughout, but was I paying attention to it all the time? That's a different question. Guys, I am at Cannes and let me tell you this is a very tough place to watch movies. You are always exhausted and can't always focus. Helena's theme in the score proper is frankly okay. It kinda even sounds different than the suite. There are several villainous themes as I noted above, they are good. I couldn't detect a direct Dial theme - it has some motifs for sure but I dunno if I might call it a direct theme. But then again, my mind is half shot at this point. I think there are some straight lifts from Tintin. I think the Tintin End Credits piece is ripped off for one of the set pieces. Almost note for note. B part of Indy's theme is also used. If you have any questions, I can try to answer. But I'm in screenings all day long and don't really have much of a chance to check my phone. Edit: orchestration and conducting is credited to Williams and Ross.

Wow, thanks everyone! Obviously, the most important question to address is how I got those italics. Simple! https://lingojam.com/FacebookFonts As for the timeframe: I have over a year to hand in the finished manuscript, but my goal is to have it completed well before that. It's a big book, and publishing is a very slow process. But everything so far is proceeding as I have forseen... It's not a guide to the scores really, but something more holistic, with each chapter looking at cues from all three trilogies from some angle: musical referentiality, thematic transformation, concert arrangements, and so on. There will be a ton of music examples (all my own annotated transcriptions as usu.), hopefully presented in an accessible way that draws in people who can't read sheet music. I know notation and music-theory jargon can be intimidating, and I'm hyper-aware of the potential gatekeeping effect it could on an already niche readership. But at the same time, I think we can all agree this music warrants deep and serious analysis! It's a balancing act for sure... Alas, I don't have special access to recordings, and can't speak to official expanded album releases, as amazing as they would be! Incidentally: I don't see it trumpeted nearly enough on these boards but Chloé Huvet came out with a book on SW music (mainly the OT and PT) a couple years ago that is absolutely brilliant and similarly synthetic in approach. The book is in French, which limits the audience, but it's worth getting your hands on if only for the fantastic music examples and charts. The amount of insight in her prose is incredible too, and it's been a major source of inspriation to me.

Now that we have less than 50 hours to release, I do just want to take a moment to say how much fun it has been to be a part of this community for the last few years. The possibility of new Star Wars movies scored by John Williams back in 2012 is what got me to lurking on this board and watch to see members speculate if he'd come back. The actual hype up to TFA and the actual score is what caused me to create an account. The last decade has allowed me to geek out with people about film score events in a way that I had always wanted but felt like I had missed out on. Part of me still can't believe we got another trilogy of Star Wars scores and an Indy 5 score alongside more Spielberg scores. Whether or not you like the movie, I hope you all find something to like in the new score. This little recess of the Internet has consistently been a fun little space to geek out on these things, and I've very grateful for it. This is truly the end of an era, and I'm happy to be here for it.

Yes, I thought was interesting too! Glad he had the cataracts removed. I hear from others who have had that it is truly altering to see more colors. I hope JW is getting the joy of that experience. Thanks. Really, there was way too much going on to even process everything. With my fellow IndyCasters who I have not seen since 2020 (or even longer ago), being out on the red carpet. Getting to meet Ke Huy Quan (Short Round) after the movie. The person who organizes these events for Disney is married to one of my former students, and that person spotted me in photos from the organizer and then told him to go meet me, to being steps from one of the actresses in the film. Still, while I had predicted the appearance of the Maestro to play music, by the time the event started, I had forgotten about that and then the curtain rose to reveal him and 80+ musicians. In terms of the music in the film and without giving spoilers (other than locations but all of which are in the trailer): First off, it's generally audible most of the time it plays. There is a lot of it as Mangold has told us, and still there are some action sequences where no music was used (not dissimilar to Star Wars when the music drops out). I do suspect those moments had music scored for them and the absence now was editorial. (I'm already pining for unreleased music!) The first 20% of the which takes place in the 40s is pretty much all scored and many old themes and motifs from the franchise can be heard winding their way through the action. I'm not entirely sure when we get to hear this separately (if we do) that it will feel very coherent though as I got a sense of jumping around a bit. It works in the movie though, and I wonder about it as a listening experience without the film. As I hoped and guessed on our recent podcast, the sound and music of the era made appearances at times including one key early moment as the movie transitioned to 1969. That is not at all a decision by JW - it was clearly in the script as the music diegetic - but in terms of the overall score of the picture it worked. Generally after that the score charted to some new areas and themes. Helena's music is very differently used than say Marion's theme and different pieces of it the suite we have heard since last summer show up in the right spots with varying orchestrations, tempos and blends with other themes. I liked that. This felt similar to how the Solo suite was used as a basis for numerous moments in that film. Of course the difference being JW's own use of his themes vs. Powell's (which was still quite good). There are plenty of action sequences and one in particular was scored in a manner that JW would have done in the late 60's or early 70's. I felt vibes of Lalo Schifrin and some amount of homage to The French Connection and similar films set in NY in that era. I found that refreshing although perhaps a bit of an oddity compared to to the rest of the score. Definitely heard shades of Tintin when the film was in North Africa which was either how JW scores all those locales or was his own homage to his past work. I suspect the former. It was not a straight lift or anything blatant and worked with the action. Probably missing for me was a clear statement of themes for the Dial itself (although I think it is there) or Voller, the main bad guy. A few times, clearly Mangold just let the music dominate as much as the visuals would allow. Not to the level of Spielberg (e.g. the Truck Chase, Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra, the jungle chase stuff in Skull), but not as infrequent as in the recent Star Wars films. Overall, highly satisfied and looking forward to whatever we get on the soundtrack (which is going to woefully inadequate unless there is a surprised deluxe digital version) and looking forward to deciding where this sits amongst the other 4 films.

SCORE OF THE YEAR INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, music by John Williams BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE FILM INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, music by John Williams Full list of winners http://filmmusiccritics.org/2024/02/ifmca-award-winners-2023/

Kind of like we did with Rise of Skywalker, let's have some threads of pure positivity and appreciation for the specific cues, tracks, and themes from Dial of Destiny. Why not begin with a track I think we all agree is beautiful and quite affecting: "To Morocco." Here are two of my observations. First, the statement of the Raiders A theme at 0:35 is an all timer, don't you think? Sure, the first phrase ("Give 'em hell, Indiana Jones!") is lifted more or less without alteration from Crystal Skull 2m13r. But after the pause, you get the rest of the phrase in a totally new way, first this tender clarinet solo, and then a broad brass chorale of an ending. As far as I know, it's the only time the theme has been presented in this way. Or that the 1-2-3 melodic line is harmonized with a IV6-V6-I progression. Just a gorgeous way of fitting in a lot of complex emotions--melancholy, vulnerability, strength--in an incredibly short span. The second detail: hearing the piano figure for the Antikythera (1:06) in relatively close proximity to the incipit for Helena's theme on the celesta (2:05) brings out a certain intervallic sympathy between the two, doesn't it. The first is D6-D5-C#5-D6-D5-C#5, the latter F5-F6-Gb6-A6-Bb5-C6-F6. The first, an octave drop and semitone step down, the latter an octave leap and semitone step up. Maybe nothing, but undeniably pretty!

Uh oh, maybe we failed at press release writing if that wasn't obvious. Yes, this is not just a new main program followed by a long bonus track collection. This is two albums in one. First a new 2-disc album of the complete score that includes the film's three finished songs. Then Disc 3 is a carefully curated and arranged album that takes you through the story in a whole new way. Every track is carefully placed to not only create a strong narrative, but to showcase the musical that almost was in the best way possible. Mike, John (Takis), Deniz and I all really hope people will listen to the main program of Disc 3 as it is when their set arrives, as opposed to cherry picking tracks and jumping around to start. You'll have the rest of your life to listen to all this music in any manner you like, but only one chance to introduce yourself to the songs the way they are presented here, which was in full consultation with Williams and Bricusse. It's amazing how the songs strengthen the score and the score strengthens the songs. It's like a continually rewarding experience for a long while after you get it. I've never experienced anything quite like it in all my years of film music collecting. I hope everyone finds it as rewarding as I do. Oh, and the extra space at the end of discs 2 and 3 was a great place to be able make the overall release complete, while still maintaining the integrity of the two new albums within it. Everything worked out beautifully!

Great discovery of the weekend! While remembering the Blu-Ray menu gave us the clean version of the "Rey Training" cue which is unreleased, I wanted to see what the DVD menus had since those usually contain additional screens for the "Scene Selection" and "Language/Subtitles". The amazing @crumbs found a complete DVD rip and we were able to find another previously unreleased cue, not featured on the Blu-Ray!! It is the "Meditation" cue, featured in the "Scene Selection" menu: tros-amp.mp3 Another DVD exclusive menu for the language setup comes with the section of "Reunion" that contains Rey & Yoda's Theme, which is on the OST, so no other unreleased music there. This is all new information, right?

Listening will answer many questions. The liner notes will answer many more. The various upcoming podcast episodes will answer even more. Lots of discussions to be had about this masterpiece in the coming months!

Have at thee !

OK I got through the whole film. I found that there's 1:55:20 of score in the film, which runs 2:34:34. So that's ~75% of the film scored with original music! Of course, about 2:30 of that is Bill Ross's "Pulse of the City" cue. And then, there is tracking in the film, too, so that number doesn't represent unique Williams score heard. The only tracking I'm sure about currently is the four spots that the GEMA list easily reveals (because it lists the cues in the order that they first appear, if a cue intended for later in the film apepars earlier through tracking, it stands out in the list). 1 - "Helena's Tutorial" is heard in the scene where she follows Indy into the bar (0:27:05-0:27:43) and ends up being the first appearance of her theme in the film. But this cue was written for the scene where she is translating for Voller with the dynamite in her pocket, and appears again where intended then. 2 - A piece of "Voller's Interview" is stretched out and tracked into the opening (0:28:22-0:28:41) of the first scene with Voller in his hotel room (with the room service guy), but it was written for his later scene where he's being interviewed and appears again there (unstretched). 3 - Part of "Centipedes" is tracked into the "Eels" scene. I haven't figured out the timestamp yet (Eels in general is 1:21:46-1:23:32) 4 - "Teddy Is Kidnapped" (which runs 1:39:10-1:41:55 overall) has two bits replaced by tracked music. First, a short section of "To The Airport (Patch 2)" is heard somewhere (don't have the timestamp handy), and then when they steal the wedding car, 34 seconds of "Helena In Action" is tracked in from 1:40:26-1:41:00. This is an interesting one, because the title could imply its a "wild" recording of her theme in action mode. It doesn't appear anywhere else in the film, but Williams put it at the end of the "Tuk Tuk In Tangiers" OST track, where it's almost twice as long as this film use. Has anybody noticed any other tracking in the film? I'm talking specifically about Indy5 music being tracked, not temp-track re-records which is a whole other topic... Anyways, a simple cue list, for the cues used in the film, without the inserts and patches list, just the "main" cues, in order, goes like this: American Spy Bombs Away! Indy Driver It's a Fake Indy Rescues Baz Combat Train-ing Jump (If a cue for Helena following Indy on the street was recorded, it'd be here) Nazis I'm Not Selling This, Am I? The Archives Helena Runs! Pulse of the City Voller's Interview Sallah to the Rescue Departures It Must Be Destroyed Indy Recognizes Professor Schmidt Doing Helena's Bidding Rossini's Menu Rahim Arrives You Don't Need Me? Streets of Morocco Tuk Tuk Chase Airplane Mutiny To Athens Sunken Ship Indy's Regret Eels! Water Ballet Polybius Cipher Escaping the Boat Melting Wax Teddy is Kidnapped The Crescent Centipedes Handcuffed Archimedes' Tomb Confrontation at the Tomb To the Airport Airport Nazis Through the Portal Ancient Syracuse Centuries Join Hands For Who...Whom? Finale Raider's March Helena's Theme End Credits Part 3 Sorting out which patch and version is which will take a lot of time, and not all is capable of being figured out, but a list of all the patches/inserts/versions used in the film would look like this: American Spy (orig, Patch 1, V2, V2 Patch 2) Bombs Away! (orig, V2) Indy Driver (orig, Part 1 V2, Part 2) It's a Fake (V2, V2 Patch 1) Indy Rescues Baz (V2) Combat Train-ing (V3, V3 Patch 1) Jump (V2) (If a cue for Helena following Indy on the street was recorded, it'd be here) Nazis I'm Not Selling This, Am I? The Archives Helena Runs! Pulse of the City Voller's Interview Sallah to the Rescue Departures It Must Be Destroyed (orig, To Morocco Again) Indy Recognizes Professor Schmidt Doing Helena's Bidding Rossini's Menu Rahim Arrives You Don't Need Me? Streets of Morocco Tuk Tuk Chase (orig, Patch 1 Rev, Patch 2, Patch 4) Airplane Mutiny To Athens (orig, Patch 1) Sunken Ship Indy's Regret Eels! Water Ballet Polybius Cipher (Helena's Tutorial) Escaping the Boat (orig, Patch 1) Melting Wax (orig, Insert) Teddy is Kidnapped The Crescent Centipedes Handcuffed Archimedes' Tomb Confrontation at the Tomb To the Airport (orig, Part 1 Patch, Patch 2, Part 2) Airport Nazis (orig, Patch 1, Patch 3, Patch 4, Patch 5) Through the Portal Ancient Syracuse (Version 3, Planes In Trouble Insert) Centuries Join Hands (orig, Patch 1) For Who...Whom? Finale (orig, Patch 1) Raider's March (JR Edit) Helena's Theme (Rev, Rev 2) End Credits Part 3 Now lining up the OST album with the right cue names wasn't terribly hard, but there are some spots I couldn't identify. Anybody recognize these bits? 1 Prologue to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny [0:00-1:08] (1:08) - Not in the film, but is it an unused cue or an album recording? 8 To Athens [0:00-1:09] (1:09) - this was a surprising one! Not sure what it could be for 9 Perils of the Deep [0:00-0:35] (0:35) - I think I recognize this but can't place it.... Until those bits are identified, this is the best I can do breaking down the OST album: 01 Prologue To Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (6:00) 0:00-1:08 (1:08) = not in film and could have been recorded just for the album 1:08-end (4:52) = End Credits Part 3 02 Helena’s Theme (3:30) 0:00-?:?? ?:?? Helena's Theme Rev 2 ?:??-end ?:?? Helena's Theme Rev 03 Germany, 1944 (4:42) 0:00-2:19 2:19 Indy Driver 2:19-3:00 0:41 It's a Fake 3:00-3:22 0:22 Indy Rescues Baz 3:22-3:48 0:24 Combat Train-ing 3:48-end 0:54 Jump 04 To Morocco (3:21) 0:00-1:11 1:11 Departures 1:11-end 2:10 It Must Be Destroyed 05 Voller Returns (3:06) 0:00-1:17 1:17 The Archives 1:17-2:36 1:19 Voller's Interview 2:36-end 0:30 Nazis 06 Auction At Hotel L’Atlantique (2:58) 0:00-0:19 0:19 Indy Recognizes Professor Schmidt 0:19-1:37 1:18 Doing Helena's Bidding 1:37-end 1:21 Rossini's Menu 07 Tuk Tuk In Tangiers (3:35) 0:00-2:28 2:28 Streets of Morocco 2:28-end 0:37 Helena in Action 08 To Athens (2:17) 0:00-1:09 1:09 unidentified 1:09-end 1:08 To Athens 09 Perils Of The Deep (2:31) 0:00-0:35 0:35 unidentified 0:35-1:35 1:00 Sunken Ship 1:35-end 0:56 Indy's Regret 10 Water Ballet (4:53) 0:00-0:56 0:56 Eels! 0:56-end 3:57 Water Ballet 11 Polybius Cypher (2:39) 0:00-0:38 0:38 Helena's Tutorial 0:38-1:59 1:21 Polybius Cipher 1:59-end 0:40 Escaping the Boat 12 The Grafikos (4:39) 0:00-2:05 2:05 Melting Wax 2:05-end 2:34 Centipedes 13 Archimedes’ Tomb (3:01) Archimedes' Tomb 14 The Airport (4:46) 0:00-0:53 0:53 To the Airport 0:53-end 3:53 Airport Nazis 15 Battle Of Syracuse (2:50) Ancient Syracuse 16 Centuries Join Hands (3:02) Centuries Join Hands 17 New York, 1969 (4:17) 0:00-0:47 0:47 For Who...Whom? [pitch-shifted] 0:47-2:19 1:32 Finale 2:19-end 1:58 Raider's March 18 Helena’s Theme (For Violin And Orchestra) (4:59) not in film but probably recorded under this name Again this list only sticks to the "main" cues, I haven't attempted to figure out patches/inserts/version stuff yet.

Challenge accepted!

Not sure if this warrants its own thread or not, but I've done a first pass at transcriptions of the new themes from DoD. I don't know if we've come up with consensus labels for all of these, besides the obvious for Helena and Voller. Also have little confidence that the Archimedes theme is transcribed rhythmically 100% accurately, or the tertiary Nazi theme harmonically. Helena (transcribed from arrangement that premiered last year): Antiquity/Antithykera Mechanism (transcribed from "Prologue") Antithykera Mechanism (transcribed from "Archimedes Tomb") Antikythera Piano Figure (transcribed from "Battle of Syracuse") Archimedes (Transcribed from "Prologue") Nazis 0 "Voller" (transcribed from "Airport") Nazis 1 "Spirit" (transcribed from "Prologue") Nazis 2 "Supremacy" - exotic and furtive (transcribed from "Prologue") Nazis 3 "Might" -- chorale(transcribed from "Prologue") Nazis 4 "Determination" -- Transcribed from "The Airport" Syracuse -- Transcribed from "The Battle of Syracuse"

For those interested in film score analysis, I'll be giving a virtual guest talk on harmony in John Williams' action music. The talk is with the Academy of Scoring Arts this Sunday, Sep. 10th, from 10am-12pm Pacific Time (they're based in L.A.). I'll be breaking down two cues from the original Star Wars trilogy: "Attacking a Star Destroyer" from The Empire Strikes Back, and "Fight in the Dungeon" (the Rancor scene) from Return of the Jedi. The idea is to give a sense not only of the kinds of chords Williams often uses, but also how he tends to use them in an action scene. You must be a member to attend, but you can sign up entirely for free on the Academy's website. Here's the link for the talk on the ASA's site (includes a link to sign up with ASA): https://scoringarts.com/event/the-music-of-john-williams-with-special-guest-mark-richards/

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/07/opinion/indiana-jones-movie-john-williams-music.html Wonderful article just published in the NY Times, and written by @Falstaft! Check it out!

Saw the movie on Monday. If I had to compare the score to any of the previous parts in the series, I'd pick "The Last Crusade". There was also really one leading new theme (Grail) and the compelling action music that dominated the score. There is even more of it here. Helena's Theme we hear more often in the film itself in adventure arrangements (that are really great) than the one we know from last concerts. It's only in its full "Golden Age" glory during the end credits. But there is a lot going on here, it is dynamic and dense, because there is no shortage of action in the movie. There are also some musical surprises. In one of the scenes I heard something that would fit to "Dirty Harry" or "Bullitt" or other Shiffrin's scores form 70's. Very unusual for Williams. There's another theme, more exotic, similar to "Tintin". And a lot of "Raider's March" and twice The music is very intense, just like "The Last Crusade" mixed with "Tintin". And sometimes it rushes like "The Lost World". The music accompanying action scenes, with motifs accompanying the antagonists, is very intense and the whole score is very "busy" , if I may use such a word. Williams had a lot to do here. And must have had fun! And there is theme related to the McGuffin - very simple one. I can't wait to hear the score from the album and I have no doubt that it will be a great listening experience. Williams and Ross are listed as conductors. And the movie itself? Without giving away any spoilers, I really liked it. A lot of humor, lots of action, with a solid emotion in the background. There were moments that really surprised me. The biggest acting star here is indeed the fantastic Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Can't wait to see it again!

THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK EXPANDED AND REMASTERED (2-CD SET) MUSIC COMPOSED AND CONDUCTED BY JOHN WILLIAMS LIMITED EDITION OF 5000 UNITS Coming From LA-LA LAND RECORDS AUGUST 8, 2023 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=778068147662581&set=a.484587307010668 https://twitter.com/LaLaLandRecords/status/1686435772700979200

The majority of the release comes from analog tape that Shawn Murphy saved his brilliant stereo mixes of every take to, in 1991. Nobody has to worry about any sound issues with this release -- as the samples should already tell you. Just compare the samples of "Flight To Neverland", "The Ultimate War (Film Version)", and "Swordfight and The End of Hook" to the same music on the 2012 edition. The songs (which were not recorded by Shawn Murphy) were saved on various different formats but sound just as good.

Like HunterTech said, it wasn't a mistake on their end. Disney quickly pulled the intended 4K re-release at the last minute and decided to repack the original discs instead, for some unknown reason. Those 4K discs with the isolated score did however end up in the big 9-film boxset. I've been waiting months for a reason to post this...

Following a FSM thread on this topic here are the "note from Steven Spielberg" on soundtrack albums: JAWS (1975) In doing the score for Jaws... John Williams has really outdone himself. The soundtrack is a stunning symphonic achievement and a great leap ahead in the revitalization of film music as a foreground component for the total motion picture experience. He has accomplished on Jaws what Korngold did for The Sea Hawk and Bernard Herrmann for Psycho. Simply, he has made our movie more adventurous, gripping and phobic than I ever thought possible, Right up there with Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and 7,000 pounds of hungry shark, John Williams' musical vision plays a leading role. Unlike so many traditional composer/conductors, John is an artist of numerous styles. He is chameleon-like and vulnerable to the impulses of the film he is about to score. His music on Jaws is unlike any of his previous works, including, The Reivers, The Cowboys, Jane Eyre, The Towering Inferno, Paper Chase, The Sugarland Express, Cinderella Liberty, Images and many others, including two full symphonies, a symphony for winds, a flute concerto and more. These concert works have been performed by many major orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. Being an insatiable collector of film music, I haven't been this happy with a soundtrack since Dimitri Tiomkin's The Guns of Navarone. What more can I say? The music fulfilled a vision we all shared. -Steven Spielberg CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 3rd KIND (1977) One day JOHN WILLIAMS told me something I never would have imagined... that creating a musical score for a nearly completed motion picture is far and away more frustrating than creating an original symphonic composition that never has to conform to the beats, measures, and boundary layers of a screen story, but instead flows freely from the composer's imagination as he tells his own story from start to finish. This is perhaps why much of John's music for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND is so airborne and awe inspiring. He actually started work on musical ideas two years before CLOSE ENCOUNTERS was finalized, basing his impressions on the unfinished script and dinner conversations we would have twice a week. In many instances, John wrote his music first, while I put the scenes to it much later. Because of the complicated special effects that adorn the final 35 minutes of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND John found himself composing to blank leader months before the effects were finished and cut in. This was a challenge to both of us, but it liberated John to score freely-sans coitus interruptus-and inspired me in reconstructing certain visuals to the final music. John became more than just a composer for hire. He was a creative collaborator in all phases of post-production, spending every day for fifteen weeks in the mixing studio and editing rooms. He taught me about underrated Russian composers and good German wines, and I taught him how to pace the hallways and how to eat junk foods. John's freedom of choice is evident in every selection on this album. Once again John Williams has taken a motion picture and interwoven his own musical story-telling skills to create higher levels of beauty and suspense... His music for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS goes beyond simply allowing the listener to recall his favorite scenes but stands on its own as a serious symphonic achievement - timeless and without restraints. Steven Spielberg 1941 (1979) On his film score for JAWS, John Williams became half Pirate, half Shark. On CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, he was part Star Child, part Super Nova. Finally, with "1941", John went half crazy and all gung-ho attempting to fit a score to a movie that tries to make World War Il a Comedy Spectacular. Film humor is sticky business. In order for it to succeed.it must always have one foot firmly on the ground, no matter what color sock the other foot is wearing. “1941" is about a mix of characters whose reaction to the "Invasion of Hollywood" is at times so extreme that we wonder what on earth is keeping them from blasting into orbit. John's score is a major reason. It is so brazenly dramatic, so brimming with guts and glory, that if you hear the album before seeing the movie you'll probably wonder just how much comedy “1941" really has. We hope it's "Full of It”. And if you agree. it is due in large part to ninety minutes of incredible music that underscores the most liberal reinterpretation of American History since "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. STEVEN SPIELBERG RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) A NOTE FROM STEVEN SPIELBERG Not too long ago, in a country not so far away, adventurer archeologist Indiana Jones embarked on an historically significant search for the Lost Ark of the Covenant, Joining him on this supernatural treasure hunt was The London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of composer John Willams, Were it not for many crucial bursts of dramatic symphonic accompaniment, Indiana Jones would surely have perished in a forbidding temple in South Amorica or in the oppressive silence of the great Sahara desert. Nevertheless, Jones did not perish, but listened carefully to the Raiders score. Its sharp rhythms told him when to run. Its slicing strings told him when to duck. Its several integrated themes told adventurer Jones when to kiss the heroine or smash the enemy. All things considered, Jones listened, and lived. John Williams saves yet another life and gives our picture, Raiders of the Lost Ark, a new, refreshing life of its own. Thanks, John. Steven Spielberg April, 1981 POLTERGEIST (1982) I have been an admirer of Jerry Goldsmith from the moment I heard his score for THE BLUE MAX and A PATCH OF BLUE. Along with John Williams, these two men have dominated the arena of great movie music for nearly 20 years. Jerry's scores range from the unforgettable PATTON to his Oscar-winning music for THE OMEN. In between, there came such rousing challenges as STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, CHINATOWN, PAPILLON, ALIEN, over 100 scores. Now with POLTERGEIST, Jerry has met his greatest challenge - to scare us nearly to tears, and he has been remarkable in his efforts. Cleverly, the moments of greatest tension arise not from his brilliant off-rhythm ostinatos but more from a soothing tonal beauty. Don't trust his melodies. Something perfectly unworldly is due to occur the moment you let your guard drop and Goldsmith proceeds to feign and attack with no "apparent" rhyme or pattern. It's to his great credit that he has plotted every blow and designed a score of such shattering intensity that nighttime is perhaps not the right time to hear this album if you have seen the film. If you haven't seen POLTERGEIST, Jerry's music conjures many classical impressions of ferocious drive and at the same time, cathedral beauty. So... let the imagination wander. Pleasant dreams Steven Spielberg E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982) “In our ten year and six picture association, John Williams has been an immeasurable creative force in all of my movies. This should be obvious to anyone who realized that John was the voice of Jaws, the soul of the mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the furious heartbeat from which Raiders of the Lost Ark flowed. John's score to the movie E.T. is unlike any of his others. It is soothing and benign. It is scary and suspenseful and, toward the climax, downright operatic. For me, this is John Williams best work for the movies. John Williams is E.T.” Steven Spielberg INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) A NOTE FROM STEVEN SPIELBERG Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is as much a replica of, as it is a departure from, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Musically, all of the familiar marches are back, tracing the heroics of ace archeologist Dr. Indiana Jones from the turbulent streets and dark alleys of 1935 Shanghai, to the sweltering jungles of uncharted India, at which point John Williams, the maestro of movie magic, and we the audience take an unexpected detour to the far side of fear and fantasy. In this section of the adventure, all comforting themes vanish, and we become lost in the inner sanctums of The Temple of Doom with a secret voodoo cult thought extinct for one hundred years. This sinister setting offers John leagues of musical opportunity, and he makes a feast of it in one of his best film scores ever. In attempting a "further adventure" neither John Williams, George Lucas, nor I wanted to retrace our steps. This is a shiny new story with heroines, sidekicks and villains you've never before seen. And John Williams has composed new themes for each of them. I am especially proud of John's "Short Round's Theme" and the nightmare choral chant in The Temple of Doom. These particular sections of the score could be the only music in the world effective enough to knock the hat off of Indiana Jones' head. Steven Spielberg THE COLOR PURPLE (1985) The score for THE COLOR PURPLE reflects the beauty of Quincy Jones' personal commitment to both the film and his own artistry. To successfully accomplish his assignment Quincy spent numerous days on the set of the film, in dailies, and several weekends with me in the editing room attempting to discover what secrets lay at the heart of THE COLOR PURPLE and searching for the inspiration that would provide us both with the musical voices of Celie, Mr., Nettie, Shug, Sofia, Harpo, Old Mr., Squeak, Grady, Miss Millie and that old dilapidated mailbox which became the eleventh character in THE COLOR PURPLE. Even that begged for a theme. Quincy did us all proud. He and a gifted armada of musicians, arranger/conductors, vocalists and technicians went to work in a fever pitch and one day returned with over 100 minutes of source music, songs and score. The results for me were tear inspiring. It is music so lucid that one not only hears it, but sees it too. Quincy Jones has added another milestone to a career already unparalleled in today's recording industry. He has again, given us all something to sing about. STEVEN SPIELBERG EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987) Do not include a Steven Spielberg note. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989) A NOTE FROM STEVEN SPIELBERG Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade marks the tenth project John Williams and I have worked on together and the third in this series of adventure yarns, this one involving none other than Sean Connery playing Henry Jones, Sr. to Harrison Ford's Indy Jones... "Jr." And so the tone is set for an ebullient father-son excursion across the surface of the world, more in the vein of the funny, thrilling Raiders than the subterranean journey into darkness that made Temple of Doom so bone chilling. I think John heard his new themes the first time he saw my assembly of the movie. He knew exactly what he wanted and eight weeks later before an 85-piece Hollywood orchestra, I experienced one of John's liveliest film scores ever. From the Grail Knight Theme written in the English, pastoral idiom in major modes with very positive intervals, to the scherzo, underlining the father and son exploits which is in a driving, brilliant orchestral idiom with 6/8 rhythm, the kind of music you might imagine for a wild fox hunt. This scene is equestrian in character, but it's transposed on something nearly contemporary. Instead of riding horses, which is what this music reminds us of, we instead hear this when they're fighting Nazis in airplanes or being pursued in motorcycles or being chased in boats. It brings, in musical terms, a classical element to these scenes. Henry's (Sean Connery's) Theme has strong intervals that establish an emotional relationship between these two men in a lyrical way without sentimentality. John's music has always related in a kinetic fashion to the way I rhythmically pace my sequences. It gives the impression of one constant, adventurous trip. What is unique is that John's music rhythmically traces my action for almost 110 minutes and becomes a character in the story with as much importance as the heroes and the villains. What I think is different in many ways about this score is that only fragments of the familiar Indiana Jones theme are used. We felt the movies had grown up to the point that we didn't have to lean on your thrill button every time something heroic occurs as we had done in the previous two motion pictures. Having said this, John has outdone himself. which has become a habit with him. He gives new meaning to the phrase "audience involvement.” Steven Spielberg ALWAYS (1990) Do not include a Steven Spielberg note. THE SPIELBERG WILLIAMS COLLABORATION (1991) I WANT TO SALUTE JOHN WILLIAMS - the quintessential film composer. John has transformed and uplifted every movie that we've made together. As his works are performed on this recording with the artistry of the Boston Pops Orchestra, I think you'll hear what I mean. For instance, who would have imagined the mood that two simple notes, in a heartbeat rhythm, could create. To this day, just hearing those two notes from Jaws (1975) immediately conjures shark, adrenaline and second thoughts about swimming. John's music became the character. But the magic of John's music supporting the picture is one thing: the other is the loveliness and power of the music itself. In 1974 Universal Pictures gave me a go-ahead to direct my first feature film. I signed Goldie Hawn to star in this movie, which was based on a true story that took place in southwest Texas. I wanted a certain sound: music I had heard in the movies The Reivers and The Cowboys, both scored by John Williams. We met, and, to my good fortune, he agreed to do the film. He wrote a most haunting and wonderful theme so evocative of that part of Texas. He chose harmonica as solo voice for his composition and brought the world's most celebrated harmonica player. Toots Thielemans, to our recording session. And here Toots recreates that theme from our first collaboration, Sugarland Express (1974). In the next year, for Jaws, John composed music for the boat ride that took Richard Dreyfuss and his crew in search of the shark - a truly great orchestral piece on its own. The scene ends as Dreyfuss meets his nemesis from his fragile sea-locked cage. John calls this "Out to Sea" and "The Shark Cage Fugue." John received his second Academy Award for Jaws (his first was for the orchestration of Fiddler on the Roof in 1971). Immediately after Jaws, our next venture was Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). The challenge posed to John this time was quite literally from another world. How should mankind communicate with this mesmerizing space ship? John wanted something that was a kind of signal or musical beacon - he felt that anything longer than five notes was too close to a melody. As simple and natural as the theme now seems, it was anything but simple to compose. We consulted a mathematician who warned us that there are at least 250,000 ways to combine five notes! Undaunted, John created his inspired combination. Out of these five notes, John went on to compose a finale filled with awe, affection and reverence, a musical blessing for the transcendent encounter between humans and extraterrestrials. For the motion picture 1941 (1979), I posed yet a whole different challenge to John: A World War Il comedy spectacle about the imagined panic in Los Angeles after the invasion of Pearl Harbor. This was a larger-than-life, special-effects movie of a war being fought on the beaches of Malibu. John composed a spirited march which when played in the studio sounded so good that I went home, grabbed my clarinet and joined the clarinet section to make sure the end result was just ragged enough. Despite my efforts, the March survived and contributed great fun to this bizarre invasion. For Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), John rousingly heightened the spirit of adventure, wit and suspense. But, again, the power of his music, outside the context of the films, valiantly speaks for itself. In the case of E.T. (1982), John asked that we simply let him perform this theme without trying to measure it closely with the edited film. We shut off the projector and John performed the theme for E.T., just letting the spirit come from his heart. It worked so well that we took the last scene back to the editing room and conformed our pictures to John's interpretive conducting. This score won him his fourth Academy Award (the third was for Star Wars), and my continued admiration and gratitude. The range and variety of John's music is extraordinary. While often powerful in adventure scenes or even jubilant as in the chorus "Exsultate Justi" from Empire of the Sun (1987), his most poignant moments capture the tenderness and aspirations of the human spirit, sometimes gently, sometimes soaring to lush heights, no more so than in the "Cadillac of the Skies" from Empire of the Sun and in his theme from Always (1989). John is the poet in me. He makes me look so good each time out. We've been friends and colleagues for seventeen years. He's been my partner in film, my partner in music and my friend in life. - Steven Spielberg HOOK (1991) John and I wanted to do a live-action motion picture fantasy We explored a number of options: musical theatre, light opera, and most recently, a musical sans libretto. Because of enormous pressure brought about by an early December 91 release for our latest collaboration, HOOK, John began to write the score even before he saw the completed film. His only clue into the nature of what I was doing was the screenplay and the first 5 reels (47 minutes) of edited film. These were not the ideal working conditions we had experienced over the course of an eleven-picture relationship. Yet remarkably, John has invented music with so much magic, delicacy, and simple beauty that the results have far outshone the process. John Williams and I have enjoyed an exclusive collaboration since 1973. I have, over the span of eleven movies, found myself pen to paper trying to express myself about John Williams' music. Ladore this score. And here is a rare instance where further words really fail me. The music needs to be experienced, not discussed. It will provide recurring memories of our movie HOOK, or like any great ballet, suite or symphony it will stand wholly on its own, sweeping you away to your own personal Neverland - Steven Spielberg JURASSIC PARK (1993) SIXTY-FIVE MILLION YEARS AGO, DINOSAURS ROAMED THE EARTH. Now, through the miracle of DNA cloning and John Williams talent, we're back in the Jurassic Era, listening to a score which I can only call classic, vintage Williams. John and I haven't made a movie like this together since "Jaws" and it was a lot of fun for us to revisit a genre that we got such a kick out of 18 years ago. When listening to this score, you should pay particular attention to the music of the raptors as well as the haunting and ennobling sounds of the brachiosaurus - in my opinion some of the most original writing John has ever done for the movies. "Jurassic Park" marks the end of our first dozen films together. It's the longest personal working relationship I've ever had with anyone in the motion picture industry, and I consider it a privilege to call John my friend. - STEVEN SPIELBERG, 1993 SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) With dignity and compassion. John Williams has composed original and stunningly classical music for SCHINDLER'S LIST in a collection of themes and orchestral remembrances that will haunt you. The antihuman events beginning with Kristallnacht (1938) to the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau (1944) posed a deliberate challenge to both John and me: how to make the unimaginable factual, and how to create not so much a motion picture but a document of those intolerable times. The choice John Williams made was gentle simplicity. Most of our films together have required an almost operatic accompaniment. which is fitting for INDIANA JONES. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS or JAWS. Each of us had to depart from our characteristic styles and begin again. This is certainly an album to be attended with closed eyes and unsequestered hearts. Joining John in honoring the memory of the Shoah is the world renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman. His and John's contribution to the musical literature of this project is significant. 1 want to thank them both for making SCHINDLER'S LIST the most deeply moving filmmaking experience of my life. Steven Spielberg WILLIAMS ON WILLIAMS – THE CLASSIC SPIELBERG SCORES (1995) Do not include a Steven Spielberg note. THE LOST WORLD (1997) Do not include a Steven Spielberg note. AMISTAD (1997) Music is not only an integral but an essential part of my life. Sometimes listening to a good film score inspires my imagination even more often than seeing someone else's movie. That's because music allows free association. Sometimes film music is so specific to the identity of a cultural phenomenon, like STAR WARS, JAWS or THE GODFATHER, that there is no way to listen to those scores and not see robots, fish and cannolis. Other scores are less remembered for their perfect fit, and like classical music, allow the listener his or her own personal interpretations. Fortunately, John Williams has written both kinds of music and inspired all of us along the way. Early favorite composers of mine, like Bernard Hermann, Alex North and Dmitri Tiomkin were so defined by their musical habits that you could clearly imagine the films they wrote for. Bernard Hermann's NORTH BY NORTHWEST was vintage Hitchcock. Alex North's SPARTACUS could not be mistaken for anything less than tortured genius. Dmitri Tiomkin's scores for THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY and THE ALAMO sounded like Tiomkin pictures. The outstanding virtue of John Wiliams' gifts has always been John's selfless ability to create unprecedented sounds. Like the great character actors John Barrymore, Paul Muni and Dustin Hoffman, who would never impose a single personality on multiple roles, John Williams has the gift to become any character necessary to retell with music the the story of the film he is working on. AMISTAD marks our 24th year in partnership and our 15 film together. And, after all that time, John has never failed to surprise me, uplift me or make me look good. STEVEN SPIELBERG SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998) With Saving Private Ryan, John Williams has written a memorial for all the soldiers who sacrificed themselves on the altar of freedom in the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944. Pay particular attention to the cue entitled "Hymn to the Fallen," which never appears in the main text of the film, only at the end credit roll. It's a piece of music and a testament to John Williams sensitivity and brilliance that, in my opinion, will stand the test of time and honor forever the fallen of this war and possibly all wars. In all of our 16 collaborations, Saving Private Ryan possibly contains the least amount of score. Restraint was John Williams' primary objective. He did not want to sentimentalize or create emotion from what already existed in raw form. Saving Private Ryan is furious and relentless, as are all wars, but where there is music, it is exactly where John Williams intends for us the chance to breathe and remember. As with Schindler's List, John Williams chose the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the deeply resonant qualities of Symphony Hall to record the score for Saving Private Ryan. I would like to give special mention to Tim Morrison, Thomas Rolfs (trumpets) and Gus Sebring (French horn) for their heartfelt solos, and to Kenny Wannberg, who has been a close collaborator of John Williams and mine from almost the very beginning of my career. - STEVEN SPIELBERG A.I. – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001) A.I. means Artificial Intelligence. But there is nothing artificial about John Williams' organically emotion and our 17th collaboration in film. A.I. studies the unique fellowship human and machine and John has woven a musical interface. John’s score pierces the mystery of a robot (mecha) child's short existence. His name is David and he never had a birthday, but was engineered to give and receive the love of the family he is placed in. The music underlines and then transports David on his journey of discovery from his inception to his transcendence and John does this with wit, majesty, and soul. John's music is of our world and of theirs and finally of a world shared by both orga and mecha. And like so many of John's scores front my movies, you really don't need the images to have the story told to you. He is the greatest musical storyteller of all time. STEVEN SPIELBERG MINORITY REPORT (2002) John Williams has done a masterful job in his musical presentation of Minority Report. The plot and story find their roots in the combination of American film noir and the classic "whodunit" mysteries that were so popular in the era of Humphrey Bogart and filmmaker John Huston. John Williams and I have often marveled at the way Bernard Herrmann was able to contribute so much musical suspense to an Alfred Hitchcock picture. So in that tradition of mystery, suspense and film noir, John has fashioned a fast-paced, yet dark portrait of America in the year 2054 when the murder of one human being by another can be foretold through the miraculous gifts of three precognitives. Unlike our other collaborations, John's score for Minority Report is not lush with melody; it is nonetheless brilliant in its complexity and forceful in its rhythms. It is the kind of music that will start in your spine and eventually find its way to your heart in the section titled "Sean's Theme." If most of John's scores for my films have been in color, I think of this score as his first one in black and white. But as in most of John's music quite often you don't need the pictures to understand the musical story that John is telling you. After all, John Williams is the greatest musical storyteller the world of the movies has ever known. - STEVEN SPIELBERG CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (2002) John's 20h score for our 20" film is like a 20" anniversary surprise. For the first time in our long association, John has composed a score in the idiom of progressive jazz prevalent in the 50s and 60s. Charlie Parker would have been proud. Inspired by the true-life adventures of Frank William Abagnale Jr., CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is about a great imposter whose scams, forgeries and frauds made him one of the youngest people to ever be placed on the FBI's Most Wanted list. Many movies taking place in the 60s rely on a parade of popular tunes from the period. AMERICAN GRAFFITI started the trend although it was most recently realized in Bob Zemeckis' FORREST GUMP and while CATCH ME IF YOU CAN employs several popular tunes from the era, John Williams chose the timelessness of jazz along with the talented saxophonist, Dan Higgins, to underline the cat-and-mouse chase between FBI agent, Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) and master paper-hanger Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio). And while you may swear that the E flat sax solo was improvised, John wrote every single note of it. Another haunting section of this score draws from Frank Jr.'s relationship with his father played by Christopher Walken. It inspired John to write a five minute concert piece entitled, Recollections (The Father's Theme). It is a bravura composition and further illustrates that as John's music matures he continues to get younger and more daring each day. - Steven Spielberg THE TERMINAL (2004) The Terminal is a romantic adventure of the human spirit. While Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) may be a man without a country, he is not a man without a score, written with love and a sense of Krakozhian humor by maestro John Williams. Viktor's theme is performed by clarinetist, Emily Bernstein, who gives Viktor a clear and profoundly moving voice throughout his journey within the confines of an international terminal while he waits for the visa that could finally get him into New York City and the American dream. But Viktor is not the only character John has written for. The love theme for Amelia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) may only be eight bars, but it will become instantly memorable after hearing it only once. There is so much beauty in John's score for The Terminal. Beauty without bathos. And that's what dignifies Viktor and Amelia's story, always keeping it far from sentimentality but never too far from our hearts. For me this is the "feel good" score of John's entire repertoire, and I am again honored that he has given so freely of his musical gifts to another one of my films. - Steven Spielberg WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005) I am a fan of scary scores. From the old B-movie sci-fi films of the 1950s and '60s, to the haunting melodies created in 1935's Bride of Frankenstein by Franz Waxman. Selfishly, I feel the scariest music written for film was Jaws by John Williams. That was music that when you heard it, you knew it was time to be scared. For War of the Worlds, John reached for something not of this earth and composed a score that you feel on your skin, even before you become aware that you are actually hearing it. He has laid down a musical foundation of atmospherics and textural events, achieving a rhythmic propulsion that is so utterly primal it crawls up inside of you and makes you wonder how one composer could make such a radical departure in style from such masterworks of melodic phrasing as the flying theme from E.T., to the enduring themes of the Star Wars series and come up with a new sound that gives War of the Worlds much of its ultra-realism. But that is the genuine genius of John Williams and the many characters he has played throughout a musical career that will never be equaled. -Steven Spielberg MUNICH (2005) In the world of film scores, 2005 will be remembered as a John Williams red-letter year. Incredibly, John composed and conducted four scores: STAR WARS: EPISODE THREE REVENGE OF THE SITH, WAR OF THE WORLDS, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA and MUNICH. Each of these scores only had the composer in common. The compositions couldn't be more diverse, and clearly illustrates what I have been saying for years in my liner notes, that John Williams is a master of disguise. From deep space to deep history, from the further reaches of the Japanese culture to the darkest notes John has ever written to depict the collapse of civilization, fans of film music were treated to a John Williams concert in four acts. His last act of 2005 was to compose the music for a film inspired by the tragic event 1972 and the Games of the Twentieth Olympiad in Munich, Germany where Black September kidnapped and murdered eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team. For me, the quintessential movement of John's score for MUNICH entitled "A Prayer for Peace” embraces the history of this tragedy while deeply honoring the memory of the members e Israeli team who were murdered on September 6, 1972. Steven Spielberg INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) Nineteen years have passed since the last Indiana Jones adventure. And where all of us are nearly two decades older, the music hasn't aged a bit. During the filming of our fourth Indiana Jones adventure, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, hardly a day would pass before someone on the cast or crew could be heard humming the "Raiders March." That piece of music has grown instantly familiar, probably along with the Jaws theme, in creating a thrill or chill out of the thin air on which music travels. And that is the John Williams legacy of which I am his most grateful beneficiary. When you listen to the music for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it too will be all at once familiar and original. It travels through the mysteries and folklore surrounding a secret army base in the Nevada desert, to the world of academia and Indy's day job as a tenured professor, to the Chauchilla Graveyard and sudden attack of the living dead, then on to the deepest jungle of a lost Mayan civilization with a secret that promises the power of the Universe to all who dare seek it. John's music outlines the action and, as always, leads the narrative. His music is just as legendary as the McGuffins that Indiana Jones is chasing after. When you think of Indiana Jones, all you need is the silhouette: the jacket, the hat, the whip, and the music that made him a legend. Thank you, John. Steven Spielberg THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN (2011) Considering the number of the action movies he's scored, from Star Wars to Indiana Jones to The Adventures of Tintin, it surely can be said that, "if adventure has a name, it must be John Williams. When I first heard the Tintin score, I felt as though John hadn't aged a bit since his work on Jaws and Star Wars. This new music has the same energy and exuberance, and it's so intricately interwoven into the story, characters, and images that it makes me feel like a youngster again - and you will too, if you're not one already! In this instance, a traditional score was the perfect match for another tradition - the beloved comic books by the Belgian writer and artist working under the nom de plume Hergé, who created the Tintin series in 1929. Tintin was the first animated film I directed and the first one John had scored. But when he saw my initial rough cut, he understood immediately what needed to be done, and we soon found ourselves on familiar ground. John's stirring theme for our title character Tintin is perfectly suited to a young reporter who somehow always becomes the story. The second most important character in the Hergé series is the oftentimes drunken sea captain Archibald Haddock, and for him, John created a theme that sounds like it's from the bottom of a bottle - until Haddock's redemption, that is - when his theme sobers into one that is lovely and noble. The two detectives working for INTERPOL, Thomson and Thompson, are look-alikes who can only be told apart by the spelling of their names. They never seem to get anything right, and John captured them perfectly in his cue, "Introducing the Thompsons." Then there's Snowy, Tintin's dog and constant companion, whose theme is fast, funny, and deliriously breathtaking. At the heart of our adventure is a search for honor and identity, as Captain Haddock must discover, through his soggy memories, a family secret dating back to the 17th century. And for this, John returned to his movie roots and composed a pirate theme rivaling anything from the sketchbooks of Max Steiner or Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Personally, I cannot hear this score too many times... whether in my car, or from the music library on my phone, or whenever I see the brilliant images from the film, animated by the geniuses at Peter Jackson's company WETA in Wellington, New Zealand. Tintin brought together so many gifted artists who created a breakthrough in photorealistic animation. And accompanied by John's brilliant score, we all can return to our roots through the genre of action/adventure movies, filled with memorable characters, laughter, and total escapist entertainment. Enjoy. - Steven Spielberg WAR HORSE (2011) The dramatic countryside of Dartmoor has inspired John Williams to compose a score of such beauty and quiet majesty that one might think the earth was speaking through him, much as the heavens have done for nearly five decades. When I first heard John's sketches of the four central themes for War Horse, I didn't need my memories of the film to underscore the feelings I was having. The music was a stand-alone experience and it affected me deeply, as have so many of John's scores during our nearly 40-year collaboration. I feel that John has made a special gift to me of this music, which was inspired not only by my film but also by many of the picturesque settings of the poet William Wordsworth, whose vivid descriptions of the British landscape inspired much of what you are going to hear. I'm not sure what I can give John in return, other than a promise of more films to come... for as many more years as we both can imagine! - Steven Spielberg LINCOLN (2012) LINCOLN is a milestone for John and me. This is our 40th anniversary making movies and music and we are celebrating by way of a subject that has fascinated both of us separately for most of our lives. Trying to acquit a story of our greatest President at the bloody crossroads of abolishing slavery and reunification of a nation torn in two by four years of Civil War caused both of us to proceed with the utmost restraint. My lens and John's orchestrations linger in quiet support of a man who articulated more powerfully than any other American President and as beautifully as any of our greatest writers what America is, what it means, why it had to go through the crucible of the war. He guided our country through its worst crisis and, more than any other single person, helped the United States survive. In doing so, he helped the idea of democracy as a viable political system survive. He combined vision and practicality more successfully than any other political leader we know of and kept these in a kind of near-perfect balance. He had faith in the people and in the democratic process and he helped prove that faith well founded. John and I were here to guide and support this story, but not to make our voices heard above his. I am so honored not only to have been able to tell a story of Abraham Lincoln but to have had this story coincide with a landmark anniversary of the best creative collaboration of my whole career. - Steven Spielberg THE BFG (2016) Set in a land ruled by giants and inspired by dreams, The BFG is about an unlikely friendship between two orphaned souls who find each other, humor, adventure, strength, and courage. If you know the Roald Dahl story, you can close your eyes and just by listening to John Williams' compositions, you will emotionally experience what we experience with our eyes open. A light symphony of musical poetry that complements Melissa Mathison's adaptation, John's score brings out all the heart, mystery, and magic in the performances of Mark Rylance as the BFG, and newcomer Ruby Barnhill as our headstrong and soulful Sophie. The greatest film composer of our generation has written music so timeless and youthful, it makes me believe he is actually aging backwards. BFG says, "All my dreams is beginning here," and I feel the same way about John's score. In fact, it is my dream come true. Steven Spielberg THE SPIELBERG/WILLIAMS COLLABORATION PART III (2017) Do not include a Steven Spielberg note. THE POST (2017) When John saw my final cut of The Post, his first thought was to assess the size and the scope of the musical accompaniment needed for the film. He envisioned his contribution to be like that of an anonymous source... giving the film weight without bearing any, and stirring the audience's sense of justice without leading the story. What John wrote is subtle, deft, very expressive and achingly beautiful. When we spotted the film to determine where the music would and would not play, John wisely avoided many obvious choices, opting instead to let Meryl Streep (as The Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham) and Tom Hanks (as editor Ben Bradlee) be the "solo artists," and to allow Liz Hannah's and Josh Singer's brilliant, illuminating and relevant screenplay to carry those moments unaccompanied. The result is a magnificent balance through which we feel the painful losses our nation bore in the Vietnam War, as well as our collective pride in the journalists who risked their careers, reputations and even imprisonment, to stand up to the Nixon Administration and to find and print the truth for the American public. We are both so proud to have collaborated on a story that is neither partisan nor political, and which hopefully will stand the test of time as the pendulum of history continues to swing. - Steven Spielberg SHINDLER’S LIST (2018 25th anniversary edition) “With dignity and compassion, John Williams composed one of his greatest scores for Schindler's List in a collection of themes and orchestral remembrances that will haunt you. The inhumane events beginning with Kristallnacht (1938) to the liberation of Auschwitz- Birkenau (1944) posed a deliberate challenge for John and me. Most of our films together have required an almost operatic accompaniment, which is fitting for Indiana Jones, Close Encounters, or Jaws, but each of us had to depart from our characteristic styles to honor this story of the Shoah. This is certainly an album to be absorbed with closed eyes and unsequestered hearts. When I directed Schindler's List 25 years ago, my greatest hope for the film was that it would speak to audiences, to continue our conversation and advance our determination to prove that love is stronger than hate I continue to hope for this today. Joining John in honoring the memory of the Shoah is the world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman. His and John's contribution to the musical literature of this project is significant. I want to thank them both for making Schindler's List the most deeply moving filmmaking experience of my life.” - STEVEN SPIELBERG READY PLAYER ONE (2018) When Amblin Entertainment hired Alas Silvestri to write his first fully orchestrated score for Kevin Reynolds’ movie FANDANGO in 1984, I just knew, after hearing the tracks, that this young composer was destined for greatness. Sure enough, his very next score made movie music history - BACK TO THE FUTURE! A score that kids learned by heart and 33 years later can still hum (and often do). And after you see READY PLAYER ONE, you may notice a fragment of Alan's BACK TO THE FUTURE score, which is our homage in a film filled with 80's cultural nostalgia. This nostalgia for the 1980s is the central conceit of the reimagined society in the year 2045 in Ernest Cline's brave new world novel upon which our adventure movie is based. While all sorts of culturally iconic references populate READY PLAYER ONE like a garden of partially hidden Easter eggs, the score that Alan Silvestri composed is completely and intoxicatingly original. It's bound together by multiple themes that identify plot and character and is infused by such percussive adrenaline and soaring strings that Alan has made READY PLAYER ONE appear to fly. That's the magical marriage of music and film. And it's what Alan believes in. Alan is thrilled to help someone tell a story. He doesn't write music outside of film, he doesn't have a need to write an "opus." This is because Alan has a very personal and distinct point of view, and that point of view has nothing to do with music-it has to do with story. And as proof of his devotion to the musical narrative, just listen to his music from FORREST GUMP, CASTAWAY, THE AVENGERS, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?, THE ABYSS, THE POLAR EXPRESS, and more films than I can possibly list. I've worked with Alan before as an executive producer; this however, was my first collaboration with him as a director and it was a huge rush for me. Alan's work will contribute to the rush we all hope audiences will experience when they get to see and hear READY PLAYER ONE. STEVEN SPIELBERG February 2018 THE FABELMANS (2022) A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR The Fabelmans marks John Williams' 90th year of life and 50th year in my life reshaping my stories through his music, and giving audiences all around the world countless musical memories that have often become cultural touchstones… from Jaws to E.T.; Jurassic Park, to Indiana Jones; and now, our thirty-first collaboration, The Fabelmans, by far the most personal film of my career, John knew my parents well. Down through the years they'd offen attend our scoring sessions and Johnny loved introducing them to the orchestra which made my Dad so proud, and left my Mom beaming (and me kvelling). So when Johnny watched this movie for the first time and saw Michelle Williams and Paul Dano on screen as Mom and Dad, the musical notes just seemed to pour from the heavens. He wrote his score as a gift to them and, when he first previewed it for me on his Steinway, I knew he had made this his most personal gift to me as well. What a beautiful culmination for our 50th anniversary, one that leaves me wanting more... more movies with Johnny, as I am joined by a billion people the world over who will never stop shouting to John Williams... encore, encore! Thank you, maestro. - STEVEN SPIELBERG, 2022

Eagle has landed. Love the spine and how this looks with the JP set!

Long time reader, first time poster. Bought the Lost World expansion today. Never was a huge fan of the score until maybe 3 or 4 years ago, I gave it another try and truthfully I think it passes JP overall, so I can’t wait to grab this. Was motivated by all of the wonderful cover art concepts and just had to add my own one slight improvement.

I'm relieved the cat is finally out of the bag! I've been e-mail-communicating with Tim for at least a year (maybe two?) regarding this project, and I've given some assistance and some discussions for other issues where I've been unable to assist. But I've been sworn to secrecy all along! I'm (obviously) very much looking forward to this project. As some of you know, I was working on a similar book project myself, but for various reasons that will take too much self-absorbed time to go into here, it fell through. So when Tim contacted me, I was only glad to pass on the baton. My own John Williams book project is not dead, but it will take on a different -- more personal -- form now if it ever comes into fruition. It will NOT be the be-all, end-all biography book that I had originally planned, but that THIS will hopefully be. Looking forward to the release date in a couple of years!

Thanks everyone. I actually wrote this well before Dial came out, but was glad I was able to sneak in a last minute edit about "The Battle of Syracuse." My secret hope is that some Disney exec sees this article and realizes a score-only presentation of Indy 5 would be a good idea!

This has turned into the stupidest thread about an expansion ever. Not only has the joke run out of steam, but the coal car is empty, the company supplying the coal has gone into chapter 11 restructuring, the coal mine has been depleted of all its economically recoverable ore, and, um, Congress passed an anti-coal bill with rare bipartisan support.