Disney Records has reissued the original Star Wars OST albums - Sony's contract is over! [digital/streaming releases only]

[mstrox 6,647]

Kathy Kennedy's remixing the original tapes so hard that her fingers are bleeding.

[crumbs 14,300]

14 minutes ago, Will said:

I suppose the sound quality upgrade is what most people are excited for -- but as of yet I still can't really hear the sound quality differences people are always talking about.

 

Listen to this until the end of the big fanfare at around 2:00:

 

Then listen to this:

 

Notice the huge differences in clarity, directionality of the orchestra, and just a general feeling of not having your head dunked underwater? You can actually decipher instruments rather than just hearing a muddy blanket of sound.

 

Mind you, there are far worse offenders on the ROTJ SE...

[Jay 37,287]

8 minutes ago, TownerFan said:

I don't think it's Kathleen Kennedy in person dealing with this, more likely it's Lucasfilm head of Marketing Division or specialty products.

 

She was involved in the recent Spielberg/Williams expansions Mike Matessino oversaw.  You think she wouldn't be involved in Star Wars expansions?

[TownerFan 4,983]

Just now, Jay said:

 

She was involved in the recent Spielberg/Williams expansions Mike Matessino oversaw.  You think she wouldn't be involved in Star Wars expansions?

 

I guess she was in the loop for all the approval. However, I think there are other people at Lucasfilm dealing directly with consumer products and assets strategies.

[Jay 37,287]

OK, good point!

[TownerFan 4,983]

Also, I assume she's a little busy producing the new films and guiding the whole company!

[crumbs 14,300]

Well we do know that as of December 2015 they hadn't found, nor were they looking for, the original session tapes. And Shawn Murphy said both he and Dann Thompson (Skywalker Sound engineer) had looked for them in the archives and nothing turned up. All they could find were later generation copies derived from the original tapes (with inferior sound quality, ala whatever RCA used to make the ROTJ SE).

 

That Sony exec said it's problematic when the music rights change hands and licence holders lose track of who owns what master tapes or forget to hand stuff over. That was a less than encouraging comment (or maybe Lucasfilm were just being jerks and intentionally withholding them from Sony).

 

But that was over a year ago... so...

[Will 2,215]

17 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

 

 

 

"Yeah, I listened to it while I was at a rock concert, and didn't notice any problem!"

 

I know you are making fun of me, but that is still a hilarious post. 

 

Gosh, you love using that illustration as a response to my posts, don't you? 

[King Mark 3,625]

I don't understand why everyone thinks were getting expanded releases soon

 

For all we know in 10 years we might be counting the days until the Disney license expires because they haven't done shit

 

We are cursed when it comes to these things

[Will 2,215]

27 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Headphones boy! Headphones!

 

I was listening with Koss UR 29s. They don't cancel noise all that well -- for instance, on an airplane you can barely hear strings because of engine noise (which is why I only listen in the car or the airport). 

 

2 minutes ago, king mark said:

I don't understand why everyone thinks were getting expanded releases soon

 

For all we know in 10 years we might be counting the days until the Disney license expires because they haven't done shit

 

I don't think it ever expires, unless they feel like selling it! 

[King Mark 3,625]

Great, now I will die with no expanded prequel scores

[Will 2,215]

15 minutes ago, crumbs said:

 

Listen to this until the end of the big fanfare at around 2:00:

 

Then listen to this:

 

Notice the huge differences in clarity, directionality of the orchestra, and just a general feeling of not having your head dunked underwater? You can actually decipher instruments rather than just hearing a muddy blanket of sound.

 

Mind you, there are far worse offenders on the ROTJ SE...

 

Hmm I'll check that out later when I'm home. Thanks for the example.

[Jay 37,287]

Mark, are you not aware that Disney OWNS Lucasfilm Ltd now?

 

The license to release music to these films is now Disney's forever - unless they sell Lucasfilm to some other conglomerate, which will never happen!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

4 minutes ago, king mark said:

I don't understand why everyone thinks were getting expanded releases soon

 

For all we know in 10 years we might be counting the days until the Disney license expires because they haven't done shit

 

We are cursed when it comes to these things

 

They're already screwing up. AOTC is missing "On the Conveyor Belt".

[crumbs 14,300]

1 minute ago, Rose Dawson said:

 

They're already screwing up. AOTC is missing "On the Conveyor Belt".

 

I'd love to know who made the stupid decision to include that track only on certain releases.

[Jay 37,287]

Probably Peter Gelb.

[King Mark 3,625]

who's Peter Gelb?

[Jay 37,287]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gelb

[Will 2,215]

Just now, Jay said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gelb

 

On an AOTC edit I have, there are all sorts of Across the Stars tracks (Gelb revised or something like that, etc.) 

 

What's that mean, and does it have anything to do with this Peter Gelb? 

[Jay 37,287]

Yes.  He asked Williams to refine his concert arrangement of the love theme multiple times until we ended up with "Across The Stars" as we know it.

[crumbs 14,300]

3 minutes ago, Jay said:

Yes.  He asked Williams to refine his concert arrangement of the love theme multiple times until we ended up with "Across The Stars" as we know it.

 

I find that utterly bizarre. Isn't it basically studio interference? Nobody interferes with John's music except the director!

 

It's like when another department's manager comes over to your desk and asks you to change something you did for someone else -- you tell them to bugger off!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

After the relative success of DOTF as a marketing tool the studio and record company were looking were a way to repeat that success. After careful focus group studies, Across The Stars was decided upon.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,287]

12 minutes ago, crumbs said:

 

I find that utterly bizarre. Isn't it basically studio interference? Nobody interferes with John's music except the director!

 

It's like when another department's manager comes over to your desk and asks you to change something you did for someone else -- you tell them to bugger off!

 

Well in this case, the director loved the final concert arrangement so much, he tracked it into the end credits instead of Williams original end credits cue. 

[crumbs 14,300]

Just now, Jay said:

Well in this case, the director loved the final concert arrangement so much, he tracked it into the end credits instead of Williams original end credits cue. 

 

 

Harpischords mustn't have tested well with that all-important under 18 demographic.

[Jay 37,287]

Harpsichord... now I feel like listening to Rogue Nation!

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

1 hour ago, Stefancos said:

Mike Matessino said it, we have an expensive hobby!

 

I imagine a hypothetical specialty label box set of all the SW scores would amount to something like $200. It'd still be a first day purchase for me.

[Jay 37,287]

I would too!

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

1 hour ago, thx99 said:

 

Ah, but did you get the cardboard box that houses all 3 of the "books" (similar to the Indy box)? I did.

 

I didn't. I didn't even know there was such a thing until a few years ago.

[Jay 37,287]

I never heard of it before either.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[thx99 1,740]

Caught red-handed!!

 

Actually, I just painted my Indy box black and silk-screened the Star Wars film logos over top of it.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

This Disney Legacy Collection is somehow like a guarantee that Disney will spare no expanses!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Except for the fact that they stopped making them due to low sales.

[Giftheck 916]

Just now, Disco Stu said:

Except for the fact that they stopped making them due to low sales.

 

There never was a plan to make a second batch.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Just now, Gistech said:

 

There never was a plan to make a second batch.

 

I actually knew that and had forgotten.  Wasn't there some story that came out about Disney being very disappointed with the sales though?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Brundlefly 2,385]

The best known music anthology by the most notorious film composer of all time! And now every single piece of music from that musical universe!!! - The mouse smells money!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

22 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

The best known music anthology by the most notorious film composer of all time! And now every single piece of music from that musical universe!!! - The mouse smells money!

 

Heh, I now have this image in my mind of Mickey Mouse sniffing out cash like a pig searches for truffles.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

Never seen this image, but I am quite sure they will do anything to make such a release as perfect as possible, cause it might be the most prestigeous matter of Disney Records there is.

[mstrox 6,647]

10 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

I actually knew that and had forgotten.  Wasn't there some story that came out about Disney being very disappointed with the sales though?

 

I know that fan enthusiasm died a little bit after the initial few releases.  Some of the more distant archival releases didn't really offer anything more than the preexisting soundtracks - even though more score existed.  The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Pocahontas, and Toy Story were all satisfactory C&C expansions, though.

 

 

 

[Giftheck 916]

Indeed. It is a shame not more was done with some of those releases but perhaps Disney were trying to 'play it safe' and that might have backfired a little.

[Jay 37,287]

Speaking of "Disney Records", I just realized that only the Amazon JP and that Russian site linked in the main post mention "Disney", all the US links simply credit the releases to "Lucasfilm Ltd".  Maybe Lucasfilm has established their own music branch for the US, but has to piggy back on the existing Disney Records entity in foreign territories

[Bespin 8,479]

8 minutes ago, Jay said:

Speaking of "Disney Records", I just realized that only the Amazon JP and that Russian site linked in the main post mention "Disney", all the US links simply credit the releases to "Lucasfilm Ltd".  Maybe Lucasfilm has established their own music branch for the US, but has to piggy back on the existing Disney Records entity in foreign territories

 

I think it's simply an error. I already updated the wiki discography, mentioning "Walt Disney Records".

 

Nobody look at that except us. :-)

[Jay 37,287]

The Mouse doesn't make errors!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

9 minutes ago, Jay said:

Speaking of "Disney Records", I just realized that only the Amazon JP and that Russian site linked in the main post mention "Disney", all the US links simply credit the releases to "Lucasfilm Ltd".  Maybe Lucasfilm has established their own music branch for the US, but has to piggy back on the existing Disney Records entity in foreign territories

 

What?  This is on the ROTS Amazon US page.

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQW8FAH

[Will 2,215]

12 minutes ago, Jay said:

Speaking of "Disney Records", I just realized that only the Amazon JP and that Russian site linked in the main post mention "Disney", all the US links simply credit the releases to "Lucasfilm Ltd".  Maybe Lucasfilm has established their own music branch for the US, but has to piggy back on the existing Disney Records entity in foreign territories

 

Probably has something to do with the copyright being held by Lucasfilm. I guess Disney Records is only the distributor. 

 

For instance, Spotify never credits Sony or Disney on SW albums, instead simply saying "Copyright Lucasfilm Ltd." 

 

https://play.spotify.com/album/3fUKGTsiYL1kSroBWBLmmR

 

https://play.spotify.com/album/04LQeGYOu4nPmpflb1QbtQ

 

https://play.spotify.com/album/39vpWS7vrC4Pz33bNafjva

 

Etc.

 

The recent YouTube uploads don't credit Disney either, instead noting:

 

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group North America

℗ ______ Lucasfilm Ltd.

 

(and, for the prequels, under the first copyright) ℗ _____ Lucasfilm Ltd., under exclusive license to Sony Classical, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

 

(I believe the Universal credit is due to them being the distributor of Disney Records stuff in certain territories or something; I remember they did many of the foreign TFA CD releases)

[Bespin 8,479]

9 minutes ago, Jay said:

The Mouse doesn't make errors!

 

Who do you think type these infos into databases?

 

Millennials.

 

So errors, there are.

[Jay 37,287]

OK, I get it. Some sites only list the copyright holder, which is Lucasfilm Ltd. Other sites also  list the label, which is Walt Disney Records. 

 

So that's sorted, then! 

[Demodex 557]

I really don't understand why they just don't release an Ultimate Edition for SW Ep 2, 3, and 7. They would sell like crazy.