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The most valuable OOP John Williams CD


1977

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The title pretty much says it all. Which do you guys think is the most valuable JW CD that's out of print?

 

I'm guessing it's no longer Varese's DRACULA album from 1990.

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There was a time in the 80s and 90s when there were several CDs that were OOP and hard to come by (TEMPLE OF DOOM, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, JANE EYRE, SPACE CAMP, THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST), for some reason available only as Japanese imports, but not sure they're that rare anymore after the boom of rereleases in the 2000s -- unless their 2000s counterparts have also become rare.

 

If I were to take a guess -- maybe the FSM release of THE TOWERING INFERNO? At least I'd like to tell myself that that is the JW item I own that has the most monetary value at the present time.

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I remember used copies of Witches were selling for in the $200+ region back then - of course I didn't own it them and was kicking myself for letting it slip by.

 

Then there was the limited SLC issue of SpaceCamp which I recall sold out fairly quickly (wasn't it one of the earliest LE issues?) and if memory serves was fetching $250+ on the secondary market.

 

Fortunately I've been able to pick these two titles up in recent years at much more reasonable prices.

 

Thor, I had forgotten about the original Jane Eyre issue (FILMCD-031 I believe it was), that's another one I missed back in the day. I was able to trade some of my rare Boston Pops duplicates for a near mint copy that Chris "Crusher" Comix had on his famous trade list.

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7 minutes ago, JTWfan77 said:

Thor, I had forgotten about the original Jane Eyre issue (FILMCD-031 I believe it was), that's another one I missed back in the day. I was able to trade some of my rare Boston Pops duplicates for a near mint copy that Chris "Crusher" Comix had one his famous trade list.

 

I bought the FILMCD204 a few years after it was released in '99.

 

How high up on the list of valuable albums would the expanded Mr. Chips be?

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2 hours ago, King Mark said:

Maybe Eiger Sanction or Earthquake

 

Fortunately I picked those up in the mid 90's at the same time as Jaws 2, The River and Dracula. I wonder if Williams would be willing to allow re-issues or expansions of those, assuming tapes aren't an issue. That would certainly make them more sought after.

 

48 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

I bought the FILMCD204 a few years after it was released in '99.

 

How high up on the list of valuable albums would the expanded Mr. Chips be?

 

I also have a spare of FILMCD204 knocking around.

 

The only new copy of Chips on Amazon is currently listed at $318.50. There is also a used copy at $69.99.

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I only had a CD-R of the original JANE EYRE release, as I could not afford the original. But of course, I quickly snapped up the Silva reissue in the late 90s or early 2000s when that came about. I also had a CD-R of SPACE CAMP, but managed to get TEMPLE OF DOOM, ACCIDENTAL TOURIST and WITCHES OF EASTWICK in original format through private and/or Japanese connections back in the day. SPACE CAMP, I bought in original format when it was reissued in the 2000s.

 

It's weird that all those 80s titles became so hard to come by on CD for almost two decades. Not to mention all those titles that never got a CD issue at all in the early CD age, like MONSIGNOR.

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I remember buying Poseidon Adventure for something like $150 on ebay a year ago. I really struggled to justify the cost, but in the end the completist in me won out.

 

I also remember LLL Hook going for about $90 and the Japanese pressing of  SpaceCamp going for $75 around the same time. I passed on those.

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19 minutes ago, Thor said:

I only had a CD-R of the original JANE EYRE release, as I could not afford the original. But of course, I quickly snapped up the Silva reissue in the late 90s or early 2000s when that came about. I also had a CD-R of SPACE CAMP, but managed to get TEMPLE OF DOOM, ACCIDENTAL TOURIST and WITCHES OF EASTWICK in original format through private and/or Japanese connections back in the day. SPACE CAMP, I bought in original format when it was reissued in the 2000s.

 

It's weird that all those 80s titles became so hard to come by on CD for almost two decades. Not to mention all those titles that never got a CD issue at all in the early CD age, like MONSIGNOR.

 

I bought The Accidental Tourist around the time that Stanley and Iris was released. I had the German Raiders and Temple (bought circa 1988 after getting my first CD player - happy times) but foolishly sold them in '91. I later got the JP issues though.

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4 hours ago, King Mark said:

who cares. I'd never sell an OST before it's officially expanded

 

Your statement implies that you'd be willing to sell the OST after it's officially expanded. Why? You that hard up for cash? 

 

I would never sell a John Williams CD, period.

4 hours ago, JTWfan77 said:

The title pretty much says it all. Which do you guys think is the most valuable JW CD that's out of print?

 

Earthquake 

The Poseidon Adventure 

The Towering Inferno 

The Eiger Sanction 

 

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5 hours ago, JTWfan77 said:

 

I bought The Accidental Tourist around the time that Stanley and Iris was released. I had the German Raiders and Temple (bought circa 1988 after getting my first CD player - happy times) but foolishly sold them in '91. I later got the JP issues though.

 

I guess we're lucky to be "old", getting the limited releases like TOWERING INFERNO right when they were released.

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No use to look after Hook, let's wait for a proper reissue of it in 2021. Only a little more than two years left! 😁

 

But regarding 1941, I was happy to find a copy last year!

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38 minutes ago, Richard said:

How much is THE RIVER worth?

 

No idea. Things like DRACULA (before the recent issue), THE EIGER SANCTION, THE RIVER, JFK were not that hard to come by back in the 90s (OK, maybe JFK a little bit), but have apparently become rare over the years without me noticing.

 

I don't have any John Williams LPs, but I wonder if some of them are rarer than the CDs these days. Different topic, though.

 

I still think the FSM release of TOWERING is the most rare JW CD these days, but maybe that will have a rerelease soon too.

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9 minutes ago, Thor said:

No idea. Things like DRACULA (before the recent issue), THE EIGER SANCTION, THE RIVER, JFK were not that hard to come by back in the 90s (OK, maybe JFK a little bit), but have apparently become rare over the years without me noticing.

 

JFK is still cheap on the secondhand market.

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Really? Then that's had an opposite evolution. I remember in the 90s, I had to search quite a bit before I found an original copy (to an affordable price) to replace my CD-R. Amazingly, at a New Year's party in the late 90s, my friends and I had borrowed someone's house, and I discovered he had a CD of JFK in his collection. Very random, since he had no other film music. I remember being jealous of the guy, but there was no way of contacting him to inquire about buying it.

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1 minute ago, Thor said:

Really? Then that's had an opposite evolution. I remember in the 90s, I had to search quite a bit before I found an original copy (to an affordable price) to replace my CD-R.

 

Perhaps you were searching for new copies?

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1 hour ago, Thor said:

I don't have any John Williams LPs, but I wonder if some of them are rarer than the CDs these days.

Hm, I have a couple of LPs, predominantly those that were not available on CD (Doom, Witches, etc.), but I also have "Diamond Head" on Colpix Records, Maestro Williams' first feature film main title plus underscore, if I'm not mistaken; acquired before the internet by mail order, if I recall correctly. Wonder if that is worth anything? The "intermission" music (I call it) is an excellent cue (foreshadowing what was about to come stylistically), quite probably not even in the movie as such. ;)

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I need Goodbye, Mr. Chips, but it's cost prohibitive.  I thought MV mentioned something about it being a possible re-release at some point on FSM.

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@Thor, I also got JFK easily for 10€ on Amazon. There were multiple cheap second hand offers.

 

One of his best scores, by the way.

 

8 hours ago, Martinland said:

Hm, I have a couple of LPs, predominantly those that were not available on CD (Doom, Witches, etc.)

That must have been a sinister time, when these scores weren't available.

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Must be a geographical thing, then. I had far more trouble finding JFK back in the day than I did TEMPLE OF DOOM, ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, SPACE CAMP and others.

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For me, personally, GOODBYE MR. CHIPS is the rarest and most difficult/expensive to find. Back when it was released, I didn't pick it up. I've always regretted it ever since. Somehow I must have believed that my LP-to-CD-R album was enough, practically ignoring my own rule to have everything in original physical format if it exists (C&C or not).

 

And as you can see from my GOODBYE request thread over on the trading board, it's not exactly been an overflow of offers.

 

I also need to get the STANLEY & IRIS/PETE'N'TILLIE -- not for the STANLEY & IRIS, but exclusively for the PETE'N'TILLIE in original physical format (rather than the digital I have now). I guess the longer I wait to buy it, the more expensive it will get, GOODBYE MR. CHIPS-style.

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5 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

As you know I do not have a sense of humour.

 

We know!

 

12 minutes ago, Thor said:

I also need to get the STANLEY & IRIS/PETE'N'TILLIE -- not for the STANLEY & IRIS, but exclusively for the PETE'N'TILLIE in original physical format (rather than the digital I have now). I guess the longer I wait to buy it, the more expensive it will get, GOODBYE MR. CHIPS-style.

 

It's still in stock, right?

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A search on eBay of "John Williams CD" sold at $50 or higher shows:

 

(In no particular order)


Monsignor $65

Hook LLL $76

TLJ FYC CD $190, $201.50, $225

The Post FYC CD $75

Home Alone LLL $51

1941 LLL  $100

Cinderella Liberty $54

Dracula 2CD set $51 (not sure why as this is still available...)

Dracula OST (NOT the new Varese set) $51 (back in September - poor fella)

Poseidon Adventure FSM CD $100

Towering Inferno $139

The old Poseidon Adventure boot $80

Goodbye Mr Chips $61

Jurassic Park 4CD collection $115

 

I didn't count the Superman blue box or Star Wars box sets

I was surprised there was no Eiger Sanction in there so I looked that up individually.  One sold for $40 recently, not bad for that title.  Current Eiger CDs are there with asking prices of $130 and $169.

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So, do I get that right:

 

Earthquake has just an OST.

 

The Poseidon Adventure has no OST, but two C&Cs, one by FSM and the other by LLL, adding bonus tracks.

 

The Towering Inferno has an OST and a C&C by FSM.

 

None of them is available for a decent price.

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1 hour ago, Brundlefly said:

I'd say The Towering Inferno and The Eiger Sanction win.

 

Eiger Sanction sold for only $40.  The other current auctions are asking for higher prices but have not sold.  If no one is paying those prices it’s not really worth that amount.

 

Two Earthquakes CDs have sold recently for under $40. I myself bought Earthquake off of eBay a couple years for around that same price.

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14 hours ago, Brundlefly said:

So, do I get that right:

 

Earthquake has just an OST.

 

The Poseidon Adventure has no OST, but two C&Cs, one by FSM and the other by LLL, adding bonus tracks.

 

The Towering Inferno has an OST and a C&C by FSM.

 

None of them is available for a decent price.

 

Yes.

 

I remember it was a surprise to me a few years ago that EARTHQUAKE, DRACULA, THE RIVER, THE EIGER SANCTION etc. had apparently become rare and expensive on the secondary market.

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