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Williams and Meteor


tharpdevenport

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As a few of you might know, Williams was originally going to score the film "Meteor". I found an interesting little tid bit and thought I'd share it (apologies if already known):

meteorl.png

Sorry, that's the original size of the news clipping; didn't want to blur it be resizing.

So, even if he didn't record any score, he at least likely wrote a suite.

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Which means that saying that he wrote the suite in past tense probably doesn't mean anything.

But still, that's a really cool find! Thanks for that! :)

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I read, in 1978, that J.W. might compose the score for "Meteor", but he wisely did "1941" instead, while Rosenman did "Meteor", complete with master blaster thingy. No, wait, that's Stevie Wonder, or is it "Mad Max" ("I know you won't break the rules: there aren't any")?

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For a movie with a major British star (and national treasure) in it, this film is conspicuous by it's absence on the DVD shelves, apart from a crappy pan/scan print that's not worth the bother. Yes I know the film is no classic (though it has a fervent cult following), and as the wave of disaster movies went, this was somewhere near the bottom...time for a proper DVD!

I didn't know about the possibility of this "Suite" existing...hmmmmm...might have to raid Johnny's library to find out I think....

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Well, composers/others will say one thing in general, than say another in private.

Tiomkin said he had to back out of "How the West Was Won" due to "eye sugery", but in reality: he sued MGM because they got rid of him.

Goldsmith was said to have appendicitus and couldn't do "Domestic Disturbance", but in reality recorded something like 3/4ths of his score.

Warbeck's agent said he didn't do a score to "Theory of Flight". That was a flat out LIE.

Maybe Johnny is being picky about his words; while technically no "rejected" score, maybe he's done some score to films where he simply left and therefore it couldn't be used. Also, it's also not that far fetched to not want to be associated with this film after-the-fact.

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Well Williams has bailed on projects before. Inchon comes to mind. Even Goldsmith reportedly mentioned Williams was wise in ditching the project.

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I read, in 1978, that J.W. might compose the score for "Meteor", but he wisely did "1941" instead, while Rosenman did "Meteor", complete with master blaster thingy. No, wait, that's Stevie Wonder, or is it "Mad Max" ("I know you won't break the rules: there aren't any")?

It is Larry Rosenthal, not Lenny Rosenman... :lol:

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I read, in 1978, that J.W. might compose the score for "Meteor", but he wisely did "1941" instead, while Rosenman did "Meteor", complete with master blaster thingy. No, wait, that's Stevie Wonder, or is it "Mad Max" ("I know you won't break the rules: there aren't any")?

It is Larry Rosenthal, not Lenny Rosenman... :P

Ooh, er, was it? So sorry about that.

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Watch it just be a theme for a later score of his ;)

It's entirely plausible, since Powell wrote the themes for Chicken Run, Hancock, Bolt, and other scores way back before he even did Face/Off.

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  • 1 year later...

Here's another reference I found today searching for information on Williams + Meteor:

(so, they set the score for a Double Lp release before it is even composed? that's strange)

stimes.jpg

Also I read somewhere this by someone:

recently read two press releases from 1978 stating that John Williams was selected to score two movies. The first was Meteor, a disaster movie from 1979?

starring Sean Connery. The other was the 1979 original Alien. Does anyone know why Williams did not score these movies? Also, are there any other movies that Williams was originally considered to score but in the end did not.

Does anyone know anything more about this or has a reference somewhere?

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I remember reading about this over the years. Probably a wise choice not to do this forgotten film, but I would have loved to hear it nonetheless.

I haven't even heard the Rosenthal score. Is it any good?

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(so, they set the score for a Double Lp release before it is even composed? that's strange)

Maybe the fact that it was music for a science fiction movie by the man who wrote the obscenely best-selling Star Wars soundtrack gave it a boost.

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Williams has never been rejected... or so they want us to believe...

This could be FSM last CD! ;)

Yeah, yeah, Horner said the same thing recently, but not true. Plus, Williams said that how many years ago? ;-)

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  • 11 years later...

Mostly for posterity in bumping this thread here but in going through info on this I noticed the images were broken for the news paper articles in all the above posts... The below should be the image of the paper clipping that was mentioned along with the text copied out just in case this image also befalls the same fate. 

 

“John Williams working on Meteor score,” by Marilyn Beck for the St. Petersburg Times, August 1st 1978 

 

image.png

 

Quote

John Williams working on 'Meteor
By MARIYN BECK
Composer John Williams (whose movie music credits include Star Wars, Close Encounters, and both installments of Jaws) has wrapped up Superman scoring in England - and has returned to the United States to compose the music for Meteor. His score of the $16-million Meteor is already set for release as a two-record album in Dolly Sound.


And producer Robert B. Radnitz (Sounder, Where the Lilies Bloom) is putting the music before the production of Dolphin Island. Instead of doing the usual and turning a completed picture over to a composer, he's signed two-time Oscar-winner Leonard Rosenman to score his Dolphin before he's even selected director or cast. Radnitz explains that since the Arthur C. Clarke science-fiction tale concernS communications between dolphins and man, he needs a near-symphonic score that will incorporate undersea sounds never heard before.

 

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On 01/05/2010 at 8:18 AM, John Takis said:

I'm pretty sure Williams recommended Rosenthal for the gig...

 

You mean that JW actually put Rosenthal's name forward to score this piece of shit?

"Hey, Lenny, I've just seen a piece of crap, called METEOR. You'd be great for it".

Bastard! :lol:

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4 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

You mean that JW actually put Rosenthal's name forward to score this piece of shit?

"Hey, Lenny, I've just seen a piece of crap, called METEOR. You'd be great for it".

Bastard! :lol:

 

Well, he got him out of Dolphin Island and into Meteor, which was a higher-profile gig.

 

...maybe? :lol:

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