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Haha that's funny! At least in the case of this superb 40th Anniversary edition of Superman the various source cues were separated into the reissue of SII/III mstrox! Did you get them as well even if just for C&C purposes?

Well I can assure you I'm no young whippersnapper! LOL.

This Williams scored piece was definitely part of the audio elements and listed on the official cue sheet as "Headset Leakage" (which is repeated during the initial bedroom rescue scene) but as the cue is only a few seconds long, Producer Mike M. made the judicious decision not present it to JW and his management for approval. And I believe this to be the correct decision as not only is it simply ear candy but in the grand scheme of things not even missed.

It's a shame that according to Quartet Records own website the soundtrack is still listed as in stock yet as another member posted above has cited, once he went through the check out process he got the disclaimer. Therefore , Quartet should put a note on their website advising customers so.

Frank there's no doubt you've waited long enough but in the final analysis I just know that you will be happy with this fantastic set.

Perhaps JT has already been tapped to redo a new cover for "The Swarm" seeing as LLL were going to initially release it as part of their Black Friday batch last November? In any event MV has announced that LLL will release a new definitive version of that particular score some time this year. One would expect stellar audio restoration work too if the great Mike Matessino was also involved in this project. Looking forward to a new edition of this Jerry Goldsmith gem.

Well that's been sitting in transit for three weeks. Unless somehow it's tied up in customs which unfortunately you really have no control over, I'd be registering a complaint with LLL very shortly. This long a delay by the postal service is just not good enough. At least the tracking mechanism should be able to provide you with an estimated delivery date so you are at least aware it's on the way!

I don't think a lot of you have any idea of what's involved in creating artwork that will stand out. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the fonts utilized in this digital cover for TTI (in my humble opinion of course). To each their own. I personally believe that Jim Titus did a fantastic job with this. He's one of the best graphic designers going around today and it's no wonder he is highly sought after by the various boutique record labels. I once again congratulate JT on a job well done!

That's exactly the scene Steve. And you're very welcome.

This cue has a unique background history in the sense that according to the official cue sheet, the song was initially slated to appear over a scene prior to the building's dedication ceremony featuring dialog between Wm. Holden, Faye Dunaway and Robert Wagner. However the song was dropped and is in fact scored with a brief snippet from the track "Susan and Doug". A longer deleted scene from the broadcast tv-version (found as an extra on the Bluray) confirms this as the music continues to play across the scene that was edited out of the theatrical cut. In any case it was probably felt that because all of the source music is coming from the same party, which essentially it is, and as the studio documentation indicated its potential use then why not just use it in this instance, especially as a master recording was found amongst the variously archived audio elements. It's a pleasant enough old standard, familiar to many people and certainly doesn't appear out of place here.

A bit late now considering so many have already been shipped. So it's clear that for those that prefer this key art you have the option to print it off in high resolution at your own convenience. 😀

Absolutely fantastic! Thanks for providing this Mike. Whilst the new cover art was beginning to grow on me, as a purist I always did love the original. Jim's reimagining here is simply stunning so shout out to him as well for a job well done.

I like to think that over time there have have been some Williams scores that through either us being familiar with them or perhaps later on discovering by sheer accident make them worthy of potential reissue let alone expansion. I'd cite FSMs generally considered superb 3CD edition of "Goodbye Mr. Chips" that MM did back in 2006. I've only seen the movie once thoroughly enjoying it, and had the privilege of hearing the soundtrack just once also but fell short of procuring it at the time for reasons that now elude me. That's one of his works that should have remained in print circulation. Certainly I'd welcome the chance to purchase it for my private collection as a JW aficionado, but definitely not at the exorbitant prices that it seems to command on eBay etc. My general consensus here is that a lot of the maestro's work is released and then gone almost too quickly it seems. This isn't exclusive to JW of course, it happens to all composers, regardless of their popularity. From a historical perspective it's hard for fans to keep up.

Not necessarily true with respect to TTI. The main theme is quoted throughout the feature in the form of the 'rescue motif', complemented by a pair of love themes used for two sets of main characters which easily highlight the emotional impact of the score in the dramatic moments. I believe this was also facilitated by Williams' subtle use of the Wagnerian leitmotif technique. I've always believed that his skill in this area is what has made his composing talent stand out over the course of his career as he just has the perfect knack of capturing the essence of raw emotion in any given scene, thus putting the viewer/listener at the heart of the action.

The triumphant march went unused in the movie and only the second movement after that part quietly subsides was segued in from the actual scene of the firemen rappeling down the elevator shaft because this was actually a revised version of "Down the Ropes". The march should have been kept; it actually had some good thematic elements that Williams capitalized on later in the score (ie. "Setting the Charges").

TTI had some remarkable artwork and designs for its multi-faceted publicity campaign for the original theatrical release all geared and designed for maximum viewer identification. This alternate title design was one featured on the rear of the 1975 vinyl LP cover.

Yes the original John Conrad Berkey artwork is certainly iconic but I must admit the new artwork for the CD cover does grow on you after a while. It makes it stand out even more and for the uninitiated it was designed by poster artist Tom Jung utilizing the 1976 theatrical re-release poster. Some have commented that it doesn't look like Steve McQueen but it does, it just isn't that good a representation of him. Not crazy about the way they kept the title design all on one line, albeit aesthetically I can see why they did, to keep it balanced. However, the title design was iconic too and seeing it modified is a little jarring at first. I wonder if any of you have seen this alternate Berkey art before? I think the one that was used was the better one but this one is quite striking, I think.

As one of the tracks that was earmarked as 'damaged' (or sonically challenged) on the previous release, you'll be happy to know that all tracks in this edition sound the best they ever have. It's a great cue and in a sense a satisfying conclusion to the aftermath of the events in the story.

Of course not. Nobody can force you to do anything!

Looking forward to reading writer Jon Burlingame's extensive liner notes about the John Williams score to the Mark Robson production of "Earthquake". I'm really glad this definitive version of the soundtrack has come about for old and new audiences alike as part of the Disaster Movie Music Collection. Mr. Burlingame is well respected in the Hollywood soundtrack community and I'm sure he will have some insight into this new edition that will ensure a great read as we sift through the music. Highly qualified, he writes for entertainment trade papers and I believe teaches film music at U.S.C.

As I was fortunate to have had a hand in this release I must say that it was a wonderful achievement that Mike M. was able to convince the maestro to include the various source cues that are featured on this definitive version of the soundtrack. Even though its probably considered frivolous, I absolutely adore the low-key jazzy lounge music cue "The Promenade Room" which begins in the scene as the Fire Chief comes in to explain to builder Duncan that everyone has to be evacuated. The sequence culminates with a shot of guests dancing and in particular as the music becomes louder, shows the Lisolette and Harlee characters played by Jennifer Jones and Fred Astaire, participating in this bit of pre-disaster fun. There's just something about this catchy gem that I always appreciated and (after multiple viewings over the years which I have hummed incessantly) was always disappointed it never featured on the original LP or subsequent release, knowing full well it was an original tune by John Williams. I believe that the source music material adds so much to the overall score. I hope you all get to enjoy these too.

I think MV was being tongue-in-cheek when he said that. These are substantially popular releases that whilst may appeal to the masses, isn't going to please everyone. Because the soundtrack landscape is basically a niche market, history dictates that there are always complaints no matter what the company releases. It's all subjective. Not everyone has the same taste. I'm just glad that this set is available at all let alone in a 5,000 unit limited edition configuration. This should ensure that everyone clamoring for it is able to secure a copy for themselves. I would however be interested in sales figures up to now. Last thing people holding off due to the price need to find out is that it's in danger of selling out. My gut feeling is it will be around for sometime but I wouldn't wait too long to make that purchase.

If you also ordered "Karate Kid" I believe both won't ship until the 16th. If you have only ordered the box set be patient; maybe they are slightly overwhelmed with orders for this and other Black Friday releases. That's to be expected owing to the popularity of these forthcoming titles. No doubt the LLL mail room employees are doing their best to get all pre-orders out before they break for the holidays at the end of next week. Customer Service at this company is just simply among the the best there is and usually for us Australians, the delivery is fairly quick once they depart from L.A. However , the only variable to contend with is to factor in Christmas rush and the fact that most postal systems around the world will be working diligently to avoid any potential delays. Unfortunately it is the time of year when things can happen outside of our control though. We've waited this long. The CDs will be here before we know it. 🎁

Maurizio did a great job co-hosting this informative and entertaining podcast along with Tim Burden. Fantastic to hear Mike speak at length and in depth about the importance of this landmark release. It was very enlightening listening to how the three scores came to fruition and what was essentially the impetus to have it presented in a definitive box set. On a personal note I was very pleased to have been given a shout out by Mike himself, as I am the Australian fan he speaks of towards the end of the podcast. 😁