Martinland

The article is so last year.  

New episode of The Legacy Conversations podcast: music theorist Frank Lehman (aka @Falstaft) shares his wonderful academic knowledge about the music of John Williams, illustrating methodology and approach with his usual great observations. He's definitely one of the best examples of how Williams's music ended up influencing not only musicians, but also scholars, academics and historians.
 
https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/11/14/frank-lehman-podcast/

Perhaps not the most original thing to post in this thread but I love love LOVE the trumpets between 6:23-6:26 here:
 
 

Yes, definitely Grusin for "Banning Back Home". Dig the track, though.
 
There are so many examples to choose from. I always felt the techno bit in A.I. ("Bad Moon Rising"?) was Williams stretching towards new territories, but was then bummed to learn it was his son Joseph. There's "Training Montage" from SPACE CAMP, which sounds like Vince di Cola crossed with Williams, but still unmistakable Williams in the orchestral backdrop. Same as HEARTBEEPS -- the drum kit variations aren't able to hide a very Williams-sounding sound underneath.
 
Bits of MUNICH, WAR OF THE WORLDS and SLEEPERS, for example, display Williams attempting more modern trends in film music (deep and dark ostinati, sometimes with rock ensembles or electronics), but in his own way. Tracks like "The Football Game" or "Attack on the Olympic Village", for example. Some bits are clearly recognizable as him, other bits not so much.
 
But plenty of other things, like Williams approximating Hayes-like funk in "New Shooter" and "Neptune's Bar" in CINDERELLA LIBERTY. The 60s pop songs, like "A Guide for the Married Man", "Not With My Wife You Don't" or "Penelope". In fact, I have a whole playlist called "John Williams - Pop" displaying this material from throughout the decades.
 
Some of the most abstract concert works (like the flute concerto) sound fairly far removed from what we normally associate with his tonal film work, except in cases where he DID tap into that in film, like IMAGES, "Barry's Abduction" from CE3K or the sand people music in STAR WARS.
 
There's I PASSED FOR WHITE, which sounds more like Raksin than Williams. The two musical songs in "The Jenny Tannen Story", which sound like they come from a 30s Broadway musical. Many other things in 60s TV too, like the abstract electronic textures in "The Jail", which could rather come from the hands of Jerry Goldsmith, or other 60s TV luminaries like Robert Drasnin and Richard LaSalle or Richard Shores or whoever.
 
Finally, there are the times where Williams clearly taps into straight pastiche territory. If I didn't know that "Exultate Justi" was an original JW composition, I would have guessed Haydn or Händel or whoever. In fact, my dad, who's a classical buff, couldn't believe it was Williams when I first played him this cue on the car stereo years ago. He thought it was an original classical composition.
 
Those are for starters!

Very nice thread, this! <3
 
In addition to the Anthology and Close Encounters ads and various German ones I also have this in my Williams binder that I have been maintaining for more than 30 years now and that some of you saw when you added one of the last pages with all your autographs on the Milano programme (<3):
 

What about Frédéric Talgorn?
 
He is amazingly close. There are instances when he is clearly sounding like Williams, not Broughton or McNeely. Especially without copying, like the latter; and Broughton, at least to my ears, has his own style.
 
I only know "The Race" by Mike Verta and that's a detailed exercise in emulating Williams...

2022: "Indiana Jones is my last film score, I'm retiring from film scoring"
 
2023: Lucasfilm announces the Daisy Ridley film
 
Also 2023: "When I said I was retiring, I didn't mean I was retiring"
 
Coincidence? 🤔

My whole household - here in London - has just jumped to red alert! 🤣

Wait.. WHAT? January? London?

Not sure if it is new, or if it's here somewhere else I didn't see, but...
 
https://deadline.com/2023/12/composer-john-williams-not-retiring-aged-91-open-mind-1235683976/

If you wish for that I might do this ... heavy hand luggage though.
 
I very much enjoyed meeting (both of) you in London, finally.
 

Go slow. Peel at an angle. Don’t lift straight up. 

Anyone peel this yet?  I think it’s held in by dabs of that booger glue like Blu Ray steelbook sheets. I wouldn’t want to leave it forever and have it react chemically. 
 
Someone go first. 

Unfortunately, the copy I picked up only had the cases, not the box. The cost of being cheap!

I've been doing the same for 'Jaws' in particular, and a good source has been Japanese press materials, souvenir programs, and magazine articles. They sometimes feature unusual behind-the-scenes photos.
 

 
Oh the anticipation at reading this...
 
 

I have been collecting rare photos from Star Wars forever. I have never seen this image of Luke Skywalker anywhere but in the box set.  So cool!!!

I can't imagine anyone throwing away that beautiful box.
 
 

Me too.  The photos and art selected were amazing. 

I guess, it is hard to be a Hans Zimmer fan if Williams' music isn't too complicated for you.

First: Schindler’s List
Last: Harry Potter
 
At least according to some fine folks over at the Hans Zimmer forum. Apparently JW’s biggest problem is his music descends into aimless orchestral noise far too often…