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Indiana Jones Soundtrack Reissues Announcement


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The problem with Home Alone 2 is that it's web-distributed, part of the Soundtrack Club. There is a very limited reach in terms of marketing. Once the "soundtrack fans" have heard about the availability, you won't get any more sales.

Just compare that to other Varese expanded CD that aren't part of the club (Aliens, Total Recall, Omen, etc..). Indiana Jones expanded scores would be available in stores.

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The only way to really do it and generate a profit for Lucasfilm is for them to release the scores in a way a la filmscore monthly's SUPERMAN boxset.

Sell all three scores together at a high price to offset the reuse fees, make it a limited edition, and market the release date in advance so it will build hype.

I, for one, did not expect the SUPERMAN release to go down the way it did. It sold out in a matter of weeks and in the first day, we crashed SAE's website. For a filmscore soundtrack release (even one as high-profile as Superman), that's almost UNHEARD OF.

And hey, if it sells like crazy, they will do more. It's Lucasfilm after all.

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I'm not suprised the FSM Superman boxed set went that quick. You forget Superman already has an established fan base for some 70+ years.

There are people who bought this just because it's Superman.

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I believe that is FSM was to do for Indy what they did for Superman, the results would be the same.

They' d sell more .Even I hesitated buying the Superman box set since the Rhino c.d. was already complete

Lucasfilm aims their stuff at collectors,but the stupid kind of collector.The kind that will buy the Indy set because it has a different box than the last time

I can picture a bunch of executives in a board room laughing their heads off when they designed the 4 different covers AotC release.

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The Rhino version of Superman: The Movie is complete yes but the FSM set blows the Rhino set out of the water in terms of sound quality. I for one minute do not regret buying the FSM Superman set.

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I think KM's point is that many of those only interested in JW bought the Superman set (it sold very quickly), so imagine how many would buy the Indy set if it had both improved sound quality and never officially released music.

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I think there's the following groups of people who might buy the Concorde 4-CD set:

- Regular people who like films

If they want anything from the Indiana Jones scores, they'll probably be happy with just the Raiders March, so they might just get the already available KotCS CD and leave the more expensive 4-CD set alone.

- Fans of John Williams who already have all the previously released CDs

They probably would only buy the 4-CD set if there is unreleased music or they are absolute completists.

- Fans of John Williams who don't already have all the previously released CDs

These are the people who would welcome any kind of release of the first three scores, just to have them in their collection.

- Regular Indiana Jones fans who already have all the previously released CDs

They would probably not buy the 4-CD set, since they already have CDs of all films.

- Regular Indiana Jones fans who don't already have all the previously released CDs

They probably would buy them just to have music from all four films.

- Obsessive Indiana Jones/George Lucas fans

They'll buy anything. :)

Above suggests to me that to achieve as many sales as possible, they should cater to as many of the above target audiences as possible. After all, some groups will buy them regardless of their actual contents, some groups will buy them only if there's unreleased stuff and some groups will probably not buy them at all, unless they're not too expensive and easy to pick up in the local store. Therefore, since the general public would probably not buy it because of a general disintest and the price tag, they would need to cater to Indiana Jones and John Williams fans instead.

Now let's examine the current status: There are two versions of RotLA, one original soundtrack (41:36) and one expanded version (01:13:21) filling pretty much the whole CD, both out of print. There is one version of ToD that contains only 40:16 minutes of score and is considered THE holy grail of film music. There is one version of LC (00:58:16) which is a reasonable amount of music. There is one version of KotCS (01:17:28) that has just been released and pretty much fills up the whole CD.

So what options are there for a 4-CD set including one CD for each film?

Raiders of the Lost Ark

1) Include the original 41:36 soundtrack

This would probably considered pretty cheap and might put some buyers off.

2) Include the expanded 1:13:21 soundtrack

The expanded edition already exists, so why not include it for RotLA?

3) Fill up the CD some more up to it's maximum capacity of 1:20:00

This would be most welcome and 6 more minutes of music could be added so that tracks like "Government Agents" (1:08) and "Through the Wall" (1:06) could be included. However, this would mean more work and more costs to be made.

Temple of Doom

1) Include the original 40:16 soundtrack

This would be welcome to the Indiana Jones and John Williams fans who don't already have it, since it's been so hard to get, but might REALLY put the other buyers off.

2) Make a new expanded release with at some amount of previously unreleased music

Doing this would probably entice ANY John Williams fan to get this.

3) Fill up the CD some more up to it's maximum capacity of 1:20:00

This would be most welcome, but would mean more work and more costs to be made

Last Crusade

1) Include the original 58:16 soundtrack

One hour of music is a fair amount, so this would be good enough for the regular fan.

2) Fill up the CD some more up to it's maximum capacity of 1:20:00

This would be most welcome and 20 more minutes of music could be added so that tracks like "Dunn & Duffy Circus Train" (3:38), "The Portugese Coast, 1938" (2:15) and "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword" (3:34) could be included. However, this would mean more work and more costs to be made.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

1) Include the original 1:17:28 soundtrack

Concorde has just released this soundtrack, so they can easily add it to the set. However, since it's still in print and available, people might already have it and this might not be a big selling point. However, including it would allow them to advertise it as "including music from ALL Indiana Jones films" AND would enable them to sell some more CDs they still have anyway.

2) Make a CD with the unreleased music only

Now this would be amazing, of course, considering that the score is pretty much misrepresented on the OST and doing this might entice some people to buy AND the KotCS OST AND the 4-CD set.

Now I see the following possible scenario's:

Worst Case Scenario:

This will include the OST of RotLA, the OST of ToD, the OST of LC and the OST of KotCS. Most people would probably consider this incredibly cheap, but some people might still pick it up to have some music from the first three films on CD.

Below Average Case Scenario:

This will include the expanded RotLA, the OST of ToD, the OST of LC and the OST of KotCS. This is a better case scenario, but still doesn't include any music that hasn't been released before.

Average Case Scenario:

This will include the expanded RotLA, an expanded ToD, the OST of LC and the OST of KotCS. The expanded ToD would probably entice any real John Williams and Indiana Jones fan to get this one.

Above Average Case Scenario:

This will include the expanded RotLA, an expanded ToD, an expanded LC and the OST of KotCS. In this scenario there is also an expanded version of LC so that each CD is at least over one hour in length.

Best Case Scenerio:

This would include completely filled up CDs for RotLA, ToD and LC and the OST of KotCS. This would be absolutely amazing, since it would allow for the most music to be released on one CD per film.

Beyond Best Case Scenario:

This would include completely filled up CDs for RotLA, ToD and LC and a CD including the unreleased music from KotCS. This would make some business sense because it would ensure that the OST for KotCS wouldn't become obsolete and might entice people to buy AND the 4-CD set AND the OST for KotCS.

Now let's have a look at the clues we've had. The KotCS CD is pretty much filled up to it's maximum capacity, which is more than Concorde needed to do if they were interested solely in selling the discs for the least amount of money. They could've released an one hour OST and people who would've wanted the OST would've bought it anyway. Instead they put as much music on the disc as it could reasonably hold. Admittedly they didn't actually include ALL the best parts and the OST is pretty much misrepresenting the film score, but it does suggest to me that Concorde has at least some interest in catering not just to the general audience, but to the film score fans as well. Which makes business sense, because two target groups sell more than one target group.

Also unreleased music from ToD has recently popped up in the FSM podcast and in the LEGO Indiana Jones video game. No unreleased music from RotLA, LC or KotCS has recently popped up. Considering that the inclusion of an expanded ToD CD would probably entice ANY Indiana Jones and John Williams fan to buy this 4-CD set, I am holding out hope for at least my "Average Case" scenario.

I didn't buy the Superman set for two reasons:

1) I'm not particularly interested in Superman, especially not in the 2nd and 3rd scores. Not "Indiana Jones" interested anyway.

2) It's really quite expensive

3) It was only available through the internet and it's much harder for me to buy things online than in regular stores

The same applies to Home Alone 2. I'd like to buy them one day. However, there WAS one "holy grail" of mine that was released online only that I bought as soon as it was released. That being Cutthroat Island. Since that's probably my favourite score ever, I just had to get that one, even though I already had the original soundtrack.

The same would apply to Indiana Jones. I only have the OSTs for Last Crusade Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and have MP3s of the other scores. I do welcome any release of the first two scores. However, I'd be much happier if there'd be some previously unreleased music on there.

Your rewrite is much better, King Mark, but I'd change at least this word:

I have heard of your plans to re-release the Indiana Jones soundtracks and I would be terribly disappointed if they turn out to be only straight re-issues of the old soundtracks with no previously unreleased music. Of the potential people who would buy such a box set, a large number are film music fans and John Williams fans ,and the previously unreleased music in Temple of Doom and Last Crusade represents the ultimate in film music ,desperately awaited for more than 20 years by fans all over the world. It is a shame that such masterpieces may be condemned to deteriorate forever in studio vaults and it would be a lost opportunity IF this set was simply marketed at the casual listener and contain no previously unreleased material.

By the way, when I tried to buy the KotCS OST in stores in The Netherlands, I was quite surprised. While there were about 10 OSTs available for Star Wars Episode III about a week before the film's release, even after the release of KotCS, there were no CDs to be found. When I asked an employee of the Free Record Shop when it would be available, they could not tell me since it didn't have a release date in their system. I then went to the Music Store and, while they didn't have the actual CD present, they did have a release date in their system. Surprisingly that release date was not in the future, but one week in the past. In other words: it should've been available already. So I asked them to order the CD for me, which they did. They told me it might take up to 1,5 week because the supply centre probably wouldn't have it in stock either. However, they called me half a week later saying it was available. Apparently the supply centre did have it. Strange, no?

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Indeed.

Also, Free Record Shop is the last place you want to go for soundtracks these days.

Come to think of it, I've come to more and more dislike their cluttered stores with carelessly stuffed shelves.

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I've just never understood why anyone would buy a CD at a place called "Free Record Shop". It just sounds like false advertising to me.

Neil

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I fully expect Pieter Boelen's Below Average Case Scenario

they'll toss in the Expanded Raiders because no extra work is involved.

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It wouldn't surprise me if they did that, but it'd be bad business. If they'd just add some unreleased music, the amount of people willing to buy the set would increase drastically. Therefore, small amount of effort with big results equals good business. Right? I just wished the actual companies would see it that way as well. But thing like re-releasing the same Star Wars OT soundtrack versions over and over doesn't make much business sense to me either. There's no point in buying them, so I can't imagine many people doing so. Therefore it's wasted money on the part of the company issuing them. But still they do it. Just when I thought I was beginning to understand economy. ;)

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Well if the set is expanded, TOD will probably be the only one that has extra music. Unless they want to add 18 minutes or so to LC.

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I'm still holding out hope that someone at Concord was ill informed when they said KotCS would be included in the set. A four disc set for the first three films, Star Wars Anthology style, would be perfect and satisfy every one. Realistically, I'm expecting the cheap reissue and nothing more.

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I think it's a bit too early to draw adamant conclusions about this so-much talked boxset. We just have to wait and see how this will turn out. Also, it's unfair to beat upon Concord Music Group for the responsibilities about issuing expanded or complete releases of these scores. They have acquired the rights to the soundtracks, but remember: it's LucasFilm who has the final say about how to market these kind of things. Indiana Jones is their property (music included) and it's their decision how to deal with merchandising and related products.

So, if we will get straight reissues of the original albums, don't start to send angry e-mails to the guys at Concord... they probably do only what they're said to do.

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Correct, sending angry e-mails isn't the way to go and the blame is not with Concord.

Personally I think it would be silly to not release expanded scores and I think including KOTCS in a boxed set is also not a decision I'd go with either. Now's the time to release them expanded.

BUT I still think some people have this mis-conception that film score fans make up a huge amount of music purchasing public. This box set is probably more consumer friendly to the general public who aren't that obsessed with owning every single note from the films.

Personally I hope I'm wrong but like I said earlier, the best thing to do is wait and see what they say or do.

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Correct, sending angry e-mails isn't the way to go and the blame is not with Concord.

Angry e-mails (fan backlash in general) over the TPM UE are one reason why Lucasfilm didn't release the complete score to AotC.

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Correct, sending angry e-mails isn't the way to go and the blame is not with Concord.

Angry e-mails (fan backlash in general) over the TPM UE are one reason why Lucasfilm didn't release the complete score to AotC.

Is that just a guess on your part? Or did Lucasfilm issue a statement saying so? :)

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Correct, sending angry e-mails isn't the way to go and the blame is not with Concord.

Angry e-mails (fan backlash in general) over the TPM UE are one reason why Lucasfilm didn't release the complete score to AotC.

throw in the fact that the score sucks almost as much as the movie does as another reason

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BUT I still think some people have this mis-conception that film score fans make up a huge amount of music purchasing public. This box set is probably more consumer friendly to the general public who aren't that obsessed with owning every single note from the films.
Personally I can't really imagine the "general public" buying a 4-disc set of film music. They'd probably just want the Raiders March and could just buy the KotCS CD instead. If they actually DO want music outside the Raiders March, I wouldn't call them "general public" anymore. They'd have to be film music fans or Indiana Jones fans to at least some extent.
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Correct, sending angry e-mails isn't the way to go and the blame is not with Concord.

Angry e-mails (fan backlash in general) over the TPM UE are one reason why Lucasfilm didn't release the complete score to AotC.

Is that just a guess on your part? Or did Lucasfilm issue a statement saying so? :)

Some industry insiders or people with connections hinted at it a while back. Of course, the most important factor was sales; the UE did not sell too well.

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Those industry insiders and people in the business are also the reason why I think the way I do.

They've mentioned similar things in the past.

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Some industry insiders or people with connections hinted at it a while back. Of course, the most important factor was sales; the UE did not sell too well.
Those industry insiders and people in the business are also the reason why I think the way I do.

They've mentioned similar things in the past.

I think we just plain confused them. I'm sure they genuinely thought they were giving us what we wanted with the UE, so when there was this huge (and correct) backlash from the product's base consumers, it's pretty easy to see their conclusion.

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Actually you're probably correct.

But the sad thing is that the RCA Special Editions were already available and you would think someone at Sony or Lucasfilm would have used that as a blueprint.

Of course it was probably easy to slap together the UE since the music was already assembled and edited for the film.

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Yep, give them what they want (or what we think they want) in the cheapest way possible. The only good thing about it is that Murphy probably didn't get a chance to fiddle with it which is why is sounds so good.

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Teehee
Please DO NOT email me in regards to adding unreleased material to the box set. I have NO control over that.

I think I made her angry.

well at least they got the message

Was you letter aggressive?

k.M.Who was never going to send his first draft (even if it's the truth) ,and was just venting out loud on the MB.

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Teehee
Please DO NOT email me in regards to adding unreleased material to the box set. I have NO control over that.

I think I made her angry.

well at least they got the message

Was you letter aggressive?

k.M.Who was never going to send his first draft (even if it's the truth) ,and was just venting out loud on the MB.

Dear Concord Records,

I would like to say I am glad about the Indy soundtrack reissues. I would like to say that, but I can't truly be satisfied unless the CDs, The Temple of Doom in particular, include previously unreleased material. I strongly recommend that you make this a reality so that the CDs not only market to the casual audience but all of us soundtrack junkies who have already purchased the original soundtracks and would like something new.

Much Obliged,

Gabe Deitz

Didn't sound very aggressive.

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No. But using the words "Indy" instead of Indiana Jones (is that too hard to type out?) and "us soundtrack junkies" might have had some negative aftertaste ...

A word of advise, if you don't want your chanves drop to almost zero, giving the impression of being a "junkie" who tries his hardest to seem like he doesn't care very much doesn't help.

You don't accomplish much by casually lying. Additional Indiana Jones music is not "something new", it's legendary music long overdue for a complete, or at least expanded, release. Saying that out loud with kind words, in proper English so that it seems like you and others care very much do more than those few lines that appear half- arsed, seemingly written between lunch and your "massage" appointment.

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Well, she's right that she's not the person that has contol over disc content. But she could have provided the contact info for those who do. Still, I'd leave her alone from now on.

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Her reply make it seem like she got several e-mails already and doesn't want us to send any more. Maybe she'll forward them to those in charge of the contents of the c.d.'s

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Yes .they can say screw those soundtrack fans,we'll market this at the phantom general public buyers anyways ,you know, people who saw the film and "kinda " liked the music and want to listen to "the Indiana Jones theme song"

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The only good thing that came from the Ultimate Edition of The Phantom Menace was the superb sound quality of the unreleased material. Of course when Sony advertised as "all the music written for the film" which clearly was not that's what most of us got pissed over. I do believe the reports back in 2002 about Sony having an U.E. style for AOTC ready to go but Lucasfilm nixed the release. I'm sure Sony would have released it if it weren't for most people from here basically sending hate emails or demanding emails to Lucasfilm over the Ultimate Edition of The Phantom Menace. All though I can't say I blame you guys.

I'll admit for the longest time I loved the Ultimate Edition of The Phantom Menace didn't care what others thought then Henry opened my eyes and made me realize all the edits and to this day ever since I made my own complete edit I have not listened to the Ultimate Edition. Well I have just a couple of tracks from the second disc and I had to turn it off because of all the cringe-worthy edits.

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I never got pissed off over the UE .I was actually trying to get people here to calm down. I knew we had the music anyways and it could be edited to make a decent nearly complete score .Better than having nothing to work with.

No UE,No unreleased music.

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True KM, at this point I would take an UE style for AOTC and ROTS. At least with ROTS we got most of the unused music so it would be easy to make a complete intended version. All though for AOTC not so much.

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Well, word is out now anyway; if they haven't added any music to the old issues yet, they won't go back now and change it, which would postpone the release timeframe everyone is now aware of.

I would be more than willing to wait a couple extra months if it meant complete releases.\

I never got pissed off over the UE .I was actually trying to get people here to calm down. I knew we had the music anyways and it could be edited to make a decent nearly complete score .Better than having nothing to work with.

No UE,No unreleased music.

Exactly--it really is a shame. For once, complete releases were within our grasps, but we pretty much threw them away.

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