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Pre-Jaws OST albums: Make your top 10


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I do this because this era is pretty unkown to a lot of people, beginning with me... So where to begin to start a basic collection?

Make a top 10 of your favorites pre-Jaws albums! (I will later compile the results)

Quickly some hints to help making your choice...

1957 Wagon Train [Original TV Music From] (Some Tracks composed by Johnny Williams. Music conducted by Stanley Wilson)

1959 The Music from M Squad (Some tracks composed by Johnny Williams. Music conducted by Stanley Wilson)

1960 Checkmate [Original Music from The CBS-TV Show]
1962 Diamond Head [Music From The Motion Picture]
1966 How To Steal A Million [Original Motion Picture Score]
1966 Not With My Wife, You Don't! [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album]
1966 Penelope [Original Music From The MGM Film]
1967 Fitzwilly [Original Motion Picture Score]
1968 Heidi [Original Soundtrack Recording]
1968 Valley of the Dolls [Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack]

1969 The Virginian (Some Tracks composed by Johnny Williams. Music conducted by Stanley Wilson)

1969 Goodbye, Mr. Chips [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
1969 The Reivers [Original Score]

1971 Fiddler On The Roof [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Recording]
1971 Jane Eyre [Music From The Omnibus/Sagittarius Production]
1972 Images [The Original Sound Track Recording]
1973 Cinderella Liberty [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
1973 The Cowboys [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
1973 Tom Sawyer [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
1974 Earthquake [Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

1974 The Towering Inferno [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
1975 The Eiger Sanction [Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

1996 Land of the Giants
1997 The Time Tunnel
1997 Lost in Space, Vol. 1 [Original Television Soundtrack]
1997 Lost in Space, Vol. 2 [Original Television Soundtrack]
1998 The Poseidon Adventure/The Paper Chase [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
1999 Twilight Zone
2000 A Guide For The Married Man [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
2000 Lost in Space, Vol. 3 [Original Television Soundtrack]
2001 John Goldfarb, Please Come Home [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
2002 The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
2004 Fitzwilly/The Long Goodbye [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
2005 Jericho/The Ghostbreaker (Ghostbreaker's music Composed and Conducted by John Williams)
2008 How to Steal a Million/Bachelor Flat
2009 None But the Brave (Music by John Williams, Conducted by Morris Stoloff)
2010 TV Omnibus: Volume One (1962-1976) (The Bronze Locust, 1963)
2011 Not With My Wife, You Don't, Vol. 2 — Original Soundtrack
2011 Nightwatch/Killer by Night (Nighwatch's music Composed and Conducted by John Williams)
2013 Fitzwilly – Special Archival Edition [Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack]

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Nice topic. My kind of John Williams era. You forgot THE TOWERING INFERNO, btw.

No set list forever, but at this time it'd probably look something like this (in all cases the original albums, of course, not any subsequent expansions if there have been any):

1. JANE EYRE

2. The Cowboys

3. Not With My Wife You Don't

4. The Reivers

5. Penelope

6. Images

7. The Eiger Sanction

8. Cinderella Liberty

9. How to Steal a Million

10. The Towering Inferno

...or something.

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Nice topic. My kind of John Williams era. You forgot THE TOWERING INFERNO, btw.

Hmmm... In my lists The Towering Inferno album came out after Jaws in 1975 too, but I may be wrong...

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Of course you're wrong! The Towering Inferno LP came out the same time the film did, which was half a year before Jaws!

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Yes, the film premiered December 14, 1974. JAWS premiered June 20, 1975.

As Jay says, the vinyl came out around the time of the film's release. Besides, even if it hadn't, your list above still includes titles that had NO release whatsoever at the time, but that have gotten one in recent years, so I don't know why TTI would be an exception.

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My favorite pre-Jaws Williams works:


(in no particular order)


Jane Eyre

The Poseidon Adventure

Cinderella Liberty

Checkmate

Images

The Long Goodbye

Heidi

The Eiger Sanction

Nightwatch

The Reivers

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Fitzwilly? Really?

Well, for "Make me rainbows" I guess, the ancestor of Sabrina's "In the moonlight"?

But "Images" again and again... you just a bunch of weirdos!

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Fitzwilly? Really?

Well, for "Make me rainbows" I guess, the ancestor of Sabrina's "In the moonlight"?

But "Images" again and again... you just a bunch of weirdos!

FITZWILLY is a great album and would be in my 'honorable mentions'. However, I already had that kind of 60's swingin' cocktail lounge soundtrack covered with a few other, even stronger contenders in my list above.

IMAGES is first and foremost a fantastic score IN THE FILM, but it also has some fascinating textures on its own -- and especially the way it weaves in and out of more classical pastiche. It's not something I put on all the time, but when I'm in the mood for some challenging dissonance, it's certainly a "go to" album.

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Personnaly... all soundtracks with harpsichord or heavy breathing... That's a no-no!

Ha, ha....harpsichord and heavy breathing -- yeah, that's a common combo.

You should probably not check out Roger Water's score for THE BODY, then, which includes all kinds of bodily noises (not only breathing).

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Fitzwilly? Really?

Of course. I made a suite of the orchestral tracks in chronological order which takes about 20 min; its one of my most often listened to selections.

Overture

More Theft

Xerox Crisis

Make me Rainbows, instrumental

Juliets discovery

Lefty Louis Love Life

Gimbels Robbery

End Titels

It´s developing the two themes in a logical fashion and presenting the highlights of the score. Very entertaining.

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The only ones I really listen to on occasion are The Towering Inferno, How to Steal a Million and Lost in Space. I don't listen to any of the others in full, usually just bits or concert versions.

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Well, I see there's at least two more people who aren't embarrassed to put "Not With My Wife, You Don't" on a top 10 list. :) Here's mine in random order:

Towering Inferno

The Reivers

The Cowboys

Not With My Wife, You Don't

Images

Jane Eyre

None But The Brave

Fitzwilly

Poseidon Adventure

Lost in Space

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Well, I see there's at least two more people who aren't embarrassed to put "Not With My Wife, You Don't" on a top 10 list. :)

Are you kidding me? That's a SUPERB album -- by far the best of the similarly-styled albums he did in the 60s -- even if the film is pants. Easily in the Top 3 within the timeframe given here.

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Well, I see there's at least two more people who aren't embarrassed to put "Not With My Wife, You Don't" on a top 10 list. :)

Are you kidding me? That's a SUPERB album -- by far the best of the similarly-styled albums he did in the 60s -- even if the film is pants. Easily in the Top 3 within the timeframe given here.

Oh, I think so too, Thor - just surprised that there are any others besides me who think that! :) Although I never really cared for it much aside from the main title motif until FSM released the actual score - that's when it moved into my top 5 at least of his 60's output.

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I didn't even know about the 'actual score' version (says something about how little I care about such things). I was obviously referring to the LP reissue that FSM did in 2006 or thereabouts.

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I like The Cowboys, but I never listen to the score album, rather the Boston Pops suite. I realize that Jane Eyre is beloved, but I've never been a big fan, Earthquake has some good highlights, but I skip a lot of material on the OST, which I rarely listen to anyway. The Poseidon Adventure might have made my list if it had an album back in the day. For me, he didn't really get great until 1974/75. That's when I get hooked.

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Lots of votes for Not With My Wife You Don't.

I've never heard it.

Would you recommend Volume 1 (Album) or Volume 2 (film tracks)?

Why does it make the cut? Any hints of "John" in it?

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Lots of votes for Not With My Wife You Don't.

I've never heard it.

Would you recommend Volume 1 (Album) or Volume 2 (film tracks)?

Why does it make the cut? Any hints of "John" in it?

Vol 1 is a more pop/jazz/lounge music oriented album that does not have much to do with the actual score of the film except for the themes. I like Vol 2, the "real" soundtrack; there are a lot of orchestral cues, especially in the latter half. I detect also a lot of John in it, e.g. some passages remind me of 1941. Also, a lot of pastiche which I find entertaining.

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Lots of votes for Not With My Wife You Don't.

I've never heard it.

Would you recommend Volume 1 (Album) or Volume 2 (film tracks)?

Why does it make the cut? Any hints of "John" in it?

You mean the contemporary John? Well, not much. Not like in FITZWILLY, where you have that cue "Gimbel's Robbery", which sounds like something out of Indiana Jones. In NWMWYD, there aren't a lot of cues like that. It's mostly smooth jazz, or wild exotica, or pop songs, or funky ballroom stuff -- and I absolutely ADORE it for it. I have no idea about the "Vol. 2", as I've never heard it and have no intention of picking it up. But I re-watched the film recently, and from what I remember there are more typical film music cues there, but more perfunctory and whimsical, like on GUIDE FOR A MARRIED MAN or JOHN GOLDFARB, which had no previous album release and were released directly in C&C format (and suffered all the more for it).

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p_w1668.jpg

Not With My Wife, You Don't! [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album] (1966, Warner Bros. Records, W 1668)

Main Title (Big Beautiful Ball); My Inamorata (Vocal Version); Hey Julietta; Trumpet Discotheque; Two Of Everything; Not With My Wife, You Don't; Big Beautiful Ball (Vocals – Johnny Mercer); My Inamorata (Instrumental); Foney Poochini (Labrador-Opera Montage); Arrivederci Mondo (Italian Movie); Hungarian Jungle Music; Defending The Flag.

(Reissued in 1966, Warner Bros. Records, WS 1668)

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Not With My Wife, You Don't!/Any Wednesday (1966) (2006, Film Score Monthly, FSMCD Vol. 9 No. 3, Compilation)

Not With My Wife, You Don't!: Music composed and conducted by Johnny Williams.

and the vol. 2 including previously unreleased original score (1966):

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Not With My Wife, You Don't, Vol. 2 — Original Soundtrack (1966) (2011, Film Score Monthly, FSMCD Vol. 14, No. 14)

A Big Beautiful Ball; Jalousie/The Green-Eyed Monster/Jalousie Again/The Globs/Harry is Perturbed/Tuba Bell/Drum Cadence; Ferris Wheel March; General Parker's Arrival; My Inamorata; Pajama Talk; The American Eagle; Korean Juke Box #1; Korean Juke Box #2; Korean Juke Box #3; Defending the Flag/It'll Take Hours; Butterflies; Tank's Charm; Brandy Snifter/Making Wallets/More Wallets/Still More Wallets; Two of Everything; Tank Shinto; Bowed Heads and Flowers; Tom's Jealousy; Discotheque #1 (Not With My Wife, You Don't!); Discotheque #2 (Not With My Wife, You Don't!); Two of Everything; Off to Labrador/Eskimo Pie/Row Your Own Boat; Tank's Beach Party/Two of Everything; Rosa & Vittorio/Hero's Horns; Arrivederci Mondo; Cold Feet; High Tank; Tom Goes A.W.O.L.; Tom's Anger; Rome Radio; Exterior Capitol/End Title; A Big Beautiful Ball (End Credits; Bonus Tracks: A Big Beautiful Ball (instrumental); Discotheque #1 (instrumental); Discotheque #2 (instrumental); Ciao, Baby (alternate End Title); A Big Beautiful Ball (alternate); Main Title (Big Beautiful Ball) (album version).

Source: http://www.goplanete.com/johnwilliams/music/disco/albums.htm

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With 9 votes (that's not bad), here is the current Top 10:

Jane Eyre (8 votes)
The Cowboys (7 votes)
Images (7 votes)
The Eiger Sanction (7 votes)
The Towering Inferno (7 votes)
The Reivers (6 votes)
Cinderella Liberty (6 votes)
Not With My Wife You Don't (5 votes)
Fitzwilly (5 votes)
The Long Goodbye (4 votes + best ranking)

We have a big winner : Jane Eyre!

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With 9 votes (that's not bad), here is the Top 10:

Jane Eyre (8 votes)

The Cowboys (7 votes)

Images (7 votes)

The Eiger Sanction (7 votes)

The Towering Inferno (7 votes)

The Reivers (6 votes)

Cinderella Liberty (6 votes)

Not With My Wife You Don't (5 votes)

Fitzwilly (5 votes)

The Long Goodbye (4 votes + best ranking)

We have a big winner : Jane Eyre!

Not surprising. It's a masterpiece, and some of the finest things Williams has ever written (for a rather mediocre adaptation).

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Our Top 10, in a more visual way.

p_ws749.jpg

Jane Eyre [Music From The Omnibus/Sagittarius Production] (1971, Capitol Records, SW 749)

Jane Eyre Theme; Overture (Main Title); Lowood; To Thornfield; String Quartet Festivity At Thornfield; Grace Poole And Mason's Arrival; Trio The Meeting; Thwarted Wedding; Across The Moors; Restoration; Reunion.

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(Reissued in 2012, La-La Land Records, LLLCD 1214)

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John Wayne & The Cowboys [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (1973, Promo, RC-31 Stereo)

Morning On The Ranch; Trouble; Moving Out; The Campsite; High Spirits; A Man To Respect; Nightfall; Training Spills; The Death Riders; Final Conflict; On The Trail Again; Wayward Ladies; Learning The Ropes; The Takeover; A Coward's Deed; Death Of A Cowboy; The Trap; End Of The Drive.

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The Cowboys [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (1994, Varèse Sarabande, VSD-5540)

Main Title; Schoolboys Or Cowboys; Learning The Ropes; Wild Horses; Deserted; Crazy Alice; Alternate Main Title; The Ranch; Overture; Bedtime Story; Rustlers; Stealing Back The Heard; Nightfall; A Sad Day; Into The Trap; The Drive; Summer's Over.


(Reissued for digital download in 2014, Varèse Sarabande)

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Images [The Original Sound Track Recording] (1972, Hemdale Music/BMI, JW 1/2, Promo)

In Search Of Unicorns; The House; Dogs, Ponies & Old Ruins; Visitations; Reflections; The Killing Of Marcel; The Love Montage; Blood Moon; Land Of The Ums; Nightwatch Rise; The Waterfall And The Final Chapter.

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(Reissued in 2007, Prometheus/Belgium, PCD163)

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(Reissued for digital download in 2012, BSX Records)

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The Eiger Sanction [Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (1975, MCA Records, MCA-2088)

Main Title; Theme From "The Eiger Sanction"; Fifty Miles Of Desert; The Icy Ascent; Friends And Enemies; The Top Of The World; Theme From "The Eiger Sanction"; Training With George; Theme From "The Eiger Sanction" (Hemlock And Jemima); George Sets The Pace; The Microfilm Killing; Up The Drainpipe; The Eiger.

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(Reissued in 1990, Varèse Sarabande, VSD-5277)

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The Towering Inferno [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (1974, Warner Bros. Records, BS 2840)

Main Title; An Architect's Dream; Lisolette And Harlee; Something For Susan; Trapped Lovers; We May Never Love Like This Again (Vocals – Maureen McGovern); Susan And Doug; The Helicopter Explosion; Planting The Charges - And Finale.


(Reissued for digital download in 2014, Rhino)

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The Towering Inferno [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (2001, Film Score Monthly, FSMCD Vol. 4, No. 3)

Main Title; Something for Susan; Lisolette and Harlee; The Flame Ignites; More for Susan; Harlee Dressing; Let There Be Light; Alone at Last; We May Never Love Like This Again (film version); The First Victims; Not a Cigarette; Trapped Lovers; Doug's Fall/Piggy Back Ride; Lisolette's Descent; Down the Pipes/The Door Opens; Couples; Short Goodbyes; Helicopter Rescue; Passing the Word; Planting the Charges; Finale; An Architect's Dream; Bonus Material: We May Never Love Like This Again (album version); The Morning After (instrumental); Susan and Doug (album track); Departmental Pride and the Cat (damaged); Helicopter Explosion (damaged); Waking Up (damaged).

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The Reivers [Original Score] (1969, Columbia Masterworks, OS-3510)

Main Title; First Instruction; The Winton Flyer; Family Funeral; Lucius' First Drive; The Road To Memphis; Carrie's Entrance; The Picture; The Sheriff Departs; The Bad News; Ned's Secret; Memphis; Ned's Trade; The People Protest; Prayers At Bedtime; Lucius Returns To Carrie; Back Home; Finale.

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(Reissued in 1995, Legacy/Columbia, CK 66130)

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Cinderella Liberty [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (1973, 20th Century Records, ST-100)

Wednesday Special (Main Title); Nice To Be Around; New Shooter; Maggie Shoots Pool; Maggie And Baggs; Boxing Montage; Nice To Be Around; Neptune's Bar; Cinderella Liberty Love Theme; The Ferry Ride; A Baby Boy Arrives; Wednesday Special (End Title).

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(Reissued in 2008, Intrada, Special Collection Volume 70)

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Not With My Wife, You Don't! [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album] (1966, Warner Bros. Records, W 1668)

Main Title (Big Beautiful Ball); My Inamorata (Vocal Version); Hey Julietta; Trumpet Discotheque; Two Of Everything; Not With My Wife, You Don't; Big Beautiful Ball (Vocals – Johnny Mercer); My Inamorata (Instrumental); Foney Poochini (Labrador-Opera Montage); Arrivederci Mondo (Italian Movie); Hungarian Jungle Music; Defending The Flag.

p_ws1668.jpg

(Reissued in 1966, Warner Bros. Records, WS 1668)

p_fsmcdcol14no14.jpg

Not With My Wife, You Don't, Vol. 2 — Original Soundtrack (1966) (2011, Film Score Monthly, FSMCD Vol. 14, No. 14)

A Big Beautiful Ball; Jalousie/The Green-Eyed Monster/Jalousie Again/The Globs/Harry is Perturbed/Tuba Bell/Drum Cadence; Ferris Wheel March; General Parker's Arrival; My Inamorata; Pajama Talk; The American Eagle; Korean Juke Box #1; Korean Juke Box #2; Korean Juke Box #3; Defending the Flag/It'll Take Hours; Butterflies; Tank's Charm; Brandy Snifter/Making Wallets/More Wallets/Still More Wallets; Two of Everything; Tank Shinto; Bowed Heads and Flowers; Tom's Jealousy; Discotheque #1 (Not With My Wife, You Don't!); Discotheque #2 (Not With My Wife, You Don't!); Two of Everything; Off to Labrador/Eskimo Pie/Row Your Own Boat; Tank's Beach Party/Two of Everything; Rosa & Vittorio/Hero's Horns; Arrivederci Mondo; Cold Feet; High Tank; Tom Goes A.W.O.L.; Tom's Anger; Rome Radio; Exterior Capitol/End Title; A Big Beautiful Ball (End Credits; Bonus Tracks: A Big Beautiful Ball (instrumental); Discotheque #1 (instrumental); Discotheque #2 (instrumental); Ciao, Baby (alternate End Title); A Big Beautiful Ball (alternate); Main Title (Big Beautiful Ball) (album version).

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Not With My Wife, You Don't!/Any Wednesday (1966) (2006, Film Score Monthly, FSMCD Vol. 9 No. 3, Compilation)

"Not With My Wife, You Don't!": Music composed and conducted by Johnny Williams.

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Fitzwilly [Original Motion Picture Score] (1967, United Artists Records, UAL 4173)

Make Me Rainbows (Vocal) (Lyrics By – Alan & Marilyn Bergman); Sampson And Delilah; The Gimbel's Robbery; Overture; Juliet's Discovery ; Fitzwilly's Date; Make Me Rainbows (Instrumental); More Theft; Lefty Louie's Love Life; The Xerox Crisis; End Titles.

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(Reissued in 1967, United Artists Records, UAS 5173)

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Fitzwilly/The Long Goodbye (1967/1973) (2004, Varèse Sarabande, VCL 0804 1030)

Fitzwilly: Main Title / Overture; Make Me Rainbows (Instrumental); Fitzwilly's Date; Lefty Lovies Love Life; The Gimbel's Robbery; Make Me Rainbows (Vocal); The Xerox Crisis; Sampson And Delilah; More Theft; Juliet's Discovery; End Title; The Long Goodbye: The Long Goodbye (Performed By Dave Grusin Trio); The Long Goodbye (Performed By Dave Grusin Trio [Vocal]); The Long Goodbye (Performed By Jack Sheldon); The Long Goodbye (Vocal); Trio Version; Trumpet Version; Mario In Mexico.

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Fitzwilly – Special Archival Edition [Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack] (1967) (2013, Music Box Records, MBR-035)

FITZWILLY - Original Album, Stereo: Overture; Make Me Rainbows (Instrumental); Fitzwilly's Date; Lefty Louie's Love Life; The Gimbel's Robbery; Make Me Rainbows (Vocal); The Xerox Crisis; Samson And Delilah; More Theft; Juliet's Discovery; End Titles; FITZWILLY - Film Recording, Mono: Main Title; Theft / More Theft; You're Hired, Miss Nowell; Buckmaster And Albert; A Fresh Attitude; Piano Caper / Steinway / Boogie Woogie; Xerox Crisis; Phoney Pastor; Pickpocket; Sportsman's Robbery; Juliet's Suspicion; Samson And Delilah; Make Me Rainbows; Doorstep Stuff; Juliet's Discovery; Lefty Louie's Love Life; Money Plan; Within Earshot; Gimbel's Robbery; End Title; FITZWILLY - Bonus Track, Stereo: Make Me Rainbows (Vocal) (Alternate Ending).

p_qr185.jpg

The Long Goodbye [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (1973) (2012, Quartet Records, QR185)

The Long Goodbye (John Williams, piano soloist); The Long Goodbye (Clydie King, vocal); The Long Goodbye (Dave Grusin trio); The Long Goodbye (Jack Sheldon, vocal); The Long Goodbye (Dave Grusin trio); The Long Goodbye – Tango; The Long Goodbye (Irene Kral & Dave Grusin trio); The Long Goodbye – Mariachi; Marlowe in Mexico; Main Title Montage; Night Talk; The Border; Love Theme From "The Long Goodbye"; The Long Goodbye – Sitar; Guitar Nostalgia; The Mexican Funeral; Finale; Bonus Tracks: Clydie King Adlibs Rehearsal; Jack Riley and Ensemble Rehearsal; Violin Rehearsal.

Source: http://www.goplanete.com/johnwilliams/music/disco/albums.htm

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So wait, did Towering Inferno and The Reivers rank low in the top 10? That doesn't sound right. They should be at the top. Towering Inferno is great and Reivers was what got Spielberg's attention. Those should be at the top, just because.

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