The Music Of The Hobbit Films - Doug Adams' Book confirmed by Howard Shore

[Barnald 364]

 

1) The wait goes on...

 

2) I suddenly feel very old. Feels like yesterday we heard the first samples of the score...

 

[Dcole4 11]

Damn, I wish we could crowd fund the book or something. I want this damn thing and the rarities haha.

 

[Jay 35,244]

Is this the real cover?

 

 

[Disco Stu 15,483]

Hasn’t that been posted before?

[Jay 35,244]

You know what? Yea, I think it has, hasn't it.  Oh well

[Doug Adams 491]

Production cover. The final would likely need to reflect the film imagery more directly. Actors' likenesses, etc. Sorry! 

[Incanus 5,658]

Any hope of seeing this book in print in the near future Doug?  

[Bilbo 3,707]

It’s been 84 years…

[crumbs 13,884]

Is there any reason why one of the specialty labels (like LLL or Intrada) couldn't pursue Hobbit expansions themselves? Why are the music rights for this particular series so obscenely complex?

[Jay 35,244]

Who said they were complex?

[crumbs 13,884]

29 minutes ago, Jay said:

Who said they were complex?

 

Just the impression I always got whenever the subject of Hobbit expansions (or updated LOTR expansions with more music) came up.

 

Not like there's LA union fees to contend with.

[Jay 35,244]

The Hobbit rights lie entirely within WB; They released the OST albums on their own Water Tower Records label, so there is no music label the rights are split with

 

You could say they are less complex than the average score in that sense

[Bilbo 3,707]

I would think it’s a commercial decision. They obviously don’t feel there much more to be milked from the films that have been released but they are also probably unwilling to hand over the jewel (and let’s face it Middle-earth is probably the strongest franchise they have left) to a specialty label just in case. 
 

Maybe Doug’s book in 2024 for the 10 anniversary of the end of the trilogy? 

[crumbs 13,884]

Guess I just don't see why WB would be opposed to a label like LLL working on Hobbit expansions, after waving through Harry Potter and Matrix expansions in recent years.

 

I can understand reluctance/disinterest from their own record labels (commercial reasons or whatever) but they seem unconcerned with what the labels are pursuing, so long as they pocket the licensing fees.

[Bilbo 3,707]

14 minutes ago, crumbs said:

Guess I just don't see why WB would be opposed to a label like LLL working on Hobbit expansions, after waving through Harry Potter and Matrix expansions in recent years.

 

I can understand reluctance/disinterest from their own record labels (commercial reasons or whatever) but they seem unconcerned with what the labels are pursuing, so long as they pocket the licensing fees.

I would bet the LotR soundtracks outsell HP and Matrix combined. 

[TolkienSS 384]

The commercial success argument is a really strange one because

A: every year labels release scores where you wonder "who the fack would buy that?" so The Hobbit stands above all of them,

 

and

B: because there is no physical release needed, "only" assembling and mastering.

[Richard Penna 3,222]

I'd have thought the reason was simpler - Shore created albums he was happy with at the time and no one would do an expansion without his blessing.

 

I'm sure we've had this discussion before when they first came out, but instead of that stupid regular/special edition thing where both were 2-CD releases, Shore should've done single disc OSTs and CR-style releases (perhaps digital-only) and just closed the book in one fell swoop.

[Jay 35,244]

33 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I'd have thought the reason was simpler - Shore created albums he was happy with at the time and no one would do an expansion without his blessing.

 

 

Bingo.

 

[Presto 4,712]

What if someone wanted a longer program, but not complete? Essentially an all killer no filler version of the complete score?

[blondheim 1,128]

The LOTR and Hobbit score don’t have any filler.

[Presto 4,712]

2 hours ago, blondheim said:

The LOTR and Hobbit score don’t have any filler.

Nah, FOTR aside, there are a couple bars I could live without, if I had to.

[Nick1Ø66 4,034]

1 hour ago, A Farewell to Kings said:

Nah, FOTR aside, there are a couple bars I could live without, if I had to.

 

Too many notes?

[Chen G. 3,524]

That’s the same mindset as that Zubin Mehta Tristan that had the middle of the love duet cut…

[TolkienSS 384]

Is it the dirty part?

[MedigoScan 310]

I dont think Shore believes virtually everyone is happy with the scores as released though.

[TolkienSS 384]

He's probably had Doug tell him about the desire for more music. Not sure about he himself being aware though. He doesn't strike me as a man who would read up on opinions online, well, ever. 

 

I would even concede that LOTR style Complete Recordings aren't necessary (though wanted), but certainly an extensive collection of alternates and unreleased music.

[Presto 4,712]

I wouldn't mind a digital museum of sorts.

[TolkienSS 384]

One "disc" (75 minutes) for each film would suffice, providing that it would NOT follow the lead of the LOTR rarities disc and NOT include full tracks that were already released, just because there is a few extra bars in there.

[SUH 63]

 

 

I very much enjoyed reading this excerpt. It was fun listening back to 'Under Hill' after reading it.  I would give an arm and a leg to read the whole book! Imagine being able to listen along to the complete Hobbit scores while reading along to these kinds of insights.

 

I wonder if Doug's analysis points out the melodic similarities between the Goblin Town melody and the Lake Town melody. Seems like Shore was drawing a intentional comparison between the two haphazard dwellings. They follow the same melodic shape - with an initial rise then three sets of three repeated notes before falling to a final lower note.

 

And will there be any other interesting connections and nuggets we've yet to discover!