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John Powell's SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (2018) - Deluxe Edition 2020 / Intrada 2-CD edition October 31, 2023


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11 hours ago, PrayodiBA said:

 

 

I would like to give Powell all awards there is, just to hear his speech. Hollywoods needs a little jab!

 

Awesome! John Powell is great.

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I don't know. I feel like Disney's purposely forgetting about Solo completely, especially after that cheap move they made about not having an FYC in on time. I wouldn't be surprised if they removed it from the archives, so to speak. And we all know that if an item does not exist in the archives it does not exist. 

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Remember Disney's mega-flop Tomorrowland? They actively removed all licences from any of the license-holders effectively removing the film's existence from the face of the earth. No more products, t-shirts, memorabilia, CDs. Solo is just another film they can try (and without any resistance) sweep under the rug and say 'Nothing to see here, folks! Move along and enjoy this next film'.

 

What's a shame is how Disney never owns any mistake, any flop, they don't stand behind their work and defend it, because at the end of the day, it didn't meet some projected revenue threshold. I'm sure there were thousands of people working on these films who were emotionally and creatively invested in these properties, and in one weekend, all their work was reduced to nothing.

 

 

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I was recently thinking again about this fantastic movie (yes!) and score (of course) after revisiting "Marauders Arrive" to find the amazing hidden droid motif quote referenced by @PoggoAOTS

—and it occurred to me that it's strange that Powell, so nerdy in so many ways with incorporations of previous Star Wars material, didn't touch the "Lando's Palace" theme at all.  Is it that it's more of a Cloud City theme than a personal theme for him?  I guess that's borne out by its disappearance in ROTJ, but I certainly found it amusing when his playable character in Battlefront entered to a fanfare treatment of that theme:

 

What I'm saying is, we can all use more of that theme in our lives and our movies, and I'm a little surprised Powell didn't even nod at it.  At the same time, it took a year and a half for the droid motif to crop up.  Has anyone found anything on this front?

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I hear it. I'm not really sure if that's intentional or incidental, but I certainly never made that connection before. Well hidden and an excellent find from @PoggoAOTS!

 

If I recall correctly, that little bit underscores something to do with the Imperial viper droids. Not really sure how the droid motif applies to them unless it's connotations are being interpreted broadly here by Powell as a riff for droids in general. I always thought it was more of a C-3PO and R2 thing. I could be wrong about the part in the film though, because I remember there being some interesting music in the film version that's not on the OST that plays as the crew trip the sensor and the droids are activated. I cannot remember precisely where this bit fits in. 

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Never noticed that but while reading about it here and thinking of the track I somehow immediately thought of that segment and it fit!

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On 9/7/2019 at 10:03 PM, Arpy said:

Shit! I never connected the two - the droid motif from ESB.

 

 

 

That's what I thought he was talking about. I just can't hear it there. 

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I just think it's super cool how Powell turns a quirky and oft forgotten yet beloved little motif for woodwinds into a pulsating and rhythmic action setpiece hidden deep within his whizzbang of a score, going completely unnoticed for a considerable amount of time. He truly is a genius and his Easter-egging of Williams, so to speak, was far more clever, melodically pleasing, and unique than anything Giacchino, bless his soul, managed to conjure up for Rogue One (even though I like that score just fine!).

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On 1/1/2018 at 12:46 PM, Pieter_Boelen said:

He can do what he wants. But it doesn't sound like it fits his personality at all, nor does it fit with the (admittedly limited) facts that I know.

 

Giacchino did his best on Rogue One, doing a lot of work in a short time.

The end result may not be perfect, but I've listened to it several times and it is honestly not anywhere close to being bad.

 

Why would a consummate professional and humble person like Williams bring Giacchino down?

Especially when he knows that Giacchino was dealt a difficult situation to begin with?

Surely he also knows that Giacchino is very respectful of him. Why would Williams not be supportive in return?

 

Remember that Williams has also voiced respect for Hans Zimmer's work in the past.

I have not a clue if Williams meant that or not, but he certainly said something along those lines.

 

Giacchino has had Steven Spielberg's support for a long time already, who is obviously very close to Williams.

Surely Giacchino has been mentioned in their conversations at times.

If Williams were not appreciative of Giacchino, surely he would never have been hired for Jurassic World?

And if Williams had objected to his work there, surely Giaccchino would not have been asked to "save the day" on Rogue One?

It just doesn't make any sense.

 

This whole rumour sounds like a conspiracy theory if ever there was one.

Until I hear actual facts or official statements, I simply cannot believe it.

It's not that Williams has any opinion or cares about Gia's own work, he hated what he did to HIS themes. Does not want him anywhere near his themes again, is what I heard from a few people in LA, and allegedly he said that to Kennedy. 

 

As for Solo. Love the score!

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16 hours ago, ocelot said:

It's not that Williams has any opinion or cares about Gia's own work, he hated what he did to HIS themes. Does not want him anywhere near his themes again, is what I heard from a few people in LA, and allegedly he said that to Kennedy. 

 

As for Solo. Love the score!

I guess Giacchino was lying when he said Williams congratulated him? Implying Williams was a heartless backstabber - something he's not known to be?

 

Yeah, like I'll take some conjecture that it was anything other than gutter talk. 

 

Also, after hearing RO, did anyone truly think 'Wow that Giacchino guy really butchered Williams' themes!'? 

 

Jesus Christ, back on the carousel we go...

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No, because it's all hearsay, he said this, she said that. I know people who work in the industry too who can attest to the utter bullshit that gets spread. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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5 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Wael, its fine. You're just breaking everyone's illusion of Williams as a benign, Santa like figure who feels no ownership regarding his music and is only ever positive and life-affieming.

It's funny because it's not about him being fake. He is polite, outwardly, even to the point of saying in many interviews "Oh, it's amazing what composers can do with computers nowadays, I can't do it" when he actually cannot stand the way music has been oversimplified and taken to it's lowest pop sounding chords with no form or function. He just says things in private Unfortunately this part with RO had leaked in LA and went round people and then it's now more in the open. It hasn't;t even grown, he didn't say anything more than he did. It's not case of Chinese whispers where the story grew and grew. The same thing that was said at first is said now. But yes, he is extremely precious about anything he writes. He hates anyone playing with it, because then again, the chords can be changed to something he does not like. I can understand that as a composer. I just recorded two pieces as you know and have heard. The first oboe player, who is a friend, facebook messaged me to ask if he can take one part I wrote for him in the third register, admittedly high, down the octave since the flutes have it up there, and even with that where it is tutti, I was like, No, the second oboe and the clarinets have it down there, I want you up there for a reason, practice it! lol 

Any artist, be it in any medium can be precious when it comes to their own things. Another story from last year. I heard an orchestra in Poland was going to play my piece Earth, yet they had not hired it from me. I found out that they got people to transcribe it. 1. FUCK NO, and 2. FUCK NO, for two f=different reasons. One, it's my work, you play the exact notes I have written, so you hire the score and parts from me, and two, PAY ME! lol

Just now, Arpy said:

No, because it's all hearsay, he said this, she said that. I know people who work in the industry too who can attest to the utter bullshit that gets spread. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm 100% with you there. Again, I am quoting what I know from sources I work with and trust. We can all believe what we choose to believe :) And you might be right. Maybe it was all made up from the start ;) 

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Listen @ocelot maybe it's true, maybe Williams did say what he did. I just think it's sus is all given Williams renown and Giacchino's statements. 

 

If Williams was so protective of his themes, how did Clone Wars and Rebels happen? Kiner took it all carte blanche! :D

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7 minutes ago, Arpy said:

Listen @ocelot maybe it's true, maybe Williams did say what he did. I just think it's sus is all given Williams renown and Giacchino's statements. 

 

If Williams was so protective of his themes, how did Clone Wars and Rebels happen? Kiner took it all carte blanche! :D

And why did they not work together when they were supposed to after the fact when it came to Galaxy's Edge. Correct me if I am wrong but did that not come to a screeching halt right after the fact?

As for Kiner, it is TV with tons of episodes, years of quick tv writing schedules. His themes can to be used contractually and are, and Williams can't be on that schedule would be my response. Williams is anything but a fast writer. He is slow and deliberate. With a movie, he can step in to do those few cues if need be or have the person just do his own thing. His statement was not to have Gia not do Star Wars, but to keep him away from certain themes of his. But again, I am just telling you what I know from what I have heard. 

If you notice with Powell, he wrote the theme and had stuff to do, as Powell said, he had done more and you can't tell where he is and isn't.

 

Edit: To your argument, I did once, ages ago also hear that Williams did step in on some stuff in Rogue One, but never heard any more of that, but I can't for the life of me hear Williams there....

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Who knows what happened to the Galaxy's Edge thing? Probably just got William Ross to handle the other stuff, but I seem to remember Giacchino's involvement didn't really seem like a given, just some quote from an article concerning the park, right?

 

 

 

 

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15 minutes ago, Arpy said:

Who knows what happened to the Galaxy's Edge thing? Probably just got William Ross to handle the other stuff, but I seem to remember Giacchino's involvement didn't really seem like a given, just some quote from an article concerning the park, right?

 

 

 

 

Honestly cannot tell you, I just know he was "supposed" to be involved then after, no involvement. 

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30 minutes ago, First TROS March Accolyte said:

I've heard that Williams doesn't want Giacchino anywhere near Daisy.

 

Gia posted on twitter a mysterious gift he received from Williams at some point leading to Episode IX.

A signed copy of:

Znalezione obrazy dla zapytania not with my wife you don't john williams

 

That's it. It's all about Daisy! lol

57 minutes ago, Arpy said:

Eh, happens all the time. Scheduling conflicts probably. 

That's definitely not it, come on!

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I'm musically illiterate so I don't know what Williams theme was missused or broken in Rogue one but I love what giacchino did. I don't really like Powell's score aside from the new Williams theme. 

 

If Williams had composed a theme for giacchino to work around his new score, he would have written a great score.

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The way Powell's involvement with Williams was spun PR-wise indicates that he was happy and probably had more trust in Powell's musical abilities (to lt him do stuff like the long suite of old themes). It would be interesting to know if after RO Williams demanded a list of suitable candidates and actually listened to their stuff.

 

Because i think it unlikely that he ever would listen to film composers' work for musical enjoyment.

9 minutes ago, Luke Skywalker said:

If Williams had composed a theme for giacchino to work around his new score, he would have written a great score.

 

Probably for you, but rest assured that Giacchino's limited abilities - he's only well-versed in FILM music vocabulary - doesn't sit well with a musician like JW.

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