The Legacy of John Williams (Website & Podcast)

[mahler3 478]

On 11/12/2023 at 9:44 PM, bollemanneke said:

What a great read. (And can I also just point out that I love John Takis' measured and calm way of speaking in the 2012 Hook interview Tim Burden did?)

Agreed! JT was also superb on our The Fury tribute show soon after.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

I haven't listened to that yet, will do so when I have watched the film... some day.

[Quppa 117]

Utterly bemused by Didier Deutsch's mindset. He's listed as a producer alongside Mike Matessino on the La-La Land Records expansions of 1941, the Fury and Rosewood - did he object to those not being quick and dirty re-releases, too?

[Richard Penna 3,685]

The only thing I can find in DD's favour is that he probably did the best that could be done with the elements they had. I don't get a sense of any suggestion that he's a subpar engineer - as I keep saying I think there's nothing in particular wrong with the sound of the 2012 set in terms of the bits that were taken from actual tapes (the Prologue issue aside).

 

But I listened again to the bulk of Mike's monologue today and what strikes me most is that DD doesn't have any drive to get past the first hurdle. Tapes not where they should be? Oh well... let's just do it from what we have instead of giving some people a call and working with them for a bit to find everything.

 

Then there's the timely and sensitive way to go about getting SS's go-ahead for the songs, and another probable stumbling block for DD to give up on. Sounds like a different mindset and approach to solving problems between them.

[KittBash 282]

Finally got a chance to listen to the Hook episode! 

 

I always love when Mike M. says something along the lines of I don't know if anyone cares to hear this.... then he proceeds to blow my mind! 

[Jay 37,351]

NEW PODCAST EPISODE!

'HOOK - THE ULTIMATE EDITION' PODCAST SPECIAL PART 2

The Legacy of John Williams rings the new year with the long-awaited Part 2 of the HOOK podcast special on La-La Land Records' monumental, best-selling release of John Williams' soundtrack for Steven Spielberg's 1991 fantasy epic!

Producer Mike Matessino returns to discuss more of the musical contents of the 3-disc Ultimate Edition, together with associate producers and co-writers of the liner notes John Takis and Jason LeBlanc.

During the conversation, the trio of special guests dissect all the riches found in the treasure chest of this John Williams’ score, analyzing the score’s main themes, how the songs’ melodies were reworked into the thematic fabric of the piece and offering their own thoughts and reflections on the film and its score.

LISTEN tinyurl.com/23xppnvk

Available on all major podcasting platforms.

 

https://www.facebook.com/thelegacyofjohnwilliams/posts/pfbid02BV9ZRkyw7iFaDzrmrqMHkMZq7YmoEvtbcKvx3YSNuymymyV1LP2ip1xbQde8wQ73l

[bollemanneke 3,342]

For some reason this took me 30 minutes to download. Will listen later tonight if I can. Anticipation level rising by the minute.

[ZackR 95]

Just finished part 2. Brilliant. So grateful for this release and everyone who worked so hard to make it a reality. I’ll posit one minor disagreement with Mike: he stated that he felt  London was too magical and that the transition to Neverland should have been minors stark and dramatic like in The Wizard of Oz. That’s an interesting perspective and one I can understand but I’m glad it ended up like it did. To me (who like John Takis) was eleven when I saw Hook, I always considered London to be somewhat magical in the film. It was the “bridge” to Neverland and to Peter’s past life. It’s where he was adopted. It’s where the story originated and where the book was written. I believe Peter had subconsciously avoided returning to London for many years. His return to London is like the key that begins to unlock the door between the worlds. London is the gateway and therefore slightly magical in its own right. I totally see Mike’s perspective, but for me, the scene as-is is perfect. 
 

Again, I couldn’t be more thankful for this release. Just amazing.

[Richard Penna 3,685]

I'd disagree with one thing Tim said which is about the Lost Boys quote in the film edit of the credits being messy, or a similar word. I still think that's a well constructed suite of some primary thematic ideas and ends the film with the spellbinding end of Farewell Neverland.

[Jay 37,351]

You misunderstood what he said.  He wasn't saying that The Lost Boys Chase being in the end credits is a messy idea, he was talking about that in the film itself, the cue has several edits to it.  On the LLL album, the cue is unedited.

[Richard Penna 3,685]

Ah so he means the edits done to it to fit the timings were messy. I had a quick listen again to the 2012 track and I can spot maybe one edit point, but I think 'very messy' is a tad strong of a term to use - I think it's a great suite personally, editor-created or otherwise. The Exit Music is good too, but somehow doesn't quite 'wow' me as much as the film's ending.

 

I think I'm a fan of (or tolerator of) editor-created credit assemblies a lot more than most...

[Brando 1,863]

24 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I think I'm a fan of (or tolerator of) editor-created credit assemblies a lot more than most...

I haven't listened to the part 2 yet but I don't think it's that bad of an edit, there's a lot messier edits than that one.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

Another wonderful episode. A few observations:

 

What on earth was JW thinking when he asked Lang to think of Mozart when recording Banning Back Home? How on earth would one think of Mozart during that piece?

 

Also, the reveal that the piano bridge before We Don’t Wanna Grow up was supposed to be on the OST is just nuts. That bridge was about the only thing that made having that song bearable in the first place. He should have just kept all the piano and got rid of the song instead.

 

Also, Jay’s comment about ranking things being fruitless was very good to hear and another reminder that I NEED to stop trying to rank movies on Letterboxd.

 

It would also be really interesting to see what the assembly would have looked like had the songs not been approved.

 

Is Caroline Goodall being accompanied by a real orchestra? It really doesn’t sound like one.

 

Finally, did I understand correctly that Amber Scott didn’t sing all of the things we hear?

 

[Holko 9,521]

A lovely conversation!

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

8 hours ago, ZackR said:

I’ll posit one minor disagreement with Mike: he stated that he felt  London was too magical and that the transition to Neverland should have been minors stark and dramatic like in The Wizard of Oz. That’s an interesting perspective and one I can understand but I’m glad it ended up like it did. To me (who like John Takis) was eleven when I saw Hook, I always considered London to be somewhat magical in the film. It was the “bridge” to Neverland and to Peter’s past life. It’s where he was adopted. It’s where the story originated and where the book was written. I believe Peter had subconsciously avoided returning to London for many years. His return to London is like the key that begins to unlock the door between the worlds. London is the gateway and therefore slightly magical in its own right. I totally see Mike’s perspective, but for me, the scene as-is is perfect.

 

I agree with you. When we first see Peter, it's in the drab, modern world of the United States which seems to represent adulthood and the drudgery of everyday life. He then takes his first flight of the film, appropriately via a PanAm jet, to London, here a somewhat modern, but also old-fashioned world between worlds. With the help of his oldest friend Tinker Bell, he makes his second flight, this time to Neverland, a world of paradox and color that represents the fleeting nature of dreams, happiness and childhood itself. At the end of the film, Peter is finally able to fly on his own again and when he returns to London, he is no longer oblivious to its magic because he has bridged the worlds of childhood and adulthood, successfully incorporating the best traits of both Peter Pan and Peter Banning into one fully-actualized family man, who I would argue belongs in London more than anywhere else.

[Incanus 5,714]

That was another great conversation from more of a fan perspective and having nice insights to the music and discussions on the music's relation to the film. I loved those personal stories relating to the first experiences with this music and how affecting it was back in 1991. Also just having JW fans geeking out on the magnificent music was great to hear. Very much a shared sentiment guys!

[Jay 37,351]

On 04/01/2024 at 2:11 AM, Quppa said:

Utterly bemused by Didier Deutsch's mindset. He's listed as a producer alongside Mike Matessino on the La-La Land Records expansions of 1941, the Fury and Rosewood - did he object to those not being quick and dirty re-releases, too?

 

On those expansions (and other ones such as the 2012 edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture), DD's credit was "Executive Producer for Sony Music", which is more of a contractual thing that really just means he was the boss of the people at Sony Music who did their part on those titles.  It doesn't mean he had any sort of creative input into how the music is presented, like he had on the 2012 edition of Hook which is why he's listed as the main producer on that one.

 

After Didier's tenure at Sony Music nobody has taken a similar capital letter Executive Producer credit on specialty label expansions - instead individuals are now listed.  In the Close Encounters expansion from 2017 there's a block for Sony Music with 8 people listed, by recent titles like Spider-man and 2023 Hook the Sony Music guys are in the special thanks. 

[KittBash 282]

Part 2 was another great round table discussion! Bravo.

 

It brought the songs to another level for me for sure. Yes I was always curious about them but the score was THE reason I was there. I certainly listened to them when I got the set but hearing the group go through them really made me listen again so thanks! Like several folks mentioned Hook is something we keep finding new things in 30+ years later.

 

Now did my ears deceive me or was there a part III alluded to ?? Maybe it was just discussion of "oh if we ever did a part III..." but I'm down for as much time as you guys want to record and edit Either way as usual these episodes are a gift that I keep coming back to time and time again. 

[bollemanneke 3,342]

I just realised, they never did elaborate on the whole drama behind the screenplay. I hope they will at some point.

[Alejandro 26]

I hope Mike looks at Leslie’s journals to see if there are any lyrics with sketches that match the Lost Boys music. 
 

and … was Dave Grusin music a temp track at any point for Banning? 

[Jay 37,351]

New podcast episode!

 

https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/01/19/bill-booth-podcast/

 

NEW EPISODE!

L.A. STUDIO LEGENDS: BILL BOOTH

John Williams has a deep affinity for all brass instruments, but did you know that he studied trombone when he was a teenager? Legendary studio musician BILL BOOTH tells all about playing 1st trombone in the Maestro's orchestra in Los Angeles for more than 30 years, including such scores as HOOK, JURASSIC PARK, INDIANA JONES and the STAR WARS sequel trilogy.

Bill reveals the joys and the challenges of being John Williams' principal trombone, reflecting on the special quality of the Maestro’s music and also of his human side.

LISTEN tinyurl.com/h3nht9pu

Also available on major podcasting platforms

 

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[Jurassic Shark 12,065]

6 minutes ago, Jay said:

did you know that he studied trombone when he was a teenager?

 

Yes.

[Jay 37,351]

COMING SOON!
Composer and conductor David Newman returns on The Legacy of John Williams podcast for a special video episode discussing the upcoming concert "A Century Of Film Music," a dazzling program curated by John Williams featuring selections from landmark film scores performed by the LA Phil and conducted by David Newman (on Feb 2, 3 and 4 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, link below).
The talk will feature an in-depth exploration of the challenges and the opportunities of presenting great film music in concert and how John Williams has been a trailblazer in making film scores widely accepted in the concert hall.
Joining David Newman is film music journalist and author of the upcoming John Williams biography Tim Greiving.
The episode will be available both as video and audio podcast. Get ready for another insightful episode!
--------
A Century Of Film Music
"John Williams Spotlight" Series
Los Angeles Philharmonic
David Newman, conductor
Diana Newman, soprano
Featuring music by Alfred Newman, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Miklós Rózsa, Franz Waxman, Bernard Herrmann, Alex North, Maurice Jarre, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Thomas Newman, Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri
February 2, 3 and 4, Walt Disney Concert Hall
Info & tickets: http://laphil.com/.../2024-02-02/a-century-of-film-music

 

https://www.facebook.com/thelegacyofjohnwilliams/posts/pfbid038CNNP4UKKzkpgSrbe6XiUnfJrUdWL1VHFRWFakY7m9uL5me4oYy1Pz3htx3uLUrHl

[Jay 37,351]

Here it is!
 

 

[Jay 37,351]

This was a fun conversation!  Poor Tim (Greiving) didn't get to say much with David Newman taking over almost every question, but he had some interesting things to say, like the tangent about how there's a uniqueness to old violins and other string instruments that isn't true for brass and other instruments.

 

The discussion about what, where, when, and how to program film music for audiences had a ton of parallels with Maruzio's earlier video conversation with John Mauceri so it was kind of nice that this one is video too.  I wonder if the episodes of his podcast that have a video component reach a wider audience than the ones that don't.

[Tom 4,653]

What a great podcast.  This one really drew me into the personal world of film scoring.  Yes, Mr. Newman loves to talk, but his passion, knowledge, and detailed memory are fantastic.  Tim's comments on Williams's complicated feelings on presenting film scores and such makes Williams all the more compelling to me.  I feel bad for the guy on some level.  It seems like his BPO days, at least the first several, were not all that gratifying.  Pretty cool that he stuck it out and has sort of "won the argument," if you will.  

[Jay 37,351]

 

[Bespin 8,480]

Great and moving montage!

[Trope 527]

Just wanted to say that the new site looks amazing: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com

 

Thanks to everyone who works so hard at creating and contributing to this incredible and unique resource! It's such a delight to sit down and listen to the podcast or read an article. There's always something new to learn or discover to increase my passion and appreciation for the wonderful music of the maestro.

[JTN 2,006]

I don’t think there is anything but his music that people should learn about John Williams, by simply listening to it. This level of obsession about another person - any person for that matter - is nothing short of toxic and borderline neurotic. Just listen to the man’s music and stop analyzing every single thing he said and did, like he was Jesus. The guy even dresses like JW, he looks like an obsessed person. And he is supported in this obsession by some people like it was a normal thing. The amount of time and money he must be putting into worshiping another man is crazy. I really feel sorry for this guy for not finding something truly meaningful in his life other than worshiping a 92-year-old American composer.
Pathetic and revolting.

[Trope 527]

58 minutes ago, JTN said:

I don’t think there is anything but his music that people should learn about John Williams, by simply listening to it. This level of obsession about another person - any person for that matter - is nothing short of toxic and borderline neurotic. Just listen to the man’s music and stop analyzing every single thing he said and did, like he was Jesus. The guy even dresses like JW, he looks like an obsessed person. And he is supported in this obsession by some people like it was a normal thing. The amount of time and money he must be putting into worshiping another man is crazy. I really feel sorry for this guy for not finding something truly meaningful in his life other than worshiping a 92-year-old American composer.
Pathetic and revolting.

Who are you talking about?

[Manakin Skywalker 4,891]

1 hour ago, Trope said:

Who are you talking about?

 

He believes he's talking about Maurizio, but I think in reality he's talking about his past self and just projecting that onto someone else.

[JTN 2,006]

28 minutes ago, Manakin Skywalker said:

 

He believes he's talking about Maurizio, but I think in reality he's talking about his past self and projecting that onto someone else.

He’s way worse than my past self. I’ve since grown up, not worshiping an old man. 

[Ricard 2,245]

10 hours ago, JTN said:

I don’t think there is anything but his music that people should learn about John Williams, by simply listening to it. This level of obsession about another person - any person for that matter - is nothing short of toxic and borderline neurotic. Just listen to the man’s music and stop analyzing every single thing he said and did, like he was Jesus. The guy even dresses like JW, he looks like an obsessed person. And he is supported in this obsession by some people like it was a normal thing. The amount of time and money he must be putting into worshiping another man is crazy. I really feel sorry for this guy for not finding something truly meaningful in his life other than worshiping a 92-year-old American composer.
Pathetic and revolting.

 

Personal attacks are NOT ALLOWED on JWFan.  Please restrain from using our website to attack other members, either publicly or privately.

 

Quote

 

1 - The following types of posts are not allowed:

• Personal attacks -- BE RESPECTFUL of one another, allow for differences in opinions, and don't make anyone feel that they cannot post their views.

 

 

 

 

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

8 hours ago, JTN said:

I don’t think there is anything but his music that people should learn about John Williams, by simply listening to it. This level of obsession about another person - any person for that matter - is nothing short of toxic and borderline neurotic. Just listen to the man’s music and stop analyzing every single thing he said and did, like he was Jesus. The guy even dresses like JW, he looks like an obsessed person. And he is supported in this obsession by some people like it was a normal thing. The amount of time and money he must be putting into worshiping another man is crazy. I really feel sorry for this guy for not finding something truly meaningful in his life other than worshiping a 92-year-old American composer.
Pathetic and revolting.

 

6 hours ago, JTN said:

He’s way worse than my past self. I’ve since grown up, not worshiping an old man. 

 

Well, good for you!

If wearing turtlenecks most of the year (because I do feel cold most of the time) and having a similar trimmed beard, having had for about a decade the only website in Portuguese dedicated to Williams and at the time, the most complete and well constructed discography on the web, makes me an obsessed fellow, well, that's my problem isn't it? Because, trust me, I can out run Maurizio... Because, believe it or not, my sons are called João (in memory of my late grandfather) and Guilherme (because my ex-wife felt he was her prince and need a prince worthy name) which can translate to John and William. As many friends have pointed out  over the past 21 years, that can't be a coincidence... maybe it wasn't at some unconscious level.

That does make look like an obsessed guy about an 92 year young composer... maybe it does, and probably I am. And let me tell you, that never affected the remaining and multiple aspects of my daily life. And I'm sure the same applies to Maurizio. If there is some sort of obsession is still as healthy as it could be, not overlapping with any other needed and healthy daily routine (my current job at the school board is probably less healthier than being obsessed about John Williams...)

I just really fail why that is such of a big deal to you. You've grown up and don't worship and old man. Great. I don't mind not growing up. Isn't it great we live in a free world when we can make those choices? If you feel that Maurizio's "obsessive"  website isn't worth your attention, just move on to what you find is worth instead of complaining about it. That surely will be and healthy decision.

[Steve 591]

8 hours ago, JTN said:

I don’t think there is anything but his music that people should learn about John Williams, by simply listening to it. This level of obsession about another person - any person for that matter - is nothing short of toxic and borderline neurotic. Just listen to the man’s music and stop analyzing every single thing he said and did, like he was Jesus. The guy even dresses like JW, he looks like an obsessed person. And he is supported in this obsession by some people like it was a normal thing. The amount of time and money he must be putting into worshiping another man is crazy. I really feel sorry for this guy for not finding something truly meaningful in his life other than worshiping a 92-year-old American composer.
Pathetic and revolting.

Most irritating post of the year so far.

[Jurassic Shark 12,065]

I have a beard because I can't be bothered to shave.

[Thor 7,495]

I have one because I'm fat and I want to give some semblance of a jawline.

[Jurassic Shark 12,065]

Just like JW!

[Once 605]

The new website looks fantastic. I look forward to having the time to really browse through all the content. Even though it's not complete yet, the "Works"-pages are gonna be a great resource, I feel. I love that recording dates are included and also the easy overview of recordings of his classical work.

[Tom 4,653]

The website is fantastic--thank you for all of your hard work on behalf of us fans and those wishing to learn more about JW.   

[Ricard 2,245]

22 hours ago, Tom said:

The website is fantastic--thank you for all of your hard work on behalf of us fans and those wishing to learn more about JW.   

 

This looks like a fantastic project indeed. Wishing the best to Maurizio and everyone involved.