The Legacy of John Williams (Website & Podcast)

[Jay 37,369]

Yes I really liked Mike's goose-honking analogy

[KittBash 282]

39 minutes ago, Jay said:

Yes I really liked Mike's goose-honking analogy

 

Yes, he was shall we say... very generous with his description as I'm sure some of the less than "kind" fan reactions to some things can only be annoying. That said great analogy and very kind.

[MrJosh 892]

That was such a great discussion @TownerFan, @mahler3, @Jay!

 

Jay, it was great to hear you and I loved hearing about you going through takes on TLW and your reaction to hearing that very first take and how different it ended up sounding. Super cool and that sounds like a really fun experience! Thank you for mentioning the fact about Adams' Theme from Amistad later being played on the same instrumentation that had been more associated with the African music earlier in the score...I had not noticed that and that is a really cool observation. 

 

I loved hearing Maurizio's and Tim's commentary on both scores, and always love hearing Mike talk about anything and everything. 

 

Mike might think people would find some of the technical stuff boring, but I'd totally listen to him talk about any random technical aspects of creating these releases as it is all really interesting to me. 

 

I'm excited to find out what Mike's non-Williams big project is at the end of the year, and I found Mike's comments about being grateful at the end of the podcast to be really uplifting. 

 

Now to go listen to TLW, Sabrina and Amistad again...and maybe throw Rosewood in there as well, I haven't given that release some love in a while and damn I didn't realize it had been that long since that one had come out. Where does the time go? 

 

[1977 1,743]

20 hours ago, KittBash said:

 

Yes, he was shall we say... very generous with his description as I'm sure some of the less than "kind" fan reactions to some things can only be annoying. That said great analogy and very kind.

 

He forgot to mention how the geese sometimes shit on things mid-flight.

[Andy 4,138]

This was absolutely delightful.  Jay, so nice to hear from you on this one, and I hope you’ll continue.  Thanks to the team for doing this and allowing us all into the clubhouse. 
 

I love the Lost World’s jungle percussion so much, and your conversation did not disappoint in validating how awesome it is. Someone used the word ferocious. Yeah!  Now I need to seek out Henry Mancini’s Hatari! and I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never listened to Max Steiner’s Kong. So thanks for the suggestions. 
 

It was revelatory to hear that Mike deduced the percussion was played live with the orchestra. Regarding what we fans have come to call the “percussion only tracks” from the theme park… Am I understanding that the Universal Studios people got a higher generation tape of the six track audio, and were able to isolate or augment the percussion whereas what Mike was given was already more or less baked together?   Or have I got that wrong?   Can we ask, did the desire to include them get discussed, or was it lack of the proper elements or permission from Maestro Williams?  I’d buy another reissue for a third disc of percussion. 

 

10 hours ago, MrJosh said:

Thank you for mentioning the fact about Adams' Theme from Amistad later being played on the same instrumentation that had been more associated with the African music earlier in the score...I had not noticed that and that is a really cool observation. 

Yes!!!  This podcast came at just the right time to inspire another go around with Amistad. Well done. 

[mahler3 478]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed and are encouraged to return to some JW gems.

[Jay 37,369]

On 06/09/2023 at 11:17 AM, MrJosh said:

That was such a great discussion @TownerFan, @mahler3, @Jay!

 

Thank you!

 

On 06/09/2023 at 11:17 AM, MrJosh said:

Jay, it was great to hear you and I loved hearing about you going through takes on TLW and your reaction to hearing that very first take and how different it ended up sounding. Super cool and that sounds like a really fun experience!

 

Yeah, I really find it super interesting to listen to that with the context that it's take #1 of the whole project.  It really has such a different feel, you can sort of imagine in your head what the score could have sounded like if they stayed on that path.  Instead things really took shape into what we know just a few takes later.  I'm glad Maurizio dropped in the final version right after we discussed that!

 

Strangely, the other new bonus track that's an early take, "The Raptors Appear", was the very LAST cue recorded on the last day!  It's even more surprising that there's still some of that alternate synth sound in that all the way at the end.  Really interesting stuff.

 

The "On The Glass" alternate ending, incidentally, has extra synth doubling the horns that they taceted out on the next take, that ended up being what was used.

 

On 06/09/2023 at 11:17 AM, MrJosh said:

Thank you for mentioning the fact about Adams' Theme from Amistad later being played on the same instrumentation that had been more associated with the African music earlier in the score...I had not noticed that and that is a really cool observation.

 

Thanks!  It blew me away when I first heard The African Violet.  That's a cue I can't believe Williams didn't include on the OST album.

 

On 06/09/2023 at 11:17 AM, MrJosh said:

Mike might think people would find some of the technical stuff boring, but I'd totally listen to him talk about any random technical aspects of creating these releases as it is all really interesting to me.

 

I totally agree, I'd love to have more of the technical side of these releases get described somehow, some way

 

On 06/09/2023 at 11:17 AM, MrJosh said:

I'm excited to find out what Mike's non-Williams big project is at the end of the year, and I found Mike's comments about being grateful at the end of the podcast to be really uplifting.

 

Yes since hearing those words a few times now I have been experiencing a new level of gratitude myself, for all the personal connections I've made through this hobby, to being able to work on any part of these great releases, to being asked to be on a podcast to talk about the hobby and the work..... and even if I wasn't involved, I'm so grateful for these wonderful expansions in the first place.  It's important to remember they'd never exist without a small amount of people who love film scores so much they dedicated their career to making these happen over one that could have potentially lead to a lot more income.

 

On 06/09/2023 at 11:17 AM, MrJosh said:

Now to go listen to TLW, Sabrina and Amistad again...and maybe throw Rosewood in there as well, I haven't given that release some love in a while and damn I didn't realize it had been that long since that one had come out. Where does the time go?

 

Tim said it came out 15 years ago in the podcast, but it only came out 10 years ago.  Still, feels like ancient history at this point considering how many huge Williams expansions we've had since then!

 

 

19 hours ago, Andy said:

This was absolutely delightful.  Jay, so nice to hear from you on this one, and I hope you’ll continue.

 

I hope so too!

 

19 hours ago, Andy said:

I love the Lost World’s jungle percussion so much, and your conversation did not disappoint in validating how awesome it is. Someone used the word ferocious. Yeah!

 

That was me that said it was ferocious.  I'm glad that made it in the final cut

 

19 hours ago, Andy said:

Now I need to seek out Henry Mancini’s Hatari! and I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never listened to Max Steiner’s Kong. So thanks for the suggestions.

 

I must admit I've never listened to those scores either, and really want to now!  (I do know Baby Elephant Walk of course)

 

 

19 hours ago, Andy said:

It was revelatory to hear that Mike deduced the percussion was played live with the orchestra. Regarding what we fans have come to call the “percussion only tracks” from the theme park… Am I understanding that the Universal Studios people got a higher generation tape of the six track audio, and were able to isolate or augment the percussion whereas what Mike was given was already more or less baked together?   Or have I got that wrong?

 

The tapes running through the machines as the musicians played captured the individual feed of each microphone on its own track of the 48-track tape (the "multi-track tape").  Shawn Murphy & Williams would then create 6-channel mixes (Left-Center-Front, Rear-Left, Rear-Right, Bass), and stereo mixes, of every take.  The 6-channel mixes were saved on 1" tape, and the stereo mixes were saved on 1/2" tape.  (They might have been dubbed back onto empty tracks of the 2" multi-track as well - I have no idea).  The original soundtrack album was made from the stereo mixes.  The 6-channel mixes went to the dubbing stage for the film itself.

 

In 2016 when they got the go-ahead to expand the Lost World for the box set, Mike wanted to use the stereo mixes on the 1/2" tape, but found they were shedding. So, he used transfers of the 6-channel mixes from the 1" tape instead.  Everything on the 2016 set came from that element, same for the new reissue (he reopened his original 2016 Pro Tools session), with the exception of the new section of Ripples for the bonus track (because it didn't exist on the 1" tape, being a music editor's creation). 

 

The original muli-track tape was not transferred for this project.  The theme park people were likely not given access to the actual 1st gen 2" tape, but dubs (probably on DAT tapes) of full takes, since they didn't play the final performance edits in the park, but unedited takes.  And yes, presumably at some point somebody made a version of "The Hunt" where they slid the volume down of the other instrument tracks leaving only the percussion ones, and the theme park guys had it and liked it so used it in the gift shop.

 

19 hours ago, Andy said:

Can we ask, did the desire to include them get discussed, or was it lack of the proper elements or permission from Maestro Williams?  I’d buy another reissue for a third disc of percussion.

 

Mike's worked on enough Williams scores to know that the maestro doesn't approve "deconstructed" versions of cues appearing on these expansions.

 

19 hours ago, Andy said:

Yes!!!  This podcast came at just the right time to inspire another go around with Amistad. Well done. 

 

Thank you for saying this, this was my biggest hope.  I think Amistad is a masterpiece of a score, and it's largely slept on by a lot of fans.  If I could make one person who hadn't picked it up yet purchase it after hearing the podcast episode, I consider it a big win!

[Jay 37,369]

 

ANNOUNCEMENT! A SPECIAL EVENT IN LONDON FOR FANS OF JOHN WILLIAMS!

Do you wish to attend a "live version" of our podcast show? This is your chance!

On Saturday 21 October, The Legacy of John Williams will host a special in-person event featuring historic London Symphony Orchestra former musicians Eric Crees and Hugh Seenan, film music scholar Emilio Audissino and, joining remotely from Los Angeles, soundtrack producer Mike Matessino. The attendees will also have the chance to participate in a special screening and win exclusive items!

READ MORE tinyurl.com/5cvnxntt

REGISTER HERE www.wegottickets.com/event/592121

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=865959218573841&set=a.200527905116979

 

 

[bigjimwilson 256]

Well count me in! 

[mahler3 478]

This is going to be an event tailored to JW fans and the prizes are fantastic!

 

Each attendee will receive something special and we have lots of surprises in store.

 

See you there.

[KittBash 282]

This sounds like a blast. I would so be there if it wasn’t for that pesky Atlantic Ocean thing. How long to swim that??
 

In all seriousness Legacy of John Williams is killing it and I hope those that can attend have an amazing time!

 

 Bravo @mahler3 and @TownerFan!

[Biodome 714]

I'll be there!

[crumbs 14,317]

What a fantastic initiative!! Geez I'd love to attend. Just wish it wasn't on the other side of the planet!

[GlastoEls 563]

Lovely - an event in the home town!

[GlastoEls 563]

Podcast draw ticket purchased! 

[Jay 37,369]

@Ricard will you help promote this wonderful event via the main page?

[Ricard 2,245]

Definitely! I was planning to post it today and keep it on top of the page for as long as possible.

[stravinsky 206]

I just booked a ticket for this event plus flights and a hotel. I'm coming down from Scotland. If there are any more Scots (or anyone) who wants to go for a pint after the event please let me know. Cheers Raymond 

[scoreman36 68]

Just got my ticket. Really looking forward to it, and to meeting fellow JW fans. Thanks so much to the team for organising this. 

[stravinsky 206]

[GlastoEls 563]

Really looking forward to this. 

[scoreman36 68]

Is anyone there early tomorrow for a drink before it starts?

[GlastoEls 563]

En route and excited, with black turtle sweater on and carrying my umbrella purchased at the Musikverein gift shop! 🤣

[Jay 37,369]

Well? How was the event? 

[Jay 37,369]

Anyone?

[Dr. Rick 1,157]

They’re under a strict gag order apparently 😂 

[Holko 9,526]

It's easier not to say anything than to try and say only small things without slipping the big secrets.

[Jay 37,369]

There was nothing secret revealed in the 2018 London meetup

[DangerMotif 1,038]

Wonder what Mike’s surprise was now.

[Omen II 1,235]

Yesterday we discovered the true meaning of Wompi.  It is a secret so abominable that I shall take it to my grave!

[Martinland 360]

On 21/10/2023 at 1:45 PM, GlastoEls said:

En route and excited

I can imagine!

 

Well, we are too - as a whole family we will embark on a short trip (not too much time for anything else, I'm afraid) to London in 12 hours to attend the Final Fantasy XIV concert at the Hammersmith Apollo today (!), a wish and stunning last-minute ticket purchase of our daughter's.

 

Alas it's too late for the Williams event. I am sure it was quite something.

 

Had better luck last time w/ the Video Games Live one where, a day before, I was able to attend a screening of Brazil with Terry Gilliam in attendance at the BFI.

Such is life (when it's good)...

[Omen II 1,235]

The giant disembodied head of Mike Matessino revealed the momentous news of Wompi to a stunned audience over Microsoft Teams.  The sense of shock and disbelief in the room were palpable as we tried in vain to come to terms with the bombshell and to make some sense of it all.  The humanity!

[Biodome 714]

They told us to take no pictures, no video or audio recordings, and to not post about the event on social media.

 

Without going into the actual content, I can say that the LSO musicians and Mike were amazing to listen to. You can really feel the love they have for John Williams as a composer, conductor and musician.

 

I remember @bigjimwilson asked about the elitism/snobism that is prevalent within some Classical music academic circles and orchestras, such as the Berliner Philharmoniker. Well, there was none of that LSO!

 

I can also mention that my brother was lucky enough to win one of the smaller prizes. He didn't have enough space to take everything aboard the plane, so we split the loot! It was several CDs, Blu-rays, booklets, artwork, a Legacy of John Williams t-shirt and a box with E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial merchandise.

 

[bigjimwilson 256]

That was an absolutely phenomenal weekend. The event on Saturday was so good. Huge thanks to Maurizio, Tim and guests. Hugh and Eric were just wonderful to listen to. Emilio is always a pleasure, and the things Mike spoke about and shared with us were incredible. I felt genuinely spoilt. It was a great feeling to be in that room with everyone. I met some fantastic folk, and caught up with some lovely friends.
 

And then the concert on Sunday too! I was just being spoon-fed Williams love with a shovel all weekend 😂 

[GlastoEls 563]

3 hours ago, bigjimwilson said:

That was an absolutely phenomenal weekend. The event on Saturday was so good. Huge thanks to Maurizio, Tim and guests. Hugh and Eric were just wonderful to listen to. Emilio is always a pleasure, and the things Mike spoke about and shared with us were incredible. I felt genuinely spoilt. It was a great feeling to be in that room with everyone. I met some fantastic folk, and caught up with some lovely friends.
 

And then the concert on Sunday too! I was just being spoon-fed Williams love with a shovel all weekend 😂 

This, exactly.  

[Dr. Rick 1,157]

7 hours ago, Biodome said:

They told us to take no pictures, no video or audio recordings, and to not post about the event on social media.

 

Why was that? Would've been nice to see something either pics or video from the event.

[DangerMotif 1,038]

Anything about Star Wars from Mike?

[Chewy 2,391]

2 hours ago, DangerMotif said:

Anything about Star Wars from Mike?

 

"Given what happened in the last few years... What do you think?"

[enderdrag64 624]

29 minutes ago, Chewy said:

 

"Given what happened in the last few years... What do you think?"

Maybe this is just delusional optimism but I feel like this isn't actually a negative statement - if it was "last two decades" it would be much more sad.

 

In the last few years we've had two official star wars expansions from other composers, increasingly long OST albums for the shows, a Blu-ray isolated score, not to mention Mike Matessino's personal involvement in a new sheet music book.

 

I think positive things are coming, we just have to be patient 

[Holko 9,526]

3 minutes ago, enderdrag64 said:

Maybe this is just delusional optimism but I feel like this isn't actually a negative statement - if it was "last two decades" it would be much more sad.

This definitely wasn't a negative statement... about 5 years ago when Mike said it in a podcast or something.

[Chewy 2,391]

See here: 

 

[bollemanneke 3,349]

I would interpret is as a positive statement now too. And I still happily don't need Star Wars. Give me Hook and HP4 and I'll be fine.

[Biodome 714]

4 hours ago, Dr. Rick said:

 

Why was that? Would've been nice to see something either pics or video from the event.

The official reason given was "to protect the guests' privacy", although I'm not sure how pictures or videos would violate their privacy. The participants were announced publicly well before the event, and they looked happy to be there. I guess it's more to do with the organizers and Mike not wanting any of the photographic/audio/video content presented during the event to be distributed outside of their control.

[enderdrag64 624]

26 minutes ago, Holko said:

This definitely wasn't a negative statement... about 5 years ago when Mike said it in a podcast or something.

Oh I didn't realize it was 5 years ago; I thought it was a quote from this most recent event

[BB-8 3,478]

On 23/10/2023 at 3:45 PM, Dr. Rick said:

 

Why was that? Would've been nice to see something either pics or video from the event.

Maybe an exclusive story is being prepared? Still strange that there is so little response in this forum.

[Jay 37,369]

6 hours ago, BB-8 said:

Still strange that there is so little response in this forum.

 

I completely agree. I get that people were asked not to share details about what was discussed, which is fine. But not that many people are even sharing general impressions, who they met and interacted with, stories of hanging out before or after, etc etc.

 

It's surprising!

[Richard Penna 3,694]

Is this one going to be online like a regular episode, or was it purely an in-person event? (I realise probably only the hosts may know)

 

I sort of assumed that they'd asked for no photos/details so that things could be 'revealed' on the podcast itself. I'd hope that there aren't actual bits of information that were only told to attendees and are not to be shared, ever, bearing in mind that obviously for some here, attendance was out of the question.

 

In theory I could've gone to this (I'm only a half hour on the train) but I'm not a fan of going up to London these days and the ticket cost was a little steep for my casual level of fandom.

[Jay 37,369]

It was not recorded. Everything shared was just for the people there. 

[Richard Penna 3,694]

Meh....

[Ricard 2,245]