The Legacy of John Williams (Website & Podcast)

[Amer 2,395]

We see an average of about 4 Newly expanded albums each year. (Reissues not counting)

 

So if we are getting around 2 around now.  We should get 2 more before or at year end.

 

Which is fair.

 

[Trope 1,069]

48 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

Inferno, because in all my years as a part-time Zimmer supporter, it's the worst POS I've ever heard from him.

I struggled with that one too back when it came out. I've actually come to appreciate the quieter moments and some of the synth work, but some of that dissonant noise can be... a bit much (see "Seek and Find").

[GerateWohl 5,579]

1 hour ago, Trope said:

Which score of his would you use to torture your fellow JWFans? I actually enjoy a lot of Zimmer (I could listen to The Thin Red Line forever), but there’s only so much Widows I can endure.

No Time To Die

[bollemanneke 3,822]

Question: What do we think is meant by 'produced by JW?' in the press release? Because Mike did suggest the album presentation, right?

[scoreman36 128]

On 30/12/2023 at 5:13 PM, MrJosh said:

While MM's E.T. expansion was great, we can only dream of how great the DD E.T. edition would have been:

Cowboys Alternate Main Title 😂😂😂

[Luke Skywalker 2,068]

3 hours ago, Amer said:

We see an average of about 4 Newly expanded albums each year. (Reissues not counting)

 

So if we are getting around 2 around now.  We should get 2 more before or at year end.

 

Which is fair.

 

In 4-5 years there shouldnt be any important pre 2005 scores left to expand

[Meredith McKay 7,346]

5 hours ago, Richard Penna said:

 

I'm not remotely worried. 5000 is a lot of units, particularly for a score that has more historical value than mainstream appeal than most Williams releases. Plus LLL is awesome at telling us when titles are about to go OOP.

 

---

I interpreted Mike's comment as another Williams coming out very soon, and at least one probably after that before the end of the year, potentially multiple. The next person to complain that not enough Williams expansions are happening is going to be locked in a room with Zimmer playing on a loop as punishment.

not enough jw releases tbh

[Amer 2,395]

46 minutes ago, Luke Skywalker said:

In 4-5 years there shouldnt be any important pre 2005 scores left to expand

But many of the OOP Titles can be reissued. The show must go on..

[Meredith McKay 7,346]

6 minutes ago, Amer said:

But many of the OOP Titles can be reissued. The show must go on..

TBF Those are reissues, not expansions though (unless something gets added here and there....)

[bollemanneke 3,822]

6 hours ago, Richard Penna said:

 

I'm not remotely worried. 5000 is a lot of units, particularly for a score that has more historical value than mainstream appeal than most Williams releases. Plus LLL is awesome at telling us when titles are about to go OOP.

 

---

I interpreted Mike's comment as another Williams coming out very soon, and at least one probably after that before the end of the year, potentially multiple. The next person to complain that not enough Williams expansions are happening is going to be locked in a room with Zimmer playing on a loop as punishment.

We need lots of Zimmer expansions as well. There I said it.

[Richard P 4,517]

We do indeed.

[Jurassic Shark 14,212]

Yes, for the punishment. 

[Luke Skywalker 2,068]

44 minutes ago, Amer said:

But many of the OOP Titles can be reissued. The show must go on..

Let the show go on after im dead then… for the new generations.

[rough cut 1,760]

On 27/12/2023 at 6:36 PM, Jay said:

NEW PODCAST EPISODE!

RETURN TO NEVERLAND: 'HOOK - THE ULTIMATE EDITION' PODCAST SPECIAL (Part 1)

The Legacy of John Williams presents a multi-part podcast special dedicated to HOOK – THE ULTIMATE EDITION, a 3-CD set of John Williams’ magnificent score for the 1991 film directed by Steven Spielberg, now available from La-La Land Records.

In Part One, soundtrack producer Mike Matessino sits down to talk about the genesis of Steven Spielberg’s 1991 fantasy epic, its place within the director’s filmography and the long history of how HOOK almost became a musical, while also addressing how it sits in the canon of the Steven Spielberg/John Williams collaboration; Matessino also talks about his friendship with lyricist Leslie Bricusse, the years-in-the-making process of assembling and producing the new set and his own personal journey to bring it to life with the utmost level of care and detail that such music always deserved.

LISTEN tinyurl.com/23xppnvk

Available on all major podcasting platforms.

 

https://www.facebook.com/thelegacyofjohnwilliams/posts/pfbid0e7oxKkcoyY7smUU5FfCFWi4Vdq53caF8vXKTofGAcdvikWMf1idWrTu5kqhzyrV8l

Late to the party - I just listened to Hook part 1 and OMG is it interesting.

 

What a drama when DD tried to block MM (and succeeded with the first expansion of Hook)… I think MM retold the story with a calm not many could have mustered.

 

It was super interesting to hear the background story of how an expansion comes together and all the red tape that needs to be handled. It sounds as if not many could do the job that MM does.

 

On that note, what a godsend MM is. That man’s attention to detail and willingness to put in the hard work - combined with diplomacy and patience - makes me very happy that JW’s work is in his hands.

 

I haven’t listened to the Sugarland Express episode yet, but any podcast/episode festering MM’s insights are worth listening to multiple times and I’ll get to it - just waiting for the CD to arrive first. 😊

[bollemanneke 3,822]

Huh, I asked Chat GPT what Mike will do next. Let's see if this is right: 

• "The Rare Breed / The Plainsman": This is a western twofer, beautifully curated for listening and fitting on one CD.
• "Alcoa Premiere Theatre": A 4-CD set containing suites from the best episode scores from the series.
• "The Secret Ways": Williams' first serious film score, presented in a 45-minute program.
• "Storia di una Donna": A 50-minute curated selection that Matessino has lobbied to release for years (JW Fan) (JW Fan).

[Andy 5,585]

So these are the headphones Mike said he uses?  We all need them now!

[Brando 2,319]

2 hours ago, Andy said:

So these are the headphones Mike said he uses?  We all need them now!

I might be mistaken but I’m pretty certain @Manakin Skywalkeruses these, and if so, then yes they are great headphones haha. I just use a cheap set my wife got me a few years ago.

[bollemanneke 3,822]

Do they come with an equalising option per channel?

[Jurassic Shark 14,212]

7 hours ago, Andy said:

So these are the headphones Mike said he uses?  We all need them now!

 

Too cheap.

[BB-8 4,442]

I'm sticking to my Triangle loudspeakers.

 

1 hour ago, bollemanneke said:

Do they come with an equalising option per channel?

...or A.I.-driven auto-correction of flubs, runtime errors, and speeches.

[Jurassic Shark 14,212]

59 minutes ago, BB-8 said:

...or A.I.-driven auto-correction of flubs, runtime errors, and speeches.

 

The VPO is working on it.

[BB-8 4,442]

38 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

The VPO is working on it.

...to repair the horn solo in Princess Leia's Theme...which is preventing Vienna II from being released in a multitide of standard, live, deluxe and special editions.

[Manakin Skywalker 5,573]

13 hours ago, Brando said:

I might be mistaken but I’m pretty certain @Manakin Skywalkeruses these, and if so, then yes they are great headphones haha. I just use a cheap set my wife got me a few years ago.

 

Yessir, I've been using them for many years and highly recommend them!

 

9 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Do they come with an equalising option per channel?

 

Is that not something you'd have to do OS-side? I've never heard of headphones coming with their own software before.

[bollemanneke 3,822]

Me neither, I wish I could do it OS-side, no idea how on Windows. They say Foobar does it but honestly I can't figure it out.

[Erik Woods 738]

17 hours ago, Andy said:

So these are the headphones Mike said he uses?  We all need them now!

They are brilliant headphones. I've been using them for YEARS!

 

-Erik-

[Manakin Skywalker 5,573]

32 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Me neither, I wish I could do it OS-side, no idea how on Windows. They say Foobar does it but honestly I can't figure it out.

 

I use VLC for playing media, I know there's a bunch of EQ and other settings/sliders. I've never really messed around with them though.

[bollemanneke 3,822]

Hmm, VLC? I'll look into those.

[Jay 41,263]

🔴 NEW ARTICLE! 📖
This weekend, the annual "John Williams, Maestro of the Movies" concerts will take place at the Hollywood Bowl, with the LA Phil conducted by David Newman in a rip-roaring program of his classic scores (and also some surprises). As it was announced recently, this year John Williams won't be on the podium to conduct, but his music will still resonate loudly in the iconic amphitheater.
The John Williams nights at the Bowl are an established institution of the Los Angeles music scene, but how did all of that began? Contributing writer Tim Greiving (author of the forthcoming John Williams biography from Oxford University Press) takes us on a fascinating journey to discover how the association between John Williams, the LA Phil and the Hollywood Bowl was initiated and how it helped shaping the conducting career of the Maestro.

 

https://www.facebook.com/thelegacyofjohnwilliams/posts/pfbid02La5dwRqm7Jtq9H1JPzYM6KuF1PBKMU3fxgPG4ZYWyauQsNHCXMu1KuFAi2uViDf3l

 

 

https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/07/10/john-williams-hollywood-bowl-phenomenon/

[Andy 5,585]

What an enjoyable article!  Interesting how like Newman today, Williams was called to fill in for Fiedler who fell ill in 1978. 
 

And I just adore this pic

[Jay 41,263]

New episode!

 

NEW "L.A. STUDIO LEGENDS" EPISODE!

"We had great guitar players here in Los Angeles. And Tommy was always the best of them." —John Williams

Tommy Tedesco (1930-1997) was one of the most legendary studio musicians in Los Angeles. Labeled as "the most recorded guitarist in history," during his 30+ years career Tedesco performed on thousands record dates—he was one of the members of "The Wrecking Crew," an unofficial collective of studio musicians who played on an impressive amount of Top 40 material from the late 1950s until the late 1970s, including hit songs by Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, Cher, Nat King Cole, The Mamas & The Papas, The 5th Dimension, The Byrds, Glen Campbell and many others.

Tommy Tedesco was also one of the most sought-after musicians for film and television recordings and has performed on thousands of soundtracks by all the major film composers. For John Williams, he played acoustic guitars on dozens of projects and was the featured soloist on such scores as CONRACK and THE RIVER among others.

In this episode of the L.A. Studio Legends series, filmmaker Denny Tedesco sits down to reminisce and celebrate the career of his illustrious father Tommy and the many collaborations with John Williams, sharing personal stories and anecdotes; he also reflects on how he tributed his father's legacy on his acclaimed documentary film The Wrecking Crew.

LISTEN tinyurl.com/ywtbsxy5

 

https://www.facebook.com/thelegacyofjohnwilliams/posts/pfbid02eDPHUV2KqzXgUgdAUPL3F3iCn8VRPNZKcDwVvNTJrhvRKUB3GNmewu7sXpFghyvnl

[Jay 41,263]

NEW ARTICLE!

Few movies in history arrived with so much musical hype as THE PHANTOM MENACE. And with 25 years of hindsight, it seems fair to say today that Episode I is worthy of that “masterpiece” label. But this score, along with the sequels that followed in 2002 and 2005, is a masterpiece in a more imperfect, more qualified way than its Original Trilogy precursors.

Continuing our special celebration week for the 25th anniversary of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Frank Lehman (Associate Professor of Music at Tufts University and author of the forthcoming book "The Skywalker Symphonies: Musical Storytelling in Star Wars") explores John Williams' musical treatment of Anakin Skywalker and how it transforms throughout the scores of the prequel trilogy in a new in-depth essay for The Legacy of John Williams.

READ tinyurl.com/5n8vwucv

 

https://www.facebook.com/thelegacyofjohnwilliams/posts/pfbid02Q66cdqEgehULi8NU3sfYFoE1XxgfnXK4mnnTEYqBnyZ2Z6YHQumNi8Pd8ZZKhFHZl

 

Looking for a deep--and deeply nerdy, even for me--dive into Anakin's Theme from the Phantom Menace, on the ocassion of its 25th anniversary? Look no further than this new essay I wrote for The Legacy of John Williams page!

Huge thanks to Maurizio Giovanni Caschetto for giving me this platform. And especially for giving me such free rein over images, memes, and cute links (includind a few to what I was up to online back in 1999). The treatment of concert arrangements here is a bit of a preview of the 8th chapter of my book, which I'm hard at work on right now. I hope it has you saying, in the words of Young Darth Vader, "Yipee!"

 

https://www.facebook.com/Falstaft/posts/pfbid021ykaJsVutu9vEhMBMh5ppi6gA7Dt3t1Eypycut6nJrFHdtzSRtTh9VD3bpYSE1Xql

 

https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/07/30/anakins-theme-essay/

[Tom 5,336]

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere or is just part of the links above but a great précis of the score.  Reminds me just how great this score is--truly a masterpiece.  

 

 

[enderdrag64 1,148]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere or is just part of the links above but a great précis of the score.  Reminds me just how great this score is--truly a masterpiece.  

 

 

I watched this yesterday. Pretty good suite. Many of the editing decisions make a lot more sense than what's on the official album 

[Jay 41,263]

🔴 NEW ARTICLE!
Contributing writer Miguel Andrade reports about the European premiere of two songs from the rarely heard John Williams' cycle "Seven For Luck," performed last month by award-winning pianist (and John Williams specialist) Simone Pedroni and young soprano Maria Grazia Aschei as part of the Alagna Music Festival in Italy.
READ 👉 tinyurl.com/ycxrva8p

 

https://www.facebook.com/thelegacyofjohnwilliams/posts/pfbid0d8BLQUK286jMpUcsktqXrs36aErjtaZNr8eiMX98WGQZqQYZouDV91wti3vQk1tYl

 

https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/09/03/seven-for-luck-european-premiere/

[Dr. Rick 1,272]

On 3/7/2024 at 8:18 PM, Jay said:

 

And then he says another Williams title, that's already completely finished, should be coming out soon, and then another one should be out by the end of the year. Love to hear it!

 

I’m sure most of us expected “soon” to be sooner than three months later 😭

 

Wonder what the holdup is?  Hope we get at least two more expanded / premier releases this calendar year, it’s been very quiet since BF / December last year!

[crumbs 15,246]

Might be a hold up at the manufacturing plants. The labels have spoken in the past about waiting for slots in the queue to open, so even if things are completely finished they might take months to get manufactured.

[pete 1,049]

1 hour ago, Dr. Rick said:

Wonder what the holdup is?  

 

Maybe there's no holdup. No timelime was offered for the next releases. All we heard as I far as I remember is that Intrada had two Williams scores in the works. So if one or both of those upcoming releases are not from Intrada, then we are eventually in store for more. 

[Amer 2,395]

Well  its always the legal mumbo jumbo that holds up the things at the last minute long after the main work is done and readied.

 

Once all the final approvals are in place; then comes the manufacturing timeline. 

[Yavar Moradi 3,302]

10 hours ago, Amer said:

Well  its always the legal mumbo jumbo that holds up the things at the last minute long after the main work is done and readied.

 

Once all the final approvals are in place; then comes the manufacturing timeline. 

Yup, it’s the studio approvals usually holding things up, folks (except for Paramount; they’re still fast). Just see the end of this fun Jeff Johnson video:

 

Yavar

[Dr. Rick 1,272]

Hey I totally get it with studio approvals.  My point is I wished they wouldn’t have mentioned anything on the podcast because when I hear “soon” I’m thinking in my head something announced in the next 30 days or so.  

[bollemanneke 3,822]

I think it will be Star Wars. That Lehman book can't be coming out without us being able to listen to all of it, it would be ridiculous.

[Amer 2,395]

9 hours ago, Dr. Rick said:

Hey I totally get it with studio approvals.  My point is I wished they wouldn’t have mentioned anything on the podcast because when I hear “soon” I’m thinking in my head something announced in the next 30 days or so.  

Well something must have come up suddenly..

[Richard P 4,517]

I can only imagine the chaos if we were actually privy to what's been completed and is either just waiting for the studio to find 5 minutes to rubber stamp or waiting for a coveted pressing slot.

 

Good chance there's a Williams (*Other Exciting Soundtrack Releases Are Available) sitting ready to enjoy right now, and something is preventing that final journey onto a LLL flyer or Intrada post.

 

Tbh, given all the crap they have to deal with, surely the only way for LLL to have a BF slate at all is to hold back some titles for a bit? We'll get the next flyer in about 2 weeks, then maybe one more before the big one?

[Tallguy 5,050]

3 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

I think it will be Star Wars. That Lehman book can't be coming out without us being able to listen to all of it, it would be ridiculous.

 

That would be a helluva thing, wouldn't it?

[Trope 1,069]

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

Good chance there's a Williams (*Other Exciting Soundtrack Releases Are Available) sitting ready to enjoy right now

I find it strange that you continually feel the need to stress that John Williams fans on a John Williams fan-site forum shouldn't be most excited about possible new John Williams releases, and that they are wrongfully biased or musically imbalanced for doing so. Of course discussion on this site in particular is going to skew more towards the music of the maestro.

 

Clearly, plenty of other wonderful soundtrack releases from other excellent composers are available (well, actually... the best ones are usually sold out for extended periods of time). Members here and all across various internet forums and sites discuss these at great length. 

 

But it should be obvious that most members on this forum will especially desire releases and expansions of Williams' scores, no matter how proportionally insignificant you consider some of them to be compared to works by other composers. Why does this provoke you so?

 

[bollemanneke 3,822]

1 hour ago, Tallguy said:

 

That would be a helluva thing, wouldn't it?

It would be nice, yeah. I wouldn't be super excited, but happy to finally be able to listen to these scores the way I'm supposed to.

[Richard P 4,517]

1 hour ago, Trope said:

But it should be obvious that most members on this forum will especially desire releases and expansions of Williams' scores, no matter how proportionally insignificant you consider some of them to be compared to works by other composers. Why does this provoke you so?

 

If it feels like provocation, my apologies - it's never intended to be.

 

It probably boils down to my different mentality towards soundtrack or composer fandom. Some have the approach that everything their favourite composer does is to be cherished and collected - I don't have this at all. My favourite composer is JNH, but I'm actually 'content' with Intrada's new release because it's not on my list of top scores from him - he's done plenty of work I think is actually rather terrible. A hunger for Williams release is of course, natural here, and I join with many desired titles (if The Terminal doesn't turn up fo its 20th anniv, I'll be amazed) but I do find it occasionally strange when some (not all, by any means) find their assessment of a good batch of releases is basically whether it has a Williams title, rather than whether it has a good title in general.

 

In the non-soundtrack world, forget I said all that... I'm absolutely obsessed with a small handful of artists, one of whom is my profile pic.

[BB-8 4,442]

7 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

I think it will be Star Wars. That Lehman book can't be coming out without us being able to listen to all of it, it would be ridiculous.

Isn't Star Wars already scheduled for April 2025?

[Tallguy 5,050]

10 minutes ago, BB-8 said:

Isn't Star Wars already scheduled for April 2025?

 

I can't tell if people are messing with me anymore.

[TownerFan 5,554]

On 17/09/2024 at 1:50 AM, Dr. Rick said:

Hey I totally get it with studio approvals.  My point is I wished they wouldn’t have mentioned anything on the podcast because when I hear “soon” I’m thinking in my head something announced in the next 30 days or so.  

 

Hi everyone, Maurizio here. My bad for using that wording at the end of the episode. I am sorry that it ended up being misleading, if not totally inaccurate. When we recorded the Sugarland podcast in early June this year, everything at that moment was pointing to the fact that the next JW release was (kind of) right around the corner. But as some of you already guessed, there has been some studio approvals entanglement that hopefully will be resolved soon.

 

It's always very hard to have exact timelines with these things. Sometimes things gets signed off unexpectedly and it's a rush to get them manufactured in time for a specific targeted moment (like the LLL Black Friday batch), while most of the times it's just a drag waiting for studio people to answer emails and phone calls and give final greenlight. Keep also in mind that a lot of the studios working with the soundtrack labels have been impacted by major employee layoffs this year and it's another hurdle to overcome when you have to rebuild your relationships with new people for licensing studio-owned materials and get them on your side.

 

Hope this clarifies!