THE RIVER expanded and remastered by Mike Matessino now available from Intrada Records

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Yeah those pre Lethal Weapon years when Hollywood could tell he was potentially a star from the Mad Max films, but couldn't quite figure out what kind of star he was.

[Jay 37,283]

The sheet music for this score leaked a long time ago, so as a result we've known how the OST album was constructed ever since, but I don't think I've ever seen it posted to JWFan before

 

1 The River (4:25)

• Film Cue: 13M2 End Credits

2 Growing Up (2:51)

• Album Track based on 3M1 The Kids Separate + 3M1 Extension

3 The Pony Ride (3:15)

• Album Track based on 2M2 The Family + 2M2 Album Fix

4 Love Theme from The River (4:52)

• Album Track based on 9M1 The Hotel Scene + 9M1 Extended

5 The Ancestral Home (4:28)

• Album Track based on 12M2/13M1 Holding Back The Water + 12M2/13M1 Album Extension

6 Rain Clouds Gather (3:04)

• Film Cue: 1M1 The River (Main Title)

7 From Farm to Factory (2:43)

• Album Track based on 8M3 The Telephone Call + 8M3 Extension

8 Back from Town (3:38)

• Film Cue: 10M1 Returning Home

9 Tractor Scene (2:19)

• Film Cue: 7M1 The Tractor Scene

10 A Family Meeting (2:35)

• Two Film Cues:
  • [0:00-1:16] 5M4/6M1 On The Dock
  • [1:16-end] 4M2 The Garvey Family

11 Young Friends Farewell (2:39)

• Album Track (not based on any film cue)

 

The additional cues in the sheet music leak are

 

1M2 Leaving Home

7M2 Dialing The Hospital

9M2 Releasing The Door

 

and

 

1M2 Alternate Leaving Home

7M2 Short Intro
7M2 Alternate Dialing The Hospital

12M3/13M1 Alternate More Sandbags

[Bespin 8,476]

According to my calculations, 6 tracks out of 11 on the OST are concert suites recorded for the album.

[Dr. Rick 1,155]

Nice!  One of the few JW scores I do not have on CD.  Can't wait to hear samples!

[Jay 37,283]

6 minutes ago, Bespin said:

According to my calculations, 6 tracks out of 11 on the OST are concert suites recorded for the album.

 

11 hours ago, Jay said:

I didn't know before that 6 of the 11 tracks on the OST were recorded directly for it

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I'm not a zealot who thinks that scores should only be heard C&C, I can dig an out of sequence OST when it works well.  But IMO the OST for The River is not well sequenced.  Putting the emotional climax of the film ("Ancestral Home") as track 5, followed by the main title ("Rain Clouds Gather") as track 6, I personally don't think it works as one of those fabled "listening experiences."  What I'm looking forward to more than anything with this release is hearing the new sequence of cues.  "Rain Clouds Gather" works so well as a moody, ambiguous intro to the score.

[crumbs 14,300]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

Presumed Innocent is the only remaining Williams score they have perpetuity rights to.

 

But Mike could still do an expanded release, just through Varese only?

[Bespin 8,476]

12 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

I'm not a zealot who thinks that scores should only be heard C&C, I can dig an out of sequence OST when it works well.  But IMO the OST for The River is not well sequenced.  Putting the emotional climax of the film ("Ancestral Home") as track 5, followed by the main title ("Rain Clouds Gather") as track 6, I personally don't think it works as one of those fabled "listening experiences."  What I'm looking forward to more than anything with this release is hearing the new sequence of cues.  "Rain Clouds Gather" works so well as a moody, ambiguous intro to the score.

 

Think LP.

[Dr. Rick 1,155]

4 minutes ago, crumbs said:

 

But Mike could still do an expanded release, just through Varese only?

 

Well sure he could, he did Dracula through Varese.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

Mike should prevent the guys from Varese to handle any more Goldsmith or Williams titles by themselves or we get another U.S. Marshals!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 minutes ago, Bespin said:

 

Think LP.

 

Yes I'm aware that "Rain Clouds Gather" is the first track of side 2, so maybe the OST would work better if you listened to side 2 before side 1, but that's still far from ideal IMO!

 

2 minutes ago, ATXHusker said:

 

Well sure he could, he did Dracula through Varese.

 

And Cowboys!

[Jay 37,283]

11 minutes ago, crumbs said:

But Mike could still do an expanded release, just through Varese only?

Right

[Amer 2,080]

So is this going to be 2CD or everything will fit on 1 single cd? The OST is around 37 minutes.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

11 minutes ago, Amer said:

So is this going to be 2CD or everything will fit on 1 single cd? The OST is around 37 minutes.

 

Jay's post from the first page strongly implied that it's a single disc

 

12 hours ago, crumbs said:

 

 

@Jay are you allowed to say if it's one or two discs?

 

12 hours ago, Jay said:

It's a very short score, it and Monsignor must be his shortest scores after his comedy years

 

[filmmusic 1,823]

According to an edit I had done in the past of the complete score, the complete film score is approx. 32 minutes.

So, yes, it seems it will be one disc.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

I hope it is a 19.98$ release....

[JohnnyD 1,220]

3 hours ago, Jay said:

Never seen the movie.

Score is great!

 

You can check out the entire OST album on youtube

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YUMexLUVM8&list=PLAgb5z0ejEBU-VSmDnkk37PCZu_YKYkoH

 

I have the film on DVD. It is really good.

[filmmusic 1,823]

For anyone that missed the news in the filmography on Bluray thread, the film is also coming this year (July) on Bluray in USA:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-River-Blu-ray/61874/

 

[crumbs 14,300]

12 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

For anyone that missed the news in the filmography on Bluray thread, the film is also coming this year (July) on Bluray in USA:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-River-Blu-ray/61874/

 

 

Wonder if there's a connection there? The studio went to remaster the film, found the scoring tapes and got in touch with Mike perhaps?

 

I noticed WOTW is releasing on 4K in a few weeks...

[A. A. Ron 1,738]

25 minutes ago, Luke Skywalker said:

I hope it is a 19.98$ release....

Probably $21.99.

[Marian Schedenig 8,172]

14 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

It’s a soulful score.  Can’t wait to hear that unreleased music!

 

"Soulful" is a good adjective for it. I wasn't a big fan of it in my early film music days (aside from The Pony Ride, and the main title when I'm in that sort of mood), but over the years it's become one of my main go-to scores for moody Williams. It has some wonderful Americana stuff.

 

@crocodile should be happy to finally get his hands on this (this time you can listen to it without fiddling around with car radio Bluetooth connections for half an hour).

[JohnnyD 1,220]

30 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

For anyone that missed the news in the filmography on Bluray thread, the film is also coming this year (July) on Bluray in USA:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-River-Blu-ray/61874/

 

Well, I guess I'll be swapping my DVD (selling it) for the newly released Blu-Ray.

[Bellosh 3,385]

Shall it be assumed that MM worked on this?  Is he pretty much the only one in charge of doing JW expansions?

[Edmilson 7,385]

Out of all of the Williams/Rydell collaborations, what are the ones we have the complete score? And which are the ones still in need of an expansion?

[Jay 37,283]

1 hour ago, Bellosh said:

Shall it be assumed that MM worked on this?  Is he pretty much the only one in charge of doing JW expansions?

 

Quote

Mike, you seem to have become the go-to guy for Williams releases over the years! How has your working relationship with John Williams evolved over this time?

The music business has evolved to the point where boutique label soundtrack reissues, which were not even blips on the radar years ago, are now big blips. After doing 1941 for La-La Land Records there were a series of conversations which ultimately led to new lines of communications opening and methodologies being put in place when we started Empire of the Sun and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Working on adjusting the music and sound mix for Mr. Spielberg’s extended version of 1941 last year (and hosting the big screening event we did of it last March) helped solidify things. So a natural synergy just fell into place where I have been assigned to take care of all of the restorations and reissues and deal with all of the Williams & Spielberg approvals. The Back to the Future trilogy got added to the mix at the same time, as Bob Gale was spearheading that and as Alan Silvestri is represented by the same people as John Williams. So it’s become a process of working as part of a team where my job is to preserve the music and present it as definitely as possible and with the approval of the artists.

 

http://www.jwfan.com/?p=8269

 

Oh, that's just confirmation for Spielberg scores specifically.  As for ALL of Williams' ouvre, since the only release to come out in the 2010s not by Matessino were Bouzereau's Hook in 2012, Kimmel's Missouri Breaks in 2013, and Benitez's Long Goodbye, Heidi, and Tom Sawyer from 2012-2015, I think we're all Matessino from here on out for everything Williams

[Bellosh 3,385]

Awesome

[Jay 37,283]

1 hour ago, Edmilson said:

Out of all of the Williams/Rydell collaborations, how much do we have in complete form? And what are the ones that are still in need of an expansion?

 

They only have 4 collaborations

1. 1969's The Reivers - 1995 Columbia CD has one extra track over the 1969 OST, but the 1990 Masters Film Music CD has better sound quality.  A proper remastered release would be amazing, but the film was released by a dead company that was known as National General Pictures so who knows if the scoring masters were preserved.  Paramount theoretically inherited them but we've never heard of anyone finding them.
2. 1972's The Cowboys - 2018 Varese Deluxe Edition by Matessino is complete
3. 1973's Cinderella Liberty - 2008 Intrada edition was just a straight reissue of the OST LP; 2007 DVD and subsequent 2018 Twilight Time blu ray have an isolated score edited by Matessino with more music
4. 1984's The River - 2020 Intrada by Matessino is complete

[crocodile 7,983]

4 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

@crocodile should be happy to finally get his hands on this (this time you can listen to it without fiddling around with car radio Bluetooth connections for half an hour).

Haha so true. It's been on my most wanted list forever. So happy to see this getting released.

 

Karol

[Edmilson 7,385]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

• 1969's The Reivers - 1995 Columbia CD has one extra track over the 1969 OST.  A proper remastered release would be amazing, but the film was released by a dead company that was known as National General Pictures so who knows if the scoring masters were preserved.  Paramount theoretically inherited them but we've never heard of anyone finding them.
•  

 

It's a little sad for The Reivers. I really want to dig a little deeper on some of the most acclaimed early Williams scores, pre-1970s.

 

Maybe a re-recording is our only hope? 

[Thor 7,465]

5 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

 

It's a little sad for The Reivers. I really want to dig a little deeper on some of the most acclaimed early Williams scores, pre-1970s.

 

Maybe a re-recording is our only hope? 

 

Or just listen to the wonderful album as it is.

[Jay 37,283]

11 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

It's a little sad for The Reivers. I really want to dig a little deeper on some of the most acclaimed early Williams scores, pre-1970s.

 

Maybe a re-recording is our only hope? 

 

The 30 minute album is a great place to start, it's a great listen!

 

Then, there's the suite Williams put together in the 80s, which even contains new music he wrote for it

 

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/31999-the-reivers-feat-burgess-meredith-original-1980-version-youtube-audio-only/

 

I'm not  sure how much additional music is heard in the film that isn't available in either place.  But it seems all the sheet music has survived, so a re-recording could happen if someone wanted to fund one and Williams approved it

 

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/20956-the-reivers-complete-cue-list/

[E-Wan 65]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

1. 1973's Cinderella Liberty - 2008 Intrada edition was just a straight reissue of the OST LP; 2007 DVD and subsequent 2018 Twilight Time blu ray have an isolated score edited by Matessino with more music

 

Jay, do you have some information why the isolated score edited by Mike Matessino was not released on CD?

[Jay 37,283]

Well, have you heard the DVD?  It's not a pure isolated music track, it's music & sound effects.  It seems the proper scoring masters are lost to time.

[E-Wan 65]

6 minutes ago, Jay said:

Well, have you heard the DVD?  It's not a pure isolated music track, it's music & sound effects.  It seems the proper scoring masters are lost to time.

 

No, I haven't. Thanks for info.

[Jay 37,283]

Plus now that Disney owns Fox, getting a license for a new CD edition even if the proper masters are found is more problematic than it was before.

 

It would be great if it could happen, though, of course!

[Faleel 5,333]

Looks like @Jay is due for an Avatar change soon then;)

[phbart 609]

Instead of the traditional cover art, he could use this one...

 

[Trumpeteer 302]

I really wish this album was available four months ago when I was working on the episode of my podcast covering this film. I really wanted to highlight the two great cues in the film besides the main title, and not use the film version with dialogue and sound effects overpowering the music. The first is the cue after the first rain, after Mel Gibson' s character almost drowns and then the family preps the farm for the rain. Interesting drum kit underneath the family theme.

 

And then that famous pony ride scene, which is Williams writing music for a Norman Rockwell painting.

 

If you listen to the episode below, you will hear that I was told by one of my regular sources about an upcoming expanded release back in January 2020. The release date wasn't known, so I am glad to see that it is ready for the world to hear.

 

"The River" on The Baton podcast

[Faleel 5,333]

4 hours ago, Trumpeteer said:

I really wish this album was available four months ago when I was working on the episode of my podcast covering this film. I really wanted to highlight the two great cues in the film besides the main title, and not use the film version with dialogue and sound effects overpowering the music. The first is the cue after the first rain, after Mel Gibson' s character almost drowns and then the family preps the farm for the rain. Interesting drum kit underneath the family theme.

 

And then that famous pony ride scene, which is Williams writing music for a Norman Rockwell painting.

 

If you listen to the episode below, you will hear that I was told by one of my regular sources about an upcoming expanded release back in January 2020. The release date wasn't known, so I am glad to see that it is ready for the world to hear.

 

"The River" on The Baton podcast

Special Extended Edition?

[Miguel Andrade 1,260]

14 hours ago, Jay said:

Well, have you heard the DVD?  It's not a pure isolated music track, it's music & sound effects.  It seems the proper scoring masters are lost to time.

 

Sorry to correct you on that one, Jay. The DVD has a pure iso score track. I have created my expanded version out of it.

I've been told the Blu-Ray features an identical iso score track, but in lossless. Still have to check that one out.

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

12 hours ago, phbart said:

Instead of the traditional cover art, he could use this one...

 

 

What's happening here? Is he slipping?

 

7 hours ago, Trumpeteer said:

I really wish this album was available four months ago when I was working on the episode of my podcast covering this film.

 

It's your own fault for being so prolific.

 

[Jay 37,283]

2 hours ago, Miguel Andrade said:

 

Sorry to correct you on that one, Jay. The DVD has a pure iso score track. I have created my expanded version out of it.

I've been told the Blu-Ray features an identical iso score track, but in lossless. Still have to check that one out.

 

Why does Amazon say this?

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Amazon often get their facts wrong.

[phbart 609]

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

What's happening here? Is he slipping?

From what I read, he was drunk as hell and was trying to simulate the film's cover art without Sissy Spacek... and the river.

[Miguel Andrade 1,260]

32 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

Why does Amazon say this?

 

 

I stand corrected... sort of!

Most of the music it's clean, though there are very, very light voices in a few cues. The kind of stuff you won't notice unless with headphones (something I probably never used while listening to this score).

The DVD case, as I rechecked it, also has the isolated score and FX track info. But there are no real FX there, just that very light bleed of dialogue one can't even discern. Most of the times, this can only be heard as the music fades in or out.

Most likely it's due to that the iso track is labeled as iso+fx. But if you compare with a iso track like the one from Conrack or The Killers, you could almost call it an iso score track. 

 

So, I'll just retract my correction from earlier

 

[Dr. Rick 1,155]

On 4/29/2020 at 7:35 PM, phbart said:

Long time no see, Intrada. 

 

But wait... a JW title not being released by LLL?? 2020 is definitely getting out of hand.

 

[phbart 609]

42 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

Why does Amazon say this?

 

I rarely trust Amazon regarding tech info and special features.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I’m happy Intrada listened to the ents

 

 

[Bespin 8,476]

A next welcome expansion would be Witches of Eastwick, just saying. Not because there is so much unreleased music, but... just because.

[crumbs 14,300]

4 hours ago, Bespin said:

A next welcome expansion would be Witches of Eastwick, just saying. Not because there is so much unreleased music, but... just because.

 

Can't happen until the previous reissue sells out.