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John Williams albums by Philips Records (Boston Pops)


Jay

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7 hours ago, Jay said:

 

A Christmas Greeting - 13 minutes of loud choir, just not pleasant to listen to.  Yeesh!

 

 

This has been always one of my favorite tracks on the album, and it was a joy to find even more of Alfred Burt charols on "Joy to the World", on a medley arranged by Sandy Courage titled "A Christmas Bouquet".

I've always enjoyed the choral selections on this but I do remember reading some reviews from back then that weren't very positive, regarding the orchestra's performance. I can't be sure, but I believe it was pointed out that some of the material was new additions to the orchestra's repertoire and there was no sufficient time to properly rehearse it.

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I’ve had “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” since the 90s, I had joined the BMG Classical Music club and picked it up through them as one of the “free” selections.

 

I’m not into Christmas music, I only got this to add to the Williams collection.  The few times I have ever played this has been as background music while decorating or hosting a holiday dinner party.  Not something I’ve ever listened very closely to.  But I’m with Jay, I far prefer the instrumental tracks to the ones with chorus.  


The “Joy To The World” CD is much better.

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05 Pops Around The World 1-1920.jpg

 

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Pops Around The World - Digital Overtures (1982)

 

Well, I didn't like this album very much at all.  Classic music just ain't my jam, and I did listen to this four times, yet after 4 listens, not a single track clicked for me at all other than Williams' Cowboys overture.

 

I like the concept of exploring big works from composers from a variety of countries, but the particular music chosen just wasn't my cup of tea.

 

Williams' Cowboys overture, however, is great.  It's not only a great arrangement of themes from the score, but this is a dandy performance of it.  It's really quite fun from the very first note to the last.

 

 

As you can see in the pics, I have 2 copies of this album!  One I picked up randomly somewhere at some point (probably an Amoeba Records), the other when I bought the entire run of albums off Amazon last year.

 

It's fascinating to see the differences!  The sound is identical from what I can tell, as is the inside of the booklet.  But the banner on the cover is different, and the backs and CD art are completely different; I assume this is a much later run where Philips was trying to "modernize" their look, even on existing albums.

 

Speaking of the cover, what the heck is it all about?  A cruise liner ship I guess gels with the concept of music from around the world, but it's just a boring phorograph.

 

And what is a "digital overture" anyway!?

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I tried, I really did but nah, nothing about any other tracks worked for me.

 

Not even the Bernstein

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5 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

What about the Glinka overture? Gotta love that!

Oh yeah that’s terrific. I think it’s the only Glinka I have and only because it was the theme for a radio comedy show (of all things!). 
 

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8 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Oh yeah that’s terrific. I think it’s the only Glinka I have and only because it was the theme for a radio comedy show (of all things!). 
 

 

Then you need to check out this, my man. It seems to be sold out everywhere, and I can't find it on Spotify, but you can probably find it for a reasonable price on Discogs or eBay.

 

51TTpy7%2BP6L._AC_.jpg

 

Picture 2 of 2

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20 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Then you need to check out this, my man. It seems to be sold out everywhere, and I can't find it on Spotify, but you can probably find it for a reasonable price on Discogs or eBay.

 

51TTpy7%2BP6L._AC_.jpg

 

Picture 2 of 2

Thanks, will take a look!

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This is one of the few Williams/BPO albums I don’t own and have never heard aside from Cowboys and Candide, which appears on the Bernstein album.  I would definitely like to check out the rest of the album.  I’d be surprised if there wasn’t something else on here I didn’t enjoy.

 

I never saw this one in stores and I seem to recall in the early days of eBay that it wasn’t very cheap. (Jay, would you be willing to part with one of your copies..?)

 

 

 

 

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Normally my answer would be an unabashed and immediately YES of course, however since I don't really have 2 copies of the exact same thing, but rather 2 editions with completely different art in places, I like having both!

Luckily, used copies of this are on Amazon US for $1.71

 

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00000E2KO/

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I know, but that's for a new&sealed copy.  You cropped out the part that shows used copies are available for $3.88

 

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0013GOPNI/

 

That's how I ended up with this different version, btw, I bought a used copy from this entry instead of the other entry I posted above

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I'm sorry you didn't care for this one, Jay, this is one of my favorites of JW's early Pops recordings!  Kabalevsky's Colas Bruegnon is a great album opener, and I'm happy they went with some lesser-known selections from Suppe and Rossini.  Most orchestras would have chosen either Light Cavalry or Poet and Peasant from Suppe, and William Tell from Rossini.  And this recording of Bernstein's Candide overture is a favorite!

 

 

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I just noticed that Universal Japan Music is now stocking some of the previously released BOSTON POPS recording albums on their Decca label front via amazon Japan.

 

I have been meaning to collect some of the titles that were missing in my collection such as SWING, SWING SWING, THE AISLE SEAT, OUT OF THIS WORLD, POPS ALA RUSSE and AMERICA THE DREAM GOES ON as well as POPS IN SPACE, SALUTE TO HOLLYWOOD and another new compilation called THE BEST SELCECTION (which I already have with me now has a better upfront sound )

 

Iam planning to upgrade to BY REQUEST THE BEST OF JOHN WILLIAMS hoping it will sound better than the old Philips pressing. (Also becuae my old cd is so worn out-LOL)

 

Also most of these albums have been pressed on a better quality CD format called SHM CD which stands for Super High Material CD apparently allows the CD player to better read the quality of data printed on the cd. Ive seen reviews of the format and people have pointed out its significant improvement in the playback. (the digital payback will not be as amazing but on par with the previous releases)

 

Check it out at:  amazon.co.jp

 

 

 

 

 

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For my part, I will buy them all again when they make a beautiful remastered box set (I hope!).

 

I already compressed some albums, just to bring them on the same volume levels then the others.  For example, The Planets is one of the abulms which is recorded at the lowest volume. A little compression really helps to bring back all the texture of the orchestra! 

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5 hours ago, Amer said:

I just noticed that Universal Japan Music is now stocking some of the previously released BOSTON POPS recording albums on their Decca label front via amazon Japan.

 

I have been meaning to collect some of the titles that were missing in my collection such as SWING, SWING SWING, THE AISLE SEAT, OUT OF THIS WORLD, POPS ALA RUSSE and AMERICA THE DREAM GOES ON as well as POPS IN SPACE, SALUTE TO HOLLYWOOD and another new compilation called THE BEST SELCECTION (which I already have with me now has a better upfront sound )

 

Iam planning to upgrade to BY REQUEST THE BEST OF JOHN WILLIAMS hoping it will sound better than the old Philips pressing. (Also becuae my old cd is so worn out-LOL)

 

Also most of these albums have been pressed on a better quality CD format called SHM CD which stands for Super High Material CD apparently allows the CD player to better read the quality of data printed on the cd. Ive seen reviews of the format and people have pointed out its significant improvement in the playback. (the digital payback will not be as amazing but on par with the previous releases)

 

Check it out at:  amazon.co.jp

 

On 8/6/2020 at 10:16 AM, Jurassic Shark said:

 

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On 3/11/2021 at 11:15 PM, MrScratch said:

And then there is this

1A293387-9E54-45F0-881F-5126EF2C2613.jpeg


Another example of money laundering techniques which Amazon seem to be blind to.

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These just arrived from Japan. I'm just a bit tad concerned about the By Request cover- the print seems to be bit mediocre quality like a scanned copy (in comparison to the Philips release which is brighter and gold embossed) . I just hope it's not a CDR? I The other one is an SHM CD which is fine. I was wondering before opening these... 

20210319_195059.jpg

20210319_195219.jpg

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3 minutes ago, Bespin said:

All that is coming from Asia is genuine!

I think so, the previous pressings I bought Williams in Vienna Live Edition SACD is genuine and another Williams Boston Pops album is definitely good quality.. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

06 Aisle Seat 01-1920.jpg

 

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06 Aisle Seat 03-1920.jpg

 

Aisle Seat (1982)

 

I LOVED this album!

 

The first 4 tracks are from recent film scores (3 are Williams own compositions), and then the rest of the album is a look back into some of the big hits from Hollywood's film score history - and it's all great!

 

The Flying Theme from ET is a nice album opener, though I can't say there's anything particularly remarkable, or better than the original recording, of this performance.  Of not, though, is that this is already the revised concert ending of this piece, and not the original ending like is heard on the soundtrack album.

 

Main Theme from Chariots (Vangelis, arr Joseph Reisman) is great!  I recently listened to the soundtrack album of this score and liked the main theme track as always, but have enjoyed the synth aspects of it less and less as time has gone on.  This interpretation for orchestra is wonderful and - to me - a superior version to the original!  Great stuff.

 

As if this piece didn't have enough different titles; Here its titled The Raiders of the Lost Ark March from Raiders of the Lost Ark and this is, well another performance of it.  I have never found there to be terribly remarkable differences from one performance to another with this piece, probably because it's almost performance-proof, it's such a great composition.  So this is great, all all recordings of it are!  The coda from the OST recording is not here (has it ever been included by anyone in their re-recording?)

 

If We Were In Love from Yes, Giogio - I don't think I've heard this composition too many times before, but here, it sounds great!  It doesn't sound particularly Williams-y to me for some reason, but I like it.  It reminds me of an older Hollywood sound, which makes it a perfect transition into the rest of the album!

 

Main Theme from New York, New York (John Kander, arr Bill Byers) - Classic tune, sounds great here!

 

Tara's Theme from Gone With The Wind (Max Steiner, arr. Angela Morley) - I've never seen this movie, yet I know this melody for sure, just through osmosis of pop culture I guess.  It's great!

 

Over The Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz (Harold Arlen, arr Alexander Courage) - This is great!  This is such a classic melody and while I don't ever want to listen to a sung very unless I'm watching the movie, this orchestral arrangement is great!

 

Main Theme from Singin' In The Rain (Nacio Herb Brown, arr Conrad Salinger) - Another film I've never seen, but this arrangement of this music is wonderful fun

 

Main Theme from Friendly Persuasion (Dimitri Tiomkin, arr Angela Morley) - The only composition on this album I had never heard before (to my knowledge).  It's not anything that particularly struck me, it's just kind of there on this album in between legendary classics.  I wonder how it got chosen to be on this album instead of anything more well known from Tiomkin?  Maybe it is a personal favorite of Williams?

 

The Trolley Song from Meet Me In St. Louis (Ralph Blane & Hugh Edward Martin, arr Conrad Salinger) - So much fun!  Great album ender!

 

 

 

This CD has the most typos on the bad cover I've ever seen - just look at it!  "The Wizzard of Oz"?  "Tiomkine"? "Tara Theme"?  Or how about the fact that tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10 have apostrophes around their titles, yet tracks 2, 5, 8, and 9 do not.  WTF, Philips?

 

The front cover art is really cute; I suppose it's supposed to be ET and Elliot sharing popcorn at the cinema (though, the alien arm doesn't exactly look like ET's did does it).  Speaking of ET and Elliot.... it sure would be nice if that arrangement got as many re-recording as the Flying Theme and Adventures on Earth did, wouldn't it?  Maybe that's why Williams reconfigured it into Stargazers, to try to bring it back to people's minds?

 

Anyways, this is definitely one of the best albums from the first 6 they put out, for sure!

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14 hours ago, Jay said:

Main Theme from Chariots (Vangelis, arr Joseph Reisman) is great!  I recently listened to the soundtrack album of this score and liked the main theme track as always, but have enjoyed the synth aspects of it less and less as time has gone on.  This interpretation for orchestra is wonderful and - to me - a superior version to the original!  Great stuff.


This is the Chariots arrangement to rule them all.  I’ve listened to it an embarrassing number of times.  Sooo great.

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It really is super good!  It's such a strong, catchy extended melody, and this arrangement of it really lets it shine wonderfully.

 

It also feels right at home in between the Williams classics in the beginning of the album

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20 hours ago, Jay said:

 

 

As if this piece didn't have enough different titles; Here its titled The Raiders of the Lost Ark March from Raiders of the Lost Ark and this is, well another performance of it.  I have never found there to be terribly remarkable differences from one performance to another with this piece, probably because it's almost performance-proof, it's such a great composition.  So this is great, all all recordings of it are!  The coda from the OST recording is not here (has it ever been included by anyone in their re-recording?)

 

Just wondering if you were referring to the 20 second coda that's on the opening, short version of the Raider's March on the DCC version but is (oddly) attached to the end credits version on the Concord release? If so, I don't think it's ever been included on any other recording that I've heard (and I have about a dozen versions). I think it makes a great little outro on the short version at the start of the album but seems a bit weird on the end credits. I think if it were on the concert version, everyone would just clap over it...

 

On a semi-related note, is the short version on the original Raiders album just the full version edited or a different recording? I think it's the former but have never been absolutely sure.

 

Back on topic, I assume the version on Aisle Seat is the one used on By Request...

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30 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Just wondering if you were referring to the 20 second coda that's on the opening, short version of the Raider's March on the DCC version

 

Yes

 

Quote

but is (oddly) attached to the end credits version on the Concord release?

 

There's nothing odd about it

 

Track #1 on the original 1981 soundtrack album (simply titled "Raiders Of The Lost Ark") is the entire 6 minute original recording of what we commonly call the "Raiders March", with no edits or extensions or anything.  The coda here is part of the original sheet music and original recording.  This composition, incidentally, was simply titled "12M2 End Credits Part 2" when Williams composed it ("12M2 End Credits Part 1" is the cue that got called "The Warehouse" on the 1995 CD and "Washington Ending" on the Concord release)

 

Track #9 on the original 1981 soundtrack album (titled "The Raiders March") is an edit of that recording, removing Marion's theme, removing the coda, and looping a part in the middle

 

In the film itself, the full recording was edited differently for the end credits, not only removing the coda but shortening other sections as well.


For the official published sheet music that orchestras could license for performance, "End Credits Part 2" was used, but the coda was omitted, and it was retitled to "The Raiders March" (even though it more closely matches the LP track "Raiders of the Lost Ark" than the LP track "The Raiders March".  This is what would have been used for this Philips recording (though on that album, he called it "The Raiders of the Lost Ark March".)

 

On the 1995 DCC CD, Lukas Kendall decided to edit the original 6 minute recording in 2 different ways.  On that CD, track #1 (which he titled "The Raiders March") is a new edit of the original 6 minute composition that omits Marion's theme, without any looping in the middle, but retains the coda.  Track #19 (which he titled "End Credits") is the full march with no internal edits, but the coda removed - effectively matching what we commonly think of as "The Raiders March" from concerts and re-recordings.

 

For the Concord CD in 2008, Bouzereau closed the Raiders disc with the full 6 minute unedited recording, but awkwardly combined with "End Credits Part 1"  (this is not the correct, intended segue), and titled this combo track "Washington Ending & Raiders March".  Then, he stuck the old awkward LP edit with the loop in it as the Disc 5 opener.

 

Quote

If so, I don't think it's ever been included on any other recording that I've heard (and I have about a dozen versions).

 

I don't think I've ever heard it on any other recordings either!

 

Quote

I think it makes a great little outro on the short version at the start of the album but seems a bit weird on the end credits. I think if it were on the concert version, everyone would just clap over it...

 

Yes, it makes perfect sense why it was omitted for the officially published sheet music that could be licensed for performance, indeed.  But it would have been nice if somewhere along the way, someone had kept it in for a studio recording for an album!

 

Quote

Back on topic, I assume the version on Aisle Seat is the one used on By Request...

 

Yes

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8 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

 

Yes

 

 

There's nothing odd about it

 

Track #1 on the original 1981 soundtrack album (simply titled "Raiders Of The Lost Ark") is the entire 6 minute original recording of what we commonly call the "Raiders March", with no edits or extensions or anything.  The coda here is part of the original sheet music and original recording.  This composition, incidentally, was simply titled "12M2 End Credits Part 2" when Williams composed it ("12M2 End Credits Part 1" is the cue that got called "The Warehouse" on the 1995 CD and "Washington Ending" on the Concord release)

 

Track #9 on the original 1981 soundtrack album (titled "The Raiders March") is an edit of that recording, removing Marion's theme, removing the coda, and looping a part in the middle

 

In the film itself, the full recording was edited differently for the end credits, not only removing the coda but shortening other sections as well.


For the official published sheet music that orchestras could license for performance, "End Credits Part 2" was used, but the coda was omitted, and it was retitled to "The Raiders March" (even though it more closely matches the LP track "Raiders of the Lost Ark" than the LP track "The Raiders March".  This is what would have been used for this Philips recording (though on that album, he called it "The Raiders of the Lost Ark March".)

 

On the 1995 DCC CD, Lukas Kendall decided to edit the original 6 minute recording in 2 different ways, both of which are new edits that are not the same as the LP edit or the film edit or the published sheet music / concert edit.  On that CD, track #1 (which he titled "The Raiders March") is a new edit of the original 6 minute composition that omits Marion's theme, without any looping in the middle, but retains the coda.  Track #19 (which he titled "End Credits") is the full march with no internal edits, but the coda removed - effectively matching what we commonly think of as "The Raiders March" from concerts and re-recordings.

 

For the Concord CD in 2008, Bouzereau closed the Raiders disc with the full 6 minute unedited recording, but awkwardly combined with "End Credits Part 1"  (this is not the correct, intended segue), and titled this combo track "Washington Ending & Raiders March".  Then, he stuck the old awkward LP edit with the loop in it as the Disc 5 opener.

 

 

I don't think I've ever heard it on any other recordings either!

 

 

Yes, it makes perfect sense why it was omitted for the officially published sheet music that could be licensed for performance, indeed.  But it would have been nice if somewhere along the way, someone had kept it in for a studio recording for an album!

 

 

Yes

Very interesting... maybe it's because I'm used to it that way, but from an album production perspective, the 3 minute, short version with the coda makes for an ideal album opener as on the DCC release; it tempers some of the  finality of those final 5 notes usually used to end the piece, kind of a hint that this is just a taster of the theme and there's more to come. At the end of the actual full end credits it feels a bit redundant. I mean, I can't imagine a 30 second version of the Star Wars theme played on flute and snare tagged onto the end of the 5 minute main theme arrangement/end credits.

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Indeed, Lukas Kendall's instincts when making that album in 1995 were spot on; If you're going to open up the album with the Raiders March at all, and not begin with the actual first cue of the score (like how the Concorde album opens), then it makes sense to make a new edit that removes Marion's theme, but retains the coda, as the coda leads nicely into the way the actual score's first cue begins.  And then this gave him an opportunity to give his album a slam bang finish, with an edit that re-creates the version of "The Raiders March" anyone who ever attended a concert where it was played heard; not to mention, this is how the film itself ends, too!

 

Nevertheless, the full 6 minute piece with no edits and the coda included is how Williams original conceived the music in his head and originally recorded it with the LSO.  Even though the coda-free version became the most commonly known version of music through 4 decades of concert performances and re-recordings (including by JW himself in all 3 sequel scores!), the original unedited composition still has a lot of value to it.

 

Of course, all of this provides a lot of questions for MM to ponder if Disney Records ever lets him produce a new 2CD set of this score.  Obviously, the film's score is too long to fit on one disc, so will spill over onto the second anyway, and of course the entire original LP will be retained at the end of Disc 2, since there's tons of room and that entire LP was a unique John Neal remix.

 

But does he open Disc 1 with the March?  If so, is it the unedited 6 minutes version?  The coda-free but otherwise unedited version?  Lukas Kendall's short edit with coda? The LP's short edit with no coda?  A different short edit?  Or does he simply have disc 1 begin with the first actual film cue?

 

How does he end the main program?  The full unedited March as recorded?  The version with the coda removed to emulate the film? Does he put it in its own track, or present for the first time the proper segue between The Warehouse (Washington Ending) and the March?

 

I'm sure he'll ponder all options!

 

 

This would be my preference

 

Disc 1

The Complete Score

1    The Raiders March (Extended) {12M2 End Credits Part 2 with the coda removed}

2    In The Jungle {1M1 In The Jungle}
3    The Cave {1M2 The Cave}
4    The Rolling Ball {1M3 The Rolling Ball w/ 1M3 Insert}
5    Flight From Peru {2M2 Flight To Freedom}
6    The Book {3M1 The Book}
7    Thinking of Marian {3M2 Thinking Of Marion}
8    To Nepal {3M3 To Tibet}
9    The Medallion {3M4/4M1 The Medallion}
10    To Cairo {4M2 To Cairo}
11    The Basket Game (Extended Version) {4M4/5M1 Escape In The Alleys}
12    Poisoned Dates {5M3 Poisoned Dates & 5M5/6M1 Don't Touch That}
13    The Map Room: Dawn {6M2 Discovering The Script}
14    Reunion In The Tent {6M3 Reunion In The Tent}
15    The Well of Souls (Extended Version) {7M1 The Floor That Moves & 7M2/8M1 Uncovering The Arc}
16    Marion Into The Pit {8M2 Marion Into The Pit}
17    Escaping The Pit {8M3 Escaping The Pit w/ the opening replaced by 8M3 Fix}
18    Airplane Fight {8M5 Pffist Fight}
19    The Desert Chase (Extended Version) {9M1 Indie In Pursuit & 9M1A Truck Chase & 9M1B Indie's Feats}
20    The Crate {10M4 En Bateau}
21    The German Sub {10M5 The German Sub}
22    The Nazi Hideout {10M6 The Nazi Hideout}

 

Disc 2

The Complete Score (Continued)

1    Ark Trek {11M1 Indy Rescues The Ark}
2    The Miracle of the Ark {11M2/12M1 The Miracle Of The Arc}
3    Finale & End Credits {12M2 End Credits Part 1 & 12M2 End Credits Part 2}

 

Bonus tracks

4   The Rolling Ball (Alternate)  {1m3 The Rolling Ball this time without 1M3 Insert}

5   Escaping The Pit (Alternate Intro) {the piece we call 8M3 Fix 2 or 8M3 Fix Insert}

6   Escaping The Pit (Alternate) {8M3 Escaping The Pit this time without the opening replaced by 8M3 Fix}

7   Finale {12M2 End Credits Part 1 in its own track with a clean ending}

 

The original 1981 album

8    The Raiders Of The Lost Ark
9    Flight From Peru
10    The Map Room: Dawn
11    The Basket Game
12    The Well Of The Souls
13    Desert Chase
14    Marion's Theme
15    The Miracle of the Ark
16    The Raiders March

 

 

The way, the listener can create any version of the sore they like to their preference.

 

  • Their main program can either start with the full unedited march (D2T8), the LP edit march (D2T16), the "concert" edit (D1T1) or no march at all (just started with D1T2)
  • For the Rolling Ball, they can use the as-recorded original (D2T4) or the film version with the Insert (D1T4)
  • For Escaping the Pit, they can use the as-recorded original (D2T6) or the initially conceived fixed version with the new opening (D1T17); The actual film opens with that 8M3 Fix Alternate thing that I personally don't feel deserves to be in anyone's main program, but it's in the bonus tracks for anyone who wants to do their own edit
  • For the end of the main program, you can either have the Warehouse cue in its own track (D2T7) followed by any version of the March you want in its own track (D1T1, D2T8, or D2T16), or you can have Williams' intended segue of both cues together (D2T3).

 

One can dream!

 

 

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2 hours ago, Jay said:

Indeed, Lukas Kendall's instincts when making that album in 1995 were spot on; If you're going to open up the album with the Raiders March at all, and not begin with the actual first cue of the score (like how the Concorde album opens), then it makes sense to make a new edit that removes Marion's theme, but retains the coda, as the coda leads nicely into the way the actual score's first cue begins.  And then this gave him an opportunity to give his album a slam bang finish, with an edit that re-creates the version of "The Raiders March" anyone who ever attended a concert where it was played heard; not to mention, this is how the film itself ends, too!

 

Nevertheless, the full 6 minute piece with no edits and the coda included is how Williams original conceived the music in his head and originally recorded it with the LSO.  Even though the coda-free version became the most commonly known version of music through 4 decades of concert performances and re-recordings (including by JW himself in all 3 sequel scores!), the original unedited composition still has a lot of value to it.

 

Of course, all of this provides a lot of questions for MM to ponder if Disney Records ever lets him produce a new 2CD set of this score.  Obviously, the film's score is too long to fit on one disc, so will spill over onto the second anyway, and of course the entire original LP will be retained at the end of Disc 2, since there's tons of room and that entire LP was a unique John Neal remix.

 

But does he open Disc 1 with the March?  If so, is it the unedited 6 minutes version?  The coda-free but otherwise unedited version?  Lukas Kendall's short edit with coda? The LP's short edit with no coda?  A different short edit?  Or does he simply have disc 1 begin with the first actual film cue?

 

How does he end the main program?  The full unedited March as recorded?  The version with the coda removed to emulate the film? Does he put it in its own track, or present for the first time the proper segue between The Warehouse (Washington Ending) and the March?

 

I'm sure he'll ponder all options!

 

 

This would be my preference

 

Disc 1

The Complete Score

1    The Raiders March (Extended) {12M2 End Credits Part 2 with the coda removed}

2    In The Jungle {1M1 In The Jungle}
3    The Cave {1M2 The Cave}
4    The Rolling Ball {1M3 The Rolling Ball w/ 1M3 Insert}
5    Flight From Peru {2M2 Flight To Freedom}
6    The Book {3M1 The Book}
7    Thinking of Marian {3M2 Thinking Of Marion}
8    To Nepal {3M3 To Tibet}
9    The Medallion {3M4/4M1 The Medallion}
10    To Cairo {4M2 To Cairo}
11    The Basket Game (Extended Version) {4M4/5M1 Escape In The Alleys}
12    Poisoned Dates {5M3 Poisoned Dates & 5M5/6M1 Don't Touch That}
13    The Map Room: Dawn {6M2 Discovering The Script}
14    Reunion In The Tent {6M3 Reunion In The Tent}
15    The Well of Souls (Extended Version) {7M1 The Floor That Moves & 7M2/8M1 Uncovering The Arc}
16    Marion Into The Pit {8M2 Marion Into The Pit}
17    Escaping The Pit {8M3 Escaping The Pit w/ the opening replaced by 8M3 Fix}
18    Airplane Fight {8M5 Pffist Fight}
19    The Desert Chase (Extended Version) {9M1 Indie In Pursuit & 9M1A Truck Chase & 9M1B Indie's Feats}
20    The Crate {10M4 En Bateau}
21    The German Sub {10M5 The German Sub}
22    The Nazi Hideout {10M6 The Nazi Hideout}

 

Disc 2

The Complete Score (Continued)

1    Ark Trek {11M1 Indy Rescues The Ark}
2    The Miracle of the Ark {11M2/12M1 The Miracle Of The Arc}
3    Finale & End Credits {12M2 End Credits Part 1 & 12M2 End Credits Part 2 with the coda removed}

 

Bonus tracks

4   The Rolling Ball (Alternate)  {1m3 The Rolling Ball this time without 1M3 Insert}

5   Escaping The Pit (Alternate Intro) {the piece we call 8M3 Fix 2 or 8M3 Fix Insert}

6   Escaping The Pit (Alternate) {8M3 Escaping The Pit this time without the opening replaced by 8M3 Fix}

7   Finale {12M2 End Credits Part 1 in its own track with a clean ending}

 

The original 1981 album

8    The Raiders Of The Lost Ark
9    Flight From Peru
10    The Map Room: Dawn
11    The Basket Game
12    The Well Of The Souls
13    Desert Chase
14    Marion's Theme
15    The Miracle of the Ark
16    The Raiders March

 

 

The way, the listener can create any version of the sore they like to their preference.

 

  • Their main program can either start with the full unedited march (D2T8), the LP edit march (D2T16), the "concert" edit (D1T1) or no march at all (just started with D1T2)
  • For the Rolling Ball, they can use the as-recorded original (D2T4) or the film version with the Insert (D1T4)
  • For Escaping the Pit, they can use the as-recorded original (D2T6) or the initially conceived fixed version with the new opening (D1T17); The actual film opens with that 8M3 Fix Alternate thing that I personally don't feel deserves to be in anyone's main program, but it's in the bonus tracks for anyone who wants to do their own edit
  • For the end of the main program, you can either have the Warehouse cue in its own track (D2T7) followed by any version of the March you want in its own track (D1T1, D2T8, or D2T16), or you can have Williams' intended segue of both cues together (D2T3).

 

One can dream!

 

 

Yeah, that's quite a mix of options! I guess if there's enough space, you could mix up a number of the various edits of the Raider's March. To be honest, aside from the additional music, I'd be amazed if a new release markedly improved on the existing ones, which both sound pretty great to me. Therefore you could just retain the other versions whatever route was chosen.

 

Does the coda actually appear in the film itself? I don't recall it being there.

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I would prefer a future 2-disc release to start with In The Jungle and not The Raiders March.  Put the march in the bonus tracks section I say.

 

I can't think of any recent expanded MM releases that started disc 1 with a concert piece, besides SPR & SL, but those expansions were not done in chronological form anyway so no big deal there.  S:TM also comes to mind but you hear that in the opening credits.

 

I'd prefer to have Raiders done in the same vein of E.T., with the score on disc 1 & 2, followed by bonus tracks and remastered OST, which I do not have.  E.T. was fantastic because I had never owned the OST, just the 20th anniversary edition.  It was my first time hearing the OST presentation and it was great to get that as well as the complete score plus alternates.

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50 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Does the coda actually appear in the film itself? I don't recall it being there.

 

3 hours ago, Jay said:

In the film itself, the full recording was edited differently for the end credits, not only removing the coda but shortening other sections as well.

 

 

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I bought Aisle Seat in the 90s for the “Yes, Giorgio” track.  The rest of the album is kind of a snoozer for me. I already owned By Request so I didn’t need Raiders or Flying, not to mention all concert recordings of The Raiders March really pale in comparison to the LSO OST.  I prefer the Sony recording of Raiders March to this one.

 

The remaining tracks certainly are very popular or iconic film themes, just none that appeal to me very much.  I’m also not into musicals, I’d have preferred if the album focused entirely on film scores and saved the popular songs for a different album.  Some Herrmann and Goldsmith instead would have made this a killer album.

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The RAIDERS discussion is important enough to have its own thread. Can these posts be relocated (or replicated) to an existing Raiders thread in case anyone wants to refer them again? 

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11 hours ago, Jay said:

, or you can have Williams' intended segue of both cues together (D2T3).

If we're going there, the credits definitely should have the coda, that's how he recorded and intended it.

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07 Out Of This World 01-1920.jpg

07 Out Of This World 02-1920.jpg

07 Out Of This World 03-1920.jpg

 

 

 

Out Of This World (1983)

 

I liked this album!  Sort of a close cousin to Aisle Seat, which featured a small amount of new film music and a bunch of classics, this features mostly new film scores and a small amount of old classics.

 

Introduction from "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (Richard Strauss) - This is a great rendition of this classic piece - I like it more than Kunzel's version!

 

Adventures on Earth from E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - I'll never forgive this arrangement's existence (why cut the glorious Flying theme moment but leave in all the built up to it?) but ignoring that, this is actually a very fine performance of this arrangement.  And I guess it's the premiere recording of it under Williams' baton, like the last album gave us the extended concert ending of The Flying theme.  I still wish he recorded ET and Elliot for one of these albums though!

 

Closing Title from Alien (Jerry Goldsmith) - This is a nice rendition of this nice cue, though I've never really felt like this cue tells you anything about the rest of Jerry's brilliant score.  It would have been so much fun if he tackled some of the more esoteric music from the score instead!

 

Main Theme from Star Trek - The Television Show (Alexander Courage) - This is a really fun and groovy performance.  I feel like Williams had a lot of fun here.  I dig it!

 

Main Title from Battlestar Galactica (Stu Philips) - I know this is a classic to some, but I've never seen this show, never heard any other recordings of this music, other than the short bit in the reboot show from the mid 2000s.  I don't find it to be a particularly compelling piece of music in any way

 

Main Title from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Jerry Goldsmith) - I think this is the recording notoriously derided for its slow tempo, and I can certainly understand that - it's absolutely much slower than any take Jerry made in 1979 for the film, that's for sure.  But to me, this isn't necessarily an issue, if its done for a reason.  I don't know what the reasons were here, but the result is a less militaristic and hurried performance, and instead a more noble and stately one, which works in its own way.  The love theme portion sounds real nice (this isn't the actual main title cue, but the end title), and overall it's just a nice recording of this music.

 

Theme and variations from The Twilight Zone (Marcus Constant, arr. Stu Philips) - This is a super fun performance of the main theme (followed by a couple minutes of music derived from it), I really liked it!  I prefer what Jerry would do with the main theme part 2 years later for the feature film score, but the extended bits here make it quite nice to have in addition to that.  I would love to see this performed live!

 

Parade of the Ewoks from Return of the Jedi - A fun rendition - the timpani sounds awesome!

 

Luke and Leia from Return of the Jedi - Not much to say about this one, it always sounds the same to me more or less

 

Jabba The Hutt from Return of the Jedi - Very cool to get a full recording of this under Williams' baton within the same year the film's OST album was only able to include half of the original recording.  I feel like it's probably not as well performed and recorded as the Sony one he would do in the 90s, but it might be closer to how the original LSO recording would have sounded than that one is.

 

The Forest Battle from Return of the Jedi - This is a good album ender from a composition standpoint, but this is really not a good performance of it.  The percussion sounds weird, the brass sounds underrehearsed, and the tempo is too slow (which worked fine for ST but doesn't work for a piece like this).  Bummer.

 

 

The front cover art is kinda nice, more or less showing the Enterprise but probably not distinctive enough they'd have to get permission or pay royalties.  JW's visage hasn't been on the cover art for a while now, and it was probably a good move to stop trying to always work him in.

 

More strangess on the back cover with some track titles getting apostrophes and some not - no idea what's up with that.

 

Overall, this series is really moving full steam ahead!

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8 minutes ago, Jay said:

I feel like it's probably not as well performed and recorded as the Sony one he would do in the 90s

 

That might be the case for the orchestral performance, but the Philips tuba solo performance is miles better than the one on Sony.

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I honestly don't remember - it's been years since I've listened to the Sony.  I'll get there when I run through all the Sony albums after I finish all the Philips ones!

 

How are the Gerhart and Kojian Jabba The Hutts?

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The only good recording of Jabba the Hutt is on the Star Wars Trilogy CD recorded by Williams.

 

The solo part is horrible on all other versions.

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That's the Sony one I mentioned above as remembering as being good, that Sharky said wasn't!

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