Does JW listen to expansions when approving them? Does he remember older scores simply reading the cue list?

[crumbs 14,306]

This is definitely an oddly specific question that perhaps only Mike can answer, but I'm curious how involved JW is with modern score expansions. During the approval process, does JW actually listen to Mike's expanded assemblies before approving them? Or does he simply review a tracklist - presumably with a cue breakdown of each track - and in his head he can recall the score and determine if the assembly works without listening to it? If the latter, does that mean JW can remember each cue from his scores, and what music it contained?

 

Mike previously mentioned that JW requested mastering changes for E.T., specifically a reduction in brightness from Mike's prototype assembly. Clearly this shows that JW does listen to some expansions. But he also mentioned on WOTW that grouping multiple alternates in a row would be a red flag, implying JW approved that release simply reviewing the tracklist.

 

For Jurassic Park he mentioned being asked to retain the OST edit for Incident at Isla Nublar, implying that JW remembers his OST assemblies. Although not a MM expansion, JW also requested OST edits be replicated for Desert Chase in the 2008 Raiders expansion (despite being 27 years after he assembled that OST!)

 

And of course JW occasionally rejects source cues, meaning he either remembers those by their cue title or listens to a prototype assembly and requests their removal (Shawm being an interesting example; the only source cue rejected for Azkaban, meaning he remembered every other source cue and only wanted Shawm omitted).

 

I guess this started as a basic question but it became more intriguing the more I thought about it. Despite public comments implying he rarely revisits older works, it seems to me that JW actually remembers his older soundtracks and scores in great detail. Obviously us fans could skim a cue breakdown of his most popular scores and play the score through in our heads, but can JW himself do this with his own music? Can he review a track/cue list for an expansion and determine if the assembly works musically without even listening to it? Based on his comments about never revisiting older scores, I just can't imagine JW sitting down for 2+ hours and listening to an expansion from start to finish... but it's fun to imagine!

[GerateWohl 4,350]

Interesting question, but we all cannot answer, just do wild guessing.

I would bet, that JW does not listen through the whole expansions.

If he did, he probably would say, "Don't publish that. I would rather rework the whole thing."

But I am quite sure, he listens to samples and certain outstanding cues.

And I guess that Mike comes with a list of questions, film version or album version or both of a particular cue, is this mix with the choir ok or not what about the source cues etc. Probably, you can handle all those questions in a well prepared 2 hour meeting. 

 

[Holko 9,516]

22 minutes ago, crumbs said:

Mike previously mentioned that JW requested mastering changes for E.T., specifically a reduction in brightness from Mike's prototype assembly. Clearly this shows that JW does listen to some expansions.

I guess E.T. is really special enough to listen to again and again.

 

22 minutes ago, crumbs said:

For Jurassic Park he mentioned being asked to retain the OST edit for Incident at Isla Nublar, implying that JW remembers his OST assemblies.

Very happy that Mike ignored that.

 

23 minutes ago, crumbs said:

JW also requested OST edits be replicated for Desert Chase in the 2008 Raiders expansion

Oh, so it was him

 

24 minutes ago, crumbs said:

And of course JW occasionally rejects source cues (...) Shawm being an interesting example; the only source cue rejected for Azkaban, meaning he remembered every other source cue and only wanted Shawm omitted

Do we explicitly know that was his request?

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

JW only listens to OST assemblies. Everything else is redundant.

[crumbs 14,306]

10 minutes ago, Holko said:

Do we explicitly know that was his request?

 

I believe that was confirmed, yes. But I also don't want to put words in people's mouths, so hopefully someone "in the know" will confirm.

 

11 minutes ago, Holko said:

Oh, so it was him

 

Yes, according to Laurent Bouzereau. This FSM article confirms it.

[karelm 2,911]

I think I remember Jay did an interview with Mike and one of the questions of the extent of JW's involvement was discussed.  It sounded like he's quite involved even saying certain cues can't be released for various reasons.

[Jay 37,337]

He does listen to them.

 

Mike burns them to CDRs and hand delivers them to Jamie Richardson.  

Later, Jamie and JW will sit down together and listen to them at JW's house.  JW will give Jamie notes that he delivers back to Mike.

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

Is Jamie JW's butler?

[crumbs 14,306]

Lucky Jamie Richardson. Sounds like he has the coolest job in the world! Very cool piece of insight, thanks @Jay!

 

I wasn't sure if JW would sit down and listen to his scores from start to finish; he always gives the impression he doesn't like revisiting older works. It's nice to hear that he does.

 

Wonder if JW has a studio in his house where he can review music?

[Jay 37,337]

9 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Is Jamie JW's butler?

 

https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Jamie-Richardson/2028224834

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724601/

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jamie-richardson-mn0001670175

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

I also want a butler.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I hadn't seen the name before so I searched the forum for it and found one instance where he's referred to as JW's agent, another where he's called JW's manager, and another where he's called JW's assistant!

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

He's a chameleon.

[Jay 37,337]

I've most often heard him referred to as his assistant - and he was also the lyricist for A Winter's Spell!

 

@TownerFan met him in Boston just before he met JW

[GerateWohl 4,350]

3 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

I hadn't seen the name before so I searched the forum for it and found one instance where he's referred to as JW's agent, another where he's called JW's manager, and another where he's called JW's assistant!

They just tried to avoid the word "butler".

[crumbs 14,306]

I guess that means Jamie is the intermediary Mike negotiates with regarding JW's notes, as referred to in his anecdote about Incident at Isla Nublar.

 

Possibly even the guy who asked Mike if he wanted to expand JP (and Mike, in turn, asked if he could do TLW concurrently).

[GerateWohl 4,350]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

He does listen to them.

 

Mike burns them to CDRs and hand delivers them to Jamie Richardson.  

Later, Jamie and JW will sit down together and listen to them at JW's house.  JW will give Jaime notes that he delivers back to Mike.

That is interesting. I would not have thought that.

But it makes sense, since he obviously pays a lot of attention on creating soundtrack albums.

I mean, there are a lot of composers who create suites or special edits of their scores from the material they already wrote for the film.

But Williams actually composes and arranges tracks for his soundtrack albums. For Star Wars he wrote the Leia's Theme track especially for the album and so on. I mean, who else does that? Michael Giacchino did that on the Rogue One album, I remember. But it is really rare.

 

[Jay 37,337]

It was more common from Star Wars through all of the 80s and 90s, with many composers doing it such as James Horner, Elmer Bernstein, etc

 

From the 00s-present it doesn't really happen as much, and JW is one of the only guys really keeping the tradition alive

Those Giacchino ones are sort of the reverse of how JW did it; MG writes those suites first and then bases the film cues based on material in them, and at the sessions records the suites just for the album and/or the end credits

[Luke Skywalker 1,794]

3 hours ago, crumbs said:

 

I believe that was confirmed, yes. But I also don't want to put words in people's mouths, so hopefully someone "in the know" will confirm.

 

 

Yes, according to Laurent Bouzereau. This FSM article confirms it.

I just can't believe how in the hell a master of craftmanship like williams can give a thumbsup to those horrendous noticeable edits.

[Jay 37,337]

What do you mean, he was the one who created them in the first place for the 1981 OST

[Holko 9,516]

1 minute ago, Jay said:

What do you mean, he was the one who created them in the first place for the 1981 OST

Him destroying his own music and making sure it stays that way is even worse.

[Jay 37,337]

They are among my least favorite (and most pointless) OST edits of all time

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

42 minutes ago, Jay said:

Those Giacchino ones are sort of the reverse of how JW did it; MG writes those suites first and then bases the film cues based on material in them, and at the sessions records the suites just for the album and/or the end credits

 

I guess we mostly don't know in which order JW does it.

[Jay 37,337]

I wonder if JW tucks the CDRs into the leather bound books he has of each score

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

4 hours ago, Holko said:

Oh, so it was him

This Williams guy needs to know where to get off.

 

While we're on the subject John, it's ADVENTURES ON EARTH, and not ESCAPE/CHASE/GOODBYE. Got that?

[Holko 9,516]

Just now, Naïve Old Fart said:

and not ESCAPE/CHASE/GOODBYE.

Of course it's not that!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's The Rescue and Bike Chase + The Departure!

[mrbellamy 6,276]

4 hours ago, crumbs said:

Wonder if JW has a studio in his house where he can review music?

 

They probably play it on this

 

[Richard Penna 3,679]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

I wonder if JW tucks the CDRs into the leather bound books he has of each score

 

Wouldn't he tuck in a complimentary copy of the finished product, rather than some crappy CD-R?  

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

He'd have a bunch of 78s made for each expansion.

[Jay 37,337]

I would speculate he has a different shelf full of physical CDs in their jewel cases

The CDRs I imagine just come with a printout of the track list.  Easy to slip just the disc in the book

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

6 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

They just tried to avoid the word "butler".

 

He's JW's Matessino guy.

[crumbs 14,306]

8 hours ago, Jay said:

I would speculate he has a different shelf full of physical CDs in their jewel cases

 

Out of interest, do you know if JW gets sent a copy of each expansion's finished product?

 

Does his team check the album artwork, liner notes, etc. as well?

[Jay 37,337]

Yes

 

Yes

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Only After Thor signs off on them.

[phbart 609]

On 3/22/2021 at 10:56 AM, Jay said:

Later, Jamie and JW will sit down together and listen to them at JW's house.  JW will give Jamie notes that he delivers back to Mike.

I bet they sit by the fireplace and have a nice wine too.

[Bilbo 3,709]

On 3/23/2021 at 4:31 AM, Jay said:

Yes

 

Yes

So we can blame Williams for Jurassic Park’s toothless presentation and he didn’t spot the typos you missed either?!?