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Michael Kamen's COMPANY BUSINESS (1991) - 2021 Intrada 2CD Expanded


Jay

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I'd never even heard of this movie before I saw this announcement.  Based on the poster, I wouldn't have guessed its a film with a score that is reminiscent of Die Hard!

 

Company Business (1991) - IMDb

 

From the director of Star Trek 2 and 6!

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I saw the movie ages ago, but can't remember much of the music. I've always intended to pick up the OST (there are some long, suite-like tracks on it that seemed up my alley), but never got around to it. Do we know if this set includes the OST programme? The link doesn't say.

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4 hours ago, Thor said:

I saw the movie ages ago, but can't remember much of the music. I've always intended to pick up the OST (there are some long, suite-like tracks on it that seemed up my alley), but never got around to it. Do we know if this set includes the OST programme? The link doesn't say.

 

How would anyone on JWFan know more than what Roger has posted to his own forum?

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Intrada's routine is to post the cover art little under a week before it goes on sale, occasionally followed by a "Doug's Corner" late in the week or over the weekend which might reveal a tiny bit more information.  Monday night (April 5th in this place) between 2PM PST and 5PM PST or so, the product page goes live which has the full track list and sound samples.  We never know anything before then, unless they let another website get an exclusive, like when he let JWFan debut the War of the Worlds tracklist a few days early

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Yea - I'm a fan of Kamen's action music.


This being a score I never knew he wrote that falls chronologically after Die Hard 1&2, Lethal Weapon 1&2, and License to Kill and before Die Hard 3 and Lethal Weapon 3&4 is pretty exciting.  Can't wait for the samples!

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INTRADA Announces

Image

COMPANY BUSINESS
Music Composed and Conducted by MICHAEL KAMEN


Intrada revisits one of its earlier albums with the release of Michael Kamen's action and suspense-filled score for the 1991 MGM film Company Business. In many respects, the style of scoring is reminiscent of his score for Die Hard, three years earlier. Opening with a rhythmic figure for brass and strings, it's immediately apparent that for this buddy-spy film with its tongue in its cheek, Kamen took a serious, hard-edged approach. As with Die Hard, the score does not overflow with melody, but one does emerge later in the film, starting as source music but later appearing as a smoky theme, with tenor saxophone spotlighted. As John Takis summarizes in his liner notes, "What ultimately makes Company Business worth celebrating is not merely the balletic proficiency with which Kamen hits each beat of the action. Nor is it the brilliant orchestrations that fold in just enough distinctive elements—balalaika, piano, a touch of synth—to imprint the score with personality without straying into cliché. More than anything, it is the way the music reflects the psychology of its subjects." The result is a compelling, hard-hitting, serious orchestral work.

Intrada released an album at the time of the film, running just over 44 minutes and featuring a tremendous amount of creative assembly by Kamen. This program is preserved on disc 1. While the complete session recordings are missing, the Kamen estate was able to provide nearly every final take of the score, which is now presented in film order on disc 2, including some 10 minutes of previously unreleased music, the main title being one of the most significant.

Directed by Nicholas Meyer and starring Gene Hackman and Mikhail Baryshnikov, the film (originally known as Dinosaurs, then Russian Roulette, before settling on Company Business) opens with semi-retired CIA spook Sam Boyd (Hackman) marking time with industrial espionage for a cosmetics corporation. He is recalled to service by Elliot Jaffe to carry out a covert swap of imprisoned spies. The swap is to take place in the subway tunnels underneath Berlin. When Boyd uncovers a conspiracy tied to the mysterious disappearance of an American professor, the swap goes violently wrong and the spies become fugitives from Americans and Russians alike.

INTRADA ISC 462
Barcode: 720258546203
Retail Price: $24.99
Starts Shipping Week of 4/5
For track listing and sound samples, please http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.12266/.f

 

 

http://www.intrada.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8701

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Kamen
Label: Intrada Special Collection Volume ISC 462
Film Date: 1991
Album Date: 2021
Time: 103:57
Tracks: 24
Expanded 2-CD reissue of gritty Michael Kamen action score!
Price: $24.99

 

Expanded 2-CD reissue of gritty Michael Kamen action score! MGM presents, Nicholas Meyer directs, Ken Adam creates production design, Gene Hackman, Mikhail Baryshnikov star in spy thriller set in Germany, then France. CIA agent and aging spy Gene Hackman is key man in swap of Soviet agent Mikail Baryshnikov for American pilot deep within underground Berlin subway tunnel. A double-cross happens, bullets fly, a lengthy pursuit results. Director Meyer keeps pace frenzied, glides between intense action, dazed antics of two spies-become-buddies attempting to survive it all. 

 

Composer Michael Kamen dives into the fray from the outset with staccato trombone action motif that remains propulsive anchor to score throughout. No matter how deep into suspense Kamen delves nor how restrained he tackles the suspense, his low brass action motif stays close at hand. Trumpets, French horns keep everything at peak excitement. Kamen gives appropriate color to score by adding balalaika to orchestra. Tenor sax gets something to say as well. But it’s edged orchestral action music that typically takes the spotlight. 

 

1991 film began production as Dinosaurs before finishing as Company Business. Intrada premiered score at time of film’s opening with meticulously-assembled album fashioned by Kamen and his engineer Steve McLaughlin to feature lengthy tracks edited together for solid listening experience, musically satisfying rather than chronological. That unique presentation is preserved on CD 1. 

 

With the generous help of Michael Kamen’s Estate, an additional ten minutes of previously unreleased music was located and appears here for the first time on CD 2, which now offers score in chronological film sequence. Informative notes by John Takis plus new artwork complete cool package! Recorded in Germany. Michael Kamen composes, orchestrates, conducts Rundfunkorchester Berlin, Rundfunkchor Berlin. Intrada Special Collection 2-CD set available while quantities and interest remain!

 

CD 1 ORIGINAL 1991 SOUNDTRACK
1. Journey To Alexanderplatz (10:55)
2. Faisal’s Escape (14:51)
3. Natasha (1:28)
4. Café Jatte (5:11)
5. Eiffel Tower (7:27)
6. The Island (4:09)
CD 1 Total Time: 44:15


CD 2 THE SCORE
1. Main Title (3:14)
2. Dulles Airport (1:41)
3. Journey To Alexanderplatz (3:54)
4. The Swap (4:53)
5. Wahringstrasse (3:18)
6. Closing Up Berlin Montage (1:44)
7. Horst (4:08)
8. Faisal’s Escape (4:04)
9. Grigori (3:01)
10. Sam & Grushenko Meet Natasha (1:28)
11. Natasha Is Followed (2:02)
12. Natasha Returns To Her Office (1:41)
13. Café Jatte Source / Natasha Is Kidnapped (5:11)
14. Sam Is Chased (3:04)
15. Eiffel Tower (6:00)
16. The Island (End Credits) (4:08)
Total Score Time: 54:15

 

The Extras
17. The Swap (Alternate) (4:34)
18. Island Source – Intro (0:41)
Total Extras Time: 5:17


CD 2 Total Time: 59:42

 

CompanyBusiness_isc462_1600a.jpg CompanyBusiness_isc462_1600b.jpg CompanyBusiness_isc462_600c.jpg 

 

 

http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.12266/.f

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How do you have any idea how much time and trouble this title was for them? And why put "new" in quotation marks like that? It is previously unreleased music, and the disc 2 program is chronological for the first time. Meanwhile the original album program has apparently a huge sonic improvement. And it's back out for people who missed the 30 year old original album. What is there to complain about exactly?
 

Yavar

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That's a lie. 

 

This:

 

3 hours ago, bruce marshall said:

Alot of time and trouble just to add ten minutes of ' new' score.

 

Is not "just pointing out" 

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The internet is forever...

I’ll listen to samples tomorrow on my pc.  I’ve recently purchased several Kamen scores including the LW box set, Die Hard 1-3 and Robin Hood, so I’m hoping this will sound good!

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I checked out the samples and I really liked what I heard! I totally hear the Die Hard comparisons.  

 

I'll be picking this up for sure, looking forward to hearing the whole thing

 

John Takis also posted this on FSM:

 

Quote

Like most Kamen scores, this is one that catches your interest then gets better with each subsequent spin! If you're initially put off by the lack of a sweeping "big movie theme," keep listening ... it's actually quite a motif-driven score, only the motifs tend to be more compact and muscular. Kamen was terrific at building a compelling score out of such devices, and the way he pivots from motif to motif is (as I mention in my notes) reminiscent of ballet and rewards repeat listens. And when the infectious source melody/end credits piece does enter, late in the score, it's pure pleasure!

 

Basically, if you like Kamen, you'll dig this release!

 

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1 hour ago, ATXHusker said:

image.gif

 
I will say you’ve made some real questionable humor posts in the past, but this is one of the dumbest posts I’ve read in a long time on this forum. 

 

20210405_201453.jpg

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Great to see they included the original program. As I said earlier, I've always been very curious about how that plays out. I'm not always a fan of Kamen's action music, but approaching it this way - in long "suites", almost - seems like a great idea, at least on paper. Will be checking this out.

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  • 9 months later...
  • 3 months later...
  • 4 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • Is there a track from this score one could listen to? Or is it like a lot of the Kamen expansions - the less you hear, the more likely you are to buy? Or the more you hear, the less likely you are to buy......Outside of the few gems, Kamen isn't exactly an orchestral connoseur's delight.
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31 minutes ago, thestat said:
  • Is there a track from this score one could listen to?

 

From Intrada's site:

Quote

CD 1 ORIGINAL 1991 SOUNDTRACK
1. Journey To Alexanderplatz (10:55)
2. Faisal’s Escape (14:51)
3. Natasha (1:28)
4. Café Jatte (5:11)
5. Eiffel Tower (7:27)
6. The Island (4:09)
CD 1 Total Time: 44:15

















 

CD 2 THE SCORE
1. Main Title (3:14)
2. Dulles Airport (1:41)
3. Journey To Alexanderplatz (3:54)
4. The Swap (4:53)
5. Wahringstrasse (3:18)
6. Closing Up Berlin Montage (1:44)
7. Horst (4:08)
8. Faisal’s Escape (4:04)
9. Grigori (3:01)
10. Sam & Grushenko Meet Natasha (1:28)
11. Natasha Is Followed (2:02)
12. Natasha Returns To Her Office (1:41)
13. Café Jatte Source/
Natasha Is Kidnapped (5:11)
14. Sam Is Chased (3:04)
15. Eiffel Tower (6:00)
16. The Island (End Credits) (4:08)
Total Score Time: 54:15

The Extras
17. The Swap (Alternate) (4:34)
18. Island Source – Intro (0:41)
Total Extras Time: 5:17
CD 2 Total Time: 59:42

https://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.12266/.f?sc=13&category=67400

 

Yavar

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  • 7 months later...
  • 7 months later...
  • 2 months later...

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