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Always (1989) - 2021 Expanded Edition from La-La Land Records


Chewy

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Sound quality really brings this one alive.  Just finished my first listen through.  Never gave this one much a lot of play, maybe once a year or so.  Going to try and watch the movie this weekend to give it more context.  The alternate end credits are just gorgeous. 

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The movie is a $4 rental on all the streaming platforms


It's not great, but it's Spielberg&Williams, and definitely helps understand the score.  Of course, if you've read the liner notes, the plot is ruined for you :P

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Spoiler

Pete dies at the... beginning.

 

Mine doesn't say "Out for delivery" but it's in Phoenix. So hopefully tomorrow.

 

@Demondm810 I'm glad you're liking it. I should probably listen to more Williams that isn't pew pew bang bang because I love this one. (I've been listening to Heartbeeps of all things!)

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If the quieter parts sound clearer and bit upfront then it's a definite improvement and upgrade. Waiting for mine to take off from Air Intrada. 

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8 hours ago, Demondm810 said:

Sound quality really brings this one alive.  Just finished my first listen through.  Never gave this one much a lot of play, maybe once a year or so.  Going to try and watch the movie this weekend to give it more context.  The alternate end credits are just gorgeous. 

Nice!

 

As for tracks that combine multiple cues, do you know if Mike kept exactly the same editing as the OST, like having cues crossfaded without clean openings/endings?

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5 minutes ago, pete said:

Quick question.. do both end credits pieces feature Smoke Gets in Your Eyes?

 

They do not. Only the Alternate. And only the first end credits contains Gary Owen.

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On 7/4/2021 at 1:12 AM, Tallguy said:

So many of the alternate tracks are so ethereal that I haven't pieced together what's different about them yet.

 

The liner notes explain what's different about each

 

Spoiler

The Return vs The Return (Film Version Segment) - Film Version has celeste the album take didn't

 

Old Timer's Shack vs Old Timer's Shack (Alternate) - The Alternate has an insert around the 2 minute mark and a new ending that both lighten the mood a bit compared to the original version in the main program

 

Follow Me vs Follow Me (Alternate) - completely different compositions that share a similar upbeat quirkiness but that's it

 

The Rescue Operation vs The Rescue Operation (Alternate) - the Alternate is the original version that quoted "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" in the second half; the revised version in the main program uses that new Dorinda theme (the theme that's also in Dorinda Solo Flight) in the second half instead

 

Among The Clouds vs Among The Clouds (Alternate) - the Alternate is the first revision to "Dorinda Survives" (the second cue inside "Among The Clouds") before it too was replaced by "Dorinda Solo Flight".  Some parts are similar, some parts are wildly different - can't wait for the score restore video on this one

 

End Credits vs End Credits (Alternate) - main program version is the original end credits as used in the film followed by a short "Gary Owen" ending; The Alternate has a revised opening (2 1/2 minutes or so, string rendition of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes), a Smoke Gets In Your Eyes piano bridge, and then the slow version of the Jim Thatcher horn solo that was later used for the concert arrangement (IE the Spielberg/Williams album track)

 

 

On 7/4/2021 at 1:20 AM, pete said:

Quick question.. do both end credits pieces feature Smoke Gets in Your Eyes?

 

No

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10 hours ago, Jay said:

 

The liner notes explain what's different about each

 

  Hide contents

The Return vs The Return (Film Version Segment) - Film Version has celeste the album take didn't

 

Old Timer's Shack vs Old Timer's Shack (Alternate) - The Alternate has an insert around the 2 minute mark and a new ending that both lighten the mood a bit compared to the original version in the main program

 

Follow Me vs Follow Me (Alternate) - completely different compositions that share a similar upbeat quirkiness but that's it

 

The Rescue Operation vs The Rescue Operation (Alternate) - the Alternate is the original version that quoted "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" in the second half; the revised version in the main program uses that new Dorinda theme (the theme that's also in Dorinda Solo Flight) in the second half instead

 

Among The Clouds vs Among The Clouds (Alternate) - the Alternate is the first revision to "Dorinda Survives" (the second cue inside "Among The Clouds") before it too was replaced by "Dorinda Solo Flight".  Some parts are similar, some parts are wildly different - can't wait for the score restore video on this one

 

End Credits vs End Credits (Alternate) - main program version is the original end credits as used in the film followed by a short "Garry Owen" ending; The Alternate has a revised opening (2 1/2 minutes or so, string rendition of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes), a Smoke Gets In Your Eyes piano bridge, and then the slow version of the Jim Thatcher horn solo that was later used for the concert arrangement (IE the Spielberg/Williams album track)

 

 

Not to disparage the liner notes in any way, but you just did a slightly better job. My thanks!

 

So here's my slightly altered playlist:

1. Intimate Conversation
2. Premonitions
3. Saying Goodbye
4. Pete In Heaven
5. The Return
6. The Old Timer's Shack
7. Follow Me
8. Seeing Dorinda
9. Ted's Heroics And Pete's Aura
10. Pete And Dorinda
11. Promise To Hap
12. The Rescue Operation
13. Among the Clouds / Dorinda's Solo Flight (Film Version)
14. End Credits
15. Among The Clouds
16. Dorinda Solo Flight
17. The Return (Film Version Segment)
18. The Old Timer's Shack (Alternate)
19. Follow Me (Alternate)
20. The Rescue Operation (Alternate)
21. Among The Clouds (Alternate)
22. End Credits (Alternate)

 

I'll see how it flows. I originally re-ordered Dorinda Solo Flight to be before the Alternate End Credits at the end but then I lose the flow of the alternate Among the Clouds / End Credits. It's my favorite track but it's become a bit of an orphan. I do like having it separate. OTOH, like the man said "There's no war here."

 

I might also add back The Platters. Maybe.

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Regarding the track Intimate Conversation.  The liner notes states it consists of two cues, the latter for a deleted scene that would have been heard directly prior to Rescue Operation.  I've found nothing else about this.  Anybody know what the scene was about?

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No idea :(

 

I was wondering if maybe there was a novelization that came out someone could buy and see if it's in there? 

 

I've never heard of the script leaking

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3 hours ago, Turbo said:

Regarding the track Intimate Conversation.  The liner notes states it consists of two cues, the latter for a deleted scene that would have been heard directly prior to Rescue Operation.  I've found nothing else about this.  Anybody know what the scene was about?


How badly do you want to know? 😜

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124205350409?hash=item1ceb373e09:g:V~YAAOSwNDJacrgb

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That's cool, but it's an old unused Ronald Bass script from the early 80s that probably doesn't have that scene.  What we'd need is Jerry Belson's 1988 script he wrote after Dreyfus and Hunter were cast.

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A few observations.... this soundtrack never really clicked for me, partly because somehow I never saw the film (and still haven't), and mainly because the soundtrack album was kind of awful.  I hated the pop songs, and the "new agey" cues bored me to death, so I never gave it many plays.  Now I have a completely new appreciation for the score, and I daresay for me it has leapfrogged over many other JW scores of that era to near the top.  The new album is revelatory.  I am still bored by the new age tracks, and have dropped them from my playlist, and without them and the pop songs this is a great listen.  Not a huge fan of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," but mercifully that is mainly limited to the alternate end titles which is otherwise excellent. 

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1 hour ago, Tallguy said:

Gary Owen is the tune that Pete whistles when he flies. It's at the beginning of the film and then notably when he's teaching Ted how to fly.

Thank you!  I hear it now -- and clearly I need to see the movie!

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Can anyone confirm if track 9 contains all 3 unreleased cues: the bus driver rescue, the wishbone scene, and the cue where Ted meets Al? Here they are:

 

 

 

 

On 7/4/2021 at 3:28 PM, Jay said:

Among The Clouds vs Among The Clouds (Alternate) - the Alternate is the first revision to "Dorinda Survives" (the second cue inside "Among The Clouds") before it too was replaced by "Dorinda Solo Flight".  Some parts are similar, some parts are wildly different - can't wait for the score restore video on this one

 

Interesting, so there's 3 versions of the final cue now! I figured it would be the slightly alternate version of Among the Clouds that @BrotherSound found in the sheets.

 

Does this first revision of Dorinda Survives have a unique cue title or is it just Dorinda Survives Rev?

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1 hour ago, crumbs said:

Can anyone confirm if track 9 contains all 3 unreleased cues: the bus driver rescue, the wishbone scene, and the cue where Ted meets Al?

 

Yes, that's what it contains

 

0:00-0:30 is the cue where Pete sees Al

0:30-1:39 is the bus driver scene

1:39-end is the wishbone scene

 

Quote

Interesting, so there's 3 versions of the final cue now!

 

Yep!

 

Quote

Does this first revision of Dorinda Survives have a unique cue title or is it just Dorinda Survives Rev?

 

I think all 3 versions are simply "Dorinda Survives"; without a sheet leak who knows what addendums he might he written next to each one

 

The sheet music for the earliest version looks like this:

 

image.png


The sheet music for this newly discovered "middle" version didn't leak

 

The sheet music for the final version with the new Dorinda theme (OST track Dorinda Solo Flight) looks like this:

 

 

image.png

 

As you can see, whoever scanned it cut off the top  of the page :(

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1 hour ago, Jay said:

I think all 3 versions are simply "Dorinda Survives"; without a sheet leak who knows what addendums he might he written next to each one


The film cue is registered in GEMA as “Dorinda’s Solo Flight”.

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Which makes so sense, because her solo flight is completely over by the time this cue begins.  It's a cue that covers what happens after her solo flight

 

@BrotherSound is this the right page to search GEMA?

 

https://online.gema.de/werke/search.faces?lang=en

 

What do I do from there to see all the Always content there?

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1 hour ago, Jay said:

What do I do from there to see all the Always content there?


There isn’t any easy way to see everything for Always, unfortunately. I’ve just searched for known cue titles and character names, and several are missing with no obvious rhyme or reason.

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So what indication is there that "Dorinda's Solo Flight" is the name of a film cue and not the album track's registration there?

 

Because to me it looks like these 3 entries with the extra "MCA Music Limited" lines are for the album tracks while the one without is the cue Pete and Dorinda (which the sheet music obviously says is Dorinda and Pete but whatever)

 

image.png

 

 

Similar to the OST track Among The Clouds vs film cue Among The Clouds

 

image.png

 

 

Then again, Intimate Conversation is in here twice, and that cue wasn't in the film, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

image.png

 

 

EDIT: After some more searches, I believe this GEMA *only* has album titles.  None of the known cue titles show up in this thing unless they weren't changed for the album.

 

Conversely, BMI has 4 actual film cue titles.

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1 hour ago, Jay said:

Which makes so sense, because her solo flight is completely over by the time this cue begins.  It's a cue that covers what happens after her solo flight

 

The opening chord is literally her plane crashing into the water! 

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I guess he thought calling the track "Dorinda Survives" would be a spoiler, or something. But why not just call it "Finale"? 

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So I think this is what a chronological edit of the new album would look like:

 

01A [start-0:32] Pete and Dorinda Walk Home

02 Premonitions

03 Saying Goodbye

16 Explosion of Pete's Plane

04 Pete in Heaven

09A [start-0:30] Catching Up with Al

05B [1:18-end] Dorinda's Flying Entrance

17 The Old Timer's Shack

07 Follow Me

08 Seeing Dorinda

09B [0:30-1:39] The Bus Driver Scene

09C [1:39-end] Breaking the Wishbone

10A [start-1:35] Pete and Dorinda

11 Promise to Hap

01B [0:32-end] Intimate Conversation

12 The Rescue Operation

13A [start-4:26] Among the Clouds

14 Dorinda Survives

15 End Credits

 

05A [start-1:18] Explosion of Pete's Plane (Original Version)

06 The Old Timer's Shack (Original Version)

18 Follow Me (Original Version)

10B [1:35-end] Pete and Dorinda (Original Version)

19 The Rescue Operation (Original Version)

13B [4:26-end] Dorinda Survives (Original Version)

20 Dorinda Survives (Intermediate Version)

21 End Credits (Alternate)

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24 minutes ago, A. A. Ron said:

01B [0:32-end] Pete and Dorinda Love Theme (Deleted Scene)

 

I would just call this "Intimate Conversation" since that album title obviously refers to this cue, and not the plane reveal cue

 

24 minutes ago, A. A. Ron said:

05A [start-1:18] Explosion of Pete's Plane (Original Version)

 

I don't think the album version was the original, and the film version is a revision they made later. It's the same music either way. I think he just chose a different take for the album (without celeste) than Spielberg chose for the film (with celeste) for whatever reason 

 

24 minutes ago, A. A. Ron said:

17 The Old Timer's Shack (Revised with Insert and Alternate Ending)

 

Why put the film versions in your main program and the alternates as bonus track, except for this cue where you put the original in the main program and the film version in the bonus tracks? 

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18 minutes ago, Jay said:

I guess he thought calling the track "Dorinda Survives" would be a spoiler, or something. But why not just call it "Finale"? 

 

I know JW excels at perplexing track titles (just look at his Star Wars soundtracks), but maybe the title is a metaphor for Dorinda's decision to walk away from Pete and start her new journey? It doesn't represent her literal "flight," if you get what I mean.

 

Albeit only briefly solo, before she embraces the other guy :lol:

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Or, you know, he is making a listening experience away from the film, where that cue DOES represent her flight.

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20 minutes ago, crumbs said:

maybe the title is a metaphor for Dorinda's decision to walk away from Pete and start her new journey? It doesn't represent her literal "flight," if you get what I mean.

 

Albeit only briefly solo, before she embraces the other guy :lol:

 

Ha! I actually wonder if that's the name he came up with the revised second half of The Rescue Operation, since the revision begins when she decides to take the plane herself, and then he just liked that title for the new Finale cue's OST track since it uses the same theme or something

14 minutes ago, Permanent Waves said:

Or, you know, he is making a listening experience away from the film, where that cue DOES represent her flight.

 

Huh? 

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56 minutes ago, Jay said:

I would just call [01B] "Intimate Conversation" since that album title obviously refers to this cue, and not the plane reveal cue

 

Makes sense. I've revised my track list.

 

1 hour ago, A. A. Ron said:

05A [start-1:18] Explosion of Pete's Plane (Original Version)

 

56 minutes ago, Jay said:

I don't think the album version was the original

 

Under track 5, the liner notes say:

 

Quote

The original version of the music for the explosion of Pete's plane begins this track

 

Are the notes incorrect?

 

56 minutes ago, Jay said:

Why put the film versions in your main program and the alternates as bonus track, except for this cue where you put the original in the main program and the film version in the bonus tracks? 

 

Because I wasn't sure which was the film version. ROTFLMAOI've revised my track list for this as well.

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I am saying that he could be recontextualizing the music, just because it scores something in the film, doesn't necessarily mean it has to represent that on album.

 

I hope I explained what I mean properly

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9 hours ago, A. A. Ron said:

Under track 5, the liner notes say:

 

"The original version of the music for the explosion of Pete's plane begins this track"

 

Ah, OK!

 

Quote

Are the notes incorrect?

 

I have no idea.  I couldn't tell you any recording dates, and the sheet leak only has 6 cues in it so a lot of stuff is still a mystery.

 

To me it just sounded like two different ideas recorded on the same day ("ok, let's try it with celeste", "ok, let's tacet the celeste for this take"), but of course it's entirely possible the celeste-free take was the original plan, and at some later date Spielberg asked him to re-do the cue over but now with celeste.  Who knows! When the sheet music shows up at Julliard we can find out :)

 

9 hours ago, Permanent Waves said:

I am saying that he could be recontextualizing the music, just because it scores something in the film, doesn't necessarily mean it has to represent that on album.

 

I hope I explained what I mean properly

 

I don't think what you're saying here has much merit.  No part of the music sounds like music for her flying the plane.  It's obviously the music for her near-death experience, rescue by Ghost Pete, final release of him and walking to Ted, and Ghost Pete's final moments on earth before he leaves for heaven.  It's just not music that could ever be thought of as covering any part of her time flying the plane by herself.

 

He chose the right placement of the music of the album program, he just slapped a really poor title onto that music.

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19 minutes ago, Jay said:

To me it just sounded like two different ideas recorded on the same day ("ok, let's try it with celeste", "ok, let's tacet the celeste for this take"), but of course it's entirely possible the celeste-free take was the original plan, and at some later date Spielberg asked him to re-do the cue over but now with celeste.  Who knows! When the sheet music shows up at Julliard we can find out :)

 

Does Mike not receive sheet music as reference when assembling expansions?

 

I would've thought the sheets would be invaluable to analyse & contextualize the makings of each score (especially for liner notes, licensing requirements, etc.) or to confirm cue slates/titles where documentation is unavailable/unreliable from the studio itself.

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On 7/7/2021 at 9:37 AM, crumbs said:

 

Does Mike not receive sheet music as reference when assembling expansions?

 

I would've thought the sheets would be invaluable to analyse & contextualize the makings of each score (especially for liner notes, licensing requirements, etc.) or to confirm cue slates/titles where documentation is unavailable/unreliable from the studio itself.

 

I'm sure Mike knows the answers to all these questions, but I don't.

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