Alan Menken's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) - 2021 Walt Disney Records Legacy Collection

[WampaRat 1,105]

I have actually always dug the “Gypsy jig” (played right before the song proper starts In “Topsy Turvy”) It’s cool to hear how Menken molds it all throughout the score. Also, while I don’t care for the song, I never realized he uses the melody for “A Guy Like You” quite a bit as an identity for the gargoyles. Most notably in “Morning in the Bell Tower” - that track gets a bit tooo silly for me. But man, Menken sure has the chops to Carl Stalling the crap out of a cue. And I mean that as a compliment. That’s very difficult music to write.

[blondheim 1,157]

I'm sure a lot of credit can go to Michael Starobin and Danny Troob and other orchestrators. I'm not saying Menken shouldn't get credit but the whole team at Disney does a tremendous job.

[JohnnyD 1,221]

Oh, and I love the cue prior to the Sanctuary sequence (Frollo attacking the gypsy hideout).

My favorite parts of the entire score (previously unreleased or otherwise) are the choral cues.

[bollemanneke 3,338]

Amen. And the organ parts!

[4te 24]

14 hours ago, JohnnyD said:

Everyone can chime in here. What is your favorite previously unreleased cue from the score?

 

I am VERY partial to Escape, those tense strings building up to that crescendo of the Kyrie motif; that is my favorite previously unreleased cue. Love The Pillory and Humiliation. Glad to have the complete Paris Burning sequence. I am loving the cue that begins right after Sanctuary ends (the moment Frollo enters the Cathedral and confronts the Archdeacon), and am glad to have the cue when Quasi knocks Frollo back before he can literally stab him in the back. Having all of this in remastered sound is such a pleasure; I always wanted to hear the entire score outside of the film.

Really glad you brought up this topic! I know it's easy to jump to criticism with this set but there's so much to appreciate it. I'm glad the Legacy Collection line did not go extinct! I resonate with your appreciation for (finally available!) score cues that we've never properly heard before. The ones you mentioned are fantastic. 

 

"Morning in the Bell Tower" has that tender quality that I connect with cues from Beauty and the Beast (Beast Lets Belle Go) and Aladdin (The Kiss). It's quite simple but I love the oboe solo!

 

"Find the Girl" is also fantastic and includes a major section of score that wasn't covered in the "Paris Burning" track on the OST

 

 

[Locrius 97]

Has anyone heard any updates on this? Has Botnick or anyone said anything?

[Holko 9,499]

I got a reply from a Disney Emporium guy saying they're just a storefront, he could forward it to his team but wouldn't put much hope in it going up the chain to where I want it to go. Told him it's worth a try at least, he said okay. Nothing from Botnick so far. Or Menken on Twitter.

[Demondm810 399]

Delayed to October 1

[JohnnyD 1,221]

17 hours ago, Demondm810 said:

Delayed to October 1

 

I noticed this too when I checked the status of my order. Maybe Bruce Botnick and co. got word of the issues and the BIG missing cue on the digital release and are delaying the physical release to make the necessary corrections. That is highly unlikely, though.  If this were indeed the case, on the one hand, that would be good for the physical release. On the other hand, I'd be bummed if my work on correcting and adjusting the necessary issues and burning the corrected tracks and missing cue on blank CDs was ultimately for nothing. However, delaying for another week would not be sufficient time to correct the issues and re-instate the missing cue onto the physical set.

[Locrius 97]

Do you think they would correct the digital release too?

[JohnnyD 1,221]

11 minutes ago, Locrius said:

Do you think they would correct the digital release too?

 

IF the reason for the delay is indeed to fix the physical set. Considering that the digital set has already been released, I HIGHLY doubt it.

[blondheim 1,157]

It is most likely them making sure the physical release is fixed.

[Holko 9,499]

I'd say manufacturing delays are more likely.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

They forgot there's a physical release.

[blondheim 1,157]

I'm still holding out hope that the digital release was a mistake and it will be quietly replaced after the 1st. I'll keep the flame lit a little longer. I've waited a long time for Hunchback. Considering how many times Menken has worked on this material, he has to care about it as well. I would like to think he cares about this release. I don't expect every tiny little thing to be perfect. Just add back in the finale and fix the stutters in Out There and The Cathedral and I can handle everything else.

[Holko 9,499]

I emailed Botnick again, this time about these other issues too. We'll see.

[Luke Skywalker 1,793]

It would be nice if they fixxed it… one wonders what would have happened if there had been a prior digital release of the little mermaid….

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

These Legacy reissues are fantastic.

Will somebody please wake me up, when they do TRON?

[Drawgoon 100]

I'd be very surprised if the delay is there to address the issues raised by the community.

 

Assuming that Disney is willing to go out of their ways and spend more on this to correct the discs, prints, and every other stuff that needs technical revision, let's not forget that changing the program at this stage is going to require some serious legal work to be done. That's not something that can be done in a week or two. It may cost unreasonably high as well.

 

Still, I'd be more than happy if I was proven wrong.

[Holko 9,499]

8 minutes ago, Drawgoon said:

prints

I don't think the tracklists contain lengths anywhere, so an extra 2 minutes could be ninja'd in sneakily without reprinting necessary.

[blondheim 1,157]

I don't think accidentally submitting the wrong release digitally, if that is what happened, would require all that hoop-jumping. We don't even know if the physical discs have the same mistakes yet. We assume so, and it's likely, but it is still just an assumption. We really don't know what exactly the problem was.

 

Pop artists have revised their albums and re-released them on platforms quietly with little to no hooplah whatsoever. I doubt this will be any different if that is what happens. I don't know who the hell Disney would have to answer to in order to fix their own release.

[bollemanneke 3,338]

Wait, what's wrong with the digital release? Should I wait with my first listen?

[mstrox 6,647]

The release date would be way after October 1 if they had to scrap one of the discs and reprint.  Definitely just a manufacturing/supply chain thing.

Just now, bollemanneke said:

Wait, what's wrong with the digital release? Should I wait with my first listen?

Likely nothing that isn’t also wrong with the CDs!

[Holko 9,499]

2 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Wait, what's wrong with the digital release? Should I wait with my first listen?

 

[bollemanneke 3,338]

On 19/09/2021 at 12:11 PM, Holko said:

Okay, what must one do to beat this release into shape?

 

1-01 The Bells of Notre Dame - opening missing the film version bells overlay, can be ripped from the film if desired.

1-03 Out There - glitch at 1:34 removed by simply splitting it there and dragging the second half forward slightly, making the halves crossfade.

1-05 Feast of Fools - the very beginning needs a slight fade in, previous track ends on total silence, this one pops in with room noise and breath slightly before the music starts

1-07 The Pillory - 1:13 - next cue pops in with a room noise level from total silence, needs a fadein. OST has a shortened ending in a different key. At 2:22 the strings lower in volume for a short time and come back as if there's a transition or performance edit with a slight crossfade there. There's a pop right at the very end, needs a fadeout.

1-08 Humiliation - needs a fadein at the start, at 0:08 for the next cue's opening and a fadeout at the end, since the next track's room noise already starts here.

1-09 Frollo's Judgment - needs a fadein at the start, and a fadeout at the end since the next track pops in here already

1-10 God Help The Outcasts - needs a fadein at the start, and a fadeout at the end since the next track pops in here already

1-11 The Cathedral - needs a fadein at the start. A bad (but fixable with a loop) take transition pop at 0:18, one at 0:24 (fixable by removing that section and bridging it with a crossfade), one at 0:45 (fixable by a crossfade again). For the left channel dropouts at 1:48, you have to grab The Bell Tower from the OST and patch it in - I recommend replacing roughly 1:39-2:27 of the LE track with the corresponding section, roughly 0:53-1:39 of the OST track, these border points are easy to transition. Awful cue pop-in at 2:37, needs a fadein. Click at 3:54, can be looped over, cue pop-in right after that needs a fadein. Awful cue pop-in at 5:05, needs a fadein.

1-12 Heaven's Light/Hellfire - cue pop-in at 0:39, needs a fadein.

1-14 A Guy Like You -the next track begins already at the end of this track, has to be separated out and joined to it if separateness is desired.

1-15 Escape - as said before, its opening is at the end of 1-14.

1-17 Sanctuary - The transition into the next track is not correct according to the movie, there should be one voiceless drumroll, the voices only enter after the second one. Can be fixed with a movie rip.

1-18 And He Shall Smite The Wicked - the Big One. 8:02- we have 2 minutes missing, can be patched in with 1:38-end of the OST track of the same name. As released, the OST track version's missing a brass stinger insert/overlay at 1:49, can be ripped from the film if desired.

2-01 Emergence - the previously unreleased held strings at 0:56 sound like they're looped. Can be shortened with a crossfade to the rhythmic and lengthwise desires of the individual listener.

2-02 The Bells of Notre Dame (Reprise) - IMO the stereo field of 0:49- of the OST track is less jarring, can be replaced if desired.

 

Bonus: Film credits end with The Bell Tower without choir and an alternate ending. Can be ripped from the movie.

 

Thanks to @JohnnyD for the info about film differences!

Oh for fuck's sake... Can't they do anything right?

[Jay 37,322]

There's no possible way a delay of 1 week can be because they are fixing the issues with the digital edition.

 

Best case scenario if someone at Disney Records actually saw the complaints and agreed to spend money to fund the creation of a new master, and those fixes are already done today by Botnick or someone else, you're looking at a good 2 months from the day the fix is submitted until the day physical copies are in stores.  Maybe if Disney uses their full power to push this project to the very front of the line at the CD pressing plants, MAYBE you could pull it off in one month.

But not one week, it's just impossible.

 

A delay of a week very likely only means there was a delay at the pressing plants that were printing up the master submitted 2 months ago, and it won't be ready when they thought, so a week delay was necessary.

 

It's unlikely the physical edition will be any different from the digital edition, but it's always possible.  If so, it would mean an earlier, unfinished master was accidentally sent to all the online digital music retailers instead of the final master that is going on the CDs.  It's possible... but not very likely.

 

The most likely scenario is that the physical CDs will have identical contents to the current digital edition.

 

Whether or not Disney Records decides to spend money to fix it or not in the future, remains unknown..... but probably isn't very likely, unfortunately

[bollemanneke 3,338]

Well, I guess that means more money in my bank account then. Good God, to think I was going to buy this.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

25 minutes ago, Jay said:

Best case scenario if someone at Disney Records actually saw the complaints and agreed to spend money to fund the creation of a new master, and those fixes are already done today by Botnick or someone else, you're looking at a good 2 months from the day the fix is submitted until the day physical copies are in stores.  Maybe if Disney uses their full power to push this project to the very front of the line at the CD pressing plants, MAYBE you could pull it off in one month.

 

If the pressing process of the physical release hasn't started yet, I'm sure Disney could submit a revised master file without needing to create a new purchase order.

[blondheim 1,157]

Ah, hope. The bittersweet nectar for those of us on the ground.

[JohnnyD 1,221]

4 hours ago, Jay said:

There's no possible way a delay of 1 week can be because they are fixing the issues with the digital edition.

 

A delay of a week very likely only means there was a delay at the pressing plants that were printing up the master submitted 2 months ago, and it won't be ready when they thought, so a week delay was necessary.

 

The most likely scenario is that the physical CDs will have identical contents to the current digital edition.

This.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

my heart breaks over quasi'd lyrics, i am a monster only a monster

[bollemanneke 3,338]

On 24/09/2021 at 2:42 AM, Demondm810 said:

Delayed to October 1

And now till October 8. Could this mean something after all?

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

They're pulling the plug on the CD release.

[bollemanneke 3,338]

I'd be happy enough if they pulled the plug on this one and re-did it.

[mstrox 6,647]

If they were changing the program you’d be looking at a release in like February.

[bollemanneke 3,338]

But they wouldn't have to change the program. Just the contents of some tracks.

[Luke Skywalker 1,793]

I hope that mean they are onto something. Just adding the missing music and correcting the mastering errors does not need to change the tracklist nor reprint the booklets and or digipack... and the arto f the CDs...I think... So it's just a matter of burning the CDs with the updated master.

 

If they are making changes... at some point it must be reflected in the digital version...can you re-dowload those files at will? It could be checked from time to time...

[bollemanneke 3,338]

Yes, it could, but I don't know how, even if I have to burn down all of Paris.

[JohnnyD 1,221]

Let’s see if I can predict the future. On October 8, it will be delayed to October 15.

[bollemanneke 3,338]

All I know is I just got my 2,000th like. Sweet.

[WampaRat 1,105]

On 19/09/2021 at 4:11 AM, Holko said:

Okay, what must one do to beat this release into shape?

 

1-01 The Bells of Notre Dame - opening missing the film version bells overlay, can be ripped from the film if desired.

1-03 Out There - glitch at 1:34 removed by simply splitting it there and dragging the second half forward slightly, making the halves crossfade.

1-05 Feast of Fools - the very beginning needs a slight fade in, previous track ends on total silence, this one pops in with room noise and breath slightly before the music starts

1-07 The Pillory - 1:13 - next cue pops in with a room noise level from total silence, needs a fadein. OST has a shortened ending in a different key. At 2:22 the strings lower in volume for a short time and come back as if there's a transition or performance edit with a slight crossfade there. There's a pop right at the very end, needs a fadeout.

1-08 Humiliation - needs a fadein at the start, at 0:08 for the next cue's opening and a fadeout at the end, since the next track's room noise already starts here.

1-09 Frollo's Judgment - needs a fadein at the start, and a fadeout at the end since the next track pops in here already

1-10 God Help The Outcasts - needs a fadein at the start, and a fadeout at the end since the next track pops in here already

1-11 The Cathedral - needs a fadein at the start. A bad (but fixable with a loop) take transition pop at 0:18, one at 0:24 (fixable by removing that section and bridging it with a crossfade), one at 0:45 (fixable by a crossfade again). For the left channel dropouts at 1:48, you have to grab The Bell Tower from the OST and patch it in - I recommend replacing roughly 1:39-2:27 of the LE track with the corresponding section, roughly 0:53-1:39 of the OST track, these border points are easy to transition. Awful cue pop-in at 2:37, needs a fadein. Click at 3:54, can be looped over, cue pop-in right after that needs a fadein. Awful cue pop-in at 5:05, needs a fadein.

1-12 Heaven's Light/Hellfire - cue pop-in at 0:39, needs a fadein.

1-14 A Guy Like You -the next track begins already at the end of this track, has to be separated out and joined to it if separateness is desired.

1-15 Escape - as said before, its opening is at the end of 1-14.

1-17 Sanctuary - The transition into the next track is not correct according to the movie, there should be one voiceless drumroll, the voices only enter after the second one. Can be fixed with a movie rip.

1-18 And He Shall Smite The Wicked - the Big One. 8:02- we have 2 minutes missing, can be patched in with 1:38-end of the OST track of the same name. As released, the OST track version's missing a brass stinger insert/overlay at 1:49, can be ripped from the film if desired.

2-01 Emergence - the previously unreleased held strings at 0:56 sound like they're looped. Can be shortened with a crossfade to the rhythmic and lengthwise desires of the individual listener.

2-02 The Bells of Notre Dame (Reprise) - IMO the stereo field of 0:49- of the OST track is less jarring, can be replaced if desired.

 

Bonus: Film credits end with The Bell Tower without choir and an alternate ending. Can be ripped from the movie.

 

Thanks to @JohnnyD for the info about film differences!

Not sure if this other difference has been brought up yet. Just watched the film with my son. The fanfare that starts at :40 in “Feats of Fools” should building directly into the beginning of the Topsy Turvy song. intro “Come One!…Come Al!!!” But instead the track “Topsy Turvy” starts with an insert/alternate(?) of the Gypsy jig tune and then the song kicks in at :25. If you cut out the jig the fanfare and the song should line up beautifully. And you can stick jig whenever you want.

[JohnnyD 1,221]

The jig should start the track, then Feast of Fools plays out with the last note of the fanfare cross-fading into the opening note of Topsy Turvey, just before the first lyric is sung. It should be one track: Feast of Fools / Topsy Turvey.

[MedigoScan 324]

Looks like they just wanted to keep the album version of Topsy Turvy intact in that instance... for reasons.

[WampaRat 1,105]

1 hour ago, JohnnyD said:

The jig should start the track, then Feast of Fools plays out with the last note of the fanfare cross-fading into the opening note of Topsy Turvey, just before the first lyric is sung. It should be one track: Feast of Fools / Topsy Turvey.

Ah. That makes more sense. So move the jig to the beginning of the track “Feast of fools”

 

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

For Mencken fans!

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

Mencken who?

[bollemanneke 3,338]

Is this an update regarding this stupid set?

[Holko 9,499]

5 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Is this an update regarding this stupid set?

No, just spam.

[bollemanneke 3,338]

Oh, thanks. This is really going to be the ifnal assembly, isn't it...?

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

1 hour ago, bollemanneke said:

Oh, thanks. This is really going to be the ifnal assembly, isn't it...?

 

Bruce posted a picture of a Menken songbook.