Your Top favourite 'Alternate' versions found on Williams' Expansions!

[Amer 2,078]

I was just thinking of your all time favourite unused Alternate Cues from all the expanded releases that really surprised you. My top favourite(s) has to be: 

 

1. Sale Barge Assault (Alternate)[Sony /RCA Disc 1] or Return of the Jedi (Alternate) [Disc 4-Anthology set]

    - RETURN OF THE JEDI

    I just love the brass on this version which has those staccato rythms in between . 

 

2.  The Dome Opens (Alternate) [Disc 2 -LLL]- SUPERMAN THE MOVIE

      WOW- This version totally rocked although we heard bits of it in the

      SUPERMAN II film before tha FSM blue box came out. This is one of the most thrilling cue which totally suprised me. LSO gives me goose bumps..

 

3.  A.I. Theme (Vocal Version Alternate)  [Disc 3*] -ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

    Now, this is the unused laternate version that came into print by LLL by accident*. I just love the vocal approach here and makes up for my favourite 

    version.* I understand this came out as an error from the wrong album master from LLL which when discovered was quickly recalled but some orders

    were processed and shipped out. I was lucky to get mine.

 

4. Main Title [Disc 2] -CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

   I love this alternate version of the cue on disc 2 which kinda replicates Williams version of the LP version edit. 

 

5. Indy Rides the Statue [Concord] - RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

  The building brass chords are just terrific. Im not sure if this is really an alternate because the film version appears to be an obvious edit or used from

   another version. 

 

6. Return to the City (Alternate) [Disc 2] -EMPIRE OF THJE SUN 

    A totaly new version which even surprised Williams and Management when Matessino dug this out.

 

Feel free to add your own favourite or even list them altogether.

[bruce marshall 1,314]

" Fortress of Solitude".

Completely different  cue and very satisfying musically

[Amer 2,078]

3 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

" Fortress of Solitude".

Completely different  cue and very satisfying musically

Yes, interesting choice but I just remembered The Dome Opens from SUPERMAN- Now thats an awesome cue!!!!

[Holko 9,491]

Yes, I put both of those in the main program, they're so good and so different.

 

E.T. Alone - I might even completely prefer that ending to the film one, majestically and hopefully rising but falling.

Petrified Colin - it unlocked a whole another aspect of Chamber of Secrets, the Tertiary Danger Motif, to me!

O Holy Night (Alternate Finale) - I dunno, it basically does the same thing as the film Home Alone ending with the carol's melodies instead of JW's own, but it just works so well, ties back so nicely to the church scene too.

Whichever of the WotW Reunion cues is the first, when it still felt optimistic and satisfying before they changed the approach.

 

[Brundlefly 2,385]

There is one clear winner for me: "Return to the City (Alternate)" or how Williams named it "Death March"!

[Gurkensalat 336]

Alternate Binary sunset from A New Hope. 

 

Alternate Follow Me from Always

[Tom Guernsey 2,277]

From ET, I love the alternate End Credits (with the bicycle chase strings at the start) and the alternate Searching for ET (love that opening figure here too). From memory, it's just the start of each of these cues that's different, but happy to be corrected!

 

Obviously the alternates from Star Trek: TMP are now classic examples of a composer's original take on key scenes, even more given that the main theme hadn't yet been fully developed/composer. I still prefer the final versions overall, but they are still, to coin a phrase, fascinating.

[Holko 9,491]

1 hour ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Obviously the alternates from Star Trek: TMP are now classic examples of a composer's original take on key scenes, even more given that the main theme hadn't yet been fully developed/composer. I still prefer the final versions overall, but they are still, to coin a phrase, fascinating.

I'd have gone into this too but the thread is in the JW subforum

[BB-8 3,455]

The original Lapti Nek.

 

 

versus

 

 

[Amer 2,078]

Clearly the latter is not Williams and not even an Alternate even as a source cue. Speaking of Source cues- that's another thread

[bollemanneke 3,334]

Map to snow scene!

[Marian Schedenig 8,153]

6 hours ago, Holko said:

O Holy Night (Alternate Finale) - I dunno, it basically does the same thing as the film Home Alone ending with the carol's melodies instead of JW's own, but it just works so well, ties back so nicely to the church scene too.

 

Oh yes! It's an absolutely gorgeous rendering of the carol, and one of my favourite cues from the score. That track alone is easily worth getting the expansion.

[crocodile 7,973]

I thought all these carol arrangements were done by Angela Morley?

 

Karol

[ThePenitentMan1 741]

8 hours ago, Amer said:

5. Indy Rides the Statue [Concord] - RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

  The building brass chords are just terrific. Im not sure if this is really an alternate because the film version appears to be an obvious edit or used from

   another version. 

The film version is an edit from the Flying Wing cue.

 

The actual alternate for the Escaping The Pit cue is very quiet and subdued.

[Andy 4,070]

Others have mentioned the Dome Opens and Fortress of Solitude from Superman and the Sail Barge Assault.  And yeah that E.T. Alone is magnificent.

 

so...

 

Star Wars Main Title Alternate Takes - Endlessly fascinating, and one was used for the Radio Drama

Star Wars Binary Sunset - The droids in peril motif from Attack of the Sandpeople is repeated, and the Dies Irae gets a good workout.

 

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas (Instrumental) - has the concert opening, and is delightful to hear without choir.

 

Can You Read My Mind (instrumental film version)-  this isn't really an alternate, since it's in the main body of the program, but hearing this without Kidder was revelatory.

 

Jaws - Alternate Main Title, The Shark Approaches, Wild Shark Theme (I'm a sucker for the ostinato, and these are wonderful to have)

[Marian Schedenig 8,153]

3 hours ago, crocodile said:

I thought all these carol arrangements were done by Angela Morley?

 

Not this one, I expect, since it's a part of the score, not a source cue.

[Chewy 2,372]

I love the alternate version of The Plane from Empire of the Sun.

 

The alternate of The Firebolt from Prisoner of Azkaban was an awesome discovery too, so joyful, I prefer it over the film version.

 

And of course the alternate End Credits from Always, which closes the presentation perfectly!

[BrotherSound 2,241]

Two of the alternates from Far and Away come to mind: the alternate openings of ‘The Big Match’ and ‘Oklahoma Territory’ are both spectacular in my book! (And quite different.) I’m also very fond of the alternate ‘Car Drives Off’ from Chamber of Secrets. And the alternate ‘Love Scene’ from Dracula is just magnificent…

[bruce marshall 1,314]

..

[Brundlefly 2,385]

4 hours ago, BrotherSound said:

I’m also very fond of the alternate ‘Car Drives Off’ from Chamber of Secrets.

I somehow feel like that one should have made it into the main program...

 

4 hours ago, BrotherSound said:

And the alternate ‘Love Scene’ from Dracula is just magnificent…

That may be number two on my list.

[Tom Guernsey 2,277]

I'm rather partial to the alternate version of The Lost World, the extra stuff going on at the beginning is quite effective. I think the rest is the same as the final version. What is it with JW and alternate openings?! See also my comments on ET as well as those alternate versions of opening fanfare from the Star Wars main titles. I guess we could also call the slightly different version used in Empire as an "alternate" to the original arrangement from ANH, although I can't recall if it changed again after Empire, but I think it remained relatively stable after that, although knowing JW he probably fiddled around with it more subtly over the years. Similar to Jerry doing a slightly different version of the TMP theme in STV and the later films, but I wouldn't want to intrude on a JW thread ;-)

[A. A. Ron 1,736]

Nevermind, I somehow missed that we were talking specifically about Williams expansions.

[Tom Guernsey 2,277]

12 minutes ago, A. A. Ron said:

Nevermind, I somehow missed that we were talking specifically about Williams expansions.

So did I, but not sure yet another new thread for everyone else seems entirely necessary, but there are plenty of other interesting ones out there.

[Jay 37,249]

Of course a different thread for favorite non-Williams alternates would be welcome

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,153]

55 minutes ago, Jay said:

Of course a different thread for favorite non-Williams alternates would be welcome

 

Like Jedi Rocks?

[Amer 2,078]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Of course a different thread for favorite non-Williams alternates would be welcome

 

I made one at FSM also for both Williams and Non-Williams:

https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=148285&forumID=1&archive=0

[Bellosh 3,369]

The Departure (alternate) from KOTCS

[Corellian2019 383]

"What Is Your Wish (Alternate)" from A.I.

 

"The Crime (Alternate)" and "Freezing Water (Alternate)" from Minority Report

[GerateWohl 4,320]

Does Williams' Ballroom Scene from Witches of Eastwick count as alternate?

[Andy 4,070]

@Amer This thread has sort of inspired me to put together a playlist of rejected Williams.  Might be fun to create a listening experience of all of these deep cuts.

[Faleel 5,326]

Not on an expansion, but The Old Priest's Tale

[bruce marshall 1,314]

18 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

Does Williams' Ballroom Scene from Witches of Eastwick count as alternate?

No.

Great track though!

[Amer 2,078]

5 hours ago, Andy said:

@Amer This thread has sort of inspired me to put together a playlist of rejected Williams.  Might be fun to create a listening experience of all of these deep cuts.

@Andyexactly what I intend to do. Please do share your list here. Thanks! 

[rough cut 1,714]

So many great tracks already mentioned, but I alway enjoy

 

Children’s Suite for Orchestra - Although never intended to be included in the movie, these arrangements are precious.

 

The E.T. Adventure - It doesn’t really have the same character as the film soundtrack but I do think this is a historical and important piece.

 

[GerateWohl 4,320]

45 minutes ago, rough cut said:

So many great tracks already mentioned, but I alway enjoy

 

Children’s Suite for Orchestra - Although never intended to be included in the movie, these arrangements are precious.

 

The E.T. Adventure - It doesn’t really have the same character as the film soundtrack but I do think this is a historical and important piece.

It looks a little bit like you mixed up the alternates thread with the concert arrangement thread.

[rough cut 1,714]

Hmmm, true, I didn’t really stay inside the lines here.

[GerateWohl 4,320]

Yeah. But I think, all alternates which are accounted for alternates on the expansion all interesting ones are mentioned already.

 

I could still mention the "worst" alternate or my least favourite one. It is the "pop version" of Can You Read My Mind which is on the 2000 expansion of the Superman expansion.

[Andy 4,070]

That’s a guilty pleasure for me. But I’m probably if an age where that dated pop sound is comforting to me. 

 

 

 

So which Star Wars Main Title Raw Take is your favorite alternate?

 

I'm having a hard time choosing one.

 

Take 20 has the strong cymbal crash without the brass.

Take 16 has the delightful emphasis on the swirling woodwinds.

Take 17 has the really strong timpani beats around the 1 minute mark.