E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - 40th Anniversary Edition from La-La Land Records

[blondheim 1,160]

It’s easy to say Patience…

[Brando 2,044]

5 hours ago, blondheim said:

It’s easy to say Patience…

Oh I definitely agree haha

[Jay 38,747]

Mike Matessino discusses this release with @TownerFan and @mahler3 on the latest episode of The Legacy of John Williams!

 

https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2022/08/20/spielberg-williams-podcast/

 

 

In the episode you will hear stories about how Mike found the tape containing the music for the theme park ride, the importance of preserving the original soundtrack album as well as the complete score, and lots more.  Give it a listen!

[Amer 2,207]

Update from LLL email flyer:

 

"Our 40th ANNIVERSARY 2-CD re-issue of ET by John Williams starts shipping August 26. (Any orders with this title will begin shipping then)"

 

P.S:    Also available…

our 2-CD 45th ANNIVERSARY re-issue of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND and, newly back in-stock, our 4-CD JOHN WILLIAMS DISASTER MOVIE SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION BOX SET!

 

[Toillion 259]

 

This was teased from Mondo. Presumably 40th anniversary E.T. vinyl repress. 

[Jay 38,747]

Mike Matessino revealed on @TownerFan's podcast that the upcoming Mondo vinyl will be identical to the 2018 LLL vinyl, which is the same as disc 1 of the 2-CD version, except with "The Encounter", "The Kiss" and "Levitation" integrated in at their chronological placement

 

Here is the tracklist: https://lalalandrecords.com/e-t-the-extra-terrestrial-limited-edition-vinyl-2xlp/

 

And here is the podcast episode: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2022/08/20/spielberg-williams-podcast/

[blondheim 1,160]

10 hours ago, Jay said:

Mike Matessino revealed on @TownerFan's podcast that the upcoming Mondo vinyl will be identical to the 2018 LLL vinyl, which is the same as disc 1 of the 2-CD version, except with "The Kiss" and "Levitation" integrated in at their chronological placement

 

Here is the tracklist: https://lalalandrecords.com/e-t-the-extra-terrestrial-limited-edition-vinyl-2xlp/

 

And here is the podcast episode: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2022/08/20/spielberg-williams-podcast/

Also, The Encounter

[QuartalHarmony 641]

This must have been given a good debate on here, so apologies for the request, but ISTR some questioning of the ‘switch the projector off, just play the music’ ET anecdote. Is there doubt over whether it happened, at least as it’s been described by JW and SS?
 

I can’t find any reference to it on the usual podcasts or on this forum so, if there has been any such debate, can anyone point me in the direction of a summary of it?

 

 Thanks,

 

Mark

[Jay 38,747]

5 hours ago, blondheim said:

Also, The Encounter

 

Fixed!

 

1 hour ago, QuartalHarmony said:

This must have been given a good debate on here, so apologies for the request, but ISTR some questioning of the ‘switch the projector off, just play the music’ ET anecdote. Is there doubt over whether it happened, at least as it’s been described by JW and SS?
 

I can’t find any reference to it on the usual podcasts or on this forum so, if there has been any such debate, can anyone point me in the direction of a summary of it?

 

 

I'm not sure what "debate" you are talking about.  It's 100% confirmed that "The Bike Chase" and "The Departure" were recorded wild, and after choosing the preferred takes, Spielberg re-edited the footage to match that performance edit.

 

"The Rescue" was done the normal way, like the rest of the score.

 

As for a specific source of this, I'm sure there are many (including I think the LLL liner notes?), but here's one direct source:

https://www.jwfan.com/?p=9994

[Disco Stu 15,501]

And notably "The Rescue" is one of the few cues in the score that had micro-editing to make it fit edits made after the recording.

[Tallguy 4,097]

I thought the story goes that there were struggles with scoring the end of Close Encounters so at some point Spielberg said "Just play the music and I'll edit to it." Then on E.T. they did it that way on purpose from the start.

 

Or am I "printing the legend"?

[Holko 10,006]

More like macroediting.

[Disco Stu 15,501]

7 minutes ago, Holko said:

More like macroediting.

 

Touché 

[TownerFan 4,998]

38 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

I thought the story goes that there were struggles with scoring the end of Close Encounters so at some point Spielberg said "Just play the music and I'll edit to it." Then on E.T. they did it that way on purpose from the start.

 

Or am I "printing the legend"?

 

CE3K had lots of vfx shots missing/unfinished when Williams scored the film, so he wrote to "blank" footage in several parts of the final sequence, just using timings and frame count off the cue sheet.

[Jay 38,747]

1 hour ago, Tallguy said:

Then on E.T. they did it that way on purpose from the start.

 

In the interview article I linked to above, Mike says that "The Bike Chase" was the very first cue recorded for ET, and they recorded it wild from the start.

 

As far as CE3K goes, I don't remember the struggles you describe being told anywhere, but maybe you can find a link

[Disco Stu 15,501]

CE3K definitely did plenty of editing the music to fit the movie, not just the other way around.

[Tallguy 4,097]

21 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

CE3K definitely did plenty of editing the music to fit the movie, not just the other way around.

 

I'm just talking about the end of the film for Close Encounters. 

 

I think that was on the dvd extras. I just got rid of all of my dvds. I should have kept them for conversations like this! 😁

[ZackR 95]

Williams talks about Spielberg cutting Bike Chase to the music in this video. Skip to around 3:27 for the segment but then specifically 5:10 for Williams commenting on cutting the projector for Bike Chase.

 

 

[QuartalHarmony 641]

8 hours ago, Jay said:

I'm not sure what "debate" you are talking about.

i must have misinterpreted a passing comment in an earlier thread - I think it was referring to the LLL sleeve notes and, not having that release (yet!), I didn’t know precisely what was being said. Thanks for confirming.

 

Mark

[Brando 2,044]

Ok I might be losing my mind but bear with me here. When Elliot is in the cornfield looking for ET, what cue is playing here? Is it a reuse of the Main Titles? I could've sworn one of the early tracks after the Far From Home track on disc 1 was used here and just cut short but I think that assumption was incorrect.

[Jay 38,747]

9 minutes ago, Brando said:

Ok I might be losing my mind but bear with me here. When Elliot is in the cornfield looking for ET, what cue is playing here?

 

"The Encounter", from disc 2.

[Brando 2,044]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

 

"The Encounter", from disc 2.

Ohhhh. I forgot this was on disc 2. I might have missed the explanation, but do the liner notes explain why this was placed there?

[crumbs 14,584]

24 minutes ago, Brando said:

Ohhhh. I forgot this was on disc 2. I might have missed the explanation, but do the liner notes explain why this was placed there?

 

Space constraints and listening experience. Disc 1 already runs 1:17:42 without The Encounter, The Kiss or Levitation included. Including The Encounter on disc 1 would have pushed the runtime over 79 minutes.

 

It's also quite repetitious so close to Main Title, which is similar musically.

[Andy 4,980]

The Kiss is a perfect moment of music and editing.  It was the first cue I put back in its place in my playlist. 

[Jay 38,747]

14 hours ago, Brando said:

Ohhhh. I forgot this was on disc 2. I might have missed the explanation, but do the liner notes explain why this was placed there?

 

Only because of CD space limitations. The vinyl edition Mike produced puts "The Encounter", "The Kiss", and "The Levitation" in their chronological placement. 

 

https://lalalandrecords.com/e-t-the-extra-terrestrial-limited-edition-vinyl-2xlp/

[lairdo 737]

On the Legacy of JW Podcast linked earlier in this thread, Mike explained that when building the order for Close Encounters, he thought a lot about how to make sure the first CD was a complete listening experience. I suspect, as @crumbs referenced, that this was the same for E.T. A nice nostalgic sense that you put on a disc and you feel like you have a complete journey when it ends 80 mins later. 

[Jay 38,747]

I think that if the 2002 edition hadn't included the Main Title as it's first track, Mike wouldn't have either, instead beginning the main program with the gorgeous quiet rendition of the Call them, as JW originally intended the score to start.

 

Then there would have been room for both "The Kiss" and "Levitation" to be in the main program, and "Main Title" and "The Encounter" would be the cues relegated to disc 2. 

[scallenger 512]

I think I would have preferred that, honestly.

[GerateWohl 4,916]

1 hour ago, scallenger said:

I think I would have preferred that, honestly.

Everybody would have preferred that.

[Jay 38,747]

That's what I do for my personal playlist. I think the main title and Encounter cue work great in the film, but I don't need them in my main program. 

 

"The Kiss" and "Levitation", however, are just as essential as every other cue in the score, imo.

[Luke Skywalker 1,925]

Where they composed after the main sessions or where they part of the score from the beginning?

[Jay 38,747]

Quote

The cues “Main Titles” and “The Encounter” are pretty unique compared to the rest of the score; Were they recorded at the same time as everything else?

 

They were done with two players at a separate session at the very end along with the tinkling E.T. “magic” overlays. We didn’t find mag for this session (other than the dubbing units), so they may have only ran 1/2” for those and then dubbed them over. And that’s why they were missed for the 20th anniversary reissue mix and the prior soundtrack releases. The “Main Title” came from the dubbing unit mag. “The Encounter” wasn’t really a “cue,” per se. It was just wild material recorded after the “Main Title” and was called “Steven’s Gong.” Spielberg may have been the one performing it. In postproduction Kenny Hall just grabbed it and tried it over the scene and Steven liked it. Both cues are just listed as “Alternate Beginning” on the cue sheet.

 

On 25/08/2022 at 9:42 AM, Jay said:

https://www.jwfan.com/?p=9994

[Luke Skywalker 1,925]

Thanks! I may try your playlist then, those two cues dont really belong there, dont they?

[Jay 38,747]

They don't enhance the musical narrative imo

[Disco Stu 15,501]

The Kiss, wonderful and perfect as it is in the film, is rightly relegated to the bonus.  I play disc 1 as is.

[Holko 10,006]

I like Main Title opening the score, it sets up a mood that wonderful flute solo can then be in contrast to. It's Levitation that I don't think adds much.

[Brando 2,044]

In the deleted scene that is available, is it even The Levitation that’s playing? For some reason I remember watching the scene and don’t remember the music matching it. This was a while ago, so I’ll need to check it out again and compare.

[Jay 38,747]

Nope, on the laserdisc bonus feature that debuted that scene, for whatever reason instead of using JW's "Levitation" cue, they tracked in other stuff.

[Brando 2,044]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

Nope, on the laserdisc bonus feature that debuted that scene, for whatever reason instead of using JW's "Levitation" cue, they tracked in other stuff.

Odd choice but alright 

[Pater Ecstaticus 5]

deleted

[Toillion 259]

The mondo vinyl release to 40th anniversary

https://mondoshop.com/blogs/news/e-t-the-extra-terrestrial-2xlp-vinyl-on-sale-info

 

 

 

 

[Jay 38,747]

Quote

all new liner notes by Mike Duquette.

 

Huh.

[Disco Stu 15,501]

Mike DuWho now?

 

EDIT: Ohhh, the Second Disc guy.  Interesting.  His website is a good source.

[Manakin Skywalker 5,132]

But... is the cover art by John Powell?

[Disco Stu 15,501]

Glad I got the LLL vinyl back when with the far superior Titus cover

[DangerMotif 1,079]

Mine came today. Pretty the cover says 40th but the discs say 35th. Everything is great though.

[TolkienSS 444]

ET is a score that I never found emotional access to. For me, there is an intangible feeling of clichėe over it that I can't shed. I guess I just don't find it engaging musically.

 

ET seems to be a childhood favorite for many, one of those film music experiences that stick with you your whole life. Not for me.

Which is funny; I remember seeing Superman The Movie (and sequels) as a kid and loving the music. I remember seeing Jurassic Park and Lost World as a kid and loving the music. I remember watching Indiana Jones and loving the music. Etc.

But ET? I watched it, nothing.

[blondheim 1,160]

I’m so sorry, man. That’s unfortunate because Adventure on Earth is my drug

[Jay 38,747]

1 hour ago, Gibster said:

Mine came today. Pretty the cover says 40th but the discs say 35th. Everything is great though.

 

The pressing plant used the wrong files on the discs! The correct files have different art, and course say 40th and the new catalog number. 

[crumbs 14,584]

Oh gosh that's a shame! No doubt the entire first pressing is wrong then.

 

Here's a peak of the newer artwork with LLL 20th logo: