Expansions for Non-JW Harry Potter Soundtracks?

[Trope 527]

Hello, I'm not sure if this has been discussed on the forum before, but would anyone know if such an expansion has ever been mentioned by soundtrack labels (La-La Land, Intrada, etc.)? I imagine that something like this might sell really well, given the popularity John Williams Harry Potter collection (which is one of the best expanded releases I own). I ask this question since I am currently re-watching the Potter films after nearly a decade and noticing that there is some great music unavailable on the OSTs, including both individual standout cues, as well as motivic/thematic pieces that play an important part in the narrative arc of the music. 

 

In terms of how these scores could be expanded practically, that is a little challenging. It would be an obvious choice to expand both of Deplat's Deathly Hallows scores as a combined release, and maybe do the same with Hooper's two? Although this leaves out Doyle's Goblet of Fire, which could be either a standalone release, or could be included alongside the Hooper scores, as a sort of "Harry Potter - The Middle Years" collection (although I'm sure there are some people who would want the Doyle score and not Hooper's). 

 

I don't know the general consensus on the forum about the quality of the non-JW Potter scores, but I personally think that each one is very good fantasy/action score, even if some are less successful at being a "Harry Potter" score in the style of John Williams.

[crumbs 14,306]

No reason they can't happen... though I understand Warner Brothers is a much more difficult studio to licence scores from now, due to various corporate mergers and management changes.

 

After the JW HP box, Mike Matessino mentioned he'd happily do the remaining 5 scores but there's complexities in how to release them. The OST label changed between films 5 and 6, so a Hooper box set might not be possible (each of his two OSTs released on different labels, which makes licensing an expansion difficult).

 

In theory a standalone GOF expansion, and a Desplat DH1+DH2 set, should be straightforward.

 

These things just take time, especially with COVID grinding things to a halt for two years.

[Jay 37,346]

4 and 5 are, like 1-3, split between WB Music and WB Pictures, so could be licensed the same way 1-3 were for the Potter box. 

 

6-8 were released on WB Picture's own music label, Water Tower Records, so would be extremely hard to license; it'd be more likely they expand the scores themselves on their own label. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,514]

Wasn't there an expanded edition of DH PT. 1?

[Holko 9,517]

4 hours ago, crumbs said:

The OST label changed between films 5 and 6, so a Hooper box set might not be possible (each of his two OSTs released on different labels, which makes licensing an expansion difficult).

If we disregard that WB would want to do 6 on their own like Jay said, it might not be as difficult as we previously thought? The Disaster Box had I think Earthquake licensed as a separate release with its own catalogue number, but still sold as part of the box, and the big heads had no problem with it.

 

I'd kill for a proper release of GoF.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,514]

Apart from the fact that The Disaster Box is a truly great collection, I've always admired how four studios collaborated to make it.

[GerateWohl 4,355]

In my view, John Williams' scores are the only of these eight Harry Potter scores, that have a quality which justifies an expansion. For the others the OSTs are more than enough.

[crumbs 14,306]

A Goblet of Fire expansion would be an insta-buy for me.

 

Couldn't care less about the other 4 though.

[Trope 527]

I'm an enormous fan of the Desplat Potter scores. Yes, there was a Limited Edition Collector's Set release of Deathly Hallows Part 1, but it only contained a handful of extra cues (a few of which are already available on the digital release). I think he did such a great job in amping up the darkness in tone with two beautifully subtle scores, with plenty of thematic interplay and highly sophisticated orchestral writing, while also allowing for extended periods of silence to dominate, something which I'm starting to appreciate much more as contemporary action movies continue to go for a wall-to-wall approach when it comes to music.

 

Goblet of Fire is also growing on me since I revisited it recently. The score of that film reminded me of Howard Shore's music, using lots of clusters and dense, chordal underscore in the lower registers. A complete expansion would be an instant purchase for me as well.

[Bilbo 3,709]

4 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Wasn't there an expanded edition of DH PT. 1?

It was a bonus disc with a few extra cues released at the same time as the regular edition. Still a good chunk of unreleased music.

[Archive Collection 214]

I mean… the complete recording sessions for 5, 6, 7 are out there in lossless quality - and 4 and 8 are out there in pretty good MP3 quality… just saying 🤷‍♂️

[Dave 217]

50 minutes ago, Archive Collection said:

I mean… the complete recording sessions for 5, 6, 7 are out there in lossless quality - and 4 and 8 are out there in pretty good MP3 quality… just saying 🤷‍♂️

Year but I think the most of us want a professional made 2CD set and not that recording session mess that is the leaked HP4. The mix isn't great and mastering non-existent in these leaks.

 

I would buy the remaining expansions in a second. There's enough unreleased stuff to love in all post Williams scores.

[Holko 9,517]

And half the hp4 cues are damaged with clicking all over.

[Jay 37,346]

8 hours ago, Holko said:

The Disaster Box had I think Earthquake licensed as a separate release with its own catalogue number, but still sold as part of the box, and the big heads had no problem with it..

 

Each of the titles in that box have their own catalog numbers, and were all licensed as separate titles. They are just only sold together in a slipcover as one sku. 

 

But LLL even counts them as three of their 600 released titles.

[Bilbo 3,709]

3 hours ago, Archive Collection said:

I mean… the complete recording sessions for 5, 6, 7 are out there in lossless quality - and 4 and 8 are out there in pretty good MP3 quality… just saying 🤷‍♂️

So?

[Archive Collection 214]

2 hours ago, Dave said:

Year but I think the most of us want a professional made 2CD set and not that recording session mess that is the leaked HP4. The mix isn't great and mastering non-existent in these leaks.

 

I would buy the remaining expansions in a second. There's enough unreleased stuff to love in all post Williams scores.

I agree, a professional release would be excellent, and I’d buy it in a heartbeat. The sound quality would, inevitably, be better than what we’ve got for many of the scores.

 

42 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

So?

 

Hope my comment didn’t come across like I’m dismissing the idea of putting out expanded releases! Just wanted to alert people to the fact that the music can be found if you’re desperate enough. Should have been clearer in my original comment.

[bruckhorn 105]

Something else to keep in mind: how many other scores have seen expanded releases by the composers in question?

 

Doyle: Dead Again and, and, uh, nothing else is coming to mind.

 

Granted the other two don’t have a plethora of pre-2005 pics to pick from, but still.

[Yavar Moradi 2,598]

52 minutes ago, bruckhorn said:

Something else to keep in mind: how many other scores have seen expanded releases by the composers in question?

 

Doyle: Dead Again and, and, uh, nothing else is coming to mind.

 

There were two other (great!) Doyle albums done by smaller film music specialty labels, but they were premieres rather than expansions:

Quartet Records: https://www.soundtrackcollector.com/title/93886/Killing+Me+Softly

MovieScore Media: https://www.soundtrackcollector.com/title/70540/Man+To+Man

 

Yavar

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

13 hours ago, Archive Collection said:

I mean… the complete recording sessions for 5, 6, 7 are out there in lossless quality - and 4 and 8 are out there in pretty good MP3 quality… just saying 🤷‍♂️

Disagree that the bootlegs for 4 and 7 part 2 are “pretty good quality.” 7 part 2 sounds poor. 4 is mostly ok I guess, but several cues are damaged.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

4 sounds like a vinyl with good earbuds and is not complete.

[Dave 217]

What's missing?

[Holko 9,517]

At least Frank Dies and Moody's transformation just off the top of my head.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

And the Hedwig's theme after Ron and Harry make up, plus the fantastic end credits opening.