Jerry Goldsmith's MACARTHUR (1977) - NEW! 2023 Intrada 2-CD

[Jay 37,369]

His soundtrack will return... on Tuesday, December 12.

 

 

https://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=152756&forumID=1&archive=0

[Naïve Old Fart 9,536]

Great news!

I shall return... to buy this.

[crocodile 8,017]

Interesting. I will definitely pick this up but not sure if it will be before the new year. We shall see.

 

Karol

[Jay 37,369]

  

On 19/11/2023 at 9:41 AM, Richard Penna said:

One more to come from them in 2023:

 

Quote

We will have one last release for the year, coming Dec. 12th. After that, we will return in January.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/95015405220/permalink/10168550343755221/

 

It turns out Roger dropped a clue for this title way back on November 18th and nobody got it!

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Yeah, very very subtle clue.

 

Yavar

[crocodile 8,017]

What is the clue?

 

Karol

[Thor 7,508]

I had the CD once, but traded it away. Not because I found MACARTHUR bad or anything, but probably because there was something else I wanted more. Hopefully, the old program is included here, with cleaned-up sound, so that I might have another go at it, at least in digital file format.

[Jay 37,369]

8 hours ago, crocodile said:

What is the clue?

 

8 hours ago, Jay said:

 

After that, we will return in January

 

8 hours ago, Jay said:

His soundtrack will return

 

https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/06/archives/i-shall-return-deemed-official-version-of-vow.html

[Score 770]

7 minutes ago, crocodile said:

What is the clue?

 

Karol

 

 

"We will return", referencing "I shall return" from MacArthur's speech. More than subtle, I'd say impossible!

 

 

 

[crocodile 8,017]

Oh. That completely went well over my head. 

 

Karol

[Jay 37,369]

23 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Yeah, very very subtle clue.

 

Yavar

 

When can we expect the Odyssey Spotlight episode?

[JTN 2,030]

This has gone up to number 1 on my wish list. Unless Varèse has something even bigger - which just became highly unlikely -, I will try to get this. Classic Maestro Jerry Goldsmith is always a must-have for me.  

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

5 minutes ago, Jay said:

When can we expect the Odyssey Spotlight episode?

 

Still trying to schedule the recording, to be honest. Doug Fake is *super* busy these days and I'd far prefer to include the Grand Poobah of Intrada whenever possible  though there will likely be other distinguished participants joining him....

 

Yavar

[Edmilson 7,466]

What's this score is like? According to Wikipedia, it's a biographical war movie so I guess it's kinda like Patton? Or Tora Tora Tora?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_(1977_film)

 

And it's not even the only Goldsmith score for the same guy:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inchon_(film)

 

Which of these two is the better score?

[Ollie 1,059]

Cool, one of the few Goldsmith releases I never picked up upon its original release. 
 

I’ve been holding off on grabbing it on the secondary market for many years.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Same here! I have never owned MacArthur on CD. It was only released on CD once and that was over 30 years ago when I was just a little kid!

 

Yavar

[Jay 37,369]

I've never even heard this score!

Can't wait to check it out!

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

Very nice. Looking forward to discover this score from Goldsmith, I've never heard any notes from it but I'm sure it will sound great.

Between this one, Solo and all the Horner's it's been a terrific year for Intrada

[Jurassic Shark 12,079]

5 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Same here! I have never owned MacArthur on CD. It was only released on CD once and that was over 30 years ago when I was just a little kid!

 

Yavar

 

Well, it only got 3/5 stars on Filmtracks, so you haven't missed much. 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Let’s just say… my taste in Goldsmith is considerably different from Christian Clemmenson’s. He doesn’t like pre-80s Goldsmith as much. He doesn’t like Goldsmith getting too modern in his writing either. He likes his film music smooth and pleasant, the Rudy side of Goldsmith if you will. And I assure you all, this score while no Mephisto Waltz or PotA (didn’t Clem give that masterpiece only one or two stars, lol?) is not that.

 

Yavar

[Bespin 8,483]

It's a four-star Goldsmith score for sure; the problem is he has so many '**** 1/2' and '*****'!

 

Not a priority for me, but I'll take note of this release!

[JTN 2,030]

19 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Well, it only got 3/5 stars on Filmtracks, so you haven't missed much. 

 

[Bespin 8,483]

5 minutes ago, JTW said:

 

 

But the chance of you going bankrupt if you buy each and every expanded score of Jerry Goldsmith is 528 out of 1 760!

[Stark 316]

49 minutes ago, Jay said:

I've never even heard this score!

Can't wait to check it out!

Me neither, I might’ve just assumed it was Patton… hah!

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

42 minutes ago, Bespin said:

It's a four-star Goldsmith score for sure; the problem is he has so many '**** 1/2' and '*****'!

 

Not a priority for me, but I'll take note of this release!

Wait until you hear the sound clips (and maybe our Spotlight podcast episode). I don’t want to give details away before Intrada announces, but I’ll just say… This was actually a 3.5/5 score for me based on the original album recording. Now it is 4.5/5, easy. Maybe you’ll feel similarly.

 

Yavar

[Brundlefly 2,385]

I'm looking forward to the score, but I remain very sceptical after last year's Hollow Man expansion, which is a desaster, regarding its production.

[JTN 2,030]

Care to elaborate?

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Intrada left off a film version or two I think. But just like Varese with Looney Tunes where a few minor cues were missing, I’m pretty sure they were at the mercy of what elements Bruce Botnick had personally archived and could supply them with.

 

It’s still a great album, IMO, even if not strictly 100% “definitive” if elements at the studios might perhaps one day be uncovered. Calling it a “disaster” is weird.

 

Yavar

[Tydirium 1,167]

21 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

I'm looking forward to the score, but I remain very sceptical after last year's Hollow Man expansion, which is a desaster, regarding its production.

 

I’ve been waiting for that one to go back in-stock at their site… Do you think there is a chance any issues will be fixed before the next batch, or unlikely?

 

7 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Intrada left off a film version or two I think. But just like Varese with Looney Tunes where a few minor cues were missing, I’m pretty sure they were at the mercy of what elements Bruce Botnick had personally archived and could supply them with.

 

It’s still a great album, IMO, even if not strictly 100% “definitive” if elements at the studios might perhaps one day be uncovered. Calling it a “disaster” is weird.

 

Yavar

 

I thought I read there were some sound quality issues with it?

[Brundlefly 2,385]

The awfully sloppy cover art was only a hint to the carelessness that would be found on the CDs:

• two alternates from the original album are missing ("The Hollow Man" and "Linda & Sebastian")
• some of the combined cues have very harsh transitions with background hiss blatanly fading out and in
• there is no real volume compression, but the separate tracks seem to be normalized - this is why the tracks with lower peak volume got amplified, which leads to very unnatural volume dips between the tracks
• moreover, some of the track combos have the cues within play at different volume, because each cue got normalized by its own
• I don't know, what the fuck they were thinking, but the film version inserts of some alternates were implemented in such shitty fashion that you would hardly be able to find on a bootleg, like for example in "Bloody Floor" and "The Big Climb" - sorry, I'm not trying to be rude here, but it really sounds horrible
• there are several stances of overdriving volume (the alternate opening of "The Big Climb" and the brass blast at the start of "Hi Boss"
• the end credits suite, which features no new music was taken from film stem and has very obvious crackling sounds

All in all, this is a release that had good sounding source material available and still got the worst out of it. No one can tell me, they did quality-check this one. It feels like Intrada's main issue is the volume (and not for the first time).

[Slitherjump 6]

 

1 hour ago, Brundlefly said:

The awfully sloppy cover art was only a hint to the carelessness that would be found on the CDs:

• two alternates from the original album are missing ("The Hollow Man" and "Linda & Sebastian")
• some of the combined cues have very harsh transitions with background hiss blatanly fading out and in
• there is no real volume compression, but the separate tracks seem to be normalized - this is why the tracks with lower peak volume got amplified, which leads to a very unnatural volume dips between the tracks
• some of the track combos have the cues within this track play at different volume as a consequence, because each cue got normalized by its own
• I don't know, what the fuck they were thinking, but the film version inserts of some alternates were implemented in such shitty fashion that you would hardly be able to find on a bootleg, like for example in "Bloody Floor" and "The Big Climb"
• There are several stances of overdriving volume (the alternate opening of "The Big Climb" and the brass blast at the start of "Hi Boss"
• the end credits suite, which features no new music was taken from film stem and as incredibly obvious crackling sounds

All in all, this is a release that had the best source material available and still got the worst out of it. No one can tell me, they did quality-check this one.

Wow I didn't know there were this many issues with that release. The only one I knew about was the issue with the end credits track and I gotta ask can crackling sounds be fixed? I thought problems like that were impossible to fix, at least with the technology we have today. I vaguely remember the guy who worked on that release saying there was nothing he could do to remove the issue 

[1977 1,743]

I'm very happy that my final Goldsmith grail is receiving a very long overdue release! 

[Marian Schedenig 8,200]

2 hours ago, Ollie said:

Cool, one of the few Goldsmith releases I never picked up upon its original release. 
 

I’ve been holding off on grabbing it on the secondary market for many years.

 

2 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Same here! I have never owned MacArthur on CD. It was only released on CD once and that was over 30 years ago when I was just a little kid!

 

[Brundlefly 2,385]

57 minutes ago, Slitherjump said:

I vaguely remember the guy who worked on that release say there was nothing he can do to remove the issue

They could just have taken the proper sources and recreate the end credits suite or... not do it at all, since it had no new music.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Pretty sure it had unique takes. Anyhow, I’m sorry you find it so difficult to enjoy that release Brundlefly. I readily admit it’s not perfect, but I quite enjoyed it myself. Maybe one day the score will be revisited again in a more definitive edition. LLL just rectified their earlier Hook expansion after all, and that 2CD expansion had far more noticeable issues with it than Hollow Man, IMO.

 

Yavar

[JTN 2,030]

On 30/11/2023 at 6:21 PM, JTW said:

Unless Varèse has something even bigger - which just became highly unlikely -, I will try to get this.

Damn, this comment hasn’t aged well… 

[Chris Shaneyfelt 5]

On 30/11/2023 at 11:26 AM, Yavar Moradi said:

 

Still trying to schedule the recording, to be honest. Doug Fake is *super* busy these days and I'd far prefer to include the Grand Poobah of Intrada whenever possible  though there will likely be other distinguished participants joining him....

 

Yavar

I'm thrilled about the upcoming MacArthur 2CD set! Yavar, I'm also excited about the MacArthur Odyssey Spotlight. I'm sure that whenever you release the Spotlight (this year or next), it will be terrific and insightful like the other episodes!

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Looks like we’re successfully scheduled for a recording next week! Alas we probably won’t be able to have it edited in time for Intrada’s release date like we’d originally hoped, but I’m optimistic we may be able to get it out a few days before Christmas.

 

Yavar

[thestat 348]

Biggest JG fan in the world but weirdly never owned this - might have been the unavailability of the original album, an early dislike for Patton (not into listening to military marches, much since rectified with The German Advance.... but definitely would not want to listen to the main march, brilliant as it is intellectually and compositionally)

 

Unfortunately, not much impressed by the soundclips from Intrada as this seems like the same kind of rough as Inchon - again very much appreciated intellectually and philosophically for the jagged roughness of the Planet of the Apes variety but I listen to JG on the basis of listenability (ie. love his 90s output, Total Recall is the best orchestral fireworks known to man). Do convince me otherwise

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Will do my best to convince with the Spotlight. I too am not really into military marches, but (as with Patton in some ways) I would argue the “meat” of this score is internal. Yes there are some bursts of action but overall it feels very much like a thoughtful character based score.

 

I will also say I was rather taken aback by just how good the film recording sounds on this. It sounds like a much more modern recording than say Damnation Alley from the same year. I guess that speaks somewhat to Universal’s tape preservation practices?

 

Yavar

[Jay 37,369]

Probably more to do with recording techniques (maybe even different recording engineers, I don't know) that tape storage practices, I would think

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

59 minutes ago, Jay said:

Probably more to do with recording techniques (maybe even different recording engineers, I don't know) that tape storage practices, I would think

 

Could be, but tapes also degrade over time and Fox tapes often seem to have degraded in a consistent way.

 

Yavar

[bruce marshall 1,315]

4 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

...I too am not really into military marches, but (as with Patton in some ways) I would argue the “meat” of this score is internal. Yes there are some bursts of action but overall it feels very much like a thoughtful character based score.

 

 

  😊

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Up for ordering now!

https://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.12900/.f?sc=13&category=-113
 

CD 1 MacArthur – The Score
01. MacArthur – Main Title (MacArthur March) (2:08)
02. The Tunnel [Long Version] (0:36)
03. MacArthur March [March Indoors] (With Drum Intro) (1:10)
04. I Shall Return (3:53)
05. To Australia (0:51)
06. The Minefield (1:52)
07. Statistics (1:47)
08. Surrender (0:54)
09. Attack Training (0:43)
10. Casualties (0:51)
11. Propaganda (2:26)
12. Change Is Inevitable (1:22)
13. Stand By [Marcato Trumpets] (1:42)
14. The Landing (3:26)
15. The Prison (1:30)
16. The Reunion (0:50)
17. Missouri [Extended Version] (0:43)
18. The Treaty (2:16)
19. New Era (3:01)
20. Newsreel – #1 (0:40)
21. Newsreel – #2 (0:20)
22. Hard Gained Ground (From Lonely Are The Brave) (2:03)
23. The Last Gift (1:56)
24. Ambush (0:55)
25. Reflections (1:03)
26. MacArthur March [Newsreel] (1:05)
27. I Bid You Farewell (2:07)
28. MacArthur – End Title (MacArthur March) (1:54)
Score Time: 46:41

Score Alternates
29. The Tunnel [Short Version] (0:31)
30. MacArthur March – Drums (0:10)
31. MacArthur March [March Indoors] (Without Drum Intro) (1:07)
32. I Shall Return (Alternate Mix) (3:50)
33. Stand By [Legato Trumpets] (1:42)
34. Missouri [Original Version] (0:26)
Alternates Time: 8:06

Source Music
35. Waltzing Matilda (A.B. Paterson/Marie Cowan) (2:04)
36. Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree
      (Lew Brown/Charles Tobias/Sam H. Stept) (0:41)
37. Funeral March (Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 35)
      (Frederick Chopin) (0:57)
38. Symphony No. 7 In A Major – Mvt. 2 (Beethoven) (1:32)
39. Admiral Byrd (Billy May) (0:29)
40. Undecided – Instrumental (Sid Robin/ Charles Shavers) (1:08)
41. Orpheus In Hades – Can-Can (J. Offenbach, Arr. Hal Mooney) (0:20)
42. Mayday In Moscow (From The Front Page) (Billy May) (0:48)
Source Music Time: 8:27
CD 1 Total Time: 62:30

CD 2 Original 1977 Soundtrack Album
01. MacArthur March (Main Title) (2:48)
02. I Shall Return (3:56)
03. The Treaty (2:35)
04. The Tunnel (2:32)
05. Statistics (3:03)
06. Stand By (2:07)
07. A Last Gift (2:24)
08. New Era (3:24)
09. The Landing (3:40)
10. The Minefield (2:36)
11. I Bid You Farewell / MacArthur March (4:15)
CD 2 Total Time: 33:42

 

 

90+ min Goldsmith Odyssey Soundtrack Spotlight coming in the next few days, with Doug Fake, Jeff Bond, and Chris Malone!

 

Yavar

[John F 100]

Ordered! Looking forward to it Yavar!

[Amer 2,110]

Ordered!

[1977 1,743]

Will be ordered!

[Jay 37,369]

Roger says:

 

INTRADA Announces

MacARTHUR
Composed and Conducted by JERRY GOLDSMITH
INTRADA ISC 499

Intrada's final release of 2023 features Jerry Goldsmith's score for the 1977 war epic MacArthur. Considered a companion score to his earlier Patton, when listened to side by side both scores highlight Goldsmith's genius in musically portraying the complexity of the each film's characters and less the onscreen action. General Patton loved the glory of battle and felt a deep connection to military history. His music reflects the pageantry and triumph, with echoing trumpets steeped in mysticism that reach back through history and past lives. General MacArthur was an entirely different officer. Respectful and appreciative of military honor, battle was not something he relished. MacArthur's march is all pomp and festivity but can take a dark turn and reflect the inner turmoil of the general. His march isn't quite as conventional as it first appears, with a distinctive effect for beaten piano that opens the march—a rhythmic sound for MacArthur’s military drive. It is this sound that underlies the tragedy and ugliness of war. Supplementing the march is Goldsmith writing in his finest American military style. Both films are judiciously spotted, with MacArthur running just 46 minutes of score.

 

At the time of the film's release, MCA Records released an album of re-recorded highlights from the score. The original film recording had never been released...until now. This program is produced using the 1/2″ session masters vaulted at Universal Studios and is featured on disc 1. The second disc features the remastered MCA program that has been out of print for years.

 

Gregory Peck plays General Douglass MacArthur. Told through flashbacks as MacArthur visits West Point in 1963, the film chronicles his life starting in 1942 prior to the Battle of Bataan in World War II, working its way through his removal from the Korean War due to his in subordination in 1952 by President Harry Truman.

 

Intrada ISC 499
Retail Price: $31.99
Barcode: 7 20258 54990 7
Starts Shipping 12/12
For track listing and sound samples visit the MacArthur soundtrack page at https://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.12900/.f

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/95015405220/posts/10168606126665221/

 

Doug says:

Jerry Goldsmith
Label: Intrada Special Collection Volume ISC 499
Film Date: 1977
Album Date: 2023
Time: 96:12
Tracks: 53

 

World premiere release of Jerry Goldsmith’s original soundtrack from 1977 WWII film! Universal Pictures releases for Richard D. Zanuck/David Brown productions with Frank McCarthy producing, Hal Barwood & Matthew Robbins script, Joseph Sargent directs with Gregory Peck starring as the famed titular character of General Douglas MacArthur. Movie follows MacArthur in his combat exploits in the South Pacific during the latter years of WWII. Significant losses at Corregidor, victories in the Pacific, ultimate surrender of Japan, China’s conflict with Korea, all are captured in Jerry Goldsmith’s powerful score. The music anchors with a sturdy, propulsive military march given an unusual introductory idea: left-hand piano rhythms played with mallets on the strings. This dramatic effect reappears in several sequences. But Goldsmith’s march is judiciously used. Getting considerable attention is a much more nostalgic theme identifying MacArthur’s respect for West Point and the military traditions. Interestingly, a secondary idea heard as a “B” section of the composer’s march also gets considerable attention and in many instances becomes a major theme on its own. In fact, when the final end credits playout with a dynamic return of the march, Goldsmith adds a coda of powerful fortissimo major chords declaring that secondary idea to close the score. Commanding idea!

 

There is so much more in Goldsmith’s score as well: Film covers losses by both U.S. and Filipinos as well as the Japanese, and the loss of face and defeat in Japan is given darker material. “New Era” is a moving highlight with Goldsmith building on a traditional Japanese melody (“Sakura Sakura”) in low strings colored with striking solo phrases from bassoon.

 

MCA Records issued highlights in a re-recorded album at the time of the film’s release but the actual film versions of Goldsmith’s score have never been released - until now. Some of the differences between the film and re-recorded versions are subtle, other differences are striking. The soundtrack version of the score also includes numerous cues not contained on the 1977 album. Newly re-mastered presentation of that original album also appears. Complete score is presented from 1/2” 3-channel session masters. Several extras include source material recorded at the sessions plus a powerful specially-recorded performance of Goldsmith’s exciting “Hard Gained Ground” cue from Lonely Are The Brave in which a few seconds of the take are heard as source music in MacArthur. Wow! John Neal engineers at The Burbank Studios, Arthur Morton orchestrates, Jerry Goldsmith composes, conducts. Intrada Special Collection 2-CD set available while quantities and interest remain!

 

https://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.12900/.f

 

 

 

 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

And the Soundtrack Spotlight is now up!

https://goldsmithodyssey.buzzsprout.com/159614/14140529-odyssey-soundtrack-spotlight-macarthur-1977

 

We made a point of comparing the familiar album recording with the previously unreleased film recording in several spots. Enjoy folks, and let me know what you think after listening!

 

Yavar

[Jurassic Shark 12,079]

Give is the hook drum roll!