What cue do you wish you were at the very first perfomance/recording of?

[JNHFan2000 2,966]

I was thinking about this this morning while listening to "Wands Into The Earth" from James Newton Howard's second Fantastic Beasts score.

 

I would've absolutely loved to be in the recording studio while this cue was first recorded. And there are plenty more of these cues I wish the same for.

 

What are yours and are there any specific parts of the cue?

I don't know if a thread like this exists, I couldn't find any.

 

For me here, it's when the trumpets come in and the whole thing explodes with orchestra, percussion and choir. It's one of mt favorite moments in Howard's career and that would've been amazing to here live for the first time!

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,534]

Either the "Prologue and Main Title' for SUPERMAN (just to see Donner run onto the studio floor, and mess-up the take ),

or "The Final Conflict". What that cue must have sounded like, with the choir, I can't imagine.

[JTN 2,030]

Every recording session of John Williams starting with JAWS. 

[Jim Ware 526]

Howard Shore's The Lighting of the Beacons from The Return of the King - the first piece recorded on the first day of the sessions.

[Marian Schedenig 8,199]

(Specifically the coda, timestamped)

In the roughly 20 years I've known this specific recording, I've never heard anything that comes close to it.

[Edmilson 7,466]

Every cue in Chamber of Secrets, so that I would know if they were written by John Williams or William Ross 

 

Anyway, I always wanted to watch Thomas Newman conducting these pieces:

 

 

 

 

 

I imagine it's more probable mankind finally building a time travel machine that would allow me to travel to the recording sessions of those scores in the 90s than Newman doing a concert conducted by himself.

[Gabriel Bezerra 302]

A couple that came in my mind (probably because I'm thinking about the movies themselves)

 

 

 

[Jim Ware 526]

43 minutes ago, Gabriel Bezerra said:

A couple that came in my mind (probably because I'm thinking about the movies themselves)

Giacchino seemed to enjoy it!

[Marian Schedenig 8,199]

2 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

In the roughly 20 years I've known this specific recording, I've never heard anything that comes close to it.

 

Apparently I misread the title, because I thought it was about being present at the specific performance of the recording. Bruckner's symphonies were typically performed in highly mutilated editions at his time, so I don't think I would enjoy the first performance of this.

[Thor 7,508]

I'm not a "cue person". But any film score to which I have a close connection, I would have loved to be present at the recordings sessions. Boring answer, I know.

[Andy 4,138]

Beyond the obvious LEGENDARY John Williams scores from 75-84…

 

I would go for the challenging ones with weird percussion, which happen to be a lot of Goldsmith. 
 

ALIEN, to see what it was that made Jerry say never again to re-recording it. 
 

Star Trek the Motion Picture to see the Blaster Beam orchestra and synth all together. 
 

Planet of the Apes to see the mixing bowls and weird shit. 
 

The Omen (and the titular track from The Temple of Doom) to see the choir chatter among themselves like WTF are we doing here?

 

 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

12 hours ago, JTW said:

Every recording session of John Williams starting with JAWS. 

 

I'd start with at least Jane Eyre especially since the complete score is lost, and even the surviving album program has some distortion on it. Must have been amazing to be in that room hearing such a magnificent score live.

Yavar

[ThePenitentMan1 744]

Broughton's Lost In Space, of course!

 

As for particular cues...  Through The Planet (All three versions) for the excitement, John and West Set Out to finally hear the clean opening properly.

 

And after reading Yavar's post, I'd have to add Jerry Goldsmith's The Secret of NIMH, as well!

[JTN 2,030]

13 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

I'd start with at least Jane Eyre especially since the complete score is lost

Yes, but if you'd been alive back then, you wouldn't have known that the recording would be lost.

But if this is a thought experiment of going back in time to attend any session, then yeah, knowing what we now know about its sad history, being there at the JE sessions would be great.

 

Following this thought, I would now probably go back to The Sugarland Express sessions to meet 28-year-old Steve Spielberg and 42-year-old Johnny Williams (the latter gentleman being the same age I am right now) making their very first recording session together. 

But being there at JAWS and STAR WARS would be amazing as well.

 

Maybe they should make another Back To The Future film where Joseph Williams' son goes back to 1977 and he sees his granddad conduct Star Wars in London.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,534]

Not a cue, but... I guess that the holy grail of first performances must be May 29th, 1913, at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées, Paris. Oh, to be there, at that seismic event.

[JTN 2,030]

If it's a first performance, then to me the date is May 7, 1824, the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna, Austria.  

[Edmilson 7,466]

13 hours ago, Andy said:

The Omen (and the titular track from The Temple of Doom) to see the choir chatter among themselves like WTF are we doing here?

 

I wonder if many of the people at the choir for The Omen were actually religious, so they probably had to run to their preachers for a blessing after the recording sessions were over.

[Drawgoon 100]

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, from Return of the King - the part during Theoden's speech, and when they march to war: The timpani, the march theme on horns, the Rohan theme on solo violin. I would have loved to be on the recording floor when they were playing this snippet (especially if everything would get played in the same room at the same time). Oh my. I remember how disappointed I was when this bit was not included on the regular soundtrack album.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,534]

7 hours ago, JTW said:

If it's a first performance, then to me the date is May 7, 1824, the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna, Austria.  

 

That would be pretty brilliant, even though I prefer 7th, and 6th.

[Marian Schedenig 8,199]

The original Star Wars main title is an obvious top contender for the thread question.

 

12 hours ago, JTW said:

If it's a first performance, then to me the date is May 7, 1824, the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna, Austria.  

 

Not a very good performance according to reports. Though it had one of my favourite overtures as a bonus.

 

How about 29 May 1913?

[GerateWohl 4,370]

I had loved to be present at every John Williams recording before and after I was born.

Particularly interesting would have been the recording sessions for Images.

[Bellosh 3,419]

When Johnny intertwined Indy and short rounds theme.

 

I would have been in the recording studio with my jaw on the floor thinking yes, of course, this makes so much sense and it works perfectly 

[Marian Schedenig 8,199]

31 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

When Johnny intertwined Indy and short rounds theme.

 

I would have been in the recording studio with my jaw on the floor thinking

 

"yes, of course, this makes so much sense and it works perfectly. I can't wait to listen to it again on the album."

[ThePenitentMan1 744]

16 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

"yes, of course, this makes so much sense and it works perfectly. I can't wait to listen to it again on the album."

 

And then we only get the last three notes of it overlapping the A theme and all of it overlapping the B theme.

[JTN 2,030]

10 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Not a very good performance according to reports.

It’s not about the performance, rather than being there to hear this groundbreaking piece of music for the first time in history. 
 

 

[CuriousMan 16]

The flood scene from Napoleon (1995) by Bill Conti.

[Jay 37,369]

16 hours ago, ThePenitentMan1 said:

 

And then we only get the last three notes of it overlapping the A theme and all of it overlapping the B theme.

 

[ThePenitentMan1 744]

5 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

 

Is it, though?  Every time I've seen it mentioned, it's talked about like we didn't get any of it on the OST.

 

My joke was that we still got the lion's share of it, despite us complaining about not having it.  We definitely lost the best bit, though, I'll give you that.

[Jay 37,369]

Yes, I am positive that Marian is aware that some of it is on the OST album and he was joking about the fact that the beginning / best part of it is not.

[Marian Schedenig 8,199]

Yes, we did get the "light version", but the full contrapuntal treatment is missing.

[wtraversinc@gmail.com 2]

I'd crash the recording of Hans Zimmer's "Time" from Inception. That buildup with the ticking and then the whole orchestra kicking in – chills every time.

[LSH 969]

Wow, too many to choose from. Aside from the obvious John Williams classics, I’d short-list:

 

The Hand Of Fate - Signs - James Newton Howard

 

My First Bus Ride - The Mummy Returns - Alan Silvestri

 

End Credits - The Shawshank Redemption - Thomas Newman

 

Re-Entry & Splashdown - Apollo 13 - James Horner

 

Lost In The Wild - The Edge - Jerry Goldsmith

 

 

I like this idea for a thread because it’s not necessarily a “What’s your favourite cue?” sort of thing. Watching (and feeling) an orchestra play is a wonderful thing and I chose these based on what I imagine could have a physical and emotional response. 

 

 

[Edmilson 7,466]

Portals and Main on Ends from Avengers: Endgame would've been great as well. 

[Bellosh 3,419]

When Yoda's theme comes in during 'The Clash of the Lightsabers'

 

Or when Luke's theme gets the march treatment in the Battle of Hoth

 

Okay so all of Empire basically 

[Cristian Lee 35]

On 17/01/2024 at 2:29 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

(Specifically the coda, timestamped)

In the roughly 20 years I've known this specific recording, I've never heard anything that comes close to it.

 

Rémy Ballot who is the last student of Sergiu Celibidache, it's very close. Listen to this: 

 

or his recording with Altomonte Festival Orchestra St. Florian. 

[Marian Schedenig 8,199]

Interesting! Thielemann is a Bruckner conductor that can be very similiar to Celibidache, but it seems he has developed a tendency for often too flexible tempi.

 

(According to the tags, the orchestra in your clip is the Philharmonie Salzburg though)

[thestat 348]

JG's The Deal from Extreme Prejudice - by most accords he recorded the synth track with the orchestra, and the amazing precision this must have taken is phenomenal, as is obviously the music:

 

[Trope 527]

One of my dreams would be to see a Thomas Newman score being recorded and mixed from beginning to end. I’d especially love to observe him and his specialty players during their improvisation sessions!

[CuriousMan 16]

Another of the great many for me is Truck Stop from The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

[Jay 37,369]

The very first recorded take of Truck Stop, which was also the very first take of the entire score, is available on the 2023 reissue of The Lost World as "Rescuing Sarah (Alternate)".

 

It really would have been neat to hear them refine that over the 4 takes recorded.  Good call

[CuriousMan 16]

On 31/1/2024 at 5:42 PM, Jay said:

It really would have been neat to hear them refine that over the 4 takes recorded.

IKR. It really would have been something! 

[Tom Guernsey 2,286]

Listening to Jurassic Park as part of my all day JW 92nd birthday listenathon and as my first ever soundtrack purchase 30 ish years ago (he wrote it in his 60s... I'm in my 40s and already want to go to bed early) I would have to say... Journey to the Island. Steven "we just need a few minutes of underscore while they are in the helicopter flying to the island..." and to use an old meme:

 

[Tallguy 3,398]

I've given this question a lot of thought. The obvious answer (to me) would be Star Wars. Which would be weird because I would be just about ready to explode over this movie that nobody really has any reason to be THAT excited for.

 

My more offbeat answer would be Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Just because it's such an odd duck. The Motion Picture had a lot riding on it and it was Jerry working with Wise again. (Yes, there were a lot of weird things like, oh, not having a movie to score when they started.) But the only reason Horner was scoring III was because he had scored II. Nimoy didn't want him. He wanted Rosenman who he would get for IV. But Horner still turned in a sublime score that elevates the film on every level. I would like to have seen what kind of dynamic allowed for this score.

 

Then I thought "What would it be like to be at something that was REALLY changing the game?" I mean, Star Wars, sure. But what about Steiner's King Kong? What are some other scores that were total successes that had the performers or directors scratching their heads thinking "What the hell is he doing?" (Just by reputation there's got to be some Herrmann scores that fit this bill.)

[Badzeee 110]

4 hours ago, Tallguy said:

...

 

My more offbeat answer would be Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Just because it's such an odd duck. The Motion Picture had a lot riding on it and it was Jerry working with Wise again. (Yes, there were a lot of weird things like, oh, not having a movie to score when they started.) But the only reason Horner was scoring III was because he had scored II. Nimoy didn't want him. He wanted Rosenman who he would get for IV. But Horner still turned in a sublime score that elevates the film on every level. I would like to have seen what kind of dynamic allowed for this score.

 

Then I thought "What would it be like to be at something that was REALLY changing the game?" I mean, Star Wars, sure. But what about Steiner's King Kong? What are some other scores that were total successes that had the performers or directors scratching their heads thinking "What the hell is he doing?" (Just by reputation there's got to be some Herrmann scores that fit this bill.)

 

 

I've seen that score generally seen written off as too derivative of Star Trek II: TWOK to stand on its own feet, but like you, I love it. The track Stealing The Enterprise might be one of my most listened to pieces of Trek music. It's just huge fun.

 

Didn't know that Nimoy didn't want Horner. Is this covered in the Jeff Bond book about Trek music? (Soon to be re-released in an expanded edition, I understand. I have a very old and battered copy.) By comparison, I think the score for Star Trek IV is the odd duck. It feels the least "Trekky" by comparison to all the others, which all seem to have a spiritual sensibility in common. Rosenman's score for IV fits the film of course, but listened to in its own right, so much of it feels comedic in nature. Tiny bit bland, for my tastes, although I don't think I'm being fair to it (and I haven't listened to it loads). 

 

 

To answer the OP question...

 

JW, The Asteroid Field from The Empire Strikes Back. Imagine being there as that cue developed and evolved. 

 

Or John Barry recording one of his Bond opening title songs. Imagine seeing Bassey getting her vocal chords around Goldfinger for the first time. 

[SilasGupta 9]

I agree with JTW, but if I really had to choose a cue, it would be "Arrival of Tink" from HOOK.
It's virtuosic, not just for the woodwinds, and for me a mixture of John's groovy streak and Ravel.