VOTE on next Goldsmith recording project for Leigh Phillips!

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Over the course of the past two years Leigh Phillips has successfully self-produced new recordings of 79 minutes* of previously unreleased Jerry Goldsmith music written for eight episodes of the long-running TV anthology series The General Electric Theater (*including the gorgeous 9 minute bonus score called "Autumn Love", written for the CBS Music Library in the late 1950s). Last year Leigh already announced his intention to produce a new recording of Lionheart in 2024, but this is a mammoth project which requires a great deal of planning and materials. There is a chance he might be able to start a smaller project beforehand, and so with his blessing we are going to conduct a poll online to see what film music fans might be most excited for him to tackle next. At Leigh's suggestion I'll still include an option for Lionheart for folks who truly see that as their highest priority (the prospect that they are most eager for) out of these, and allow TWO votes for each person, from this list.

This vote absolutely WILL impact what Leigh prioritizes next, so please don't hold back in sharing your thoughts and preferences here! (But please don't suggest other titles not on this list of options, such as In Harm's Way or The Satan Bug -- these are bigger projects and Leigh doesn't want to consider any of those until Lionheart is done.)

1. Thriller Volume 3: Fairly self-explanatory... as a follow up to the two beloved Tadlow Music volumes co-produced by Leigh years ago, this would include suites from the four remaining Goldsmith scores for the series which have not yet received modern recordings, plus suites from three Morton Stevens scores. To find out the scores Leigh has in mind, plus hear samples from them (taken from the DVD M&E tracks), check out this short podcast conversation with Leigh:
https://goldsmithodyssey.buzzsprout.com/159614/8425660-odyssey-interviews-leigh-phillips

2. Jerry Goldsmith at Climax Mystery Theater: Uniquely in his entire career, Goldsmith was the primary composer for this live (and originally in color, for those with the right equipment!) anthology TV series during its entire four-season run. With a few exceptions, whenever an episode required original music, he was the one who provided it. But unfortunately, many of the easily-accessible extant episodes of this series are ones which didn't require original music, so we have exactly three hourlong episodes in our possession for which Leigh could reconstruct the scores by ear, and use to produce a new recording: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (written for only three instruments in 1955, Leigh is a particular admirer of this one and would like to let it shine in modern sound), "Trail of Terror" (which has a lovely romantic theme that stands out in a few cues), and "A Matter of Life and Death" (my personal favorite -- just watch at least the beginning of this episode and marvel at the thrilling opening cue which sounds like fully mature Goldsmith, around 2 minutes in):

 

 

3. Jerry Goldsmith at The CBS Radio Workshop: Aside from "The Thunder of Imperial Names", re-arranged for wind band, none of Jerry Goldsmith's radio compositions have ever been released on album. That was one of four segments of the CBS Radio Workshop episode "1489 Words" which I and my cohosts at The Goldsmith Odyssey regard as Jerry Goldsmith's very first masterpiece, written earlier in 1957 before he even tackled his first film score Black Patch. Basically a series of four concert works setting famous poetry to music, conceived for narrator and orchestra, each one of them is a gem but especially the first lengthy segment "The Highwayman" which is positively spine-tingling at times. If you don't know this work already, check it out here in its original radio version narrated by Jerry's friend, actor William Conrad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFleK1sVxQs

For this new recording project, a version of all four pieces both with and without narration would form the centerpiece of the final album. But Goldsmith creatively scored at least a half dozen episodes of this series total, over a one year period. Here is our podcast coverage of his first score for the series, very much in his modernist style:
https://goldsmithodyssey.buzzsprout.com/159614/14067728-episode-41-storm-cbs-radio-workshop-1956
He also first crossed paths with Ray Bradbury on this series, brilliantly scoring a pair of short story adaptations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWiDEj-6Xbk
All in all, his music for this show constituted the most creative and experimental of his '50s output.

4. Three Western Premieres by Jerry Goldsmith: The western genre was one in which Goldsmith particularly excelled, and we have access to three projects he worked on which have never before been released on album: the dark score for the lost 1959 feature-length Playhouse 90 "Out of Dust" (IMDb's synopsis: "On a cattle drive across the prairie, the sons of a wealthy cattle baron plot his death"), a contrastingly light and energetic score for the unsold 1961 half-hour pilot "Mister Doc" which eventually was folded into the final season of The General Electric Theater (IMDb's synopsis: "Western comedy about a pharmacist and his son at the turn of the 20th century"), and last but not least Goldsmith's final work for CBS Radio, the 1958 western adventure series Frontier Gentleman, for which he composed the main theme and three full episode scores. Listeners of The Goldsmith Odyssey will remember that from our pilot episode, where we played some excerpts from all three Goldsmith scores for the show:
https://goldsmithodyssey.buzzsprout.com/159614/653347-episode-0-live-television-and-radio

5. Jerry Goldsmith's All-Synth Scores, for Orchestra: Alien Nation and Runaway seem generally well-liked, but with the latter in particular I think most Goldsmith fans tend to agree that the composition itself is much better than the very dated synths. Since Jerry basically "orchestrated" that score for synthesizers, I have long thought it would translate particularly well to a real orchestral ensemble, with synth being just an added element for some sci-fi flavor. Goldsmith's other all-synth score Criminal Law may be one of the most generally-hated scores of his entire career, but wait until you listen to this Leigh Phillips mockup which gives an idea of what it could sound like if performed by an orchestra. In my opinion, it's like hearing a whole new score!
https://mega.nz/file/eyQVAZaA#UqwCtT_L9TCdzlLU7Ox0KxMwE6BwGADwgiCjKYun_Xo

 

Leigh has been intrigued by the prospect of arranging these for orchestra for well over a decade now, and has floated the idea of tackling a 20 minute suite of highlights from each score to create an hourlong album. If there's enough interest, maybe the shortest score Criminal Law could even be recorded complete (the Varese album leaves off a few cues) because with 20 minutes from each of the other two scores, the whole thing would still fit on a single CD.

6. I am most eager for a new recording of Lionheart.

HAPPY VOTING! (Remember, you can choose TWO.)

Yavar

[Marian Schedenig 8,206]

This will require some thought. To clarify: Do we vote for Lionheart if we want to make sure that this project doesn't get shelved, or do we only pick it if we absolutely want it to be the immediate next project?

[Faleel 5,357]

1 hour ago, Marian Schedenig said:

This will require some thought. To clarify: Do we vote for Lionheart if we want to make sure that this project doesn't get shelved, or do we only pick it if we absolutely want it to be the immediate next project?

It's obviously the second.

1 hour ago, Yavar Moradi said:

At Leigh's suggestion I'll still include an option for Lionheart for folks who truly see that as their highest priority (the prospect that they are most eager for) out of these, t.

 

 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Leigh wanted me to include it as an option to gauge interest, but if you’re honestly more excited for two other things I don’t think voting for them will make Lionheart unlikely to be run as a campaign. It just might not be put on the front burner quite as quickly.

 

Yavar

[crocodile 8,017]

I would very much like the third volume of Thriller. The first two are quite fascinating. They feel almost like a collection of chamber works. 

 

Lionheart is number two. While not my favourite, it deserves a lavish recording.

 

Karol

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

All-Synth Scores, for Orchestra!

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

You can pick two, @Jurassic Shark!

 

Yavar

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

Then I'd like more synth-less scores!

[Thor 7,515]

I'd definitely like to have a synth-free LEGEND, for curiousity's sake. I've barely even heard ALIEN NATION, CRIMINAL LAW and RUNAWAY. Even though I'm a big fan of electronic music in general, I was only very sporadically enthused with Goldsmith's use of it, especially from the 80s onwards.

 

Despite my (currently) 67-album-strong Goldsmith collection, I still feel like I haven't finished curating what is already out there. So I need to do that first, before I can land any wishes on completely unreleased scores. But anything out there and available a is good enterprise, I suppose.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

47 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Then I'd like more synth-less scores!

Then pick what intrigues you most out of the first four options, because those are all synth-free!

 

Yavar

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

11 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Then pick what intrigues you most out of the first four options, because those are all synth-free!

 

Yavar

 

I'm not familiar with those options. 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

That's why I provided ways to become familiar! Check out the cue two minutes into the Climax episode "A Matter of Life and Death", for example... or literally ALL 24 minutes of the masterpiece that is "1489 Words" (CBS Radio Workshop).

 

Yavar

[Steve H 24]

Wow, that cue @2.00 in A Matter of Life and Death sounds like The Ambassador from The Final Conflict!. 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

The music he wrote for CBS Bradbury stories is wonderful! My choice

[Stark 316]

I love westerns so I have to support them.

[Steffromuk 386]

@Yavar Moradiyou got me excited for Lionheart. Which has always been a disappointment to me under its actual form. Now I can't wait to hear Goldsmith's intended version.

Ideally I'd want all to be recorded., especially Thriller volume 3 but I picked all synth scores cause I'm intrigued how Leigh's recording will sound.

From my experience, synth scores are the hardest to re-create faithfully.

 

We're so spoiled!

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

9 minutes ago, Steffromuk said:

From my experience, synth scores are the hardest to re-create faithfully.

 

They will not be recreated faithfully, but orchestrated. 

[Stark 316]

I’m curious why Lionheart may be recorded? I don’t know a lot about it.

[Dunge_Onmaster 12]

 

Quote

51 minutes ago, Stark said:

I’m curious why Lionheart may be recorded? I don’t know a lot about it.

 

 

The original recording is in some passages quite unsatisfactory from a musical point of view, as particularly the brass section of the Hungarian orchestra had problems with intonation and rhythm.

 

For me it would be option 5 and 6.

 

Lionheart is simply one of my favourite scores of all time and I am hoping for a re-recording as brilliant as Tadlow did for Conan and Destroyer a few years ago.

Although I greatly appreciate Goldsmith's pure synth scores as works of art with deliberately reduced timbres, I think an orchestration of those ideas would be hugely exciting.

 

A re-recording of the end credits from Rambo II as a bonus track would be the icing on the cake. And as a further mini addendum, I might suggest a newly recorded version Jerry's theme to the short-lived TV series H.E.L.P. (1990), which was never available before. Just an idea. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Xl0_1W-5s
 

[Thor 7,515]

LIONHEART is top 10 Goldsmith for me. I've owned the OST for 30+ years, but never had any issues with sound, performance or selection/sequencing of cues. It's fine just the way it is.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Tallying votes for this shortly… anyone who wants their vote counted in the first round, please make sure to actually vote using the poll function at the top of this! Some very close races between this board and FSM…

 

Yavar

[Ollie 1,059]

I vote for the last 2.

[Haasch 9]

If there's ever a reason to record Goldsmith's original end title for Rambo: First Blood Part Two...

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Ok folks! Here are the results from the first round of voting, combining this forum's votes with those at FSM:
1st PLACE: the All Synth "Trilogy", Orchestrated with 49 votes!
2nd PLACE: Lionheart with 37 votes
3rd PLACE: Jerry Goldsmith at The CBS Radio Workshop with 35 votes
4th PLACE: Three Western Premieres by Jerry Goldsmith with 33 votes
5th PLACE: Thriller Volume 3 with 31 votes
6th PLACE: Climax Mystery Theater with 21 votes

 

Here's what we're gonna do and it breaks my heart a little bit because some of these are my babies (Three Western Premieres did SO well at both forums!) ...but after discussing with Leigh, we have to let some go for now, and hold a second and final round of voting. Prompted by a point someone made at FSM, Leigh and I both like the idea of having an even spread over four decades if possible, going with just the top round one vote earner for each decade. And to my surprise he has acquiesced to add a NEW voting option, so that the 70s are represented! Here are the options for the second round of voting:

 

1. 1950s - Jerry Goldsmith at The CBS Radio Workshop (1956-1957)
2. 1960s - Thriller Volume 3 (1960-1961)
3. 1970s - Pursuit/Crawlspace (1972)
4. 1980s - All-Synth "Trilogy", Orchestrated (1984-1988)

 

I'll have to start a new poll thread for these four options -- only one vote allowed each person, this time!

[Marian Schedenig 8,206]

Based on the clips above, I voted for Climax Mystery Theater and the CBS Radio Workshop. Especially the latter seems promising, because clearly the music was given extra prominence for the non-visual medium.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

On 29/02/2024 at 7:18 AM, Dunge_Onmaster said:

A re-recording of the end credits from Rambo II as a bonus track would be the icing on the cake. And as a further mini addendum, I might suggest a newly recorded version Jerry's theme to the short-lived TV series H.E.L.P. (1990), which was never available before. Just an idea. 

 

 

I know and love the theme! I personally still hold out hope that the original recording will be released on album along with Joel Goldsmith’s orchestral scoring for the series.

 

1 hour ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Based on the clips above, I voted for Climax Mystery Theater and the CBS Radio Workshop. Especially the latter seems promising, because clearly the music was given extra prominence for the non-visual medium.

 

I feel the same way. CBS Radio Workshop is my #1 pick. I’ll set up the new poll here soon so we can vote in round 2 😊.

 

EDIT: here's the new poll for folks -- 

 

[Jay 37,370]

I think it's really cool that Leigh reached out to you and had you poll both FSM and JWFan for this. 

 

JWFan is better than everything!

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Very cool indeed! I asked him if I should run a poll, since there were so many good options we were discussing in our chat, and he was torn on what to do next. He immediately liked the idea and endorsed me doing it with the options I presented. I actually had a couple different options originally, but he wanted to keep it to six and wanted Lionheart to be one of them, but with that being added wanted people to initially be able to choose two options.

 

Then I chose where to post it, starting with here and FSM but expanding it to also include the public Facebook group "The Cult of Jerry" for the second round, so that Leigh could share it from his own page there. He also agreed with me that a second round vote with the top decade winners from the previous round continuing would be good, and suggested we add Pursuit/Crawlspace as an option. (I had intentionally left that off the previous poll because I thought he wasn't ready to tackle that yet.)

 

Yavar