NEW - THE PINK PANTHER (2-CD) Music by HENRY MANCINI - Quartet 2024

[Holko 10,829]

 

Quartet Records, in collaboration with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Sony Music and the Henry Mancini Estate, present the premiere release of the original film tracks of Henry Mancini’s Academy Award-nominated, iconic score for the no-less-iconic Blake Edwards film THE PINK PANTHER (1964), celebrating its 60th anniversary.

 

A cornerstone of sophisticated heist comedy and romance, and a classic that began a saga about the clumsiest policeman in history: Inspector Clouseau, brilliantly played by Peter Sellers, who would reprise the role for four more films before his passing. In addition to Sellers, THE PINK PANTHER stars David Niven, Capucine, Robert Wagner and Claudia Cardinale. The film was shot on luxurious locations in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, with some sequences shot in Rome, Paris and Los Angeles.

 

Henry Mancini had previously composed several acclaimed scores for Blake Edwards, including BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S, DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES and the TV series PETER GUNN. The theme he created for the animated main titles of THE PINK PANTHER immediately became a classic—one of the most famous pieces in the history of cinema and popular music culture. Mancini went on to write a fantastic catalog of melodies—all refined with his redoubtable good taste—and an exciting underscore that has remained unreleased for sixty years. Together with Johnny Mercer, he wrote another of his great songs, “It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera),” which appears on this CD in its original version, performed by Fran Jeffries.

 

This double CD presents in the first disc the actual film score from the original master recordings with the original session at the Samuel Goldwyn Studios in 1963, preserved in mint condition and originally recorded in mono. It also includes some alternate versions and unused music.

 

The second disc contains the remastered album Mancini recorded for RCA with new arrangements of the more commercial tracks.

 

Carefully produced, restored and mastered by Chris Malone, the package includes a 24-page booklet with extensive liner notes by film music writer Jeff Bond.

 

DISC ONE.  The Original Film Score

1. Main Title (Theme From The Pink Panther) 3:04

2. Meanwhile. 5:10

3. Ski For Two 1:53

4. Cortina (Film Version) 2:48

5. More Ski For Two / How Did It Go? 2:39

6. Nasty Little Habits 2:25

7. Dinner Party (Guitar Solo) 2:37

8. She Shall Have Milk 1:38

9. Champagne And Quail (Film Version) 2:38

10. Piano And Strings (Film Version) 2:01

11. The Lonely Princess (Film Version) 3:24

12. Royal Blue (Film Version) 4:05

13. Imbecile! 2:26

14. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) Vocal: Fran Jeffries 3:52

15. The Village Inn (Film Version) 4:18

16. Oh, Darling 1:56

17. Uncle Charles 2:44

18. Stand Back 1:52

19. The Tiber Twist (Film Version) 3:29

20. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) Chorus 4:02

21. Something For Sellers (Film Version) 2:01

22. The Safe’s Empty 3:00

23. Shades Of Sennett (Film Version) / End Titles 1:20

 

Bonus Tracks

24. Main Title (Theme From The Pink Panther) Alternate 3:34

25. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) Alternate 2:05

26. Once Upon A Time… 1:15

27. More Dinner Party (Guitar Solo) 2:51

28. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) Instrumental 2:05

29. La Marsellaise  0:13

Total Disc Time: 78:03

 

DISC TWO.   The RCA album Recording

1. The Pink Panther Theme 2:39

2. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) Instrumental 1:47

3. Royal Blue 3:14

4. Champagne And Quail 2:49

5. The Village Inn 2:39

6. The Tiber Twist 2:54

7. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) Chorus 2:02

8. Cortina 1:58

9. The Lonely Princess 2:31

10. Something For Sellers 2:51

11. Piano And Strings 2:39

12. Shades Of Sennett 1:29

Total Disc Time: 29:33

Total Collection Time: 107:36

 

https://quartetrecords.com/product/the-pink-panther-2-cd/

[Ollie 1,217]

[Luke Skywalker 2,044]

Does the pink panther theme feature in the film or just the main titles? I love it…

[Holko 10,829]

It's in one or two other samples too so it's not just the main titles.

[bollemanneke 3,742]

Remind me, what is the current situation regarding this score? Should I get this one?

[Holko 10,829]

I think it was thought to be lost, only the rerecorded rearranged refocused pop OST remaining? But now they found the original mono master (sounding good for what it is) and this is the first time the actual score has ever been released.

[Jurassic Shark 13,875]

I still don't get what the pink panther cartoon character has to do with the rest of the film.

[bollemanneke 3,742]

Urgh, I still don't like mono.

[Jay 40,593]

WOW!  An instant purchase for me!

 

I wonder if they found A Shot In The Dark in the same place and will release that next year for its 60th!

[Edmilson 9,595]

The only Pink Panther I'm familiar with is the old cartoon (they even made a game for it for PS1 that I did have). Oh, and the Steve Martin movies (liked the first one when I was younger, the second not so much). Never saw the old ones, and despite the Martin movies the character is mostly associated with the cartoon for me.

 

Interesting fact: The Pink Panther is also one of the 25 greatest American film scores of all time according to the AFI! Alongside Out of Africa, this means the definitive editions of two out of these 25 scores will be released in the upcoming days. 

 

 

[GerateWohl 5,395]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I still don't get what the pink panther cartoon character has to do with the rest of the film.

I am sure, it has nothing to do with it and makes no sense.

 

And that's what I like about those old movies. 

[Yavar Moradi 3,175]

47 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Urgh, I still don't like mono.

You’ll still have great stereo for the original album program, given the Chris Malone treatment so sounding better than ever. Think of the premiere of the film recording as a surprise bonus.  Who knows… you may even end up loving it.

 

Yavar

[Thor 8,817]

The film isn't very good (compared to its fantastic sequels), but the score is a classic, of course.

 

As Broughtfan assumed over on FSM, this might very well be the last film John Williams worked on as session pianist.

[Davis 3,443]

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I still don't get what the pink panther cartoon character has to do with the rest of the film.

I still don’t get what Peter Sellers has to do with the Pink Panther cartoon. 

I love the theme and to me it’s about an animated pink panther. 

[Ollie 1,217]

3 minutes ago, Davis said:

I still don’t get what Peter Sellers has to do with the Pink Panther cartoon. 

I love the theme and to me it’s about an animated pink panther. 

 

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I still don't get what the pink panther cartoon character has to do with the rest of the film.

In the film, the Pink Panther is a diamond that if you look closely, you can see the silhouette of a Panther. 
 

David Niven was the main character, a jewel thief, but Seller’s Clouseau was secondary character.. However his character was probably deemed as box office potential.

 

It was the second film, A Shot In The Dark, where Sellers began to mold the character, with the more ridiculous accent and reoccurring cast of supporting characters.

 

The Return of the Pink Panther featured the same plot point, of the Pink Diamond, and Christopher Plumber stepped in to David Niven’s role from the first film. After that they just kept the Pink Panther name in the titles, even though the diamond wasn’t part of the series anymore.  
 

 

[bruce marshall 1,403]

3 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Urgh, I still don't like mono.

IF you listen thru speakers it sounds much better!

[Jurassic Shark 13,875]

1 hour ago, Ollie said:

In the film, the Pink Panther is a diamond

 

I know.

 

1 hour ago, Ollie said:

if you look closely, you can see the silhouette of a Panther. 

 

I'd forgotten that.

[bollemanneke 3,742]

Just now, bruce marshall said:

IF you listen thru speakers it sounds much better!

Yes, I've noticed that too. Wonder why.

[bruce marshall 1,403]

Just now, bollemanneke said:

Yes, I've noticed that too. Wonder why.

 😁

[Darth Crossfader 603]

5 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Yes, I've noticed that too. Wonder why.

 

Are you being sarcastic or are you genuinely wondering why?

[Jay 40,593]

Jilal, looking good in your avatar!

[Darth Crossfader 603]

17 minutes ago, Jay said:

Jilal, looking good in your avatar!

 

Thanks Jay!!

[bollemanneke 3,742]

47 minutes ago, Darth Crossfader said:

 

Are you being sarcastic or are you genuinely wondering why?

I am wondering. Why would that be sarcastic about that?

[Darth Crossfader 603]

13 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

I am wondering. Why would that be sarcastic about that?

 

I dunno, I was confused by @Davis's and @bruce marshall's reactions. I also have autism which can make it more difficult for me to detect sarcasm in some contexts, so I thought I'd ask before giving my two cents.

 

When wearing headphones or earbuds which feed sounds directly into your left and right ears without any 'bleedthrough' of the left channel signal into your right ear and vice-versa, I automatically expect the width of the soundstage to be more extreme than when listening through a set of speakers, where the left ear is inevitably going to pick up some of the right channel signal and vice-versa. More so, even, when the distance between the listener and the set of speakers becomes increasingly larger than the distance between the speakers themselves.

[Jay 40,593]

Mono music can be hard to listen to with headphones on because the music ends up sounding like its in the middle of your head.

 

Mono music can be ok to listen to when played on speakers in a room, because its just an audio source coming from a place like anything else

[Mr. Who 998]

Wow amazing release! I’ve listened to the ost countless times and finally we get the full thing! The love theme in this score is one of Mancini’s best!

[bruce marshall 1,403]

4 hours ago, Jay said:

Mono music can be hard to listen to with headphones on because the music ends up sounding like its in the middle of your head.

 

Mono music can be ok to listen to when played on speakers in a room, because its just an audio source coming from a place like anything else

Correct .

That's why labels sometimes put reverb on; it makes the head phones sound like two speakers 

[Meredith McKay 7,149]

And if you put a really really quick/short reverb, you can make it wider, without making an audible tail.

[bruce marshall 1,403]

3 hours ago, Darth Crossfader said:

 

Are you being sarcastic or are you genuinely wondering why?

I was not sure either!

[Davis 3,443]

11 hours ago, Jay said:

Jilal, looking good in your avatar!

You too.

[Jay 40,593]

Chris Malone made a video about this release!