Composers you have listened to only one score of theirs

[filmmusic 3,081]

I was just thinking of this, listening to the Highlander II and III scores, by Stewart Copland and J. Peter Robinson respectively.

First time I hear about these names. And it seems they did a quite good work!

Another composer I can think of is Alain Goraguer who wrote Fantastic Planet, which I love!

I guess there are others that have written some anime scores, but I'm too bored to check my collection right now. 

 

So, what about you?

I bet you would have numerous names to mention, with all the new names appearing during the last years, but it would be interesting to know too, if there is any famous composer you have heard only one score of.

And I mean, as a standalone album.

[Naïve Old Fart 12,760]

Denny Zeitlin has only composed one score, but what a score, and for what a film 

[filmmusic 3,081]

38 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Denny Zeitlin has only composed one score, but what a score, and for what a film 

Oh, I have this film in 4k, but I don't remember the music!

And... professor of psychiatry? 

[Bespin Copilot 10,604]

From my CD collection...

• David Arnold (The Musketeer)
• Luis Bacalov (Il Postino)
• John Corigliano (The Red Violin)
• Don Davis (The Matrix)
• John Debney (The Passion of the Christ)
• Cliff Eidelman (Christopher Columbus)
• Marvin Hamlisch (The Way We Were)
• Nigel Hess (Ladies in Lavender)
• George Martin (Live and Let Die)
• Giorgo Moroder (Midnight Express)
• Jack Nitzsche (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest)
• Nicola Piovani (La Vita E Bella)
• A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)
• Trent Reznor (The Social Network)
• Rodgers & Hammerstein (South Pacific)
• Leonard Rosenman (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
• Eric Serra (The Fifth Element)
• Michael Small (Consenting Adults)
• Yann Tiersen (Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain)

[filmmusic 3,081]

6 minutes ago, Bespin Copilot said:

From my CD collection...

• David Arnold (The Musketeer)
• Luis Bacalov (Il Postino)
• John Corigliano (The Red Violin)
• Don Davis (The Matrix)
• John Debney (The Passion of the Christ)
• Cliff Eidelman (Christopher Columbus)
• Marvin Hamlisch (The Way We Were)
• Nigel Hess (Ladies in Lavender)
• George Martin (Live and Let Die)
• Giorgo Moroder (Midnight Express)
• Jack Nitzsche (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest)
• Nicola Piovani (La Vita E Bella)
• A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)
• Trent Reznor (The Social Network)
• Rodgers & Hammerstein (South Pacific)
• Leonard Rosenman (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
• Eric Serra (The Fifth Element)
• Michael Small (Consenting Adults)
• Yann Tiersen (Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain)

You're kidding, right? 

You have listened to only one David Arnold, John Debney, Rodgers & Hammerstein (not curious about The Sound of Music?)?

I'm not saying anything about the others, it sounds believable to me.. 

[Bespin Copilot 10,604]

The Sound of Music? 

I know it, everyone does... I hate musicals, they’re just too “soft caramel” for me, sorry.

I'm like Wednesday in The Addams Family when they force her to watch it.

[filmmusic 3,081]

4 minutes ago, Bespin Copilot said:

I hate musicals, they’re just too “soft caramel” for me, sorry.

Hmmm.. You must be the first gay person I know that hates musicals! 

[Bespin Copilot 10,604]

I’ll take that as a compliment.

[Mr. Hooper 8,199]

24 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

Hmmm.. You must be the first gay person I know that hates musicals! 

I'm dying here.

[Datameister 2,561]

Craig Safan, Edward Shearmur, Daft Punk, Tom Scott, and Mark Isham come to mind.

[filmmusic 3,081]

6 minutes ago, Datameister said:

Craig Safan, Edward Shearmur, Daft Punk, Tom Scott, and Mark Isham come to mind.

Ah, yeah!

I have listened only to The Last Starfighter and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes from these two.

I assume you have listened to the same?

And what about the others you listed?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,938]

David Shire. Zodiac.

[Mr. Hooper 8,199]

Have I heard anything from Trevor Jones besides 'Labyrinth'? Probably not...
 

I'm ready for your "Surprise" emojis. 

 

 

[Edmilson 11,809]

A lot of Golden Age composers, I think I only heard one score from them. Korngold, for instance, I remember listening to Adventures of Robin Hood, but not much else.

• Edward Shearmur - Sky Captain (Great, but I don't think he ever wrote something like that again).
• Anne Dudley - Tristan & Isolde (great score, I should explore more of her!).
• David Newman - Tarzan 2014 (I should listen to Ice Age and Anastasia one of these days).
• Diego Navarro - He is more known for his work as a conductor, but did a terrific Horner-like score for an animated movie called Capture the Flag.
• Frederik Wiedmann - Spent most of his career working for horrible direct-to-DVD low budget crap, but his Field of the Lost Shoes is terrific.
• Gustavo Dudamel - Also mostly known for being a conductor, but his score for The Liberator is great.
• Maurizio Malagnini - I loved Peter & Wendy, he seems to work more for British TV, which is something I don't usually follow.
• Nigel Westlake - Mostly known for Babe, but the only score of his that I've heard is Paper Planes, which I remember liking it back in the day.
• Rob Simonsen - I listened to The Age of Adaline, which was okay, but didn't inspire me to listen to more of his stuff.
• Laurent Eyquem - I think he's French, wrote a well regarded score for an European animated movie, but I don't remember listening to it since.

Most of these are from the days between 2014 - 2016, when I was in my early 20s, discovering soundtracks and obsessively following Movie Music UK and Movie Wave, who always liked to highlight great scores produced outside Hollywood or by less famous composers. 

 

These days, I feel like it's hard for me to go exploring new composers and new scores for foreign movies... It's something I should do more to broaden my horizons, but most of the time I keep coming back to my favorites time after time. But I dunno, it feels like, even when I try someone new or unknown to me, their music, even if well regarded, doesn't sound all that impressive to me. One notable exception being Evan Call, who wrote a score for an anime back in 2014 (Frieren) which I absolutely loved it.

 

Also, what about composers you've only heard scores they've done for a specific franchise? I only know Nicholas Hooper for his Harry Potter scores (has he done anything else noteworthy), same for Simon Franglen with his Avatar sequels (though the Magnificent Seven is like a mash-up between him and the late Horner).

[Naïve Old Fart 12,760]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

Have I heard anything from Trevor Jones besides 'Labyrinth'? Probably not...
I'm ready for your "Surprise" emojis. 

 

 

Try EXCALIBUR, THE DARK CRYSTAL, and THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,938]

Last Of The Mohicans!

[filmmusic 3,081]

6 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

Have I heard anything from Trevor Jones besides 'Labyrinth'? Probably not...
 

I'm ready for your "Surprise" emojis. 

 

 

OMG! You have to listen to The Last of the Mohicans! 

Even people who are not into soundtracks love that score.

9 minutes ago, #SnowyVernalSpringsEternal said:

David Shire. Zodiac.

I love Return to Oz.

9 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

One notable exception being Evan Call, who wrote a score for an anime back in 2014 (Frieren) which I absolutely loved it.

I see this was in 2023.

(that's why I couldn't find it with your date )

8 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Try EXCALIBUR

You know, I haven't listened to this one, outside of the film, which I watched in my childhood and don't remember anything at all!

Does it have anything great, besides the use of Carmina Burana?

[Corellian2019 484]

Edward Shearmur - K-PAX

Patrick Doyle - Carlito's Way

Toru Takemitsu - Ran

Toto - Dune

[1977 2,030]

Mario Millo - The Lighthorsemen

 

What a fantastic score!

 

 

Ken Melville and Dawn Atkinson - Twice Upon a Time

 

A nostalgic favourite, still unreleased.

[Datameister 2,561]

45 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

Ah, yeah!

I have listened only to The Last Starfighter and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes from these two.

I assume you have listened to the same?

And what about the others you listed?

 

Yup, same for me. The others: Shearmur is Sky Captain, Daft Punk is TRON: Legacy, and Isham is October Sky.

[filmmusic 3,081]

8 minutes ago, Corellian2019 said:

Patrick Doyle - Carlito's Way

Another  from me!

Frankenstein?

Not to mention others like Great Expectations, Indochine etc.

[Mr. Hooper 8,199]

14 minutes ago, Corellian2019 said:

Patrick Doyle

'Henry V'

[bruce marshall 1,965]

https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/community/postid/486562/

[filmmusic 3,081]

10 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/community/postid/486562/

Yeah, that thread is a bit different.

It means (I guess?) that you have listened to various scores by a composer, but you only like one.

This thread is about having listened to only one score from a composer, and nothing else.

 

But reading it, it gave me quite a few surprises too!!

[Bespin Copilot 10,604]

1 hour ago, Mr. Hooper said:

Have I heard anything from Trevor Jones besides 'Labyrinth'? Probably not...
 

I'm ready for your "Surprise" emojis. 

 

 

 

[filmmusic 3,081]

10 minutes ago, Bespin Copilot said:

 

 

I don't see Dark Crystal or Cliffhanger in there.. 

By the way, what's the one on the right of Notting Hill?

[Mr. Hooper 8,199]

1 minute ago, filmmusic said:

I don't see Dark Crystal or Cliffhanger in there.. 

And I don't see 'Shogun' among his Jarre... Tisk, tisk.

[filmmusic 3,081]

Just now, Mr. Hooper said:

And I don't see 'Shogun' among his Jarre... Tisk, tisk.

Or Doctor Zhivago. Or Jesus of Nazareth. Or A Passage to India..

[Mr. Hooper 8,199]

[Bespin Copilot 10,604]

29 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

By the way, what's the one on the right of Notting Hill?

 

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

I have all I need from Jarre on that double compilation.

 

[Edmilson 11,809]

1 hour ago, Mr. Hooper said:

Have I heard anything from Trevor Jones besides 'Labyrinth'? Probably not...
 

I'm ready for your "Surprise" emojis. 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Try EXCALIBUR, THE DARK CRYSTAL, and THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH.

 

1 hour ago, #SnowyVernalSpringsEternal said:

Last Of The Mohicans!

 

35 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

 

I don't see Dark Crystal or Cliffhanger in there.. 

By the way, what's the one on the right of Notting Hill?

No love for Jones' Dark City? I went through a "Jones phase" a few months ago and I loved it. Pretty underrated action score.

 

Dark Crystal didn't do much for me, unfortunately...

 

1 hour ago, filmmusic said:

I see this was in 2023.

(that's why I couldn't find it with your date )

Oops 

 

Yeah, the anime seems to have released its first season in 2023, but I heard it in early 2024, which was when I think the OST was released... But yeah, it was a typo.

[Bellosh 4,494]

John Barry - Dances With Wolves 

Michael Kamen - Robin Hood Prince of Thieves 

[filmmusic 3,081]

2 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

John Barry - Dances With Wolves 

Ok, I can't believe some posts here.. 

Nevertheless, thank you for sharing and not being afraid of admitting you have listened to only one score.

This goes for all of you that have heard a single score from a famous film composer.

[Mr. Hooper 8,199]

54 minutes ago, Bespin Copilot said:

The thumb, she is shy today.

[Bellosh 4,494]

28 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

Ok, I can't believe some posts here.. 

Nevertheless, thank you for sharing and not being afraid of admitting you have listened to only one score.

This goes for all of you that have heard a single score from a famous film composer.

 

I'm not a film score fan at heart.

 

I'm a John Williams fan at heart. 

 

Assorted scores from other composers are sprinkled in to my collection.

[Bespin Copilot 10,604]

2 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

The thumb, she is shy today.

Don't be such an idiot Mr. Hooper. In french it's masculine. A thumb. UN pouce. 

[Stark 903]

I'm in physical pain at how much yall are missing out on

[eitam 407]

There are a bunch of composers I own only one score by, but the most egregious are :

- Bruce Broughton (Young Sherlock Holmes) 

- Bill Conti (Rocky) 

- Justin Hurwitz (First Man) 

- Kenji Kawai (Avalon) 

- Korngold (Robin Hood) 

- Joel McNeely (Star Wars Shadows of the Force) 

- Alex North (Dragonslayer) 

- Rachel Portman (Oliver Twist) 

- Gabriel Yared (1408)

- Debbie Wiseman (Arsène Lupin) 

[johnmillions 124]

When it comes to Elmer Bernstein, I have only intentionally listened to his score for To Kill a Mockingbird. (I may have watched other films that were scored by him.) I recently purchased FSM's Never So Few (composed by Hugo Friedhofer) which also has 7 Women by E. Bernstein, so I may listen to a second score by him soon! 

 

EDIT: I forgot that I listened to The Amazing Mr. Blunden. I believe I was searching for scores by Bernstein that are similar to To Kill a Mockingbird. Any suggestions? I also own Walk on the Wild Side but only because it's on the same CD as Intrada's To Kill a Mockingbird. 

 

[Stark 903]

oh lawd

[Corellian2019 484]

3 hours ago, filmmusic said:

Another  from me!

Frankenstein?

Not to mention others like Great Expectations, Indochine etc.

 

The 1994 Frankenstein looks like an awful film, so I've avoided it. I did realize that Doyle also scored A Little Princess, but it's been over two decades since I've seen that film, even though I watched it a lot as a kid

[filmmusic 3,081]

Just now, Corellian2019 said:

The 1994 Frankenstein looks like an awful film, so I've avoided it.

I love it, both film and score! 

Have you seen any Frankenstein film?

[Hego-Damask-II 69]

5 hours ago, 1977 said:

Mario Millo - The Lighthorsemen

 

What a fantastic score!

Amen!

8 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Denny Zeitlin has only composed one score, but what a score, and for what a film 

I've almost started that film three times now. Someday...

5 hours ago, filmmusic said:

OMG! You have to listen to The Last of the Mohicans! 

Even people who are not into soundtracks love that score.

Not me 

[Marian Schedenig 11,428]

Philip Sainton

Leonard Bernstein

[Mr. Hooper 8,199]

 

3 hours ago, Corellian2019 said:

The 1994 Frankenstein looks like an awful film, so I've avoided it.

Not awful. Unless operatic isn't your thing.

[Andy 7,270]

3 hours ago, johnmillions said:

When it comes to Elmer Bernstein, I have only intentionally listened to his score for To Kill a Mockingbird. (I may have watched other films that were scored by him.) I recently purchased FSM's Never So Few (composed by Hugo Friedhofer) which also has 7 Women by E. Bernstein, so I may listen to a second score by him soon! 

My friend, you must fix this.  You must know his Magnificent Seven theme at least, right? I love all of his Westerns, especially Sons of Katie Elder. 
 

But you can easily access Elmer Bernstein with Heavy Metal, Ghostbusters, The Great Escape, and Stripes. 
 

Uh oh. I just realized I’ve never listened to the Ten Commandments. 

[Mr. Hooper 8,199]

4 minutes ago, Andy said:

Uh oh. I just realized I’ve never listened to the Ten Commandments. 

You're in no position to lecture, then. 

[Andy 7,270]

I’m really not. 

[Corellian2019 484]

4 hours ago, filmmusic said:

Have you seen any Frankenstein film?

 

Just Del Toro's adaptation and the 1935 Bride Of Frankenstein

1 hour ago, Mr. Hooper said:

Not awful. Unless operatic isn't your thing.

 

Admittedly it's not, which is why I don't like some of De Palma's films, but I defer to the film's screenwriter, Frank Darabont, who makes a convincing case for why the operatic approach didn't work for the source material:

 

Quote

There's a weird doppelgänger effect when I watch the movie. It's kind of like the movie I wrote, but not at all like the movie I wrote. It has no patience for subtlety. It has no patience for quiet moments. It has no patience period. It's big and loud and blunt and rephrased by the director at every possible turn. Cumulatively, the effect was a totally different movie. I don't know why Branagh needed to make this big, loud film ... the material was subtle. Shelley's book was way out there in a lot of ways, but it's also very subtle. I don't know why it had to be this operatic attempt at filmmaking. Shelley's book is not operatic, it whispers at you a lot. The movie was a bad one. That was my Waterloo. That's where I really got my ass kicked most as a screenwriter ... [Branagh] really took the brunt of the blame for that film, which was appropriate. That movie was his vision entirely. If you love that movie you can throw all your roses at Ken Branagh's feet. If you hated it, throw your spears there too, because that was his movie.

 

[filmmusic 3,081]

5 hours ago, Andy said:

My friend, you must fix this.  You must know his Magnificent Seven theme at least, right? I love all of his Westerns, especially Sons of Katie Elder. 
 

But you can easily access Elmer Bernstein with Heavy Metal, Ghostbusters, The Great Escape, and Stripes. 
 

Uh oh. I just realized I’ve never listened to the Ten Commandments. 

I'm not sure I have listened to Stripes (I certainly haven't seen the film) but I would add to that list my favourite Bernstein which is The Age of Innocence.

And you both should of course listen to The Ten Commandments! 😉