Film Score Monthly (FSM) releases Nightwatch by John Williams (paired with "Killer By Night" by Quincy Jones)

[Jay 37,281]

Nightwatch/Killer by Night (1965/1972)

Music by John Williams / Quincy Jones

Price: $19.95

Limited #: 3000

Line: Silver Age

CD Release: November 2011

Catalog #: Vol. 14, No. 16

# of Discs: 1

This FSM CD presents the premiere release of two scores for CBS telefilms, both made as pilots for series that never materialized, composed by two well-known and influential Hollywood giants.

Composer John Williams and director Robert Altman famously collaborated on two feature films: Images (1972) and The Long Goodbye (1973). But their personal and professional relationship had begun in television nearly a decade earlier, on Revue's Kraft Mystery Theatre and Kraft Suspense Theatre. Altman's final Kraft Suspense episode had been "Once Upon a Savage Night" (later released theatrically as Nightmare in Chicago), shot on location around the Windy City using a special film stock that permitted nighttime filming with available light. After forming his own production company, Altman pitched a pilot for another series to be shot at night on location near the Great Lakes, at first dubbed Chicago, Chicago, but later retitled Nightwatch.

John Williams scored the Nightwatch pilot ("The Suitcase") in late 1965 and early 1966, creating a dynamic main theme and a suspenseful episode score. When CBS passed on the show, it remained unseen until Jul 15, 1968, when the network aired it on an anthology of busted pilots under the title "A Walk in the Night."

Shortly after serving as musical director for the Oscar telecast in April 1971, Quincy Jones began work on The City by Night, starring Robert Wagner and Greg Morris as a Los Angeles doctor and cop, respectively, who must track down a murderous diphtheria victim wreaking havoc in the city. The film (with a last-minute name change to Killer by Night), aired on the January 7, 1972, installment of The New CBS Friday Night Movies, but the network decided not to pick it up for a series.

Jones’s score, heavy on winds and percussion, combines his authoritative jazz sensibility with unique sonorities and compelling rhythms to effectively capture the story’s menace. A reserved but romantic love theme balances out the murky harmonies and harsh dissonance of the score’s darker, more aggressive passages.

FSM has remastered both scores from the only surviving sources: ¼” monaural tapes, given a slight stereo ambience for listenability. (The series theme and format music for Nightwatch are exceptions, presented here in vibrant genuine stereo, remixed by Mike Matessino.) The 20-page booklet designed by Joe Sikoryak contains authoritative notes on both films by Jeff Eldridge, plus track-by-track analyses by Eldridge and Frank K. DeWald.

Nightwatch

Music Composed and Conducted by Johnny Williams

1. Nightwatch Main Title 1:01

2. Bertil’s Bomb 0:49

3. Lund’s Problem 2:14

4. Lund’s Leap 1:59

5. The Cradle Might Rock 0:46

6. Granstrom’s Headache 1:01

7. A Child’s Fear 1:57

8. Kathryn Flees 0:36

9. The Run 0:50

10. By the Fence 1:29

11. Stumbling Around 1:01

12. Entering the Hospital 0:32

13. Inside the Hospital/The Final Dash 3:07

14. The Waiting Room 1:04

15. End Title 1:20

16. Nightwatch End Title 0:51

Bonus Tracks

17. Chicago Group (source) 3:12

18. Bumper #1/Bumper #2 0:19

19. Promo 0:40

Total Time: 25:37

Killer by Night

Music Composed and Conducted by Quincy Jones

20. Main Title/Opening Hold-Up 4:23

21. Dead Dip Bird 1:44

22. High Rent District 0:51

23. Doctor, Come Home/Girl Died 1:44

24. Point One 0:47

25. Somethin’ Def 0:43

26. Oxygen Tent/22 Possibles/His Room 1:26

27. Sweaty Meeting 0:36

28. No Title 2:12

29. Doctor, Wife & Supermart 0:49

30. 4th Cut to Hood/Wait 1:06

31. Microscope/Let’s Get Him 3:11

32. Cut to Cops 2:25

33. Police 2:00

34. Door Up the Ladder 2:01

35. End Title 3:32

36. Tracey Source 3:13

Total Time: 33:36

Total Disc Time: 59:20

Official site: http://filmscoremont...l.cfm/CDID/470/

Order links:

http://www.screenarc...l.cfm/ID/16647/

http://store.intrada...it.A/id.7377/.f

[Omen II 1,235]

Nightwatch was composed by John Williams! I reckon that deserves a thread of its own.

This is presumably the other Williams release on which Mike Matessino was working, but I bet nobody saw this one coming.

[TownerFan 4,983]

Aaand here we have the third and final Williams release of 2011--it's mixed by Matessino and it really comes from the left-field.

No more Hook, guys

p.s.: the album is produced by Lukas Kendall and our very own Neil S. Bulk

[Incanus 5,713]

Aaand here we have the third and final Williams release of 2011--it's produced by Matessino and it really comes from the left-field.

No more Hook, guys

Yes this isn't even from the left field, this comes deep from the woods. I personally had no idea of this particular collaboration. It is a complete and neat surprise.

And don't you go smiling about "no more Hook". That's just morbid.

[TownerFan 4,983]

I was quoting the movie itself

Jokes apart, I think it helps to take things a bit more lightly. I know there will be people infuriated that Hook isn't coming this year, but personally I don't take these things too seriously. We'll surely get it sooner or later.

In the meantime, we have plenty of new Williams goodies to listen to: Tintin, War Horse, 1941, Midway and now Nightwatch... it doesn't seem bad to me.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

My bad, didn't see the other thread.

[Jay 37,281]

What a wonderful time to be a Williams fan!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I know, right? So many scores, so little time (and money)!

[Incanus 5,713]

What a wonderful time to be a Williams fan!

It truly is.

Poor wallet cannot unfortunately follow up as fast as they appear.

But how many scores have come out from Williams this year, old and new? 6? Not counting the concert pieces.

[Jay 37,281]

There are indeed at least 6 Williams releases this year:

2011-11-21 War Horse (Sony)

2011-11-03 Nightwatch (FSM)

2011-10-24 The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn (Sony)

2011-10-10 Midway (Varese)

2011-09-27 1941(La-La Land)

2011-08-22 Not With My Wife You Don't! - Vol. 2 (Original Soundtrack) (FSM)

That's a lot in just 3 months time!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I really only care about 3 of those.

[scallenger 481]

So how many releases does FSM have left now after these two?

[Jay 37,281]

7

[Thor 7,463]

And yet again, a Williams item surfaces that I've never even heard of (and that says a lot, since I like to pride myself in knowing about every single thing he's done), much like the ELEVENTH HOUR tv score awhile back.

Chucks, I need to get this, then.

[Jay 37,281]

Nightwatch doesn't even have an IMDB entry!

[Thor 7,463]

Nightwatch doesn't even have an IMDB entry!

True. Same with ELEVENTH HOUR.

[indy4 155]

Hook is still a possibility, although now it seems very unlikely. There's a chance that Matessino didn't work on Hook

[Jay 37,281]

MV already told us right after my interview came out that Mike wasn't referring to Hook, so this is no surprise.

[King Mark 3,625]

Nope. Skip

so this was the next Williams release .Couldn't be more disappointed

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Indeed.

[Thor 7,463]

Nope. Skip

so this was the next Williams release .Couldn't be more disappointed

I couldn't be more delighted myself. This is the kind of archival, obscure Williams I'd like to see get a release over anything else. I only wish some of the unreleased titles I'm FAMILIAR with comes out too.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Let me know if it has any brass fanfares and Boom Tzzzz.

[Sandor 796]

Ordered. Didn't even know this existed...

[fommes 153]

Excited about this one, yet also a bit disappointed now that this is likely the last one, as from the couple of Williams releases this year - despite being wonderful - none of them was one of my many 'holy grails'.

[Jay 37,281]

Patience.

[nightscape94 965]

John Williams and Quincy Jones, together at last.

[fommes 153]

Patience.

Which I think I've shown over the past 20 years?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

John Williams and Quincy Jones, together at last.

[King Mark 3,625]

Look I'm not saying it sucks, I love Lost in Space and it's the same year

This is probably more in the line of Ghostbreakers though

I'm disappointed Hook is not likely this year..or ever

PS I saw this thread AFTER ordering Gremlins

[fommes 153]

Listening to the end of sample 2, I think there are stormtroopers in this show.

I couldn't be more delighted myself. This is the kind of archival, obscure Williams I'd like to see get a release over anything else. I only wish some of the unreleased titles I'm FAMILIAR with comes out too.

You sure, Thor? There seem to be an awful lot of short cues on that CD.

[filmmusic 1,823]

Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

No Hook??

[fommes 153]

Samples sound pretty promising I'd say.

[Trent B 337]

This is probably more in the line of Ghostbreakers though

Ghostbreakers? What the fuck is Ghostbreakers? Don't you mean Ghostbusters?

[Jay 37,281]

This is probably more in the line of Ghostbreakers though

Ghostbreakers? What the fuck is Ghostbreakers? Don't you mean Ghostbusters?

http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/4344/JERICHO-THE-GHOSTBREAKER/

[tharpdevenport 4]

Okay, Trent, we demand one of your Scorenerd Cards.

[filmmusic 1,823]

I hope it says in the liner notes who scored which track (in Nightwatch).

(for the record - according to a source I have - The Nightwatch Main title was composed on 11/22/65. )

[Jay 37,281]

What are you talking about? They were all scored by John Williams...

[nightscape94 965]

This would have to be a pretty special 25 minutes for me to get this release. What I heard from the samples doesn't pique my interest much.

[filmmusic 1,823]

oops sorry. i saw in the title williams/quincy jones and I thought they did together the pilot.

I forgot the other score that is in the cd..

My mistake!

[Jay 37,281]

Ah!

[SF1_freeze 131]

Dissapointing samples, i will pass. The muddy sound, the unengaging darkness in the music... it's mainly for completists.

If Hook doesn't come at this anniversary then we will probably have to wait for another 10 years,

[Omen II 1,235]

While it is admittedly one of the most obscure entries in Williams's back catalogue, Nightwatch is mentioned in the CD booklet for FSM's The Ghostbreaker release.

[Thor 7,463]

While it is admittedly one of the most obscure entries in Williams's back catalogue, Nightwatch is mentioned in the CD booklet for FSM's The Ghostbreaker release.

It is? I apparently didn't read those liner notes well enough.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

There is still more important JW TV scoring to get out there. NBC News, Olympics, Gilligan's Island...

I'll still get it. This type of thing is why I'll miss FSM.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

i suppose this will last long...

when does fsm close its doors?

I have to wait for this one, but i dont want to miss it.

[indy4 155]

When they close up shop I'm sure they will give any extra stock they have to SAE.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

They're still going to keep their CDs as long as they are available. They just won't be producing any new releases. Although I wonder how true Lukas Kendall will stay to his word. What is the ultimate opportunity shows up? Will he just let it slip by, or make sure another label picks it up?

[tharpdevenport 4]

Just posted by Lukas:

Actually, I was going to post that these latest two are our last respective Goldsmith and Williams albums. It's been fun! (And Quincy Jones.)

Lukas

[indy4 155]

Well, that'll probably be the last obscure Williams release for a while, as the other labels are much more focused on post-60s Williams scores. Which is where most of my focus is anyways, but it's still a little sad.

They're still going to keep their CDs as long as they are available. They just won't be producing any new releases. Although I wonder how true Lukas Kendall will stay to his word. What is the ultimate opportunity shows up? Will he just let it slip by, or make sure another label picks it up?

Well he said he's going to still be involved in soundtrack production, he just won't be the head of a label anymore.

[Jay 37,281]

Actually, I was going to post that these latest two are our last respective Goldsmith and Williams albums. It's been fun! (And Quincy Jones.)

Lukas

No more Goldsmith/FSM titles.... wow.