Chalk up another in-demand title getting resurrected from the soundtrack honchos at Intrada: an expanded presentation of John Barry's score to the 1977 underwater thriller The Deep.
Based on the novel by Peter Benchley (who of course wrote that other undersea horror tale, JAWS), the film - centered around a quest for undersea treasure - had only a few similarities to Steven Spielberg's fish story from two years earlier: both films shared a star (Robert Shaw, although Louis Gossett Jr. would have a role in JAWS 3-D in 1983) and possessed a melodic soundtrack.
For The Deep, scoring duties went to John Barry, best known as the longtime composer for the James Bond series. (Ironically, Barry was absent from the Bond flick released that year; Marvin Hamlisch scored The Spy Who Loved Me.) Much like the spy series, Barry relied on distinctive, malleable themes and stirring action cues for the film score. He also collaborated with a notable pop artist for the film's main theme, "Down, Deep Inside," which was co-written and performed by disco queen Donna Summer. The song became a Top 5 Dance hit in America and hit the Top 5 in the U.K. as well.
In an impressive, across-the-aisle maneuver, Intrada has licensed both the complete original score (mastered from surviving mono 1/4" session masters) from Sony and the original, disco-heavy soundtrack LP (released on Casablanca Records) from Universal for this two-disc set. This limited, 3000-unit edition is available now and, as Intrada's releases are wont to do, likely going fast. Order it here and have a look at the lineup after the jump.
John Barry, The Deep: Limited Edition (Intrada Special Collection Volume 143, 2010 - original film released 1977)
Disc 1: Complete Original Motion Picture Score (all previously unreleased)
- First Discovery (Main Title) - 3:55
- More Discovery - 3:02
- The Coin; The Vial; The Chase - 3:27
- Your Ship Is Dead; Here You’ll Need This; Second Dive; Eel Attack - 8:56
- Voo Doo - 1:48
- Tower; Helpless - 1:30
- Three Key Lock; All Yours - 3:43
- Soft Kisses; Dive Preparations - 3:01
- Third Dive - 5:32
- Trouble - 3:03
- Shark Bait (Original Version); Coffin Discovers; Death Grip - 4:34
- Kevin Dead; Goodbye Coffin - 3:09
- After Explosion - 4:46
- Final Dive/Final Eel Attack; End Credits - 7:54
Disc 2: Original Soundtrack LP (released as Casablanca NBLP 7060, 1977)
- Return to the Sea – 2033 A.D. (A Ballet Based on the Score From the Motion Picture "The Deep") - 24:01
- Theme from "The Deep" (Down, Deep Inside) - Donna Summer 4:24
- Theme from "The Deep" – John Barry 4:33
- Disco Calypso - Beckett 7:29
- Theme from "The Deep" (Down, Deep Inside) (A Love Song) - Donna Summer - 4:01
Any John Barry score reissue is cause for celebration, but this is a particular must-buy! Kudos to Intrada for going the extra mile and licensing from two majors to get this release done right, complete with the Donna Summer material. Can't wait for this one to arrive on my doorstep!