40 years ago, Varese Sarabande Records launched with the soundtrack to writer-director Bruce Kimmel's The First Nudie Musical.  Today, the label (recently acquired by Concord Music Group) continues to serve the soundtrack community with an impressive array of releases from both past and present.  Its limited edition CD club has recently announced its first four titles marking the company's 40th anniversary.

First up is John Williams' 1972 score to director Mark Rydell's The Cowboys.  The John Wayne vehicle gave Williams an opportunity to compose a rousing, melodic adventure score including a subsequent concert favorite, The Cowboys Overture.  Varese's deluxe edition of the western soundtrack greatly expands upon the label's previous release of the score.  It has been completely restored and remixed by longtime Williams associate Mike Matessino.  Seven bonus tracks are included, and the package is limited to 3,000 copies.

The Cowboys is joined by another Deluxe Edition release: Jerry Goldsmith's score to the cult favorite Small Soldiers.  Director Joe Dante's 1998 film about killer action figures starred Tommy Lee Jones, Frank Langella, Gregory Smith, and Kirsten Dunst, and led Goldsmith to craft a fun score replete with a heroic march.  Another fully restored and expanded project from Mike Matessino and co-producer Robert Townson, Small Soldiers boasts six bonus tracks of additional music.  It's limited, too, to 3,000 copies.

Georges Delerue might not be as well known as John Williams or Jerry Goldsmith, but the late French composer rightfully earned legions of fans with his beautiful works including the Academy Award-winning score to A Little Romance.  The London Sessions is a newly-remastered reissue of a Varese favorite featuring suites composed, arranged and conducted the composer in London, 1989.  The suites were first issued on three stand-alone volumes and then in 2001 compiled into the 2-CD set Great Composers: Georges Delerue.  This edition has all of the London-recorded suites, but drops the bonus tracks heard in the past as those recordings were not part of the London sessions.  Scores represented here include Beaches, Platoon, Steel Magnolias, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and more.  It's limited to 1,000 copies.

Finally, Varese has an Encore reissue of David Newman's score to another cult classic: Heathers.  The 1989 black comedy starring Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty, Christian Slater, and Kim Walker was adorned with a contemporary synth-based score from Newman which stands up among the best of the 1980s.  This straight reissue boasts 23 tracks and new packaging.  It's limited to just 1,000 copies.

All four releases from the Varese Sarabande CD Club will begin shipping the week of June 18.  All are available now for pre-order at the links below!  Watch this space for more details on Varese's ongoing 40th anniversary celebration.

John Williams, The Cowboys: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - The Deluxe Edition (Varese Sarabande VCL 0618 1184, 2018 - original film released 1972)

1. Overture
2. Main Title - The Cowboys
3. The Hands Quit
4. The Boys
5. Wil and Ann
6. The Kids and Crazy Alice
7. Graveyard
8. Anybody That Tall
9. Training Montage
10. Long Hair and The Roundup
11. Nightlinger's Tale
12. To Belle Fourche
13. The First Night
14. Burning Daylight
15. Learning the Ropes (Vivaldi Concerto in D)
16. Sour Mash
17. Long Hair's Threat
18. Entr'acte
19. Afraid of the Dark
20. Charlie's Demise
21. Charlie's Burial
22. Mrs. Collingwood's Girls
23. Long Hair Trails
24. Long Hair and Dan
25. Summer's Over
26. Drums of Manhood and The Execution
27. Into the Trap
28. The Battle
29. End Title and End Cast
30. Nightlinger's Tale (Alternate)
31. Long Hair's Threat (Alternate)
32. Entr'acte (Segment)
33. The Execution (Alternate)
34. Into the Trap (Alternate)
35. End Title and End Cast (Alternate)
36. Exit Music

Portions previously released on unlisted label promo RC-31, 1972 and Varese Sarabande VSD-5540, 1994

Jerry Goldsmith, Small Soldiers: Original Motion Picture Score - The Deluxe Edition (Varese Sarabande VCL 0618 1185, 2018 - original film released 1998)

1. Globotech
2. He's Here/Chip Hazard/Just Toys
3. The Assembly Line *
4. Alan's Town
5. The Boxes/Off The Truck
6. Gorgonite Scum/Almost Gold
7. Roll Call *
8. Alan and Archer *
9. Destruction/Branded *
10. Prepare For Assault *
11. Special Design (Extended Version) *
12. Talk To Me/Not Found
13. Team Gorgonite
14. Phone Wires/Gorgon/Top Of The Stairs
15. Stand Down/Negative Target
16. The New Army/Brain Chip
17. Bombshelley (Franz Waxman)
18. The Wind
19. The Gwendys/Terms Of Surrender
20. The Trojan Box/Rocket Entry
21. Gwendys Attack
22. This Is Fun
23. Toast/Down The River/Lost Battle
24. I'm Scared *
25. Negotiations
26. Fire In The Hole
27. Trust Me *
28. No Prisoners
29. Chip Dies/Cleaning Up
30. Off To Gorgon *
31. Globotech (Alternate)
32. Almost Gold (Alternate)
33. The New Army/Brain Chip (Alternates)
34. Toast/Lost Battle (Alternates)
35. Ride Of The Valkyries (Richard Wagner)
36. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Richard Strauss)

* indicates portions previously released on Varese Sarabande VSD-5963, 1998

Georges Delerue, The Complete London Sessions (Varese Sarabande VCL 0618 1186, 2018 - recorded 1989)

Disc 1

1. Rich and Famous: Suite
2. Platoon: Finale and End Title
3. Her Alibi: End Title
4. Beaches: Friendship
5. Exposed: Suite
6. Biloxi Blues: Main Title
7. Steel Magnolias: Suite
8. Interlude: Theme
9. The Escape Artist: Suite
10. The Pick-up Artist: Theme

Disc 2

1. Something Wicked This Way Comes: Suite
2. Hommage à François Truffaut: Shoot the Piano Player / Love at 20 / Jules and Jim / The Soft Skin / Two English Girls / Such a Gorgeous Girl Like Me / Vivement Dimanche / Day for Night / The Woman Next Door / The Last Metro
3. Maxie: End Title
4. House on Carroll Street: Theme
5. A Little Sex: Suite
6. Maid to Order: Theme
7. Man Woman and Child: Theme
8. Memories of Me: Suite
9. Crimes of the Heart: Suite

Disc 1, Tracks 1-6 released on The London Sessions - Volume One (Varese Sarabande VSD-5241, 1990)
Disc 1, Tracks 7-10 and Disc 2, Tracks 2-3 released on The London Sessions - Volume Two (Varese Sarabande VSD-5245, 1990)
Disc 2, Tracks 1 and 5-9 released on The London Sessions - Volume Three (Varese Sarabande VSD-5256, 1991)
All tracks also released in different sequence as Great Composers: Georges Delerue (Varese Sarabande VSD-6223, 2001)

David Newman, Heathers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Varese Encore) (originally released as Varese Sarabande VS-5223, 1989 - reissued Varese Sarabande VCL 0618 1187, 2018)

1. Strip Croquet
2. Suicide Note
3. J.D. Blows Up
4. The Forest
5. You're Beautiful
6. Martha Dumptruck
7. Third Funeral
8. Veronica and J.D.
9. First Funeral
10. The Dorm
11. Back To School
12. Forest Chase
13. Heather's Locker
14. Veronica's Shower
15. Into the Cafeteria
16. Veronica's Dream
17. J.D.'s Final Stand
18. Dorm Party
19. Croquet
20. Second Funeral
21. Poor Little Heather
22. J.D.'s Bomb
23. Petition Montage