La-La Land Records has just announced its landmark 500th film score project.  In association with 20th Century Fox, Fox Music and Varèse Sarabande, the label is releasing at the end of this month a 5-CD box set of the scores to the original five Planet of the Apes films featuring music by Jerry Goldsmith, Leonard Rosenman, and Tom Scott.

Planet of the Apes first hit cinemas in February 1968, based upon a book by French author Pierre Boulle.  Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, the movie starred Charlton Heston as astronaut George Taylor, who finds himself stranded on what he believes is another planet controlled by intelligent apes who dominate primitive, mute humans.  The twist ending, featuring one of the most iconic scenes in 1960s cinema, reveals that Taylor is not on another planet but has been flung into the far future of Earth.  Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Linda Harrison, and Maurice Evans also starred.  Jerry Goldsmith scored the film in an avant-garde style with musicians playing their instruments (including mixing bowls, conch shells, slide whistles, prepared pianos, and an anvil!) in innovative ways.  While controversial at the time, the music earned him an Oscar nomination and is considered a classic score.

Planet of the Apes was such a massive success that a sequel quickly followed in 1970: Beneath the Planet of the Apes.  Heston briefly reprised his role but McDowall was unavailable.  Hunter, Harrison, and Evans also returned.  Leonard Rosenman provided the score.  Rosenman had been a composer since the 1950s and has scored such films as 1966's Fantastic Voyage.

Beneath was another success, so despite its seemingly definitive ending, a sequel was ordered and Escape From the Planet of the Apes hit screens the very next year in 1971.  Roddy McDowall returned, as did Kim Hunter, with the pair being transported to modern-day America.  The series began to revolve more around racial issues than the nuclear war aspects of the first two installments.  Goldsmith would also return to provide the score.

Yet another sequel quickly followed in 1972: Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.  The tale moves to the near future and is based loosely on the 1966 real-life Watts Riots.  McDowall was back again, but this time portraying a different character.  A new composer was also brought on board: Tom Scott.  He has numerous film and television scoring credits but is primarily known as a veteran session musician.  Scott was a founding member of The Blues Brothers and has led the jazz fusion group L.A. Express.  He has recorded numerous albums himself (earning three Grammys) and worked with artists such as The Beach Boys, Carole King, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Frank Sinatra, and Steely Dan, among many others.  The original Planet film series would wrap up in 1973 with Battle for the Planet of the Apes.  McDowall starred again and Rosenman returned to provide the score.

But Planet of the Apes was not over as a franchise.  A short TV series debuted in 1974 (with McDowall playing a third character) and an animated series ran in 1975.  Things went fairly dormant until Tim Burton's 2001 film remake.  The film series was rebooted a decade later with 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, this time tracing the origins of the ape-controlled Earth.  Two sequels followed, the most recent being 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes.  A third sequel in reportedly in development.  And as with other popular franchises, Planet of the Apes has been seen in numerous other media over the decades including books, comics, toys, and video games.

The scores to the original five films have been released on CD before over the years, but this is the first time they have been brought together in one set.  This new, deluxe box is co-produced by Mike Matessino and Neil S. Bulk with executive producers Nick Redman for 20th Century Fox and Cary Mansfield and Byron Davis for Varèse Sarabande.  Matessino has restored, mixed and remastered the scores for their definitive presentations.  The original album presentations for Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes are also included.  The discs come in four jewel cases with a separate booklet in the box.  The book features notes by Mattesino and Jeff Bond.  The set has been designed by Dan Goldwasser.  It is limited to 5,000 copies and should begin shipping July 30.  If you would like to revisit these classic scores, we've got the tracklisting and ordering links below.

Planet Of The Apes: Original Film Series Soundtrack Collection (La-La Land Records/Varese Sarabande LLLCD 1500, 2019)

Disc 1: Jerry Goldsmith, Planet Of The Apes (1968; portions of Tracks 1-16 released as Varese Sarabande VSD-5848, 1997; Tracks 17-26 released as Project 3 Records PR5023SD, 1968)

1. Main Title (Film Version)
2. Crash Landing
3. The Searchers
4. The Search
5. The Clothes Snatchers (Film Version)
6. The Hunt
7. A New Mate
8. The Revelation (Film Version)
9. No Escape (Film Version)
10. The Trial
11. New Identity (Film Version)
12. A Bid For Freedom (Film Version)
13. The Forbidden Zone (Film Version)
14. The Intruders
15. The Cave (Film Version)
16. The Revelation - Finale
17. Main Title
18. The Revelation
19. The Clothes Snatchers
20. New Identity
21. The Forbidden Zone
22. The Search
23. The Cave
24. A Bid For Freedom
25. A New Mate
26. No Escape

Disc 2: Leonard Rosenman, Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970; portions of Tracks 1-21 released as Film Score Monthly Vol. 3/No. 3, 2000; Tracks 22-32 released as Amos AAS 8001, 1970)

1. Beneath The Planet Of The Apes - Main Title
2. The Grave
3. Retrospect
4. Nova and Taylor
5. Exploring
6. Narrow Escape
7. No Place To Turn
8. Captured
9. Target Practice
10. Second Escape
11. Off To War
12. Underground City
13. Mind Boggler
14. The Priest
15. Ape Soldiers Advancing
16. Ape Soldiers Continue
17. Psalm Of Mendez/Hail The Bomb/The Unmasking
18. A Mutant Dies
19. The Ape Army Approaches/Rape Of The Ape Man
20. Nova Dies/The Ugly Bomb
21. Mind-Control Sound Effects
22. Opening Statement: Cornelius (Dialogue)
23. Main Title
24. General Ursus' Address (Dialogue)
25. Ape Fury/Students: Peace & Freedom (Dialogue & Music)/Underground City
26. Turkish Bath (Ursus And Zaius)
27. March Of The Apes
28. The Chase
29. Brent's Interrogation (Dialogue)
30. Captured
31. Mass Of The Holy Bomb (Dialogue & Music)
32. Doomsday (Dialogue)

Disc 3: Jerry Goldsmith, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971; originally released as Varese Sarabande VCL 0909 1098, 2009)

1. Main Title
2. The Zoo
3. The Gorilla Attack
4. I Like You
5. Shopping Spree
6. A Little History
7. Interrogation
8. Labor Pains
9. Breakout
10. The Labor Continues
11. The Hitchhiker
12. Mother and Child
13. The Hunt
14. Final Chapter and End Credits

Disc 4: Tom Scott, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1972; portions released on Film Score Monthly Vol 4./No. 1, 2001; Tracks 1-17 in mono, Tracks 18-28 in stereo)

1. Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes - Main Title
2. Caesar's Past
3. Armando Explains
4. Lisa
5. Lunch Time
6. Caesar Sneaks Off/Sad Departure
7. Caesar Joins The Ape
8. Subjugation Soul
9. Simian Servant School
10. Ape Auction/Breck Buys Caesar
11. Caesar Chooses His Name/Armando Dies
12. Ape Revolt Begins
13. Caesar Speaks
14. Caesar's Capture
15. The Execution
16. Battle At Ape Management
17. Apes Attack
18. Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes - Main Title
19. Caesar's Past
20. Armando Explains
21. Caesar Sneaks Off/Sad Departure
22. Simian Servant School
23. Ape Auction/Breck Buys Caesar
24. Caesar Chooses His Name/Armando Dies
25. Ape Revolt Begins
26. The Execution
27. Battle At Ape Management
28. Apes Attack

Disc 5: Leonard Rosenman, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes (1973; originally released on Film Score Monthly Vol. 4/No. 1, 2001)

1. Battle For The Planet Of The Apes - Main Title
2. Teacher-Teacher
3. Caesar Departs
4. March To The Dead City
5. Discovery
6. Mutants Move Out
7. Through The Binoculars
8. Ricky's Theme
9. Ape Harms Ape
10. Mutants March
11. Vigil - To Mutants
12. To The Corrals/Not a Tree Standing/Death Of Cornelius
13. The Battle
14. Fight Like Apes
15. Kolp Gets It
16. Ape Has Killed Ape
17. Only The Dead - End Credits