Dream Away: Mike Moran's "Time Bandits" Score Premieres on CD, George Harrison Song Included

Dream Away: Mike Moran’s “Time Bandits” Score Premieres on CD, George Harrison Song Included

February 11, 2020 By Joe Marchese — No Comments

George Harrison founded Handmade Films in 1978 with partner Denis O’Brien to finance Monty Python’s Life of Brian after the film’s original financiers abruptly pulled out. What began as an act of generosity by Harrison to his friends in the Pythons led to one of Britain’s most successful film studios during the 1980s. One of Handmade’s most acclaimed films, 1981’s Time Bandits, was directed by Monty Python member Terry Gilliam. Starring fellow Pythons John Cleese and Michael Palin alongside Sean Connery, Jim Broadbent, Sir Ralph Richardson, Shelley Duvall, Ian Holm, and David Warner, the story of an eleven-year-old boy’s time travel escapades was a No. 1 film in the U.S. for four straight weeks. Now, Intrada is releasing its score by Mike Moran (with a little help from a certain Mr. Harrison) for the very first time.

Moran’s diverse score employed electronics along with full symphonic and choral sounds to accompany Gilliam’s richly imaginative fantasy adventure. Intrada describes some of the cues in its press release: “Numerous highlights abound, amongst them classically-limbed period music for Napoleon in battle, haunting modal-flavored theme for ancient Mycenae in Greece, darkly menacing orchestral music for Evil Genius, many other musical treasures. Spotlight goes to lengthy ‘Escaping the Cell’ portion of ‘Entrance into the Fortress of Darkness’: Here all manner of percussion come front and center, each recorded on their own channels requiring degree of complex mixing. Also deserving attention is exciting series of action cues for battles inside the Fortress of Darkness, recorded in numerous shorter sections also requiring considerable editorial assembly. Thrilling brass rhythms, fanfares are name of the game!” Moran orchestrated his own score which was conducted by Harry Rabinowitz and recorded by John Richards at CTS Studios in England.

George Harrison contributed his song “Dream Away” to the film. It was originally slated to appear on the Time Bandits soundtrack album, but when the LP failed to materialize, Harrison rescued it for his Gone Troppo LP. Happily, Intrada has included it on this world premiere Time Bandits soundtrack.

The album is presented in stereo from the first-generation session mixes courtesy of the composer and Handmade Films. Scott Bettencourt provides the new liner notes. This release is available now exclusively through Intrada’s website and will remain in print “while quantities and interest remain.” You’ll find the order link and track listing below! Note that Time Bandits will be available soon at Amazon U.S., as well, via Intrada’s storefront there. You’ll find that link below, too.

Mike Moran, Time Bandits: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Intrada Special Collection ISC 440, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Intrada Store)

Opening Titles (1:28)
Dwarves Entrance (0:58)
Supreme Being Music (0:50)
Kevin Escapes From Barn (1:27)
Castiglione Entrance (Napoleon) (4:26)
Sherwood Forest (2:29)
Evil’s Grotto (4:05)
Entrance Into Mycenae (2:55)
Escape From “Titanic” (1:26)
Time of Legend (1:03)
Ogre Sequence (0:34)
Giant Rising Out of Ocean (0:50)
Entrance Into The Fortress Of Darkness (8:26)
Map Rescue (3:38)
Evil Battle Medley (4:12)
Tank Battle (2:00)
Evil’s End Music (0:43)
Ascension of Supreme Being (0:41)
Closing and “Dream Away” (George Harrison) (5:12)
Maderna’s Theme (0:20) (Bonus Track)

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Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.

Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.

Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.

Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.