Hot on the heels of such releases as Ron Goodwin and Henry Mancini's scores to Frenzy and John Barry's to Mary, Queen of Scots, the Quartet Records label is turning its attention to an eighties score from a modern master.  Quartet is now shipping the first-ever complete, 2-CD edition of Harold Faltermeyer's score to 1984's thriller Thief of Hearts, featuring all the cues composed by Faltermeyer for the film as well as the remastered, original Casablanca Records soundtrack album complete with Melissa Manchester's throbbing title track.

Thief of Hearts starred newcomer Steven Bauer as Scott, a burglar who breaks into the home of married couple Mickey (Barbara Williams) and Ray (John Getz).  After inadvertently stealing Mickey's private journals among the other possessions, he becomes infatuated and begins to insinuate himself into her life by posing as a client who needs his apartment redecorated.  The two soon begin an affair which leads to complications with Ray and Scott's criminal partner Buddy, portrayed by David Caruso, leading to a deadly confrontation at the end.  George Wendt, at the time appearing weekly on NBC-TV's Cheers as beloved barfly Norm, also has a supporting role.

Written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart, the erotic drama was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, who had a huge hit the previous year with Flashdance at the box office and also on the charts with its smash theme song performed by Irene Cara.  Hoping to replicate that success, they turned to Giorgio Moroder, who composed the score to Flashdance, for their new production.  He would, however, only compose the main theme for the film.  The remainder of the score would be written by Moroder's longtime collaborator Harold Faltermeyer.  A pioneer of electronic music, Faltermeyer would utilize that style for his score.  The eventual Casablanca soundtrack album, last reissued on CD in 2018 by Varese Sarabande, preserved five cuts of his instrumental score.

The album was anchored by the vocal version of Moroder's theme performed and co-written by Melissa Manchester.  The synthpop-flavored "Thief of Hearts" continued the sound that Manchester had begun in her final years at Arista Records and continued with her lone MCA album, 1985's Mathematics.  It became another hit for Manchester when it hit the Hot 100 and went to the Top 20 on both the AC and Dance charts (the latter in a special Dance Mix).

Other tracks and artists on the album include E.G Daily (who would appear in Pee Wee's Big Adventure the next year) with "Love in the Shadows" and "Just Imagine (Way Beyond Fear)" from Beth Anderson and Joe "Bean" Esposito.  Anderson would also perform the vocals for Moroder's theme to The NeverEnding Story in 1984.  Annabella Lwin, who had departed her lead singer role with Bow Wow Wow at this point, contributed "Passion Play."

Thief of Hearts did not become a hit at the box office and, other than the title song, the music did not make much a dent on the charts.  However, Bruckheimer, Simpson, and Faltermeyer would quickly rebound when, around two months later, Beverly Hills Cop was released.  Faltermeyer's "Axel F" would become a huge hit as would "The Heat is On," performed by Glenn Frey from the soundtrack.  Faltermeyer and Moroder would also team for Bruckheimer and Simpson's film Top Gun in 1986, whose soundtrack of course included Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" and the Oscar-winning "Take My Breath Away" performed by Berlin.

Disc One of Quartet's new presentation of Thief of Hearts premieres the complete score (17 tracks) plus seven bonus tracks including early versions and demos of the score material.  Disc Two has the remastered Casablanca soundtrack album plus another five bonus tracks: the Dance Mix of Melissa Manchester's title song; the 1985 re-recorded single version, special remixed version, and instrumental of "Love in the Shadows;" and instrumental version of Anderson and Esposito's "Just Imagine (Way Beyond Fear)."

Limited to 1,500 copies, Thief of Hearts has been produced by Dan Goldwasser and mastered by Doug Schwartz, and includes a 20-page booklet with liner notes by Daniel Schweiger.  It's available for order now directly from Quartet Records as well as from Screen Archives.

Harold Faltermeyer, Thief of Hearts: Music from the Motion Picture (Quartet Records, 2023) (Quartet / Screen Archives)

CD 1

1. Stolen Secrets (Film Version) (*)
2. Robbery Discovered/You're a Bad Girl (*)
3. Second Journal - Food
4. Watching You
5. The Bath
6. First Meeting - Eyes (unused)
7. First Meeting - Fingers/I'll Get That
8. Second Robbery
9. Marina/Oil
10. Gun
11. Seductions
12. Third Robbery/What Am I Doing Here?
13. Second Sailing
14. Ray Chases Scott
15. Rooftops/Motorcycle
16. Office Fight
17. He's Gone/Final Confrontation

Bonus Tracks

18. The Bath (Early Version)
19. What Am I Doing Here? (Extended Early Version)
20. Ray Chases Scott (Early Version)
21. Romantic Theme I (Demo)
22. Romantic Theme II (Early Demo)
23. Chase (Demo)
24. Romantic Theme II (Demo)

(*) contains material not in film

CD 2: Original Soundtrack Album

1. Thief of Hearts - Melissa Manchester
2. Love in the Shadows - E.G. Daily
3. Stolen Secrets - Harold Faltermeyer
4. Tear Me Up - Darwun Hastings
5. Love Theme from "Thief of Hearts" - Harold Faltermeyer
6. Just Imagine (Way Beyond Fear) - Beth Anderson & Joe "Bean" Esposito
7. Passion Play - Annabella Lwin
8. Thief of Hearts - Harold Faltermeyer
9. Collage - Harold Faltermeyer
10. Final Confrontation - Harold Faltermeyer
11. Love in the Shadows (Single Version) - E.G. Daily
12. Thief of Hearts (Dance Mix) - Melissa Manchester
13. Love in the Shadows (Special Remixed Version) - E.G. Daily
14. Just Imagine (Way Beyond Fear) (Instrumental)
15. Love in the Shadows (Instrumental)

Tracks 1-10 from Thief of Hearts: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Casablanca LP 822 942-1, 1984
Track 11 from A&M Records Single AM-2682, 1986
Track 12 from Casablanca 12" Single 880-308-1Q, 1984
Track 13 from A&M Records 12" Single SP-12187, 1986​