If you're a catalogue soundtrack enthusiast, you're usually always ready to take a chance again on a new pressing of an old favorite. Intrada's latest reissue is about to make that idea as literal as possible: a new remix and expansion of Charles Fox's score to the 1978 comedy Foul Play.
Written and directed by Colin Higgins (who penned the script to Harold and Maude and later directed the comedy 9 to 5), Foul Play is a screwy Hitchcock homage about a librarian (Goldie Hawn) who gets mixed up in an assassination plot in San Francisco, with only a good-looking cop (Chevy Chase, in his first starring role post-Saturday Night Live) assigned to protect her. Featuring co-starring turns by Burgess Meredith, Brian Dennehy and Dudley Moore, Foul Play was a box-office hit for Paramount Pictures in the summer of '78, and garnered seven Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.
Fox, well-known for a spate of television themes (including Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Wonder Woman and The Love Boat) as well as penning pop classics like Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and Jim Croce's "I Got a Name," ably composed a varied score for Foul Play. He drew inspiration from '40s and '50s noir pictures, Gilbert & Sullivan (whose comic opera The Mikado features in the film's climax) and good old-fashioned romance, working with frequent lyricist Norman Gimbel to set words to his love theme as Hawn's character, a divorcee, finds a new flame in Chase's bumbling policeman. The result was "Ready to Take a Chance Again," sung on the soundtrack album and in the film by Barry Manilow, whose hit "Copacabana (At The Copa)" also featured in the picture. "Ready" reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned Golden Globe and Oscar nominations, and remains a staple of Manilow's live sets.
Intrada's new pressing of Foul Play - following the first-ever CD release of the Arista soundtrack album back in 2009 - is positively stuffed with music across its two discs. On the first, Fox's score has been remixed from the original 16-track stereo masters and includes unissued cues (including an epic 11-minute suite that blends Fox's score and themes with selections from The Mikado), source material, film versions and more - even Fox's arrangement of themes for a short-lived 1981 television adaptation of the film starring Barry Bostwick! On the second disc, those new mixes have been used to construct a new edition of the original soundtrack album; extras include a host of Manilow-related material (including the original and extended mixes of "Copacabana" and the more common single version of "Ready to Take a Chance Again," folded down into mono while the original soundtrack presented it in stereo) and the unedited Mikado performances.
In other soundtrack news, La-La Land Records recently released its sixth volume in their Star Trek: The Original Series - The 1701 Collection. Another 2CD volume featuring music from the label's lavish box set devoted to the classic sci-fi program, this volume includes music from favorite episodes like "The Trouble with Tribbles" plus a plethora of library music penned by original series theme composer Alexander Courage and stalwart writers like Jerry Fielding, Fred Steiner and Wilbur Hatch. As with all titles in The 1701 Collection - indeed limited to that many units - the music is identical to what featured the box set (produced for release by Lukas Kendall, Neil S. Bulk and Jeff Bond, restored by Chris Malone and mastered by Doug Schwartz), with new packaging by Dan Goldwasser and slight updates of Bond's original liner notes. And whether you're a Trekkie or not, film score fans will want to check out what La-La Land is selling: nearly every title they have in stock is now selling for 30% off through August 30!
Hit the links below to add each of these titles to your collection.
Charles Fox, Foul Play (Music from the Motion Picture - Expanded Edition) (Intrada ISC 505, 2024 - original film released 1978)
Disc 1: Remixed/expanded soundtrack (1-23) and extras (24-41)
- Ready to Take a Chance Again (Main Title) - Barry Manilow
- Overture to The Mikado
- Scotty Followed
- Gloria Walks Home I
- Movie Music
- Gloria Walks Home II
- Esme/Man At Window
- Beware of the Dwarf
- Scarface/Gloria Grabbed from Behind
- Gloria Escapes
- Gloria on the Fire Escape
- Will Find Out Who and Why/Holy S.
- Gloria Attacks Dwarf
- You've Just Attacked/Archbishop's Door/Now It Really Has Hit the Fan
- Houseboat (Love Song)
- Love Theme - Ready to Take a Chance Again (Film Version)
- What's the Clue?/Gloria Falls for the Trap
- The McGuffin Burns/Meet Me 'Round Back/Don't Move Lieutenant
- Overture from The Mikado/Help
- The Mikado/Get Me to the Opera on Time - Part 1
- The Mikado/Get Me to the Opera on Time - Part 2
- Ready to Take a Chance Again (Finale)
- Ready to Take a Chance Again (End Title) - Barry Manilow
- Cocktail Piano (Ready to Take a Chance Again)
- Ready to Take a Chance Again (Main Title - Film Version) - Barry Manilow
- Gloria Walks Home (Original Version)
- Holy S. (Film Version)
- Kojak Bang Bang
- Get Me to the Opera on Time I
- Crash Into Pizza Parlor
- Get Me to the Opera on Time II
- Far Out
- Get Me to the Opera on Time III
- Kojak!
- More Kojak
- Kojak Bang Bang (Record Version)
- Ready to Take a Chance Again (End Title - Film Version) - Barry Manilow
- Cocktail Piano, Again I
- Cocktail Piano, Again II
- Cocktail Piano, Again III
- Foul Play - Main Title (Television Series)
Disc 2: Original Soundtrack Album (1-12), alternates (13-16) and The Mikado source music (17-22)
- Ready to Take a Chance Again (Main Title) - Barry Manilow
- Help
- Beware of the Dwarf
- Love Theme (Ready to Take a Chance Again)
- Copacabana (At The Copa) - Barry Manilow
- Gloria Falls for the Trap
- Foul Play Disco
- Scarface
- Gloria Escapes
- Houseboat (Love Song)
- Get Me to the Opera on Time
- Ready to Take a Chance Again (End Title) - Barry Manilow
- Copacabana (At The Copa) (Extended Disco Mix) - Barry Manilow
- Foul Play Disco (Extended Version)
- Copacabana (At The Copa) (Original LP Mix) - Barry Manilow
- Ready to Take a Chance Again (Mono 45 RPM Mix) - Barry Manilow
- The Mikado - Overture
- The Mikado - If You Want to Know Who We Are
- The Mikado - Our Great Mikado
- The Mikado - Three Little Maids
- The Mikado - So Please You Sir, We Much Regret
- The Mikado - Act I Finale: The Threatened Cloud
Disc 1, Track 41 released on original album reissue - Varese Sarabande 302 067 419 8, 2016
Disc 2, Tracks 1-12 originally released as Arista AL 9501, 1978
Disc 2, Track 13 originally released on Arista 12" SP-18, 1978
Disc 2, Track 15 originally released on Even Now - Arista AB 4164, 1978
Disc 2, Track 16 originally released on Arista promo single AS 0357, 1978
Star Trek: The Original Series - The 1701 Collection Vol. 6 (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1647, 2024 - original episodes aired 1967-1969)
* contains "Theme from Star Trek (TV Series)" by Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry
All tracks previously released in La-La Land Records LLLCD1701B, 2012
Disc 1
- Main Title * (Soprano Version, Second Season Mix; arr. Courage) - 2006 recording conducted and produced by Gregory Smith
"I, Mudd" - music composed and conducted by Samuel Matlovsky; episode #41, rec. 9/22/1967 - aired #37, 11/3/1967
- Please */You Listen M21/M23
- Harry Mudd/Mudd's Series M24/M25
- Stella M31
- Control Room M32
- Eternal Beauty/Crew Gone M33/M36
- We Are Real M40
- A Gilded Cage/Not Programmed M41/M42
- Mudd's Farewell/Stella's Reprise M43/M44
- Alice in Wonderland M55
- Love's Hate M56
- Tired of Happiness M62
- The Last Straw M63
- Mudd's Detention/Stella 500 M65/M66
"The Trouble with Tribbles" - music composed and conducted by Jerry Fielding; episode #42, rec. 10/5/1967 - aired #44, 12/29/1967
- The Muzak Maker M16
- They Quibble Over Tribble/Kirk Out M21+M21S/M31
- The Scherzo Maker M34
- Bartender Bit M35
- Big Fite M36/M36A/M36B
- A Matter of Pride/Barrel of Tribbles/Tribble Hooks Kirk/My Chicken Sandwich/Come On Spock!/Raining Tribbles M42/M43+M43S/M44/M44A+M44AS/M44B/M51/M51A+M51AS /M52/M54+M54S
- Dead Heap!/Close That Door/Hissing Tribbles/Poor Jonesy/No Tribble At All M55/M56/M57/M63+M63S/M65
second season library music composed by Alexander Courage (22-35), Fred Steiner (36-43) and Gerald Fried (44); conducted by Alexander Courage - rec. 6/16/1967
- Ship in Orbit * (Big) LM6
- Sad and Thoughtful on Captain's Theme LM8
- Captain Playoff No. 1 (Heavy) LM2
- Smooth Neutral Ship Theme * LM7
- Playoff on M.T. Theme LM1
- Fight on Captain's Theme LM5/LM5A
- Captain Playoff No. 2 (Neutral--Slightly Ominous) LM3
- Stingers LM17A/LM17B/LM17C/LM17D
- New Sexy Exotic LM9
- Captain Playoff No. 3 (Sad and Alone) LM4
- Prime Specimen ("The Cage" M21-30) LM19
- Monster Illusion ("The Cage" M42) LM18 2:34
- Mr. Spock ("Captain's Wig" From "The Naked Time" M54-61) LM16
- The Big Go * ("The Naked Time" M62) LM15
- Mudd's Perfidy ("Mudd's Women" M43) LM10A/LM10
- Zap the Cap ("Charlie X" M53) LM11
- Zap the Cap ("Charlie X" M53) LM11A tk 1
- Zap the Cap ("Charlie X" M53) LM11A tk 2
- Zap the Spaceship ("Charlie X" M54) LM12
- Zap the Spaceship ("Charlie X" M54) LM12A
- Zap the Spaceship ("Charlie X" M54) LM12B
- Ruk Attacks ("What Are Little Girls Made Of?" M43A) LM13
- 2nd Ruth ("Shore Leave" M31A, orch. Gus Levene) LM14
second season alternates and outtakes
- Neck Pinch Sweetener ("Catspaw" M61A) (Fried)
- Shuttle Helpless ("Metamorphosis" M12A) (Duning)
- Starship * ("Metamorphosis" M41 tk 2) (Duning)
- Nancy Sobs * ("Metamorphosis" M51A) (Duning)
- Nancy Sobs * ("Metamorphosis" M51B) (Duning)
- You Loved Me ("Metamorphosis" M61A) (Duning)
- Cochrane's Decision * ("Metamorphosis" M62B) (Duning)
- We Are Real ("I, Mudd" M40A) (Matlovsky)
- No Tribble At All ("The Trouble with Tribbles" M65A) (Fielding)
- Poor Jonesy ("The Trouble with Tribbles" M63, orchestra only) (Fielding)
- Poor Jonesy ("The Trouble with Tribbles" M63S trombone sweetener at recorded speed) (Fielding)
- Tribbles FX (unused) (Matlovsky)
"The Apple" unused percussion tracks composed and conducted by Gerald Fried; episode #38, rec. 7/7/1967 (with "Friday's Child") - aired #34, 10/13/1967
- M1 tk 1
- M2 tk 1
- M3 tk 2
- M4 tk 1
- M5 tk 1
- M6 tk 1
"Wolf in the Fold" unused belly dancer music composed and conducted by Gerald Fried; episode #36, rec. 7/19/1967 (with "Amok Time") - aired #43, 12/22/1967
- Navel Maneuvers M1/M1A
Disc 2
- Main Title * (Soprano Version, Third Season Mix; arr. Courage) - 2006 recording conducted and produced by Gregory Smith
"And the Children Shall Lead" - music composed and conducted by George Duning; episode #60, rec. 8/9/1968 - aired #59, 10/11/1968
- Triacus */What Goes Kids? M11/M12
- Triacus Burial/Kooky Kids/Reluctant Kids M13/M14/M15
- Strange Feelings M16-20
- Starship Again */Instant Ice Cream M21/M22
- Busy-Busy/Tommy Tired/Here Comes the Gorgan/Kids' Whammy #1 M23/M24/M25/M26
- Standard Orbit #1 */Starnes' Tape/Kids' Whammy #2/Tommy's Whammy/Standard Orbit #2 */Whammed Crew */Starnes' Story M31/M32/M33/M34/M35/M36/M36A/M37
- Mislead Innocent/McCoy Mad */Out of Orbit */Call the Angel M38/M41/M42/M43/M43A
- Kids in Control M44-50/M44-50A/M44-50B/M44-50C/M44-50D/M44-50E
- Scotty Whammied/By Whose Orders M51/M52
- Last Whammy M53/M53A
- Gorgan Summoned/Gorgan Zapped * M54-60/M61
third season library music conducted by Wilbur Hatch - rec. 6/25/1968
from "The Cage" (Alexander Courage):
- Survivors (M21) LM100
- Bottled (M31) LM101
- Monster Illusion (M42) LM102
- Monster Illusion (tag) (M42) LM102A
- The Kibitzers (M44) LM103
- Vina's Punishment (M51) LM104
- Vina's Dance (M62) LM105
- Wrong Think (M73) LM106
from "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (Alexander Courage):
- Act 1 Card (M13) LM107
- Crippled Ship (M22) LM108
- Speedy Reader (M24) LM109
- End Title (M64) LM110
from "The Man Trap" (Alexander Courage):
- First Goner (M14-21) LM111 tk 3
- First Goner (M14-21) LM111 tk 4
- Dressing Down (M23) LM114
- Monitor Gizzard (M25) LM113
- Monitor Gizzard (M25) LM113A
- Lazer Dazer (M45-51) LM112
- Dodo Girl (M52) LM115
from "Catspaw" (Gerald Fried):
- Drugged (M25) LM116
- Mace Fight (M61) LM117
- Mace Fight (M61) LM117A
from "Friday's Child" (Gerald Fried):
- Down the Throat (M58) LM118
- Arrows (M61) LM119
third season library music composed and conducted by Gerald Fried (with "The Paradise Syndrome")
- School Chum ("Shore Leave" M23) LM125
- Mr. Spock ("Amok Time" M14) LM128/LM128A
- Contrary Order ("Amok Time" M16-20A) LM129
- More Soup * ("Amok Time" M26-30B) LM126
- More Soup ("Amok Time" M26-30B) LM126A/LM127
third season library music composed and conducted by George Duning (with "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")
- Act Out LM131 tk 1
- Act Out LM131 tk 2
Score Alternates
- Ambassador Arrival * ("Is There in Truth No Beauty?" by Duning, M13A)
- Out of Orbit * ("And the Children Shall Lead" by Duning, M42A)
- Final Curtain * ("Spectre of the Gun" by Fielding, M63C)
- Unfair Exchange ("The Enterprise Incident" by Courage, M14-20A)
- Tromba Sweetener ("Plato's Stepchildren" by Courage, M25A)
- The Aristocrats ("Plato's Stepchildren" by Courage, M52A)
"The Savage Curtain" - music composed and conducted by Wilbur Hatch; episode #77, rec. 1/24/1969 - Aired #77, 3/7/1969
- Drums/Salute to Our President Fanfare MX/M1/M1A
- Salute to Our President Fanfare (outtakes medley) M2/M3/M4/M5
Format Music
- Bumper (Broadcast Edit)
- Bumpers (Alternates)
- End Title * (Soprano Version, Alternate Ending; arr. Courage, cond. Hatch)
- Paramount Television I.D. (Wilbur Hatch)
- Paramount Television I.D. (Alternate) (Wilbur Hatch)
Royce says
I hope you could reissue the "Barry Manilow in Copacabana" Soundtrack CD which was only available in Japan, and the "Fools" Soundtrack by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition which has never been issued on CD.
Mike Duquette says
Speaking for Joe and myself, the list of Manilow-related titles we'd like to see reissued (or reissue ourselves!) is about as long as his storied career!
Royce says
Thank you, Mike and Joe, for all your efforts! Really appreciate it.
Greg T. says
Hoping we’ll someday get a release of Charles Fox’s “Short Circuit 2” score.