September was an unusually bountiful month for archival soundtracks, and we're here to break it all down. Varese Goes West, Revisits Buddy Holly The latest title in Varese Sarabande's CD Club was an expansion of Elmer Bernstein's heroic score to the 1999 blockbuster Wild Wild West. Though the film somewhat infamously broke co-star Will Smith's ironclad grip on the July 4 weekend box office after star turns in Independence Day (1996) and Men In Black (1997), the weird cult charm of this
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up - a packed one, for sure! Bob Dylan, The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Just in advance of the June 12 debut of director Martin Scorsese's documentary Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, Columbia and Legacy unveil a new 14-CD box set that promises to be the ultimate chronicle of the initial leg of Dylan's legendary Rolling Thunder Revue from
To commemorate the 35th anniversary of Ghostbusters' original 1984 theatrical debut, Sony Classical has announced a new reissue of Ghostbusters: Original Motion Picture Score featuring Elmer Bernstein's iconic themes. It's the first time the score has been in print since 2006, when Varese Sarabande's premiere, limited release became one of the year's fastest-selling score titles. The 37-track anniversary edition has been newly mixed and remastered from the original multitracks and boasts new
With his rich baritone and intense looks, Alfred Drake (1914-1992) defined the classic Broadway leading man. Originating roles in such landmark musicals as Oklahoma!, Kiss Me Kate, and Kismet, Drake won Tony and Drama Critics Awards, and was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. But despite his many appearances on cast recordings, Drake has never headlined a solo CD...until now. The U.K.'s Stage Door label has announced the April 26 release (May 3 in North America) of Lucky to Be Me: A Life
Varese Sarabande Records has quite the bounty of soundtrack CD club releases this spring, announcing two stellar deluxe editions and reissuing a favorite album on disc. First up, a double-header for John Williams fans: his 1990 score to the romantic drama Stanley & Iris and the premiere release of his score to 1972's Pete 'N' Tillie. Stanley & Iris starred Robert De Niro and Jane Fonda as two struggling coworkers in a baking factory--she struggles to make ends meet with her extended
We're continuing our Movie Monday here at The Second Disc with more great film score news! From high atop the mountain comes Intrada's newest release--an incredibly ambitious and definitive box set edition of Elmer Bernstein's score to the Hollywood epic The Ten Commandments. The final film of Cecil B. DeMille, based in part on his silent adaptation of the film from 1923, The Ten Commandments dramatizes the Biblical tale of Moses (Charlton Heston), the adopted Egyptian prince whose divine
Happy Birthday, Kritzerland! Ten years ago this month, producer Bruce Kimmel, known for his work at labels including Bay Cities and Varese Sarabande, launched the Kritzerland label. Since 2005, Kritzerland has released over 150 CDs: classic soundtracks from composers like Burt Bacharach, Henry Mancini, John Barry and John Williams, vintage cast recordings of musicals including stunning remixes of Follies and Promises, Promises, and solo albums by artists such as Sandy Bainum and the elusive
Jimi Hendrix, The Cry of Love and Rainbow Bridge: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Experience Hendrix/Legacy) Legacy and Experience Hendrix have reissues of Jimi Hendrix's first two posthumously-released albums, both from 1971; The Cry of Love is long out-of-print on CD, while Rainbow Bridge makes its first authorized appearance in the CD format. Both titles have been freshly remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog masters. The Cry of Love: Amazon U.S. / Amazon
In a career that placed him among the most legendary of film composers, Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004) penned the scores to more than 200 films in what seemed like every genre conceivable –comedies (Airplane!), dramas (Sweet Smell of Success), musicals (Thoroughly Modern Millie), fantasies (Ghostbusters) and of course, westerns (The Magnificent Seven). But among his most beloved scores is 1962’s Academy Award-nominated To Kill a Mockingbird. Cherry Red’s él imprint has paired the re-recorded
When directors Joel and Ethan Coen adapted Charles Portis' novel True Grit in 2010 for its second big-screen adaptation, one element was noticeably missing: the Academy Award-nominated title song by Elmer Bernstein and Don Black, so winningly introduced by Glen Campbell in the 1969 film version. Campbell's recording yielded a Top 10 Country and AC/Top 40 Pop single, and remains one of his most beloved songs today. "True Grit" appeared on a brief, 10-track album in which two renditions as sung