The Goldsmith Odyssey

If your hands had the power to heal the sick, would that be a blessing or a curse? That's the question posed by "Jacob's Hands," a CBS Radio Workshop drama co-written by literary titans Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood (and narrated by the latter). Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark dig into this tale, exploring the unusual history of this script, Jerry Goldsmith's sensitive score, the episode's hit-and-miss handling of its supernaturally-tinged scenario, and much more! Plus, Clark offers a brief book report detailing the differences between this half-hour radio play and the more substantive published screenplay. So calm your breathing, slowly repeat the words "I'm going to hear the episode" three times, gently-but-firmly lay your finger upon the play button, and behold: an audio miracle* shall occur.

*Edited by Wes Deckers

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As we near the last few days of his latest Kickstarter campaign, our friend Leigh Phillips joins us to talk about his plans for Thriller Volume 3. Your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark chat with Leigh about the virtues of Goldsmith’s scores for “The Cheaters” and “Guillotine,” the decision to record complete scores rather than suites for this volume, the possibility of including Morton Stevens’s “Pigeons from Hell” if a stretch goal is met, future recording plans, and more! It’s a fun and informative chat, loaded with good music, so give it a listen.

To contribute to Leigh’s Kickstarter campaign, click here. Both Goldsmith scores are fully funded, but as of this publication we still need a last-minute push to get “Pigeons from Hell” across the finish line. Let’s get this done!

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Our recent Soundtrack Spotlight on Explorers was full of lively, engaging conversation, a substantial portion of which was about topics other than Explorers. As such, we’ve assembled this music-rich Gold Shaving for your listening pleasure. Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark are joined by special guests Roger Feigelson, Jeff Johnson, Stéphane Coëdel, and Marshall Harvey for a relaxed chat about favorite Goldsmith scores, under-appreciated albums from the Intrada library, scores we'd love to see released or re-released in the future, and other topics. Throughout, you'll be treated to a generous sampling of musical excerpts that illustrate why this music brings us so much joy. If you're up for just hanging out with us for a while, give it a listen!

What is THAT track?  Here's an annotated list of what we played.

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The last time Intrada released Jerry Goldsmith's Explorers on CD, 3000 copies sold out in a matter of hours. At long last, that enchanting score is back in print, and you'll hear all about it in this very special Soundtrack Spotlight. Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark are joined by a marvelous panel: director Joe Dante, editor Marshall Harvey (who didn't work on Explorers, but counts himself as an admirer of the film and score), album cover artist Stéphane Coëdel, and Intrada Co-CEOs Roger Feigelson and Jeff Johnson. You'll hear about Dante's complex relationship with the film, his deep admiration for Goldsmith's music, the critical role this score played in finishing an unfinished film (and in changing Intrada's business model), the fascinating alternate cues that justified a second disc, Stéphane's design process for the album's two covers, and so much more. This one's loaded with both fascinating insights and marvelous excerpts from the album, so hit play… and have a nice trip!

What's that music they're playing?  Here's the Track List!

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Intrada's new re-recording of Jerry Goldsmith's The Chairman is now being shipped to Kickstarter supporters, and our new Production Report offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this remarkable album. Your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark are joined by a large cast of key contributors: conductor William Stromberg and his wife Anna (both of whom worked on preparing the score for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra), producer Leigh Phillips, and Jeff Johnson and Roger Feigelson of Intrada Records. Over the course of this revealing conversation, the group talks about the The Chairman's unique instrumentation, the benefits of conducting from the podium vs. listening from the booth, amusing moments from the two-day recording sessions, the remarkable collection of bonus tracks recorded for the album, and so much more! Plus, a sneak preview of Intrada's next recording with the RSNO. There's an abundance of great stuff in this one, so check it out!

Note: while we're primarily an audio-only show, in this instance, we'd recommend watching the video version of the program on YouTube. In addition to seeing the friendly faces of all involved, you'll be treated to an abundance of behind-the-scenes photos and videos that provide further insight into the recording process. However, if listening is easier than watching, we've provided this audio-only version for your convenience.

And here’s a link to the unlisted General with the Cockeyed Id video on YouTube!

How about our man, Leigh's own video "THE GAME OF THEIR LIVES (Goldsmith) - "Jerry's Demo #1" from mock-up to orchestral recording"?

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The good folks at La-La Land Records have unveiled this year's Black Friday releases, and we're pleased to bring you a Soundtrack Spotlight on their latest Goldsmith offering. J. Lee Thompson's 1985 film King Solomon's Mines takes much inspiration from Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Goldsmith follows suit with an old-fashioned, fully orchestral adventure score. Your humble host Jens is joined by album producer Neil S. Bulk and liner notes writer Jeff Bond for a conversation on correcting the pitch and tempo of the music, how much of a debt the music owes to John Williams, the sonic adjustments Mike Matessino made to the score during the mixing process, why the score has more depth and complexity than it's given credit for, and much more! In the words of King Solomon: "Checking out this new Spotlight would be a wise decision, imo." Enjoy!

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

If your musical tastes are anything like ours, odds are you've been spinning the wonderful new recordings of Jerry Goldsmith's music for the TV movies Pursuit, Crawlspace, and The People Next Door quite frequently over the past few months. Now, we invite you to join us for a look at the creation of this terrific album. Before the main event gets underway, our show begins with a tribute to composer, orchestrator, and reconstructionist John Morgan, who passed away only the day before we recorded this program this past January. Following this, your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark chat with Leigh Phillips about how these three scores were chosen, the benefits of him working in the booth while Adam Klemens conducts the orchestra, the challenges of recreating a vintage '70s sound for these scores, the subtle adjustments that are made over the course of the mixing process, the tantalizing musical preview of The Waltons offered at the end of the album, and much more! Apologies for the delay on this one, but we think you'll enjoy the music, memories, and conversation.

Edited by Wes Deckers.

...who made us a handy Track List!

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

With the aid of their magic amulet, the good folks at Intrada Records have finally located the missing pieces of Jerry Goldsmith’s score for the 1982 animated film The Secret of NIMH. In this new Soundtrack Spotlight, mastering engineer Chris Malone, liner notes writer Jeff Bond, and Intrada's own Roger Feigelson join your humble hosts Jens, Yavar, David, and Clark for an examination of the definitive new presentation of this extraordinary work. You'll hear conversation about why this score sounds richer than ever, what the handful of new cues add to the listening experience, this score's significance within Goldsmith's larger body of work, and much more. As always, you'll hear plenty of illustrative excerpts from the new album along the way. Remember: you can unlock any door if you only have the key, and you can listen to this podcast if you only click the play button.

Here's the track list!

Special thanks to Chris Shaneyfelt for getting us the early LP pressings version of "Jadwiga Relived," from QB VII!

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It's a long road 
when you're fixing First Blood 
And it hurts when 
you have to double dip 

But this new release 
Corrects some notable flaws 
In some crucial ways 
It really rights the ship 

It's a Spotlight 
Your hosts David and Jens, they'll tell ya 
They're here to inform ya 
And they brought some friends 

Roger Feigelson 
And Neil S. Bulk 
Serve as our special guests 
Explain why this new release is the best, 
For you and meeeee 

Cause restoration is long, yeah 
Each step is only the beginning 
They've fixed the speed now 
And added tiny pieces that were missing 

It's a good show 
And it's short as hell 
You should give it a spin 
Before you buy 

Now they've fixed First Blood 
And that's the end of it 
A definitive release that just might 
Make John Rambo cry! 

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

It's another Soundtrack Spotlight! This time, your humble hosts Yavar and David are joined by liner notes writer Tim Greiving and mastering engineer Chris Malone for an examination of Jerry Goldsmith's alternately lyrical and chilling score for Robert Mulligan's 1972 horror film The Other. Previously only available on CD as a 22-minute suite, the complete score has been beautifully restored and reveals itself as a yet another remarkable Goldsmith work. In this show, you'll hear discussion of the film's troubled production history and mixed critical reception, the advances in audio restoration tools since the release of the previous album, Goldsmith's eclectic instrumental choices, and much more. Plus, as usual, you'll hear plenty of musical selections from the new album along the way. Unfortunately, the CD sold out long before we were able to get this program to the finish line, but remains available for digital purchase and can be heard via the major music streaming services. So give our Spotlight a listen, or just wait until we learn how to astrally project our thoughts into your mind. Enjoy!

Here is your The Other Soundtrack Spotlight Track List

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