The Goldsmith Odyssey

After decades of writing about Jerry Goldsmith, author and film music historian Jeff Bond is preparing to deliver his definitive work on the subject: The Jerry Goldsmith Companion, a massive, two-volume set offering a thorough examination of the legendary composer's full career. In this Production Report, your humble hosts Yavar and David chat with Jeff about the process of creating the book, the degree to which the Goldsmith-themed liner notes he's written over the years informed the project, surprising discoveries made throughout the process, the different eras and defining traits of Goldsmith's career, and much more! It's a lively, music-filled conversation that we hope serves as a satisfying appetizer for the grandiose main course that lies ahead. Enjoy!

Here's your Jerry Goldsmith Companion with Jeff Bond Production Report Track List! 

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Another pair of Jerry Goldsmith re-recordings are right around the corner, and we're pleased to offer all of the exciting details in our latest Production Report. This time, Leigh Phillips is presenting two strikingly different Goldsmith scores written for The General Electric Theatre: the bright, chipper “The Legend That Walks Like a Man” (previously covered by The Goldsmith Odyssey back in Episode 25) and the grim, militaristic "Hitler's Secret." Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark talk with Leigh about how those scores were chosen, the work that was involved in preparing them for recording, which passages in "The Legend That Walks Like a Man" required virtuosic soloists, the thought process behind making minor modifications to the "Hitler's Secret" sheet music, what we can expect from the next round of Kickstarter recordings, and much more! Additionally, this episode is loaded with exclusive behind-the-scenes excerpts from the recording sessions, giving you the opportunity to be a fly on the wall for a variety of key moments in the creation of these new recordings. Unlike certain notorious historical figures, we keep no secrets on this show, so give it a listen and get the inside scoop!

Your The Legend That Walks Like a Man & Hitler's Secret Track List!

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In the summer of 2022, your humble hosts David and Yavar had a conversation with Mike Matessino about his work on the Director’s Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (both the original DVD presentation and the dazzling new 4K restoration). While some of the revelations Mike offered prevented us from releasing this show until now, we are pleased to finally share this extraordinary interview. Over the course of this bountiful conversation, Mike talks about the years he spent working alongside director Robert Wise, the circumstances that led to the creation of the Director’s Edition, the challenging aspects of the restoration process, the ways in which the many changes enhance the film’s storytelling, his discussions with Jerry Goldsmith about the project, and so much more. This is our longest show to date, but one we feel is well worth the time. It’s an essential supplement to The Director’s Edition, loaded with insights from a man who knows the film as well as anyone. It will startle your senses, challenge your intellect, and alter your perception of the future… or at the very least, provide an absorbing listen. Enjoy!

Here is your handy track list! 

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A lot of unusual noises have been heard in Jerry Goldsmith’s score for The ‘Burbs, so we gathered all of the neighbors together to discuss them. In this very special Soundtrack Spotlight, your humble hosts Yavar, David, Jens, and Clark are pleased to welcome director Joe Dante, editor Marshall Harvey, recording engineer Bruce Botnick, album co-producer Neil S. Bulk, and album art designer Dan Goldwasser. You’ll hear stories about the creation of the film, discussion of the wide array of colorful elements in Goldsmith’s witty score, insights on the creation of the Morricone-heavy temp track, details on the improved sound and additional music offered by the new La-La Land release, and much more! In addition, we also take a little time to discuss the group’s memories of Goldsmith’s collaboration with Dante on the comparably spirited and eclectic Looney Tunes: Back in Action, which turned out to be the final score of the composer’s remarkable career. It’s a joyful, tuneful show with lots of music and memories, so open the trunk and see what you find!

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One fateful evening, your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark gathered together to record a new installment of The Goldsmith Odyssey, focusing on the Playhouse 90 drama “Project Immortality”. The episode is a character-driven story with just a splash of sci-fi intrigue, starring Lee J. Cobb as a dying scientist who has agreed to let a team of researchers attempt to reproduce his brain using an advanced computer program. The accompanying Jerry Goldsmith score is frequently somber and sensitive, though it also contains some dazzling bursts of energy and color. If we're permitted to say so, it's a good conversation about a good episode of television. The only problem — and it's a sizable problem, to be honest — is that Clark's mic was having issues, and his audio sounds rather dismal as a result. An unfortunate turn of events, but we hope the conversation and analysis proves compelling enough to overcome this issue. Thanks for understanding, and enjoy the show!

Track List - Episode 37 - Project Immortality - Playhouse 90

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What's that mysterious sound coming from the room upstairs? Could it be the ghost of a murdered composer, playing a distinctly Goldsmithian melody on the piano? Mercifully, no. Upon closer inspection, it was just an audio clip featured in the latest installment of The Goldsmith Odyssey, which focuses on the Ida Lupino-directed Thriller episode "What Beckoning Ghost?" Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark are joined by two special guests: director Amin Maltaqa and composer Panu Aaltio, both of whom have a wide variety of insights to offer on Goldsmith's playfully mysterious score. Also, if you want to get to know Amin and Panu a bit better and hear more about their Goldsmith fandom, be sure to check out our recent Odyssey Interview with them. Enjoy the show, and happy holidays!

Here's your handy Thriller - “What Beckoning Ghost?” Track List!

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While we've been honored to have both composers and directors appear on The Goldsmith Odyssey, it was a particular treat to welcome our first director-composer team to the program: filmmaker Amin Maltaqa and composer Panu Aaltio, whose new film 5000 Blankets is playing in theaters December 12 & 13 (and will be streamable in the months ahead). In this Odyssey Interview, Amin and Panu tell your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark about their deep and abiding film music fandom, their love of Jerry Goldsmith, their collaborative process, and much more! Naturally you'll hear plenty of excerpts from Panu's new score: a melodic, emotional work marked by memorable themes, striking orchestrations, and a welcome sense of old-fashioned romanticism. And stay tuned for our next regular episode, in which Amin and Panu will join us for an examination of Jerry's score for the Thriller installment “What Beckoning Ghost?” Enjoy!

To hear Amin and Panu do a deeper dive into Panu’s thematic material and its development over the course of 5000 Blankets, check out this video featurette on YouTube!

Mentioned in the show, Erik Woods' program, Cinematic Sound Radio has covered Panu's music a few times.  Here are those shows, Episode 37 being the one to which Amin refers:
http://www.cinematicsound.net/tag/panu-aaltio/

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On the record, off the QT, and not even remotely hush hush: it's a new Soundtrack Spotlight! Yavar is joined by liner notes writer and film music journalist Tim Greiving for a conversation about Varese Sarabande's new Deluxe Edition of Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-nominated score for L.A. Confidential. You'll hear about how this score represents the culmination of Goldsmith's noir-themed work, why Tim didn't connect with the film, Tim's approach to the liner notes, the balance between source music and score in the film, Goldsmith's conservative approach to spotting, and more! Along the way, you'll hear plenty of excerpts from the new album, which adds over 15 minutes of previously unreleased music. So give it a listen! Life is good on The Goldsmith Odyssey... it's paradise on earth. Ha ha ha ha. That's what they tell you, anyway.

Here's your Odyssey Soundtrack Spotlight - L.A. Confidential Track List!

Even more helpful is this L.A. Confidential Comparison spreadsheet made by Jason LeBlanc.  The film versions and album versions can be quite different, with alternate takes and different blends of cues.  We couldn't have covered all of this in the show, and now, you don't need us to!

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Want to hear some great Jerry Goldsmith stories? You could pay a major corporation to remember them for you wholesale... or you could listen to one of Jerry's most important collaborators remember them for free. In this Odyssey Interview, your humble hosts David, Jens, Yavar, and Clark are joined by a very special guest: legendary filmmaker Paul Verhoeven. Over the course of this conversation, you'll hear Paul talk about the pleasure of hearing Jerry's memorable music for Total Recall, the challenging (and ultimately rewarding) process of finding the right sound for Basic Instinct, why he was moved to tears by Jerry's music for Hollow Man, his admiration of Jerry's music for other movies, his attempt to reunite with Goldsmith and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the unrealized blockbuster Crusade, the classical composers who influenced the musical sound of his movies, and much more. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a lively hour of memories and music!

Here is your handy, helpful, Odyssey Interviews - Paul Verhoeven Track List!

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One of Jerry's longest scores gets an appropriately substantial Soundtrack Spotlight! In celebration of Intrada's new two disc complete release of Jerry's alternately suspenseful, cerebral, and thrilling score for Paul Verhoeven's Hollow Man, your humble hosts Yavar, David, Clark, and Jens are pleased to welcome a quintet of special guests. Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson of Intrada Records share details of how this album was assembled. Liner notes writer and film music historian Jeff Bond adds insightful commentary on the score and where it fits in Goldsmith's larger body of work. Plus we welcome two close Goldsmith collaborators who participated in the creation of this score: Recording engineer Bruce Botnick and synth programmer Nick Vidar join us to share their memories of the recording sessions and shed light on Jerry's approach to employing synths! You may not be able to see any of the participants, but we hope you'll enjoy hearing this wide-ranging, illuminating chat on one of the standout scores of Goldsmith's later years.

This episode is even shorter than Intrada's new release - truly a remarkable achievement given our history.

Here is your handy Odyssey Soundtrack Spotlight - Hollow Man Track List!

This episode contains clips from a radio program produced and hosted by Michael Moricz in January of 1988, The Audio Works Studio WDUQ.    It's one of the ones where Jerry really was forthcoming!

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