The Goldsmith Odyssey

We’ll be back to our regular scheduled program momentarily. But first, a word from our sponsor!

Leigh Phillips’s Kickstarter campaign:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/129592672/the-bar-mitzvah-of-major-orlovsky-jerry-goldsmith

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Hyah! Hyah! Odyssey Ho!

In our first regular episode of 2022, we join the long-running western series Wagon Train to discuss the episode "The Ah Chong Story," featuring a lively Goldsmith score that fuses eastern and western elements. In this one, your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark discuss the painful stereotypes that hamper the show's effectiveness, the creative ways Goldsmith finds to blend his assorted thematic and textural elements, and much more!

Before the episode analysis begins, you'll also be treated to an exploration of an early Wagon Train soundtrack album featuring music by the likes of John Williams, Laurindo Almeida, and Roy Webb. If you've got a little time to spare, why not join the wagon train for a while?

Our direction is westward, our pace is slow, and someday we aim to reach the land of 1962. Enjoy!

And here is The Goldsmith Odyssey's Wagon Train - The Ah Chong Story track list!

Check out our friends at Settling the Score — their regular Jerry Goldsmith episodes at present include Episodes 8 (Planet of the Apes), 18 (Chinatown), 33 (The Omen), and 52 (Alien).

And here is Settling the Score's Patreon page; support them here to get bonus episodes including Goldsmith’s Freud (1962).

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

We realize that we've been interrupting our Odyssey with a lot of Soundtrack Spotlights lately. To make up for that, this month we're interrupting the Odyssey with a new Odyssey Interview! Back in October of 2021, Yavar had an in-depth conversation with Retired Chief Master Sergeant Mike Davis, who served as chief arranger for the U.S. Air Force band for many years. Among Davis's numerous musical endeavors was a reconstruction of Jerry Goldsmith's "The Thunder of Imperial Names" (originally written for the 1957 radio production 1489 Words), which in turn inspired Goldsmith himself to re-examine his original piece. Over the course of this wide-ranging interview, Davis talks about his personal and professional encounters with Goldsmith, his own efforts as a composer and sole experience writing for film, his work with the U.S. Air Force Band, his role in the creation of Goldsmith's now-iconic "The Generals" Suite, the experience of working in Hollywood on a '70s Goldsmith recording, encounters with other legendary film composers such as Henry Mancini, Elmer Bernstein, and Richard Rodney Bennett... and much more! Lots of great stories and great music in this one, so do your patriotic duty and give it a listen!

Here is your Odyssey Interviews Mike Davis Track list!

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Intrada's Kickstarter-funded re-recording of Jerry Goldsmith's Black Patch and The Man is almost here, and we've got something special for you to enjoy while you wait: the Odyssey's very first Production Report!

"What’s that?"

Glad you asked, ma'am. In this case, it means your humble hosts Yavar and David conducting an in-depth conversation with Intrada's Douglass Fake, Roger Feigelson, Jeff Johnson, reconstructionist Leigh Phillips, and conductor William Stromberg. You'll hear stories about how the project came together, details on how the recording sessions went, the financial realities of this sort of endeavor, and much more. Plus, you'll hear plenty of clips from the new album. It's not only an exciting update on this project, but an informative behind-the-scenes look at the many moving parts of re-recording a classic film score. Whether you're a Kickstarter contributor who's eager for new details or simply a film music fan who wants to know a little bit more about how these things work, this is a show you'll want to hear!

Here's your handy Black Patch & The Man Production Report track list!

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Centuries (or possibly just a few weeks) ago, your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark joined forces with returning guest and Tadlow Thriller reconstructionist Leigh Phillips to create a haunting work of art: a podcast examination of the Thriller episode "The Grim Reaper" and the moody, threatening Jerry Goldsmith score that accompanies it. In the decades (or was it days?) since, the episode has been passed down from listener to listener, and legend has it that nearly all of them have been horribly, gruesomely, violently entertained. Press play if you must, but be warned... if you don't turn back now, you might be entertained, too.

Track List - Episode 33 - Thriller - The Grim Reaper (1961)

• 0:00:02 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - There's No Curse!
• 0:01:20 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - End Titles 
• 0:24:58 - Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116 
• 0:29:24 - Thriller - "The Cheaters" - End Titles (Miriam’s Theme)
• 0:39:30 - A bit of our Mr. George coverage
• 0:42:40 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Prologue pt.1 
• 0:49:08 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Prologue pt.2  
• 0:54:40 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Roll Call  
• 0:59:12 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Unexpected Guests  
• 1:12:33 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Do You Know What This Is 
• 1:19:12 - Star Trek: The Next Generation -  "I, Borg" - clip from the episode  
• 1:20:53 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - 06 - The Painting Told Them
• 1:23:54 - The Twilight Zone - "The Big, Tall Wish" - 02 Good Friends
• 1:23:31 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - End of a Dull Story
• 1:25:48 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - A Sudden Shock 
• 1:27:30 - Freud - Case Histories
• 1:27:57 - Seconds - Restless Hours
• 1:28:06 - Seconds - Rehabilitation / Strange Arrival
• 1:28:32 - Freud - Case Histories
• 1:30:06 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Neck Attack 
• 1:35:58 - Thriller - "The Cheaters" - Miriam’s Excursion pt.1
• 1:40:19 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Here's To Crime 
• 1:42:42 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Back From Commercial  
• 1:43:30 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Watching
• 1:44:12 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Staying On  
• 1:52:27 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - False Confessions 
• 1:54:41 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Corpse Leaving
• 1:58:51 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Paul vs. the Grim Reaper
• 2:05:44 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - There's No Curse!
• 2:10:31 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - Reaped
• 2:12:49 - The ‘Burbs - Clip from the film
• 2:15:01 - Star Trek V: The Final Frontier - Clip from the film 
• 2:24:22 - Thriller - "The Grim Reaper" - 04 - Unexpected Guests

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Yet another Soundtrack Spotlight! Our forces have been spread thin, our rations have been depleted, and we are so sleep-deprived that none of us can remember which day of the week it is. We remember the year, though: it's the Year of Goldsmith, which continues apace with the new Music Box release of Jerry Goldsmith's brilliant score for Ridley Scott’s Legend. Your humble hosts David and Yavar are joined by two insightful film music historians: Paul MacLean, who wrote the liner notes for the original Silva Screen expansion, and Jeff Bond, who wrote the liner notes for this new edition. They discuss the fascinating and messy history of the project, each writer's approach to tackling the liner notes, the differences between the way Goldsmith's music is used in the director's cut of the film vs. the European cut, and much more! This one digs a little deeper than your average Spotlight, but we think the material deserves it (and as usual, there are a host of illustrative excerpts from the new album along the way). So ringle-rangle your device of choice and give it a listen!

Legend Soundtrack Spotlight - (annotated) Track List

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Hey, nice costume! Here's a little treat for you: the second and final part of David's Odyssey Interview with composer Leanna Primiani. After discussing the benefits of studying sheet music and Goldsmith's deep understanding of how to use an orchestra, David and Leanna dig into an wide-ranging examination of Poltergeist: the specificity with which the characters are drawn, the ways in which Goldsmith's compositional approach mirrors that of John Williams, the benefits of having a substantial amount of time to write a film score, Goldsmith's ability to find musical beauty in horror films, and much more! Numerous fascinating, under-appreciated aspects of one of Goldsmith's most iconic horror scores are examined here... it's a conversation you don't want to miss. Okay, kids, be safe out there, look both ways when you cross the street!

The Ivory Wave music:   https://hypeddit.com/link/2o08fg

Buy the Poltergeist soundtrack (yes, you still can, and at normal CD prices!)
https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/452/Poltergeist/

The Poltergeist soundtrack discussion to happen October 30, 2021:
https://www.asmac.org/index.php/calendar/parties/103021-goldsmith-poltergeist

The score (in print - sheets of music, hundreds of sheets of music):
https://omnimusicpublishing.com/product/jerry-goldsmith-poltergeist-full-orchestral-score/

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

It's time for a new Odyssey Interview! David sits down for a conversation with composer Leanna Primiani, who previously appeared alongside members of the Odyssey team on Score Masters: Celebrating John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith. In the first installment of this two-part interview, Leanna tells us all about her score for the new short film Ivory Wave, which is being performed live to picture this week at the Nightmares Film Festival. Additionally, Leanna talks about getting her start in the world of film music, why she's drawn to the horror genre, the surprising virtues of temp tracks, the creative use of electronics in her music, the importance of musical training, and more! Much more, in fact: join us later on this month for part two of David and Leanna's conversation, which digs into the marvels of Jerry Goldsmith's score for Poltergeist. Enjoy!

The Ivory Wave score pre-save link:  https://bit.ly/IvoryWaveSoundtrack

Leanna's IMDB:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11451908/

Her website:   https://leannaprimianifilm.com/

The festival:  https://nightmaresfest.com/

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

La-La Land's wonderful Goldsmith at 20th series keeps rolling along and so do our Soundtrack Spotlights! This time, we're taking a look at Volume 4, which pairs Goldsmith's strikingly different scores for the aviation-themed films Tora! Tora! Tora! and Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies. Your humble hosts David and Yavar are joined by special guests Jeff Bond (who wrote the liner notes) and Chris Malone (who performed the substantial restoration on Ace Eli), both of whom offer plenty of juicy behind-the-scenes info. You'll hear about the considerable audio quality upgrade Ace Eli has received, Ace Eli's unusual path to the big screen, the musical diversity and dramatic effectiveness of Goldsmith's eclectic Ace Eli score, and more. Yessir, if it's Ace Eli details you want, you'll get plenty of 'em here!

The guys also mention Tora! Tora! Tora!

Enjoy!

Links!

GOLDSMITH AT 20th VOL. 4 – ACE ELI AND RODGER OF THE SKIES / TORA! TORA! TORA!: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET)

Spielberg Completist: ACE ELI AND RODGER OF THE SKIES (1973)

The Making of THE OTHER (1972)

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Suppose a dying man should choose just one podcast as his gift to the living. What sort of a podcast would it be? Well, that of course would depend upon the man himself. If he's a very good man, he might leave a very good podcast. A very evil man... well, his gift might be called... The TMZ Podcast. And a genial, slightly playful, music-loving man who simply wants everyone to have a pretty good time for a couple of hours? There's a chance he might serve up this episode of The Goldsmith Odyssey, in which your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark examine Jerry Goldsmith's moody, suspenseful score for the occult-themed Thriller episode "Dark Legacy." We think you'll like it. Did we make a deal with the notorious demon Asteroth in order to ensure that you'll like it? You'll have to listen to find out!

Please send your correspondence to [email protected].