UnderScore

Marty & Will at long last break their podcast quarantine and ask "was there anything beautiful in this strange and frightening year?".

download Catching Up: The Quarantine

Musical excerpts from:Onward (2020) - Mychael Danna & Jeff Danna - Pixar Animation Studios (Dan Scanlon, dir.)
Soul (2020) - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste - Pixar Animation Studios (Pete Docter, dir.)The Last of Us Part II (2020) - Gustavo Santaolalla - Naughty Dog (Neil Druckmann, dir.)Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) - John Williams - Lucasfilm Ltd. (J.J. Abrams, dir.)
and featuring songs from: Silk Sonic, Dua Lipa, Arizona Zervas, Surfaces, Clairo, Hamilton, and Cuco
For score reductions, additional links and more,
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After focusing on Herbert Stothart's fantastic underscore, we bring our attention back to the magical songwriting partnership of Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. The song score to The Wizard of Oz is unlike any other, built from infectious melody, peerless lyrics and surprising structure. Moving piece by piece through Arlen & Harburg's work brings us face to face with some of the most classic songs of the 20th century. 80 years since the film's release, titles like 'Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead', 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road', and 'If I Only Had a Brain' continue to be indispensable to our cultural lexicon. We chart the development of the many Oz songs, along the way uncovering music removed from the final cut of the film (but thankfully not lost to history). Today's episode is an absolute bash; we can't wait for you to join us in celebrating this stunning score of scores.

Listen to episode 8m3 The Merry Old Land of Oz

The Wizard of Oz -Herbert Stothart (score), Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg (song score) - 1939 - Metro Goldwyn Mayer (Victor Fleming, et al, dir,)

https://omnimusicpublishing.com/product/oz/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wizard-oz-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-deluxe/1455918173

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/

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We devote today's episode to the Academy Award-winning underscore to The Wizard of Oz and its composer Herbert Stothart. His musical tapestry is a technicolor extravaganza itself - lavish, sensitive and irreplaceable.  Written with a stunning lack of ego, Stothart's score pushes powerful musical ideas into the spotlight, be they melodies of songwriter Harold Arlen, inspired excerpts from classical literature or the ingenious inventions of the composer himself. This is a score that takes advantage of every potential musical moment to lift the film upwards and upwards - to quote lyricist E.Y. Harburg - "to a place behind the sun, just a step beyond the rain..." Join us as we revisit the wonderful world of Oz, courtesy of Mr. Herbert Stothart.

Listen to episode 8m2 Introducing Herbert Stothart

The Wizard of Oz -Herbert Stothart (score), Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg (song score) - 1939 - Metro Goldwyn Mayer (Victor Fleming, et al, dir,)

https://omnimusicpublishing.com/product/oz/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wizard-oz-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-deluxe/1455918173

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/

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the discussion continues at: www.underscorepodcast.com

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We are ecstatic to begin our next film subject, The Wizard of Oz (1939), arguably the most magical film ever produced. At the heart of our movie is a song that changed the world. "Over the Rainbow" is one of the most lauded, most performed, and most beloved pieces of music we know of and our dive into the film begins with a conversation centered on this Arlen & Yarburg-penned standard. We discuss the special history of the song and the way in which it vividly paints our heroine Dorothy's inner world. What began 80 years ago as a humbly staged song on a Kansas farm has become a powerful anthem around the world - built not from bombast but from melodic beauty, harmonic depth, and lyrical aspiration. Join us as we explore and celebrate the song that speaks to the dreamer in us all - "Over the Rainbow".

Listen to episode 8m1 Over the Rainbow

The Wizard of Oz -Herbert Stothart (score), Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg (song score) - 1939 - Metro Goldwyn Mayer (Victor Fleming, et al, dir,)

https://omnimusicpublishing.com/product/oz/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wizard-oz-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-deluxe/1455918173

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/

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Today's Reel Change concludes our delightful dive into the history of the Movie Musical. We continue our travel backwards in time, as we step song by song down memory lane. We hope today's selections (by no means intended as an exhaustive 'greatest of' list) spark joy in the way only great movie musicals can.

Join us and be prepared - you may find yourself suddenly and uncontrollably bursting into song.

[Note: This 2-part podcast focuses on songs from live-action Movie Musicals. A future Reel Change will cover the wonderful tradition of music from Animated Musicals].

Listen to Reel Change: The Movie Musical (Part II) 

Today's Selections:

Little Shop of Horrors

“Little Shop of Horrors” (music: Alan Menken, lyrics: Howard Ashman)

“Maybe” (music: Charles Strouse, lyrics: Martin Charnin)

“You’re the One that I Want” (John Farrar)

“Pure Imagination” (Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley)

“It Only Takes a Moment” (Jerry Herman)

“The Sound of Music” (music: Richard Rodgers, lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein)

“A Spoonful of Sugar” (Richard Sherman / Robert Sherman)

“Marian the Librarian” (Meredith Wilson)

“Something’s Coming” (music: Leonard Bernstein, lyrics: Stephen Sondheim)

“If I Loved You” (music: Richard Rodgers, lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein)

“The Deadwood Stage” (music: Sammy Fain, lyrics: Paul Francis Webster)

“Singin' in the Rain” (music: Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics: Arthur Freed)

“They Say It's Wonderful” (Irving Berlin)

“The Boy Next Door” (Hugh Martin / Ralph Blane)

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Today's Reel Change begins a delightful dive into the history of the Movie Musical. For a twist, we start in the present day and move backwards in time, step by step, song by song in a most melodious walk down memory lane. We hope today's selections (by no means intended as an exhaustive 'greatest of' list) spark joy in the way only great movie musicals can.

Join us and be prepared - you may find yourself suddenly and uncontrollably bursting into song.

[Note: This 2-part podcast focuses on songs from live-action Movie Musicals. A future Reel Change will cover the wonderful tradition of music from Animated Musicals].

Listen to Reel Change: The Movie Musical (Part I) 

Today's Selections:

“Nowhere to Go but Up” (music: Marc Shaiman, lyrics: Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman)

“A Million Dreams” (Benj Pasek / Justin Paul)

“City of Stars” (music: Justin Hurwitz, lyrics: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul)

“Nobody Needs to Know” (Jason Robert Brown)

“Castle on a Cloud”
(music: Claude-Michel Schönberg, French lyrics: Alain Boubil, English lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer)

“Pretty Women” (Stephen Sondheim)

“That’s How You Know”

(music: Alan Menken, lyrics: Stephen Schwartz)

“Christmas, Why Can’t I Find You”

(music: James Horner, lyrics: Will Jennings)

“Marian”

(music: Hummie Mann, lyrics: Mel Brooks)

“King of New York”

(music: Alan Menken, lyrics: Jack Feldman)

“More”

(Stephen Sondheim)

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Today Marty & Will get together for an unedited chat over one of their favorite pieces of recent film music - the songs & score to Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman's Mary Poppins Returns.

download Catching Up: Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Poppins Returns (2018) - Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman - Walt Disney Pictures (Rob Marshall, dir.)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5028340/

For score reductions, additional links and more,
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Today Marty & Will turn their attention to some of their own compositional work, starting with the pieces used as theme music for UnderScore.

This is the first in a new series of episodes (Composer's Corner) where composers will share the inspirations, approaches and backstories to their own unique music.

Thank you so much for another great year of movie-music podcasting. We look forward to the exciting year ahead - happy holidays!

download Composer's Corner: The Music of UnderScore

Find the music from today's episode:

Marty

www.martybmusic.com

Bandcamp

Soundcloud

iTunes 

Spotify 

Will

www.williambmusic.com

Bandcamp

Soundcloud

iTunes

Spotify

see also: 

Super Marcato Bros

Honeytone Music

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It is our immense pleasure to share our conversation with Audio Engineer/Composer Alan Snelling. [Excerpts of this interview were included in our arc of episodes devoted to the score to STAR WARS - we are delighted to be sharing the full extent of our conversation with you on today’s podcast].

Alan began his career in the late seventies as the assistant to audio engineer Eric Tomlinson at Anvil Studios in Denham, England, where he shortly became involved in such landmark projects as Star Wars, Alien, and Superman (to name but a few). In our delightful and long-ranging chat, Snelling recounts unforgettable stories from the recording sessions of these treasured films. Along the way, we'll encounter the likes of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Richard Donner, Jerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer, and the composer who left perhaps the greatest impact on Snelling and Tomlinson - John Williams. Alan is an incredible craftsman, phenomenal storyteller, and an incredibly generous human being; experiencing his wisdom is a true privilege. Enjoy!

 Listen to Interview: Alan Snelling

Return of the Jedi (1983) - John Williams - 20th Century Fox (Richard Marquand, dir.)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - John Williams - 20th Century Fox (Irvin Kershner, dir.)

The Great Train Robbery (1978) - Jerry Goldsmith - United Artists (Michael Crichton, dir.)

  -No Respectable Gentleman

Star Wars (1977) - John Williams - 20th Century Fox (George Lucas, dir.)

Dracula (1979) - John Williams - The Mirisch Corporation (John Badham, dir.)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - John Williams - 20th Century Fox (Irvin Kershner, dir.)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - John Williams - Paramount Pictures (Steven Spielberg, dir.)

Brideshead Revisited (1981) - Geoffrey Burgon - Granada Television (Charles Sturridge, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, dir.)

Ladyhawke (1985) - Andrew Powell - Warner Bros./20th Century Fox (Richard Donner, dir.)

Star Wars (1977) - John Williams - 20th Century Fox (George Lucas, dir.)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - John Williams - 20th Century Fox (Irvin Kershner, dir.)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1984) - John Williams - Warner Bros (Richard Donner, dir.)

Superman (1978) - John Williams - Warner Bros (Richard Donner, dir.)

A Pinprick of Light (2018) - Alan Snelling - Stranger Than Paradise Prod. (Kasra Karimi, dir.)

Alan Snelling

http://www.up4loud.com/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0811074

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Marty & Will craaaawl back from the dead just in time to for a listening party of some spooktacular Halloween movie music. Ready your candle and brave this dark corridor with us for there's something lurking in the shadows, something ghostly..

What was that?... From whence comes this chilling sound?... What terrifying harmony... Yet what ethereal melody... I'm drawn helplessly closer... prisoner to the music of this dark & evil night.

Bwahahaha...

Happy Halloween everyone - thanks for listening!

To accompany today's podcast we've prepared a Spotify playlist featuring many of the pieces listened to (see below). Enjoy!

download Listening: Happy Halloween

UnderScore Podcast Playlist ■ HALLOWEEN (Spotify link)

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