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A surprisingly sweet soundtrack – scored by Elmer Bernstein for this slightly madcap 60s film that starred Peter Sellers as a concert pianist! The main theme has a light melody that dips and turns nicely – redone in a number of variations on the soundtrack, with shifting instrumentation that occasionally veers into some of Sellers' orchestral settings. Overall, the style is much in keeping with Bernstein's best of the 60s – a bit less dramatic and turgid, with some warmer numbers that sweeten things up. Titles include "Mansfield", "The Switch", "Arrest", "Watching Waiting", "Tuning/Concerto", "Splitzing", "Sick Joke", and "Coffee With Henry". CD

The Wild Bunch just got even wilder – with three full CDs of music – including the whole film score, plus alternate music, demo tracks, additional recordings, and the full 1969 soundtrack album too! The music is wonderful – a surprisingly poignant score – especially when you consider that it was written for a film that was known for its graphic violence! Jerry Fielding's at his height here – drawing on his earlier work in jazz, yet weaving together colors and tones that work with really bold imagistic properties – almost visual in themselves, but in ways that are so different from the images on the screen – and which, on record, make the whole thing feel like it's almost an alternative movie in itself! The orchestrations are wonderful – hardly the usual western style, but not really crime, cop, or other 60s modes either. The 3CD package features 74 tracks in all – plus wonderful notes and images – in the usual Film Score way! CD

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The Big Bus comes from the same generation as Super Train and The Love Boat – although possibly predating both – and put forth as kind of a spoof of disaster films, years before Airplane, too! David Shire does a wonderful job with the score here – drawing on his best dramatic modes of the 70s, but giving everything a sweet spin to hint at the comedic – which often means a touch of TV in the mix, too. Things are never too serious – even when musically hinting at the serious – and many of the tunes change mood nicely in the middle, which really keeps things lively. There's a whopping 21 tracks in all, plus loads of great Film Score Monthly notes and images from the film – which you might find more enjoyable than watching the movie itself! CD

British soundtrack great Ron Grainer makes a great American appearance here – turning in music for the early 70s film The Omega Man – the first film version of I Am Legend! The styles here are much more fitting for the time of the movie's release than the world of America in the future – as there are plenty of great blacksploitation and cop/crime elements that really fit the 70s urban setting of the story – really great elements that make the whole thing very different than the usual horror soundtrack of the period, and which also widen the palette of Grainer's style too! There's also a few familiar themes that are used almost tongue in cheek – instrumental hits that offset the darker mood of the action – and together, the blend of sounds is wonderful – presented here in an overstuffed collection that's well worth the 2.0 billing in the title. Given that the original score never showed up on record in the 70s, this release is long overdue – with titles that include "The Omega Man/Where Have All The People Gone", "Surprise Party/After The Ball", "Zachary Makes His Move", "Richie On The Roof", "The Trap/Nemesis For Neville/Matthias The Victor", "Dutch Takes Over", "Swinging At Nevilles", "Jumped By The Family/The Trial", and "Dutch Takes Over". CD

A diverse collection of scores by Bronislaw Kaper at MGM – featuring work for 6 films from the mid 50s to early 60s – Power And The Prize, Her Twelve Men, Somebody Up There Likes Me, Ada, Two Lives and Butterfield 8 – in a great 3CD set! Disc 1 features material from Power And The Prize and Her Twelve Men, both with orchestrations by John Green, plus Somebody Up There, orchestrated by Miklos Rozsa and John Green. Disc 2 features score work for Ada and Two Loves, both with orchestrations by Robert Armbruster. Disc 3 features the Armbruster conducted Butterfield 8, and as a bonus track, an alternated record version of the finale for Mutiny On The Bounty. CD

John Barry's music for the blockbuster 1976 remake of King Kong – surprisingly sensitive at points, given the action on the screen of the film! Barry's got a great ear for sounds that underscore the sensitivity of the big ape – and his scoring here is a good illustration of his continued growth in the 70s – the way he moved into even more mature territory at a time when he could have easily just kept churning out hit themes. A few tunes show some 70s touches as the action ramps up, but overall most of the orchestrations have a timeless feel that's quite surprising – and which have a bit more durability than the film itself! This 2CD version features 29 tracks from the film score, 13 more tracks from the soundtrack album, and an additional 9 more bonus tracks – making for a huge collection of music, alongside detailed notes as well. CD

A nice little soundtrack from the prime years of the Rat Pack – for a film that featured Sammy Davis Jr as a trumpet player! The overall score features work by Benny Carter – nice and jazzy, with the 60s swing he was bringing to his best work at the time – and on top of this, Sammy Sings a bit, and so does Mel Torme and Louis Armstrong! Nat Adderley handles the trumpet solos for Sammy's role – blowing out in front of larger backings from Carter with a great sense of color and tone – quite different from some of his other work of the 60s. And while the jazz tracks alone are worth the price of admission, the vocal ones are wonderful too – and include "All That Jazz" by Mel Torme, "I Want To Be Wanted" and "Whisper To One" by Sammy Davis Jr, and "Back Of Town Blues" and "Someday Sweetheart" by Louis Armstrong. Instrumental titles include "Crack Up", which is a great variation on Cy Coleman's "Playboy Theme" – plus "Claudia", "Night Walk", and "Soft Touch". CD

2 George Duning soundtracks – back to back on one CD! Bell Book & Candle is a wonderful jazzy soundtrack from the end of the 50s – written for an ultra-cool film that starred Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart in a comedy about beatnik witches in New York! Much of the soundtrack has a cool beat jazz sort of feel to it – and many tracks feature strong solo work by Pete and Conte Candoli, who also perform a bit in nightclub scenes in the film. Other tracks have a slightly more orchestral feel, but one that's still quite light, given the nice themes in the movie – and which also features some playful bits that still keep things jazzy. Titles include "Way Out Calypso", "Send Me Nicky", "Pyewacket Returns", "Zodiac Blues", "L'Assassin Ennuye", and "Shep Shook". 1001 Arabian Nights is pretty darn groovy too – not your usual version of the tales, as the film was an animated effort starring Jim Backus' Mr Magoo character! Duning's music has some of the dramatic and exotic touches you'd expect for an Arabian Nights film – but it's also got a lot more playful ones too, in keeping with the cartoony presentation. Backus sings "Magoo's Blues", The Clark Sisters sing "Three Little Maids From Damascus", and other titles include "Unhappy Magoo", "Bar Fly Magoo", "Dream Ballet", "Crazy Carpet", and "Wedding Celebration". CD

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Titles include "Goodbye Carrie", "Evil Carrie/Dock Rumble", "Lilly Goes Home", "The New Ring", "More Presents", "The Attic/Julian", and "Carrie Excited". 22 tracks – including bonus material! CD

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A really cool soundtrack from the great Bernard Herrmann – every bit as watery as you might guess from the title! The tracks are short, but have this beautifully vivid feel – strings used in this way that's kind of pre-electric, but which almost has this electronic feel overall – given the use of color and tone. Other moments are more conventional, but equally captivating – and there's these dark currents that run through the music that are pure Herrmann all the way through. 22 tracks in all – including "The Undersea Forest", "The Marker", "Flirtation", "Escape", "Sorrow", and "The Fire". CD

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Also includes Alex North's suite from the Outrage. CD

A classical-oriented soundtrack from Arthur B Rubinstein – penned for an early 80s film that stars Richard Dreyfus and John Cassavetes! The music draws heavily on the baroque tradition – with lots of strings and woodwinds that come across with very colorful flourishes – but there's also some modern elements as well, a bit more space and tension that best underscore the bittersweet story of the film. Many tracks are relatively short – remixed here by Film Score from the original tapes, and put together with a beautiful booklet of notes and images from the movie. Titles include "Art Thief", "Find A Judge", "Intensive Care", "The Diagnosis", "The Parting", "Montage", "Candid Camera", and "Nice Breasts". CD

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