by Paul Tonks
score -- n. / Pron. “skôr”
1. The notation of a musical work.
2. The written form of a composition for orchestral or vocal parts.
3. The music written for a film, play, or other viewed entertainment.
4. The resounding cheer of ‘high-fiving’ Producers getting music that’s close enough to the Temp Track, without being sued.
This week I present a slightly different perspective on the world. I’ve had cause to go back in time into my memories and re-consider the influence of other people on my interest in film music. What follows, is a potted guide through someone else’s favourite scores list – my Father’s. It’s a best-guess situation in the explanation of each. Hopefully, though speaking for someone else, you’ll still hear me doing the talking.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951)
Something about Alastair Sim tickled my Pop rosy pink. Like Robert Newton’s Long John Silver or Alec Guinness’ Fagin – this was a career-best performance, and better than that, everything else about the movie was perfect too. This included Richard Addinsell’s spot-on score, which chills with spook ambiguity one minute, and warms the heart for Bob Cratchit’s plight the next. Every Christmas, whether on TV or hauled out the family video archive, this was a movie and score that defined the festive season. Humbug!
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THE LADYKILLERS (1955)
Tristram Cary worked some wonderfully subtle magic into this Ealing classic. And while my father loved the eerie arrival of Professor Marcus, the comical chaos of the robbery getaway, or even the mimicking drum beats when someone landed in a train carriage – what he really enjoyed was the choice of Boccherini’s Minuet from “Quintet in E Major”. Sometimes, carefully chosen source music is the best solution a composer or Music Producer can go with. This is one of the best examples of that we ever agreed upon.
THE IMPERIAL MARCH (1980)
Although we didn’t see THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK together at the cinema, the constant playing of the music from my album was enough to ingrain this March of all marches in the family musical language. Though often interchangeable with Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries”, it came to sum up any situation in which my Mother took over or took exception to.
EXCALIBUR (1981)
And talking of Wagner… This flick may have lost some of its lustre two decades on, but it’s always been the best interpretation of Mallory’s “Le Mort d’Arthur” put on screen. I know I recommended the upcoming KING ARTHUR recently, but there’s no way Hans Zimmer will capture the spirit of the legend in the way Trevor Jones, Carl Orff and Wagner did.
INDIANA JONES MARCH
Again, we didn’t see RAIDERS OF THE LAST ARK at the cinema. It just happened to be one of the first video rentals right after getting a VCR in 1981. We played the Hell out of the tape that weekend. The feel-good adventurer’s theme became an in-joke about doing something foolhardy or brave. It also sat at the middle of many heated discussions we had years later about the state of music today.
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KING SOLOMON’S MINES (1985)
Everyone knew this was an unashamed rip-off of Indy, and poor Jerry Goldsmith knew he had some way to go in matching the achievement of John Williams. But I’ve always had a soft spot for this showy B-movie with its plastic vegetables in the over-sized cooking cauldron, its truly dire performances (hello Sharon Stone!) and its sheer balls in trying to upstage RAIDERS by having Richard Chamberlain resurface from under a train to ski along the rail tracks! Oh yeah – and musically, the point was that my father loved the theme too – especially as it became interwoven with pieces of Wagner to portray Herbert Lom’s crazed Col. Bockner.
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COCOON: THE RETURN (1988)
What? WHAT? WHAT!!??!! Calm down and I’ll explain. We used to have irregular cultural exchange sessions where he would play me a classical piece and I’d reciprocate with a newly purchased vinyl soundtrack album. One evening, James Horner’s easy jazz and emotional main theme to this crappy sequel caught his ear. It was a perfect and rare moment in gaining ground on our battle over the existence of melody in modern composition. We never talked about TITANIC.
BATMAN (1989)
Another of those music swaps began with me playing “Up the Cathedral” from BATMAN. Dad was fascinated with the idea that a new film composer considered that they were unconsciously channelling Wagner by only consciously emulating Bernard Herrmann. The idea still tickles me today. Thanks Danny!
LORD OF THE RINGS
We only got to see FELLOWSHIP and THE TWO TOWERS together. I’m grateful for as much of a renewal of interest in cinema, fantasy, and my work in film music as they brought us. I would love to have gauged his thoughts on the operatic principles Howard Shore brought to bear through RETURN OF THE KING. At least I knew he admired the scale of the project.
It’s always worth hearing about what other folks have enjoyed and been influenced by in life. So thanks for indulging me in this tribute.
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