CLICKS, POPS and ARTWORK.
The re-emergence of the LP record or vinyl products as opposed to Compact Disc and the digital download has I think been something of a surprise to many, I remember the days when record shops were bursting with thousands of LP records, and spent many a happy hour flicking through so many soundtracks on LP. When the CD arrived it was we all must admit something of a revolution for collectors, because not only did they allow us to cram more onto the disc but also they were not so space consuming as LP records, a CD in jewel case actually takes up the space of 3 LP.s if stacked spine out but then CDS could be stacked on top of each other, thus allowing us to cram more disc’s into a storage unit. But jewel cases shattered and cracked when they were stacked like this. Also because of the size of CD the writing inside needs to be looked at through a magnifying glass to make it legible. I think the first CD I noticed this with was ZULU, the original soundtrack as re-issued by Silva Screen in the UK, which had lots of notes but were so small I struggled to read them. There was just something bout an LP record, the feel of it, the cover, the notes on the back, and also the sound even if there were after a while a few little clicks here and there, which for me just added an even greater warmth to the listening experience. Invariably the majority of us were taken in by the CD mainly because record companies ceased production of the LP. Well most of them anyway. So, with this new interest in vinyl releases I think we at MMI must include a section on LP releases, and this is the first of them.
Being Halloween I thought lets start with a score that has been on many wish lists for years, and one that has recently been issued on vinyl only. So, if you still have your turntable, I recommend that you purchase this classic score from the movie, THE SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES by Aldo Piga, which is released on the Contempo label in Italy.
Never released before, this is I think the full original soundtrack composed and Conducted by Piga for the 1962 horror movie La Strage Dei Vampiri, which was brought to the screen by director by Roberto Mauri and starred Walter Brandi, Dieter Eppler, Graziella Granata. These complete recordings are remastered from the original Analog tapes. And as I have said are only available on LP at this time.
SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES.
Here is the track listing.
Side A.
A1 Seq. 1 (Titoli)
A2 Seq. 2 (Drammatico -Tensione)
A3 Seq. 3 (Gran Valzer)
A4 Seq. 4 (Tema Per Grande Orchestra)
A5 Seq. 5 (Tema Per Pianoforte Solo + Sega I Parte)
A6 Seq. 6 (Valzer Per Grande Orchestra)
Side B.
B1 Seq. 7 (Tema Per Pianoforte Solo)
B2 Seq. 8 (Tema Per Grande Orchestra)
B3 Seq. 9 (Introduzione + Gran Valzer)
B4 Seq. 10 (Tensione + Drammatico)
B5 Seq. 11 (Tema Per Pianoforte Solo + Sega II Parte)
B6 Seq. 12 (Titoli)
For a recording from the 1960’s this is wonderfully clear and certainly highly desirable for any connoisseur of Italian film music from this period. It had a limited press run and I am not sure if this is now still available from the label site. But there are a handful of copies being sold on the likes of E.BAY for very reasonable prices, these ranging from ten pounds up to over Twenty. It seems to be the trend of late to release a vinyl version of a soundtrack, or to also release a soundtrack from an older movie, that has classic status amongst fans. The are released as double albums at times and with an array of colours being displayed on the LP.s. Most of the releases seem to generate from the Horror genre, but this is understandable as many of the scores released on vinyl now, did not have a release when the films were in the cinema and have had either just a CD or digital issue.
So, to a advertised release of film music that is coming in January 2021, which is a double album set, and contains a selection of music by Brian Eno. FILM MUSIC 1976-2020, it is a varied collection of themes and compositions taken from both film and TV and does include his haunting PROPHECY THEME from DUNE. It is a collection that looks stunning to be honest, and one which I think could sell out very quickly, and therefore they are taking orders now.
This is the track listing that has been announced.
LP1
A1. Top Boy ( Theme ) ( 2:30 ) from Top Boy – Season 1 *
A2. Ship in a Bottle ( 2:43 ) from The Lovely Bones *
A3. Blood Red ( 3:15 ) from Francis Bacon’s Arena *
A4. Under ( 5:20 ) from Cool World
A5. Decline And Fall ( 3:35 ) from O Nome da Morte *
B1. Prophecy Theme ( 4:22 ) from Dune
B2. Reasonable Question ( 2:41 ) from We Are As Gods *
B3. Late Evening in Jersey ( 4:38 ) from Heat
B4. Beach Sequence ( 3:32 ) from Beyond The Clouds
LP2
C1. You Don’t Miss Your Water ( 3:46 ) from Married to the Mob
C2. Deep Blue Day ( 3:59 ) from Trainspotting
C3. The Sombre ( 4:28 ) from Top Boy Season 2 *
C4. Dover Beach ( 4:45 ) from Jubilee
D1. Design as Reduction ( 4:19 ) from RAMS
D2. Undersea Steps ( 4:06 ) from Natural World – Hammerhead *
D3. Final Sunset ( 4:11 ) from Sebastiane
D4. An Ending ( Ascent ) ( 4:24 ) from For All Mankind
( * ) Previously Unreleased
This line up is the same as the digital release, a selection of tracks which were made available at the beginning of October 2020. So, if Brian Eno is an unknown quantity to you, then you can check out selected items from the recording on digital platforms, before deciding to purchase the vinyl set. For me it is a no-brainer, and I will be ordering mine as soon as this article is posted. Eno’s music is affecting, and it is also music that kind of invades any listeners mind, it is subtly coloured and textured, with themes that seem to appear as from nowhere, with the composer then developing them to create at times dramatic or delicate soundscapes.
MOVIE MUSIC INTERNATIONAL. (MMI) . 