Talk about films scores here.

Moderators: lazyben, static14, texasvinyl

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By ScoJo
#118954
You're very welcome - I have really enjoyed finally doing a bit of research into these soundtracks. It's clear that for the 30+ years that this music/these various album versions have been in my consciousness, with perhaps nagging feelings about this and that, it has been nice to be able to identify differences and point towards stuff which I personally like/don't like as much.
It's all (goes without saying) entirely subjective of course, outside of just identifying differences - my feelings about these scores are incredibly personal and tied up with my own relationship with the films/my history with collecting the OSTs... but I hope that these serve as a helpful guide for anyone considering which version to seek out!
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By havershaw
#118981
ScoJo, I don’t mean to make a bunch of work for you, but I would love if you could do Halloween III.

I have the newest release and it sounds great to me, but I’d love to know how it stacks up against the OG MCA release and whether or not I need both.
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By ScoJo
#118982
havershaw wrote: Mon Jun 24, 2019 7:23 am ScoJo, I don’t mean to make a bunch of work for you, but I would love if you could do Halloween III.

I have the newest release and it sounds great to me, but I’d love to know how it stacks up against the OG MCA release and whether or not I need both.
Hey bud - I'd gladly tackle this, though I only have the DW 2014 2nd pressing (Jay Shaw sleeve with full face print of design) to compare with my MCA. I know that for this edition they remastered direct from original tapes, but do you know whether DW used that same master for their recent 3rd pressing? Discogs only states 'remastered from the original master tapes', which most likely refers to their 2014 master.

Obvs the tracklisting is different so there's that to compare...
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By havershaw
#118989
I somewhat recall that the newest pressing of Halloween III is the same mastering but new stamper? I feel like they mentioned that in the early promo things for it, or maybe I emailed them to ask. I can’t remember. But I think they just said they made a new stamper.

Like, usually they’ll brag that it’s a new master? But I think they just said “new plating.”
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By ScoJo
#118990
havershaw wrote: Mon Jun 24, 2019 3:18 pm I somewhat recall that the newest pressing of Halloween III is the same mastering but new stamper? I feel like they mentioned that in the early promo things for it, or maybe I emailed them to ask. I can’t remember. But I think they just said they made a new stamper.

Like, usually they’ll brag that it’s a new master? But I think they just said “new plating.”
Roger that. Well I'll tackle a comparison of the ones I have.
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By havershaw
#118991
thanks!
I know there will be a great horror OST vinyl dealer at a horror convention I’ll be at this weekend (last year they had all the OG classics) so these comparisons are really going to inform how much money I end up spending, haha.
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By ScoJo
#120303
Okay good people- I need your help here please, if you can shed some light?

Ive been hovering over the trigger on Prom Night for a while, and of the three versions out there I am being drawn mostly to the Dark Forces boot. (The OG Jap version being out of my range, and its not something Im that obsessed with to spend much on it tbh...)

But in comparing the tracklists on the Jap pressing, the DF boot and the new release Im pretty baffled!

It seems that (putting aside the dialogue excerpts on the DF boot) it is an identical tracklisting to the OG jap edition, with the disco songs and a couple of bits of score? Or perhaps it has none of the score actually?

But then the 1984 pressing omits some of the disco tunes from the other two, (the non Zaza/Zittrer tunes) and adds more score tracks (and an alt version of main song?)

Think I have it right but here are the tracklists in case it makes more sense to you... in any event, the DF boot beats out the 1984 for me because I prefer the sleeve art (and dont mind the dialogue snippets so much) and I can currently score it for around 1/3rd the cost of the 1984 edition.

But im just wondering how much more score there is that im missing on the 1984 version - though as i say, it appears that the DF boot has more of the disco songs included! AAAAARGHHHHH.

---------

Prom Night OST
Tracklist comparison:

JAPANESE OG (1981)

Blue Bazar
All Is Gone

Paul Zaza & Carl Zittrer
Prom Night

Paul Zaza & Carl Zittrer
Changes

Paul Zaza & Carl Zittrer
Dancing In The Moonlight

Gordean Simpson*
Fade To Black

Blue Bazar
All Is Gone (Reprise)

Paul Zaza & Carl Zittrer
Time To Turn Around

Paul Zaza & Carl Zittrer
Love Me Till I Die

Paul Zaza & Carl Zittrer
Prom Night

Blue Bazar
Forever

DARK FORCES BOOT (2017)
Skits omitted

Blue Bazar
All Is Gone

Paul Zaza& Carl Zittrer
Prom Night

Paul Zaza& Carl Zittrer
Changes

Paul Zaza& Carl Zittrer
Dancing In The Moonlight

Gordean Simpson*
Fade To Black

Blue Bazar
All Is Gone (Reprise)

Paul Zaza& Carl Zittrer
Time To Turn Around

Paul Zaza& Carl Zittrer
Love Me Till I Die

Paul Zaza& Carl Zittrer
Prom Night 2

Blue Bazar
Forever

1984 Release (2019)

Prom Night Suspense Suite
Changes
Robin Enters The Game
Prom Night
A Beheading Awaits
Dancing In The Moonlight
Piano Suite
Time To Turn Around
The Killer Is Coming!
Love Me Till I Die
Stalking
Prom Night (Alternate Version)
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By ScoJo
#120305
Well after some exhaustive research and sampling of tracks, I think I get it:

The 1984 edition has ONLY the Zaza/Zittrer songs plus around 7-8min of score.

The OG Japanese (and boot) have all the Z+Z songs PLUS songs by other artists but NONE of the score.

Dammit- looks like I need both the DF boot AND the 1984 release, ultimately.

Its a bit annoying that there's nothing in the 1984 online press releases etc that explain the above additions and omissions (as well as the fact that they state FIRST TIME ON VINYL despite fact that the Jap release is not a boot!)
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By ScoJo
#120309
So I thought 'screwit' - snagged the Dark Forces with cool cover for £14. I really like their boot of Funhouse so high hopes for this too.

And once the price comes down on the 1984 edition I may well grab a cheaper/2nd hand copy on the aftermarket. As I say, it's not a film which means very much to me tbh, but I dig the songs, and the addition of the score cues does make it attractive. (It's just... that sleeve. Ugh. Sometimes Ghoulish Gary nails that shit, and sometimes he flies way off the mark for me.)
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By havershaw
#121499
EXTREMELY THOROUGH* COMPARISON CORNER:

DAY OF THE DEAD

OG Saturn pressing vs. Waxwork

Wow, the Saturn version is wayyyyyyy better.

Mostly: I don’t care at all for the new mix on the Waxwork.
The clarity in the top end and midrange on the OG pressing is miles better than the Waxwork. I could be sort of partial to this because I listened to it a million times as a kid so this, to me, is just “what it sounds like” (even though I have a sealed original, I’m still listening to my childhood copy for some reason).

But to me, the original also has a punch and dynamic - a space and depth - that the Waxwork doesn’t have. And also an immediacy.

Anyway. Nice to hear all of the cues that didn’t make it on to the original soundtrack album, so of course, I’ll never get rid of the Waxwork.

But damn, that Saturn version is (to me) vastly superior.

I don’t really care for remixes of classic scores *at all*. A remaster, ok, maybe that can be cool. But a full remix on today’s gear for something that was originally done in the 70s or 80s...eh.

Also, they should have had John Harrison score the new Creepshow TV series.



*sorry for how not thorough this is
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By havershaw
#121500
The lack of space and depth in the Waxwork could be a mastering thing. It sort of reminds me of the newest Prince of Darkness vinyl release (which I sold). Kinda flat top and mids, not a lot of space, depth, or dynamic.

Not sure if they’re mastered by the same person, or if it’s just modern “in the box” digital audio techniques that can’t hold a candle to old school “mixing on a mixing console off tape” or if I just think that modern recording studios need to get off my lawn.
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By ScoJo
#121502
^ I enjoy all of this.

And yes... the shittyness of the new Creepshow score is doing some heavy lifting towards my 'this show doesn't deserve it's CS moniker' feelings.

Your DayOTD camparison is just perfect in it's brevity. Although I haven't directly compared the releases, the truth is I have listened to the Saturn a half dozen times in the last few years, whilst the WW hasn't made it onto the table twice. Like CS (and NotLD), my feels just lie too strongly with the OG.
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By havershaw
#121524
haha, thanks ScoJo.

Not to derail, but the stories in the new Creepshow are kinda weak so far. Hoping it gets better.

Also, while I do like the VS NOTLD better, I have to say, the Capitol Hi-Q LPs still kinda bury even the VS.

I’d pay some serious cash for a complete set of them, because I’d love to not just have all of those Creepshow cues, but the NOTLD ones on Hi-Q.
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By Hatter313
#121588
havershaw wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 4:41 am haha, thanks ScoJo.

Not to derail, but the stories in the new Creepshow are kinda weak so far. Hoping it gets better.

Also, while I do like the VS NOTLD better, I have to say, the Capitol Hi-Q LPs still kinda bury even the VS.

I’d pay some serious cash for a complete set of them, because I’d love to not just have all of those Creepshow cues, but the NOTLD ones on Hi-Q.
Uh oh, I know the sound of someone convincing themselves to start a new collecting frenzy when I hear it!
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By havershaw
#121589
Hatter313 wrote: Tue Oct 01, 2019 12:30 pm Uh oh, I know the sound of someone convincing themselves to start a new collecting frenzy when I hear it!
the problem is, they’re impossible to find out there!

There aren’t even Discogs entries for a lot of them.
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By CrossedPete
#124202
Just found this feed and I love it. When I first got into John Carpenter it was all about escape from New York. When I finally tracked down a copy of the score it was the Silva screen expanded reissue. I couldn’t wait to listen to it but when I put it on I thought it sounded off. For me it’s all about the VS edition and since I’ve been curios about other releases. So I have a request for someone to tackle The Burning, but I’m actually curious specifically about the Japanese release. I have a copy of the VS version and the OWS reissue. My local record store has a copy of the Japanese version for a reasonable price and I’m not sure if I need a 3rd copy
By skeletonbutt
#124215
CrossedPete wrote: Tue Dec 17, 2019 4:04 am Just found this feed and I love it. When I first got into John Carpenter it was all about escape from New York. When I finally tracked down a copy of the score it was the Silva screen expanded reissue. I couldn’t wait to listen to it but when I put it on I thought it sounded off. For me it’s all about the VS edition and since I’ve been curios about other releases. So I have a request for someone to tackle The Burning, but I’m actually curious specifically about the Japanese release. I have a copy of the VS version and the OWS reissue. My local record store has a copy of the Japanese version for a reasonable price and I’m not sure if I need a 3rd copy
i'm shocked that an actual store in Manitoba has a Japanese copy of The Burning? i think it would be hard to find that in toronto, if at all.
By 334578rpm
#124249
I have the JP Burning release. But nothing to compare it to... So not very helpful.
I do recall being pretty pleased with the SQ though. But I need to revisit it.
The cover and obi are stellar.
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By CrossedPete
#124255
skeletonbutt wrote: Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:19 am
CrossedPete wrote: Tue Dec 17, 2019 4:04 am Just found this feed and I love it. When I first got into John Carpenter it was all about escape from New York. When I finally tracked down a copy of the score it was the Silva screen expanded reissue. I couldn’t wait to listen to it but when I put it on I thought it sounded off. For me it’s all about the VS edition and since I’ve been curios about other releases. So I have a request for someone to tackle The Burning, but I’m actually curious specifically about the Japanese release. I have a copy of the VS version and the OWS reissue. My local record store has a copy of the Japanese version for a reasonable price and I’m not sure if I need a 3rd copy
i'm shocked that an actual store in Manitoba has a Japanese copy of The Burning? i think it would be hard to find that in toronto, if at all.
You’d be surprised. I’ve found some real gems. The Shining, original pressing of Halloween 3, still sealed copies (I bought 2)of Escape from New York (Varese Serabande) on cassette. You never know what you might find.
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