One more in our ongoing series of Hollywood soundtracks from the 1950s on 12-inch LPs. This one brings together several of the biggest names in film scoring.
The music for Written on the Wind seems to have been written by committee. The main theme, here in a pseudoemotive version by the Four Aces, is by Victor Young, with words from that lyric machine Sammy Cahn. The "background music," which presumably means everything else, is by Frank Skinner. Everything, that is, except for the Nacio Herb Brown standard Temptation, which gets inserted here and there.
The real attraction, at least for me, is the other side of the record, which contains a composition called Rhapsody for Four Girls in Town, based on Alex North's music for the movie. The sleeve gives an orchestration credit to the young composer Henry Mancini. Playing the piano is yet another notable, Andre Previn. The music has echoes of everything from Bernstein's West Side Story music to Copland and Gershwin, all in the characteristic Mancini sound of the period. Most enjoyable.
Short technical note: this record says it was processed with the RIAA curve. True on the first side, but not on the second. That side sounds shrill when you play it back that way. I have corrected for that anomaly - clever, eh?
REMASTERED VERSION
Many thanks for this Buster!
ReplyDeletehey Buster, your notes make this sound really interesting so I will check this out! Thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you, Buster. I finally can send to the attic my old LP!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteUI (Universal International) did most of their soundtrack music this way. (You are correct, it was more or less done by committee, or by the UI musical staff which included Henry Mancini). Many times on Joseph Gershwenson (who was not a composer) got the only screen credit. Frank Skinner was was UI's main A-list composer. He sometimes got an on-screen and/or LP credit (as with MADAME X).
ReplyDeleteReally like your posts, especially the 10-inch items.
Remastered version:
ReplyDeletehttps://mega.co.nz/#!CZclWQIT!PiddYhf2nl0jFibObAjfc0gazqoD4-hbVfcVM1MDUS4