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For his 85th Birthday, John Williams Gives the Gift of THE LAST JEDI

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watershed

Banned
One amazing thing about John Williams is how successful he has been in different decades. For some people the ET, Close Encounters, A New Hope scores were how they were introduced to John Williams. For others, Jurassic Park is THE John Williams score and the first score to make them notice film music. For a much younger generation the Harry Potter scores are quintessential John Williams. To say nothing of the great scores, before, between, and after.
 

WillyFive

Member
Other way around, actually. Williams didn't have enough time to compose CoS so he brought in another composer to help. A good chunk of that score uses adapted music from Sorcerer's Stone (and other Williams scores, amusingly).

William Ross conducted, John Williams wrote.
 
I mean all the scores I linked released in 1977, which is 40 years ago. Hence the 40th anniversary of his releasing Black Sunday, Star Wars, and Close Encounters all in a row.

Is this a good time to bring up that he scored episodes of Gilligan's Island?

His short scores for the show are very reminiscent of Home Alone and a little bit of Star Wars, but mainly holy shit can you hear the similarities to Home Alone in here. You can TELL when you hear the Williams pieces. It's kinda nuts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx35KqASGEg

In this video the time codes for Williams pieces are:


  • :19 -:34 - Johnny Williams (JW) - "Gilligan's Travels" (pilot)
    4:16 - 4:57 - JW (pilot)
    6:29 - 6:50 - JW (pilot)
    7:24 - 7:30 - JW "HELP!" (cue title) last part (pilot)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUuJNsIfu2Q

This video is where you really start hearing the Williams you know.

Time codes:


  • 0:33 - John T. Williams (JTW), pilot score
    0:46 - JTW, arr. Gerald Fried (GF) "Nyet, Nyet, Not Yet" opening (S2)
    1:16 - JTW, arr. GF (S2)
    1:18 - JTW "Long Distance" (cue title, from pilot)
    2:58 - JTW "More Marina" (from original version of pilot)
    7:26 - JTW "Who Goes There?"(from pilot)
    7:57 - JTW (pilot)
    8:33 - JTW "The Marina" (pilot)
    8:57 - JTW (pilot)

With the most Williamsy pieces being at 4:16 - 4:57 - JW (pilot) in video 1, and 0:33 - John T. Williams (JTW), pilot score and the most Star Warsy piece, 7:26 - JTW "Who Goes There?"(from pilot), and 8:33 - JTW "The Marina" (pilot).

Yes, I know I'm the only one that gives a shit about finding stuff like this, but I need as much Williams as I can get.
 
Also: Sony's hold on the scores was finally let go this year: If you'll notice, the versions of the soundtrack now being served up by YouTube and Spotify are the original LP versions (77, 80, & 83) and not the re-mastered (and not always to the good) Special Edition versions.

I believe you have to actually search specifically for the Special Edition scores now if you want those, but the defaults are now the album versions.

Curious to see what Disney does with these scores going forward.
 

Radian8

Member
Not only one of the best Superhero scores ever (for the best Superhero movie ever) but also one of the best Bond scores ever. Which is pretty amazing, considering.
Kronos Unveiled is such an amazing track, every time I watch the film it doesn't fail to send a shiver down my spine, it elevates the whole film to me, it takes it from a 'kids' film to a very dark place in 3 minutes. I utterly adore what Giacchino accomplished with The Incredibles score.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_wvb6sh71A

As for the hating on the force awakens soundtrack, it saddens me :(

BTW, While we are talking about soundtracks elevating a film to something much more than it should be, I don't think there is a better example (for me personally) than James Horner with Krull;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwQZ9UrnyJw
 
My favorite unused part of Episode 1, his actual score for the lightsaber battle. It's a faster paced Duel of the Fates.

The one in the movie is just the CD version which was meant for concerts, not the movie.

We posting prequel scores now?

Anakin's Betrayal

Anakin's Dark Deeds

Battle of the Heroes

Across the Stars

The prequels may be terrible in a lot of aspects but at least George understood that a Star Wars score need to be big, bombastic and in your face. I should never leave a SW film trying to remember a single musical piece.
 

Hastati

Member
What a fantastic way to honor his legacy. The guy is still nailing it. You can skip to any bar of a Williams composition and recognize it, including the texture of the instruments he uses.

Music snobs and experts may disagree with this, but he's absolutely the Beethoven of his time - making popular, comprehensible and emotionally manipulative experiences that improve and amplify the emotional nature of the things they accompany.

He's definitely one of the best 20th and 21st century composers. He has every attribute, the ability to create memorable melodies, creative orchestration and consistent variety across all of his compositions.

His music makes the films for me, so it's great news when the directors realize that.
 
One amazing thing about John Williams is how successful he has been in different decades. For some people the ET, Close Encounters, A New Hope scores were how they were introduced to John Williams. For others, Jurassic Park is THE John Williams score and the first score to make them notice film music. For a much younger generation the Harry Potter scores are quintessential John Williams. To say nothing of the great scores, before, between, and after.

Seriously, the Harry Potter stuff is just as iconic as his quintessential Spielberg/Star Wars scores.
 
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