“Die Hard 2,” “Enemy Mine” Lead Off New Varese Batch

Like a sleeping giant, soundtrack reissue Varese Sarabande wakes only periodically and deliberately to release film and television scores from the vaults through their famed Soundtrack Club. In recent years, fans have bemoaned the lack of “Silver Age” scores – that is, more recent music from blockbuster films. That trend looks to change with the latest solid batch of limited edition reissues from Varese.

First up, following Varese’s own limited edition of Michael Kamen’s score to Die Hard in 2002 (and a subsequent further expansion by La-La Land last holiday season), the label expands Kamen’s score to the first sequel in the franchise. Die Hard 2: Die Harder had the improbable task of continuing the unlikely saga of hard-nosed hero John McClane; the New York detective this time found himself not in Los Angeles’ Nakatomi Plaza skyscraper, but Washington, D.C.’s Dulles Airport, where he has to battle another group of terrorists while his wife is stranded on a plane circling the air above. Though it was a critical and commercial success, outpacing even the first film financially, it’s easily the silliest in the series (soon to continue with a fifth installment next February). But Kamen’s score, which sees him reprising old themes and adapting classical compositions – in this case, Sibelius’ “Finlandia” – to great effect. This two-disc presentation is limited to 3,000 units.

Next, Varese premieres the score to The Red Pony, a television film scored by the legendary Jerry Goldsmith. The composer would win his first Emmy for the project, based on John Steinbeck’s short story collection of the same name. Clint Howard (Ron’s little brother) played a boy on a California ranch whose experiences with a young horse shapes his formative years. Maureen O’Hara and Henry Fonda (no stranger to Steinbeck on film, of course) played the parents; Fonda in particular had declared The Red Pony to be his favorite of Steinbeck’s words, and a diverse group of famous fans from Eric Clapton to Barack Obama have made themselves known over the years. Being a Goldsmith title, this set is also capped at 3,000 copies.

After the jump, one more expanded title and two reissues from the Varese catalogue – all from the 1980s – await you!

“Enemies because they were taught to be. Allies because they had to be. Brothers because they dared to be.” So read the poster for Enemy Mine, a 1985 adaptation of Barry B. Longyear’s sci-fi novella about two soldiers – one human, one alien – who crash land on a foreign planet in wartime and must work together to survive. Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. played human Willis Davidge and the reptilian Jeriba “Jerry” Shigan, and Maurice Jarre recorded a score that balanced synthesizers with traditional orchestral overtures. This new CD, limited to 1,500 copies (and, as of this writing, down to under 300), features the original 10-track LP augmented with more than twice as many unreleased and alternate cues.

Varese’s Encore Series, featuring extremely limited reissues of out-of-print Varese LPs, conclude this latest batch. There’s The Boy Who Could Fly, a coming-of-age film about a young girl and her friendship with an autistic neighbor, with a whimsical score from Bruce Broughton; and Man on Fire, John Scott’s score to the first adaptation of the A.J. Quinnell novel about an ex-CIA agent hired to protect a 12-year-old from kidnappers. (The latter theme, in an interesting full-circle twist, is likely best known for being tracked into, of all movies, the original Die Hard.) Both Encore scores are limited to 1,000 copies, and under 100 remain – so act fast. Order links and track lists are below!

Michael Kamen, Die Hard 2: Die Harder – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (The Deluxe Edition) (Varese Sarabande VCL 1012 1138, 2012 – original film released 1990)

Disc 1

1. Nude Tai Chi/Marching Through the Hotel Corridor
2. Colonel Stuart
3. Could We Have a Few Words Please
4. Into the Baggage Area/Baggage Flight
5. Snowfall on Blueprints
6. General Esperanza
7. Dead for Two Years
8. Powering Up
9. Kicked Out of the Tower
10. Marching to the Annex
11. Skywalk Shootout
12. Skywalk Aftermath/Looking for a New Miracle
13. Attention Dulles Tower
14. Crashing the Jet
15. John Picks Up Doll
16. The Army’s Arrival/The Idea
17. Colonel Stuart’s Speech
18. Landing Esperanza’s Plane
19. Meeting Esperanza
20. John Punches Esperanza

Disc 2

1. Little Problems
2. Fight with the Sentry/Fight at the Church Continues
3. Shootout and Snowmobile Chase
4. Dick-Head
5. Chasing the Jet
6. Fight on the Wing
7. Fight on the Wing Continues
8. Finlandia (Finale)
9. The First Killings (Alternate)
10. Baggage Flight (Alternate)
11. Powering Up (Alternate)
12. Attention Dulles Tower (Alternate)
13. Crashing the Jet (Alternate)
14. Colonel Stuart’s Speech (Alternate)
15. The Doll (Album Version)
16. Finlandia (End Titles)

Portions of this program originally released as Varese Sarabande VS-5273, 1990

Jerry Goldsmith, The Red Pony: Original Television Soundtrack (Varese Sarabande VCL 1012 1139, 2012 – original film aired 1973)

1. Main Title — Part 1
2. Main Title — Part 2
3. How’s a Boy Going to Grow
4. True Love
5. Father’s Home
6. Father’s Gift
7. A Dead Man
8. Ninety-Seven Years
9. A Day’s Work
10. Final Ride
11. A Sick Horse
12. The Buzzards
13. The Vacation
14. Automobiles Are Better
15. 10m1
16. A Helping Hand
17. The Foal

All selections previously unreleased

Maurice Jarre, Enemy Mine: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – The Deluxe Edition (Varese Sarabande VCL 1012 1140, 2012 – original film released 1985)

1. Fyrine IV
2. The Relationship
3. The Small Drac
4. The Crater
5. The Birth of Zammis
6. Spring
7. The Scavengers
8. Davidge’s Lineage
9. Football Game
10. Before the Holy Drac Council
11. Main Title (Film Version)
12. Joey’s Death (Alternate)
13. Drac in Pool
14. Electric Davidge
15. Hope of Rescue
16. Knife At Throat
17. Walk in the Forest
18. First Talman
19. Davidge in the Pit
20. Cuca Shells (Alternate)
21. Teaching of Talman
22. Talman Sung
23. Drac Skull (Alternate Take)
24. A Little Drac
25. Predator in Hut
26. Drac Sings Lineage
27. Take My Place
28. Birth of the Baby
29. I Wish I Had Your Face
30. Davidge At BTA
31. Peace
32. The Holy Council

Tracks 1-10 released as Varese Sarabande STV-81721, 1985. All other tracks previously unreleased

Bruce Broughton, The Boy Who Could Fly: Original Motion Picture Score – Varese Encore Edition (originally released as Varese Sarabande STV-81299, 1986 – reissued as Varese Sarabande VCL 1012 1141, 2012)

1. Main Title
2. New Starts
3. Milly’s Science Project
4. Family
5. Flying
6. Eric on the Roof
7. Eric Agitated/Louis Defeated
8. Milly and Eric Flee
9. In the Air
10. The Boy Who Could Fly

John Scott, Man on Fire: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Varese Encore Edition (originally released as Varese Sarabande STV-81343, 1987 – reissued as Varese Sarabande VCL 1012 1142, 2012)

1. Man on Fire
2. The Bomb
3. Snake’s First Victim
4. Sam Wins the Race
5. The Villa At Night
6. The Ransom Drop
7. Start of the Search
8. Death of Creasy
9. Becoming Friends
10. The Kidnapping
11. We’ve Got Each Other
12. Rabbia Must Die
13. Sam Runs Into Danger
14. Reconciliation
15. Premature Death
16. Reunited