Intrada Premieres Three Rugged Scores on Two Discs

The latest haul from Intrada is three ’60s and ’70s scores for some tough-guy pictures, each from three different, classic composers and all making their debut on any format.

First up, Elmer Bernstein scores Cahill: U.S. Marshal (1973). Bernstein obviously had some Western chops – The Magnificent Seven, anyone? – and he certainly had quite the opportunity to flex those muscles for this film. The title character, a black-hatted lawman pursuing a bank robber (George Kennedy) and his accomplices (who happen to be the marshal’s sons), was played by none other than John Wayne. The score to this Warner Bros. picture – which included a song, “A Man Gets to Thinkin’,” with lyrics by Don Black – is notable as one of the first recorded on multitrack tape (2″, 16-channel tape, to be exact), meaning a new stereo remix could be constructed just for this disc. Jeff Bond provides detailed liner notes for the set.

Intrada’s other release this week is a two-fer: first, there’s Hell is for Heroes, a 1962 film about an Army squad’s near-impossible task to hold the Siegfried Line against German forces for two days straight in 1944. Despite an all-star cast, including Steve McQueen, Bobby Darin, James Coburn, Fess Parker and Bob Newhart (in his first film role), budgetary restrictions and on-set conflicts (namely between McQueen and writer Robert Pirosh, who created the TV series Combat!) sank the film; Leonard Rosenman’s short, active score, though, is a highlight, and presented in full on the first part of the disc.

Hell is for Heroes is paired with Jerry Fielding’s score to Escape from Alcatraz, an adaptation of J. Campbell Bruce’s book starring Clint Eastwood as Frank Morris, who in real life did escape the maximum security prison and was never found since. Working for the fifth and final time with director Don Siegel (who helmed Coogan‘s Bluff and Dirty Harry with Eastwood starring), Alcatraz features a unique, experimental “musique concrete” score by Fielding written to reflect the harsh conditions of the prison, newly remixed in stereo.

All titles are available “while quantities and interest remain”; hit the jump to read the track lists and place your orders!

To All The Fans He’s Loved Before: Julio Iglesias Revisits His Legacy on New “Greatest Hits”

The artist born Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva practically defines “international superstar.”  Iglesias, with roughly eighty albums under his belt since his 1969 debut, can boast over 300 million units sold worldwide, and has recorded in fourteen languages.  On April 9, Legacy Recordings will recognize his extensive career with the first American release of 1 – Greatest Hits.  Already certified multi-platinum in many Spanish-speaking territories, the 2-CD Greatest Hits differs from the typical such set, though, as it’s built around new recordings of old favorites made in 2006 and 2011.

Julio Iglesias rose to fame in his native Spain in the late 1960s.  The rising star was elected to represent the country in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest, in which he came in fourth place for his song “Gwendolyne.”  This was no setback, though.  It wasn’t long before he scored a No. 1 hit with “Un Canto a Galicia” and spread his romantic musical gospel around Europe, recording in French and Italian as well as Spanish.  Following a move to the United States, the Discos Columbia artist was signed to the label’s U.S. parent, CBS, as the eighties dawned.  At CBS, he continued to sing and write repertoire in a variety of languages also including Portuguese and German.  Iglesias’ fame had spread to English-speaking areas with the U.K. success of his 1981 revival of Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine.”  The standard went all the way to No. 1 in the U.K. and paved the way for 1984’s breakthrough album 1100 Bel Air Place.  Bolstered by the success of the Albert Hammond/Hal David-penned “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” performed as a duet with Willie Nelson, Bel Air Place sold four million albums in the United States alone.  The romantic troubadour had truly arrived, and was greeted on the album not only by Nelson, but by The Beach Boys (on a cover of Hammond’s “The Air That I Breathe,” previously a hit for The Hollies) and Diana Ross (on the hit single “All of You,” written by Iglesias with Cynthia Weil and Tony Renis).  Yet even that phenomenally successful LP was just the icing on the cake of a remarkable career; in 1983, The Guinness Book of World Records awarded the charismatic crooner its first and only Diamond Award for having sold more records in more languages than any other artist in music history.

In the years that followed, Iglesias racked up record-breaking sales, sold-out tours, a Grammy Award, and even a guest appearance on The Golden Girls!  As patriarch, he found himself nominated for a Grammy the same year (1998) as his son, Enrique.  Prior to Greatest Hits – 1, which arrived in many Latin countries in 2011, Iglesias’ last album was 2006’s Romantic Classics on which he brought his stamp to songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, George Michael and The Bee Gees.

After the jump: details on Greatest Hits, plus full track listings and pre-order links!

That Was “Laura”: Classic Soundtrack Arrives on CD as Film Debuts on Blu-ray

Goodbye, Laura.  Goodbye, my love…

Director Otto Preminger’s 1944 film Laura remains one of the film noir dramas against which all others will be measured, the rare picture that transcended its troubled behind-the-scenes production to become an all-time classic.  All the elements came together, from the cast (Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Prince, Judith Anderson) to the screenplay by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Elizabeth Reinhardt (based on Vera Caspary’s novel) to, memorably, the score by David Raksin.   The Academy Award-winning film makes it Blu-ray debut today, February 5, from 20th Century Fox, and Kritzerland is marking the occasion with the first-ever release of the complete score to Laura.

Laura was one of the earliest scores penned by Philadelphia-born David Raksin, who began his film career assisting Charlie Chaplin with the music of Modern Times.  Raksin’s monothematic score was built around his haunting melody that, in 1945, became the song “Laura” with lyrics by Johnny Mercer.  “Laura” is said to be one of the most-recorded popular songs in history, with recordings having been made by everybody from Frank Sinatra to Seth MacFarlane (!).  Raksin found the perfect musical expression for the story of beautiful Laura Hunt (Tierney), whose murder is being investigated by detective Mark McPherson (Andrews).  Clifton Webb, as the foppish newspaper columnist Waldo Lydecker, has many of the film’s best bon mots: “I should be sincerely sorry to see my neighbor’s children devoured by wolves” or “I don’t use a pen; I write with a goose quill dipped in venom.”  Following numerous twists and turns in the plot, Webb utters the famous farewell, “Goodbye, Laura.  Goodbye, my love…”

Kritzerland’s edition differs from all past releases of the score to Laura.  Hit the jump for all of the details as well as for order links!

Release Round-Up: Week of February 5

Taj Mahal, The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (Columbia/Legacy)

Fifteen discs of the blues legend’s Columbia output, including last year’s The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal compilation of unreleased material. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Townes Van Zandt, Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions and Demos 1971-1972 (Omnivore)

A new two-disc set features entirely unreleased outtakes, alternates and demos from the Texan singer-songwriter’s early-’70s career. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Barbra Streisand, Classical Barbra: Expanded Edition (Masterworks)

A newly-expanded version (with two bonus tracks) of Barbra’s 1976 album of pieces by Handel, Debussy, Orff and others. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Billy Paul, Going East: Expanded Edition / Dick Jensen, Dick Jensen / Azteca, Azteca: Expanded Edition / Pyramid of the Moon: Expanded Edition / Tyrone Davis, In the Mood with Tyrone Davis: Expanded Edition / Carmen McRae, I Am Music (Big Break)

Check out the scoop on the latest Big Break batch (complete with Amazon links) here, and read Joe’s review of Dick Jensen here!

Jewel, Greatest Hits (Atlantic/Rhino)

One of the biggest country-pop hitmakers of the ’90s releases her first compilation with a new single and two new duet recordings of previous hits with Pistol Annies and Kelly Clarkson. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Tony Bennett, As Time Goes By: Great American Songbook Classics (Concord)

A new budget-line, 12-track compilation of Tony’s mid-’70s Improv and Fantasy output. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Deep Purple, Slaves and Masters: The Deluxe Edition (Friday Music)

The band’s only Mk. V album, featuring onetime Rainbow frontman Joe Lynn Turner on vocals, gets expanded on CD with two bonus tracks. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Boris Midney and Festival, Evita/The Empire Strikes Back (Harmless)

Two mind-blowing disco adaptations of a legendary Broadway musical and the superb score to a sci-fi sequel? Yes, indeed! (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Paul Williams, Still Alive (Virgil Films)

A compelling documentary on one of the best songwriters of his age, newly released on DVD. (Amazon U.S.)