Kritzerland Expands Scores by Goldsmith and Newman

Kritzerland strikes gold with another pair of archival soundtracks, released earlier today. One is a resurrected reissue of a Jerry Goldsmith score – the label’s first – and the other pairs two scores by Alfred Newman on one disc, one expanded and the other never before released.

Breakheart Pass was a hearty Western adventure starring Charles Bronson as an undercover agent attempting to uncover a villainous plot aboard a steam train hurtling toward an Army post. Alistair MacLean of The Guns of Navarone fame adapted his own novel for the screenplay, and Goldsmith, reuniting with 100 Rifles director Tom Gries, was in typical fine form, creating a kinetic, richly thematic score. It’s one that sold out once before for La-La Land Records in 2006, and this pressing, featuring some unreleased material including a film edit of one cue and an action piece sourced from the film’s music and effects track, will be as sure to please.

Bruce Kimmel and company also present two of Alfred Newman’s many soundtracks for 20th Century-Fox on one disc. 1945’s Leave Her to Heaven, based on the best-selling novel by Ben Ames Williams, was a smash for Fox, the studio’s highest-grossing picture of the decade. Gene Tierney earned an Oscar nomination for her turn as a femme fatale who’ll do anything to keep her husband’s attention focused solely on her. Featuring Oscar-winning Technicolor cinematography, Leave Her to Heaven benefits from a beautiful underscore by Newman, which was partially released by Film Score Monthly in 2000 alongside Newman’s Oscar-nominated music to All About Eve. The Kritzerland presentation uses newly-discovered first generation elements for nearly every track for the best possible sound quality, and pairs the score with a decidedly lighter, unreleased one, 1951’s Take Care of My Little Girl. (The films do possess some common ground, with a co-starring turn by Jeanne Crain and a shared source cue, “Marie (in the Middle of a Night in June).”)

The discs will ship the third week of May, but preorders placed at Kritzerland usually ship one to five weeks early. Both sets are limited to 1,000 copies at $19.98 apiece plus shipping, and are selling at Kritzerland now! Hit the jump to get yours!

Rhino Flashback Revives Frankie Valli’s Vintage “Hits” Compilation

It’s time for another 4 Seasons flashback, or Flashback, as the case may be.  In January, Rhino’s budget Flashback imprint reissued two vintage compilations from the Jersey boys, 1965’s Gold Vault of Hits and 1966’s 2nd Vault of Golden Hits.  Flashback is now turning its attention to the group’s lead singer, Frankie Valli, for a straight reissue of his 1978 solo compilation LP Hits due in stores on April 16.

The man born Francis Castellucio in Newark, New Jersey had his first taste of solo stardom in 1967 when “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” written and produced by his usual 4 Seasons team of Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe, ascended the U.S. pop charts all the way to No. 2.  It was far from Valli’s first solo record, though.  His very first released recording, 1954’s “My Mothers Eyes” by “Frankie Valley,” was sans group.  But by 1956, Valli had joined with The Four Lovers, the group that eventually morphed into The 4 Seasons.  That group’s history is well-documented: two consecutive No. 1 hits in 1962 (“Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry”), fifteen charted singles over the next two years, including six Top 10s and two No. 1s.  Valli wasn’t relinquishing his spot with the 4 Seasons when he struck out on his own and charted his first solo hit with 1966’s No. 39 record “(You’re Gonna) Hurt Yourself.”  Solo LPs arrived from Philips in 1967 and 1968, but Valli returned to the group, and didn’t headline another proper solo album until 1975’s Closeup.  (He did, however, record a number of solo tracks and singles during the group’s 1971-1973 stint at Motown, from which Berry Gordy’s famous label assembled the album Inside You.)

There’s more about Frankie after the jump!