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MONSTROUS MOVIE MUSIC contains an 18-minute suite from Ray Harryhausen's
first solo animation epic, THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, which
was based on a Ray Bradbury short story. David Buttolph's powerful
score for this 1953 Warner Brothers release covers all the important
musical moments of the film, including the eerie sounds of the
Arctic environment, the destruction of the lighthouse, the diving
bell sequence, the Rhedosaurus' attack upon New York, and the
fiery finale at the amusement park. The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms’
influential score helped define the sound of giant monsters on
the loose in the '50s!
Also on MORE MONSTROUS MOVIE MUSIC is an 18-minute suite from
TARANTULA, Universal-International's 1955 entry in the “GIANT
BUG” genre. The studio boasted one of the strongest film
music departments in the industry, and Herman Stein's and Henry
Mancini's contributions to Tarantula augmented the memorable images
with equally-exciting musical accompaniment. (NOTE: Tarantula’s
sequence featuring Clint Eastwood in a bit part did not have any
music in it, so the actor’s fans should not be expecting
any Italian harmonica solos in our suite.)
Universal was prone to re-use music from their earlier films,
and Tarantula is an excellent example of how breathtaking a composite
film score can be when it borrows from the finest moments of previously-written
cues. The score is a skillfully-woven tapestry of music written
specifically for Tarantula as well as pieces originally composed
for This Island Earth, Dawn At Socorro, Six Bridges To Cross,
Tanganyika, Smoke Signal, and other Universal genre films.
Next up is the Irving Gertz’s startling and memorable “Main
Title” from THE MONOLITH MONSTERS. This cue is from Universal-International's
1957 opus about giant killer rocks from space, and it uses similar
musical material from Gertz’s score for The Deadly Mantis.
Finally, MORE MONSTROUS MOVIE MUSIC contains a 19-minute suite
from the 1961 dinosaur film GORGO, featuring a colorful score
from the master of Italian film music, Angelo Francesco Lavagnino.
The 21 cues range from a gorgeous 'Main Title' featuring accordion
to the dynamic music heard when Gorgo's colossal mother invades
London to rescue her captured child. Though relatively unknown
in the States, Lavagnino is considered a film music giant in international
circles, and this score will transport you to a world of musical
invention.
The 32-page liner book features eye-popping cover art by Robert
Aragon, 13,000 words of information about the films, their scores,
and the composers who wrote them, as well as a healthy dose of
humor. The book also contains 25 photos (many in color), including
never-before seen-copies of the music manuscripts.
The liner book text includes timings that match the digital read-out
on your CD player -- so you can follow along with the music while
you read.
Tarantula (1955)
Music by Herman Stein, Henry Mancini
1. Introduction (Stein) (:11)
2. Main Title (Stein) (1:11)
3. Gruesome Corpse (Stein) (1:15)
4. Radioactive Research (Stein) (1:05)
5. Spider On The Loose
(Stein, Mancini) (3:05)
6. Burying The Evidence (Stein) 1:35)
7. Side Effects (Stein) (1:15)
8. Big Bunnies (Stein, Mancini) (:56)
9. Agar to the Rescue
(Stein, Mancini) (1:23)
10. Evening Snack (Stein, Mancini) (1:33)
11. Bringing Down The House (Stein) (2:51)
12. Blasted Arachnid (Stein, Mancini) (1:50)
13. End Title (Stein) (:32)
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms
Music by David Buttolph
14. Main Title (1:11)
15. Far North/Expedition/Monster (2:06)
16. Lost Scientist/Beast Sighted (2:20)
17. Chord (:09)
18. Extinguishing The Lighthouse (:57)
19. Diving Bell (1:13)
20. Bell And Octopus (1:54)
21. Absent Professor (1:31)
22. Monster Does Manhattan (1:57)
23. Herald Square/Germs (1:14)
24. Up The Coaster/Finale (4:14)
The Monolith Monsters
Music by Irving Gertz)
25. Main Title (1:03)
Gorgo (1961)
Music Angelo Francesco Lavagnino
26. Main Title (1:48)
27. Restless Sea/Underwater/Tidal Wave (2:21)
28. On The Island/Inner Room (2:08)
29. Gorgo Sighted/Gorgo Surfaces (1:48)
30. Fire Fight (1:23)
31. Making A Plan/Ocean Voyage (1:35)
32. Gorgo Escapes/Mama Rises (1:14)
33. Jet Alert/Battleship Barrage (1:07)
34. Military Might/Torpedo Attack (2:05)
35. Big Ben Demolished (:56)
36. London Trampled (1:09)
37. Return To Sea/End Title (2:09)
sound
samples in MP3 format
