TV omnibus: volume one

Many of the major film composers of the 1960s and '70s cut their teeth and honed their skills not on theatrical films but on work for the small screen. Writing for television taught them to create effective music quickly and economically. This wide-ranging 5CD set from Film Score Monthly (drawn from the archives of M-G-M Television) features rare and exciting television work by composers best known for feature films—John Williams, Leonard Rosenman, Dave Grusin, Jerry Fielding, George Duning, Lalo Schifrin—as well as musicians long adored for their television work, such as Gil Mellé, John Parker and Billy Goldenberg.

Disc One leads off the collection with John ("Johnny") Williams's music for a single episode of The Eleventh Hour (1963), a spin-off of the popular Dr. Kildare series. This is the only M-G-M series episode scored by Williams, who was primarily working for Universal at the time. It is followed by Leonard Rosenman's score for The Phantom of Hollywood (1974), which mines the atonal and dissonant style of The Cobweb while also incorporating melodies from classic M-G-M musicals. Also heard on the first disc is jazz trumpeter Don Ellis's brief but probing score for The Deadly Tower (1975), NBC's controversial film about a real-life sniper who killed 13 people in a deadly shooting spree at the University of Texas in 1966.

Disc Two features Dave Grusin's hip music for three episodes of Assignment: Vienna (1972-73), an international-intrigue series which starred Robert Conrad. Grusin incorporated a cimbalom into his otherwise contemporary jazz score to give the music an Old World flavor. Among the disc's highlights are the pieces for jazz trio and quartet composed as source music for the nightclub operated by Conrad's character, heard here for the first time absolutely complete (only truncated versions were featured in the show).

More music from the same series—but by a different composer—makes up the first half of Disc Three. John Parker, who also worked on CHiPs, brought a slightly more conventional sound to the show, although he too used cimbalom and a similar orchestration.

The other music featured on Disc Three comes from Jerry Fielding's delightfully diverse score for the TV movie, Shirts/Skins (1973). Although he was better-known for scoring films that explored man's dark side (The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs), Fielding was equally adept at scoring comedies. This telefilm about six overstressed businessmen engaged in a wacky contest gave Fielding the opportunity to stretch his musical muscles in several directions. His big-band arrangement of "Sweet Georgia Brown" is just one aspect of this appealing score, which also includes a zany march, a bit of vaudeville and some quasi religioso moments for scenes set in a church.

Disc Four is devoted to music from Then Came Bronson—both George Duning's largely traditional score for the TV-movie/pilot (1969) and Gil Mellé's more diverse contribution to two episodes of the ensuing series (1969-70). Duning's romantic idiom was perfectly suited to this tale of a motorcycle-riding drifter out to discover himself and his country, encompassing a beautiful love theme in its rich orchestral palette (the score is for a relatively large group of 35 musicians). Mellé's two episode scores include one fairly traditional effort, "The Circle of Time" (this was before his electronic music breakthrough), and a more intriguing, jazz-based score written for only eight players ("The Forest Primeval"). He adapted the latter into a 14-minute jazz suite ("Waterbirds") for a rare 1970 LP.

Lalo Schifrin's complete score for Earth II (1971) (which FSM previewed in The Cincinnati Kid, Lalo Schifrin Scores Vol. 1), a science-fiction TV movie with its otherworldly sounds created by non-traditional use of orchestral instruments as well as extensive use of electronics, opens Disc Five. It is followed by music for a 1976 failed pilot film about an international "Impossible Missions"-type team, High Risk, composed by Billy Goldenberg. Mysterious, restrained yet elegant, this score also explores unique sounds with such instruments as electric sitar, synthesizer and echoplexed electric flutes.

The 32-page booklet includes extensive background notes by film and TV music historian Jon Burlingame, plus stills and artwork selected by Joe Sikoryak—BUT there's more! With so much fascinating music contained on these discs, FSM is providing additional notes online for selected scores. This historical collection sheds new light on the work of several well-known composers and is a must-buy for all collectors interested in the "full picture" of '60s and '70s dramatic scoring. Order yours and "tune in" today.

Tracklist

DISC 1:
Dr. Kildare (1961–1966)
Three Stars Will Shine Tonight (stereo) (Jerry Goldsmith—Pete Rugolo—Hal Winn) Sung by Richard Chamberlain 2:38
The Eleventh Hour (1962–1964)
End Credits (second season) (Harry Sukman) 1:01
“The Bronze Locust” (1963)
Music Composed and Conducted by Johnny Williams
Polly’s Tune/Robert Baby 0:57
Polly Meets David/Starke Worries 2:37
Polly Ad Libs 1:28
Polly’s Theme 1:43
David Visits Polly 2:26
Polly’s Rationale/Starke’s Theory 1:14
Polly’s Solitude/David Levels 1:07
The Poem 0:56
Polly’s Blues 1:22
Polly Provokes David 1:19
David Gets Upset 1:05
Polly-Phonic 0:53
Total Time: 17:36

The Phantom of Hollywood (1974)
Music Composed and Conducted by Leonard Rosenman
Main Title 0:56
Jump/See You Later 3:20
Westside Financial/The Phantom 2:33
50 Cent Tour/Phantom on the Roof/Sneaky Phantom 5:28
Funny Time (Harry Lojewski)/Opening Scene (Franz Waxman) 0:30
The Ring/Act End/Fade In/Phantom on Lot 2 1:21
Empty Street 2:29
The Body/That’s Entertainment! (Howard Dietz & Arthur Schwartz) 1:48
Get the Phantom 5:12
Captive Ready 2:56
The Ventilator/The Ugly Face/Please 5:02
The Bulldozer Appears 3:21
End of the Phantom/End Title 1:34
Total Time: 36:55

The Deadly Tower (1975)
Music Composed and Conducted by Don Ellis
The Deadly Duo 3:51
Mom/Note/Rifle 2:10
Photos/Wife 1:22
A Kiss to Build a Dream On 1:24
Couple 1:01
Deadly/Kill 4:29
Ticket End Titles 2:15
Total Time: 16:45

Assignment: Munich (1972)
Music Composed and Conducted by George Romanis
Munich Theme Source (fast version) 2:34
Total Disc Time: 78:00

DISC 2:
Assignment: Vienna (1972–1973)
Music Composed and Conducted by Dave Grusin
Jake’s Theme I 4:15
Main Title (revised) 0:47
“The Last Target” (1972)
Macklin/Act I 1:50
Traveling 1:14
Macklin Chase 2:20
Interference/One Wrong Sound 2:03
Julie/Jake/Eckert/Mild Menace 2:47
Fish in a Barrel 2:36
Punctuality/Panoramic Meeting/Last Target 1:21
Escape Route 0:58
Final Chase 2:40
Grandstand Play 1:53
Falling for You/End Credits 1:05
Total Time: 21:11
Jake’s Theme II 5:43

“Hot Potato” (1972)
Camera Obscura 2:45
Jake Driving/Always Lucky 1:45
10,000 Meter Relay 3:36
Weltschmerz/Balloon Man/All Ashore 2:10
Boat Taxi/10,000 Meter Relay/Hofbrau Hoods 3:23
Salster Bridge/Not Exactly/14 Braunerstrasse 2:27
Susan Scenery/Contact/Duncan Did It/Jake Driving—Edit 4:46
You Clean Up/End Credits (alternate take) 0:54
Total Time: 23:02
Jake’s Theme (jazz waltz version) 2:22

“A Deadly Shade of Green” (1973)
Half Price 1:14
Not the Type/Brother Slim/Freddy 2:14
Dirge for Harry/Maria Theresa/Arrest 2:28
Long Jim Silver 2:34
Good Year/Underground/Wrought Iron Disclosure/Into It 5:42
Last Chase/Auf Wiederhoben 1:28
Total Time: 15:54
Main Title—Alternate 0:47
Jake’s Theme (ballad version) 2:48
Total Disc Time: 76:22

DISC 3:
Assignment: Vienna
Music Composed and Conducted by Dave Grusin
Déjà vu 5:07
Montreal Express Blues 4:18
Total Time: 9:29

Assignment: Vienna
Music Composed and Conducted by John Parker
“There Was an Old Woman” (1973)
Main Title (unused) (Grusin, arr. George Romanis) 0:47
Rat on the Roof/A Peeping Victor 1:50
Pop Goes Sylvia 1:46
The Wiener Schnitzel Derby 1:25
Nasty Report 1:38
#11 Goldeggstrasse 2:58
Jump Fritz 0:50
Mother’s Fiacre/The Little Corporal/Kaput/Leaping Jacob 2:29
Strassberg-Hoffenstein/Miss the Action 2:39
Total Time: 16:40

“So Long, Charley” (1973)
Bumper (Grusin, arr. Parker) 0:06
Charley Stokes 1:32
4:28 A.M. 3:43
4:37 A.M. 1:09
Charley Stokes 1:13
Help, Police 1:05
Orloff 0:58
An Albanian Snitch/The Stars and Sickle Forever 0:59
Schlepp to Der Schloss 1:57
Maria Schell Is Mad as Hell 1:54
So Long Charley 1:07
Total Time: 16:03

Shirts/Skins
Music Composed and Conducted by Jerry Fielding
Theme: “Sweet Georgia Brown” by Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey and Maceo Pinkard
TV Movie (1973)
1-M-1/Opening Titles (Sweet Georgia Brown) 7:12
Priest in Dentist’s Chair/They Set It Up (Sweet Georgia Brown) 3:02
Act In/Sneaking in Benny’s Office/Sneaky Time/Blackface in Tunnel/The Missing Chair 3:52
Rape/Shambles/Toy Soldier 3:15
They Steal Mother/Mississippi 2:45
Into the Church/Church Time/Church and Museum/Short Hymn Reprise 5:17
The Stealing Nun/Meanwhile Back at the Museum 3:42
All’s Well That Ends (Sweet Georgia Brown) 2:00
Total Time: 31:24
TV Pilot (1974)
Main Title (Sweet Georgia Brown) 1:56
After the Girls/Sweet Georgia Brown (cop version)/Smoking Dresses 1:01
Sweet Georgia Brown (end credits version) 0:56
Total Time: 3:57

Total Disc Time: 77:58

DISC 4:
Then Came Bronson (1969–1970)
TV Movie/Pilot (1969)—Music Composed and Conducted by George Duning
*“Wayfaring Stranger” (traditional) Arranged by Robert Armbruster, Performed by Michael Parks and Bonnie Bedelia
Main Title (series) 0:52
No Place 0:59
Bronson Away 2:57
Enter Temple 2:20
Bronson Mad 2:10
42 Miles/Black Bart 1:46
Temple Cold/Not Interested/Temple Horrified 2:55
Nature Got Her 3:27
It’s Not Mine/Nowhere to Go 2:29
Papa Bear/Jim’s Story 2:54
Goodbye Papa Bear/Off Again 1:23
Winner Bronson/Shopping 2:24
Wayfaring Stranger*/Coffee Time/Have Fun Today? 1:47
I Want You 2:10
Bike Wash 1:47
River Bath 2:22
When It Happens/Temple Worried 1:55
I’ll See You/Wayfaring Stranger* 3:38
Main Title (series, alternate) 0:47
Total Time: 41:55

Then Came Bronson
Music Composed and Conducted by Gil Mellé
“The Circle of Time” (1969)
Good Day to You Young Man/Let ’er Rip 1:53
Shortwave/You Were on the Titanic/Abner v. Bronson/This Is a Good Pie 1:46
Bronson W. Flower 2:55
Hattie Con Revealed/You Know Where Everything Is 2:04
Montage 0:52
Hattie’s Reflection/Circle Waltz 3:48
Hattie’s Attack 1:39
Dark Rain/The Burial/No! 2:54
Total Time: 18:10

“The Forest Primeval” (1970)
The Ranger/Godspeed 1:23
The Rainbow 3:33
The Fall/Impasse I/Impasse II 2:23
Storm Warning 1:18
The Search 2:09
Spin-Out/Spin Down 0:47
Green Labyrinth 1:53
The Encounter 1:22
Copter Blues/Toppling 0:46
Ibsen Speaks 1:33
Out of the Labyrinth 1:18
The Message 0:38
Total Time: 19:34

Total Disc Time: 79:50

DISC 5:
Earth II (1971)
Music Composed and Conducted by Lalo Schifrin
A New Hope/Earth II Theme 2:33
Matt I & Matt II/Confirmation Received 1:00
Space Tug/The Bomb’s Photograph 2:00
Transition/Palais de Justice/Lisa’s Opinion 1:30
Bad News/Locked/Dramatic Act End 1:47
Controls on Target/With a Screwdriver/Burn, Baby 9:50
On the Way Back/Snoopy Karger/Just Alive/I’ll Beat You Again 3:34
Deep Thought/Trance Like/Lisa’s Idea/Lisa’s Solution 2:26
What Have You Done?/Worried Karger/Shuttle I 2:35
Dr. Huxley/Shuttle Ending/Clear for Ignition/Lisa Karger 2:23
Kovalefskii’s Death/Tamper Destruct Strategy/Time Running Out/Operation Defuse 10:10
Tense Agony 1:41
No Weapons 1:38
End Credits 2:12
Total Time: 45:53

High Risk (1976)
Music Composed and Conducted by Billy Goldenberg
Chlomec Civilization (Main Title) 1:27
Confirmed/Kiss Guthrie 1:06
Gather Around Children 1:13
Concentrate/The Mask Cast 2:30
Daisy Can Do It/Washington Embassy 1:21
Playing Dominoes 1:02
We Love Harry Lojewski (Source) 1:25
Running Cable/Twisting Locks/Light Fixture/Reading the Chandelier/Erik & Daisy/Cat Got Your Gun 13:32
What’s Happening?/Look Closely/A Memorable Evening 2:59
The Airport 1:03
High Risk—End Title 1:42
Total Time: 29:45

Total Disc Time: 75:45