Never so few - 7 women

Hugo Friedhofer and Elmer Bernstein worked only occasionally at M-G-M, but they each did a feature film for the studio set on the Asian continent. This CD features the premiere releases of Never So Few (1959) and 7 Women (1966), respectively, each filled with exotic melody and instrumentation.

Never So Few is a WWII romance/adventure starring Frank Sinatra as the leader of a U.S. army unit in Southeast Asia. Known as a "Rat Pack" production (it also starred Peter Lawford) and directed by John Sturges, the film is perhaps most noteworthy for giving Steve McQueen his break on the silver screen. Hugo Friedhofer's score features a dynamic main title with a throbbing ostinato followed by a mournful trumpet solo evoking the losses of war. Friedhofer was no stranger to the war genre and provided a brew of wartime suspense and also romance, as Sinatra romances the voluptuous Gina Lollobrigida. The setting is highlighted by enchanting, Thai-flavored colors.

7 Women is the last film directed by the legendary John Ford. Best known for his American westerns, Ford attempted an ambitious stretch for his final production: the story of women missionaries in 1930s China starring Anne Bancroft, Margaret Leighton and Sue Lyon. Elmer Bernstein's haunting score features galloping passages (sounding akin to a "Chinese western") but also intelligent and supple scoring of the conflicting emotions of the women, with saxophone, harpsichord and flute elegantly spotlighted.

This CD features the premiere releases of the complete underscores for Never So Few and 7 Women, remixed in stereo from the original three-track masters.

Tracklist

Never So Few
Music Composed by Hugo Friedhofer
Conducted by Charles Wolcott
"Burmese Fanfare" and "Kachin Koncerto" Composed by Charles Wolcott
Main Title/Parachute Drop 4:10
Observers/The Trap Is Set/Ambush 2:52
Like Man, It's a Bad Scene 3:05
Carla (Nightclub Version) 3:13
On Leave/Salon Waltz 1:36
Carla (Salon Version)/Morning Ride 3:35
Danny Goofs Off/Conservatory 2:23
Like Wow!/The Kiss/Parting/Burmese Fanfare 4:07
Kachin Koncerto 2:08
Tom Wounded 1:02
Reunion 2:12
Farewell and Trek/Ubachi Airstrip 1:41
Death of Nautang and Trek 1:58
Over the Border 1:54
Grim Souvenir 1:45
Death and Reprisal 2:04
Carla Pleads 0:55
End Title 1:01
Total Time: 42:18

7 Women
Music Composed and Conducted by Elmer Bernstein
Main Title 2:16
Lady Strange Love 2:34
Emma and Andrews 0:50
Dreams 0:57
Baby Blues 1:04
Of Tunga Khan 3:55
Plague/Tired 5:42
Confession 2:45
Sky on Fire 2:10
Horsemen/Deal 1:27
Madness/Tag/Sweetener 1:52
Preparation/Poison/Tag 5:33
Total Time: 31:27

Total Disc Time: 73:46