JERRY GOLDSMITH

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (3-CD Set)
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
LLLCD 1207
Limited Edition of 10000 Units

La-La Land Records, Sony Music and Paramount Pictures boldly go where no soundtrack reissue has gone before with this deluxe 3-CD set of 1979‘s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith.

The first big screen voyage of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock was a high budget and ambitious undertaking that introduced Goldsmith’s famous and enduring Star Trek march (later used as the main theme for Star Trek: The Next Generation) as the cornerstone of an epic science fiction musical odyssey. Like the film’s refit starship Enterprise, La-La Land’s lavish presentation presents the score anew: fully restored, remixed and mastered from the first generation multi-track masters by Bruce Botnick, the original album co-producer and Goldsmith’s long time scoring engineer.

“To put together the complete score the decision was to go back to the original Analogue 16-track 2-inch 30 i.p.s. masters,” Botnick explains. “John Davis at Precision Audiosonics baked each of the 37 rolls in a convection oven at 110º for eight hours so that they were playable, then rolled out a marvelous 3M 56 IsoLoop 16-track machine with brand new heads. The tapes were resolved at 60Hz to maintain the original orchestral pitch and sync. The Analogue-to-Digital transfer was done from the 16-track through the latest Black Lion A/D convertors and recorded to Pro Tools X at 192kHz 24-bit.”

This 3-CD set presents the score for the 1979 theatrical release (filling disc 1 and part of disc 2) and also premieres the legendary early “rejected” cues that Goldsmith recorded prior to composing his famous main theme. The 1979 album program (much of which is performed and edited differently as compared to the film) completes disc 2, with disc 3 offering additional alternates (including those heard on the previous Sony expanded release) along with a wealth of bonus material. Among the highlights are a collection of early takes of the “Main Title” (including extensive stage chatter), isolated segments featuring Craig Huxley’s famous “blaster beam” and assorted synthesizer excerpts, the domestic CD debut of Bob James’ disco cover version of Goldsmith’s theme and Shaun Cassidy’s vocal version of the love theme, “A Star Beyond Time.”

Reissue co-producer Mike Matessino (who handled restoration and editorial efforts) collaborates with Jeff Bond on the thoroughly researched album notes which feature interview excerpts by Goldsmith, Botnick and performers Huxley and David Newman. The clamshell packaging and 40-page full color booklet are designed by Jim Titus.

“It has been an honor to be able to work with the original recordings of this music and to document its production,” Matessino says. “This is one of the greatest scores of all time and everyone involved took the responsibility very seriously and happily devoted months to see it come together. The clarity and quality we now have is truly amazing. Thanks to the efforts of La-La Land Records, Sony Music and Paramount Pictures, the end product is an embarrassment of riches and a ‘must-have’ for every film music and Star Trek collection.”

I have again started the F5 early. Though 10,000 should be enough for everyone, shouldn't it?

No F5 needed now -- this is only the announcement. Won't go up for sale on their site until some hour June 5th.

Don't know whether I should get this. I think the 1998 Sony release has amazing sound and even though it's not complete, it has a good running time with all highlights present, at least those I've wanted.

Will check it out on release of course.

I'm more than content with my old Sony 2CD set (the second CD consisting of interviews).

Me too. It's great music, particularly the main theme, Klingon theme and the stunning Ilia's theme, but I always switch off a bit in the second half of the existing expanded release so I'm not sure how much I'd get out of 3 discs worth. I know this will be considered sacrilege by many but it's far from my favourite Goldsmith Trek score. 

Still, I'll probably get caught up in the Internet fury, crumble and buy it! To me Goldsmith generally stands up to expansions more than most, so I'm sure I'll get something from it. And it sure looks purty in the picture!

That's why I said it here, in the nice, sane, friendly place!

FSM certainly can be a bit more frenzied, which can be fun.
At times.
Not so much when you're in the dissenting camp, though.

Aside from Gilles going absolutely maniacally haywire over Hook, I think generally everyone here is quite a bit more equilibrious about releases.

Oh. Wait.

The older 2 disc set is excellent ( though I never play the second disc ) and I totally understand why this new addition won't be for everyone, for me though this score is the pinacle of JG's career and is in my top ten scores of all time, a total no-brainer buy for me.

I'll get it if I get some financial stuff done with. Star Trek: TMP is a Goldsmith score I always wanted to own, but this set is just going to be expensive. Knowing that I have my namesday (a Polish festivity when you wish all the best to people who have the same name as the saint whose birthday is officially observed in the church on the particular day, I happen to share it with my brother) this month, I just *might* have some leverage here. I just have to talk to my brother and my parents and probably invest some of my own money into it, or just pay my brother a bit each month.

Big Goldsmith fan here, big fan of complete releases, but this I might give a miss. Contrary to something like Hook, TMP does is very well presented on the Sony album and I don't think I'm missing out on much that's unreleased. I've heard the interviews once and it's a good listen, even if you are not the biggest Trekkie out there.

Show me the scientific proof and I'll agree with you.

Until that time, Hook is better.

Me too actually, though I am interested in hearing this new album. The Sony album is perfect, and having heard the complete score, I don't really feel like it needs anything added to it. And since we're talking about Hook, I do actually prefer the regular album to this new expanded release. I would just add the 17 minute battle music to the original album.

There's a little Thor in all of us it would seem...

Jerry's greatest score gets the release it deserves! Can't wait!

-Erik-