BABE- Westlake at al.

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

Be great to have a dialogue free release Even for the wretched sequel!

The arrangement of Saint- Saens is superior to the original and definitive imho#

Yavar Moradi · **Posted:** Tue Feb 25, 2020 4:04 pm

Actually there was an excellent re-recording a few years ago (for the 20th anniversary of the film) which was obviously dialogue-free. Did you know about that Bruce? There's a really inexpensive copy on Discogs at the time of this post:
https://www.discogs.com/Nigel-Westlake- ... e/10842745

Of course, what I *really* long for is a *premiere* recording of the score Jerry Goldsmith substantially wrote (apparently around 75-80%). The written scores survive in the Academy archives!
http://collections.new.oscars.org/Detai ... e/71303062

1-3r "The Drawing," 7 pages
1-4/2-1 "Lonely Babe," 9 pages
2-2r "What Dogs Do," 2 pages
2-3 "The Plan," 6 pages
3-1 "The Yarn," 4 pages
3-2 "The Sneeze," 3 pages
3-4/4-1 "Destruction," 4 pages
4-3 "Mother and Son," 7 pages
4-5 "Christmas Dinner," 2 pages
4-6 "Ferdie's Gone," 3 pages
5-2 "Mistaken Identity," 3 pages
5-3 "The Boss," 16 pages
6-1 "The Bite," 2 pages
6-2 "The Story of Rex," 11 pages
6-3 "A Tragic Day," 2 pages
7-4 "Pig of Destiny," 1 page
7-5/8-1 "Ferdie's Back," 5 pages

17 cues total, some of them quite substantial! Interesting to see where in the film he stopped composing, and a shame he didn't get to finish the story. But even so...who besides me would be up for a Kickstarter to fund a complete premiere recording of this score? I frankly can't think of any other Goldsmith recording project that would get me more excited, unless perhaps his unfinished cello concerto "Quadrants" were uncovered!

Yavar

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

Ordered!
Thanks Yavar.
Hope it's as good as you say.

And, I agree about the Goldsmith!

Yavar Moradi · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2020 12:36 pm

You’re welcome. Let me know what you think. I confess I never closely compared it with the film recording but I have no complaints.

Yavar

SheriffJoe · **Joined:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:52 pm **Posts:** 55

I would totally be on-board with this. Any chance to hear a Goldsmith I haven't heard before would be a godsend. Still hoping for a Goldsmith Public Eye and a Horner Young Guns while we're at it!!

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

It has arrived!

Will give you my review soon.
I own the film also so can compare recordings.

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

I've listened.to a couple of tracks and am disappointed in the mastering. The high end brass and flutes are shrill and overmodulated. Were. they trying to replicate the organ from the Symphony?

The orchestration sounds faithful to the original and other instruments sound just fine!

More later.

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

I wonder if.Jerry planned using.the Saint Saens piece?
Or was it the director or Westlake who made the choice.

I can't imagine the film without it.
A look at his manuscripts would tell us

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

I just listed to Georg Miller's DVD commentary.
He said" a very famous composer was hired but he went in the " wrong direction".
He also said he was" very much in demand" and didn't have time to " Make corrections;"
Son, Westlake was brought in.

This implies that music.was indeed recorded ( unless Miller can.read manuscript).
Whether Jerry made.demo recordings or full orchestra- which is a.good possibility- I'm not sure.

Yavar?

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

Hmmmm...
Just looked at IMDB.
Then film has a 6.7 rating.
Every review is at least 7. and most are 8-10!

Seems they need to check their rating system!

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

Trying to think of a similar type of film he scored....fable/fairy tale et.al.
LEGEND is the closest I can think of.....pretty damn good music!

Yavar Moradi · **Posted:** Thu Apr 09, 2020 11:53 am

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

I heard that interview

Maybe he played him some themes on piano and/or made mock ups?

Miller said Westlake brought in the classical quotes- I can't imagine Jerry quoting Delibes or Greig!

He also said Westlake purposely wrote in an overtly melodramatic and bombastic way for the big action/dramatic scenes.

Perhap.Jerry's style was too realistic and intense?

It's a mystery, but if anybody can solve it it's ' Sherlock' Moradi!:)

bruce marshall · **Joined:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 pm **Posts:** 775

More info.
It seems that " If I had Words" was a hit single in Australia in the 70s.
So, it is quite possible that Miller chose the SONG for the scene when Hogget songs it, with no knowledge of the original source material.

When Westlake came aboard , he might have suggested incorporating the Saint- Saens into the instrumental score.; as he did with the Grieg piece.
This sounds like the most likely scenario.

Btw
Here is my program:
1,2,3
8
11-14
17-19
TT: 35 minutes

19 is a nonfilm arrangement of the SS piece; almost like a symphonic movement itself. The CD was worth getting just for that!
Thanks again Yavar!

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