Intrada Soundtrack Forum

Holmes would reorchestrate a handful of cues in a contemporary jazzy way, taking every ounce of intended power out of them to the point where they barely are recognizable as something from the movie. Then he'd take any source music -- pop tunes, traditionals, whatever -- and do jazzy versions of those too to round out the album. After all, if someone buys a soundtrack, isn't that what they're looking for (he asked sarcastically)? I think True Grit was also one of his but I'm not certain. These are the LPs that made you feel ripped off by the tease of the cover art suggesting you might be getting a powerful score and instead you got easy listening. But they were the only game in town for these films so we all fell for the con -- for more than one film...

Holmes butchered the following themes and scores during his career:

KING KONG
FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE
CITIZEN KANE
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
BANDOLERO
STALKING MOON
FISTFUL OF DOLLARS
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
THE JAMES BOND THEME
GOLDFINGER
A STAR IS BORN

...and just about every other United Artists-owned movie tune he could lay his hands on during the mid 60s. He was their in-house conductor - and a soundtrack lover's worst nightmare. He even made Hugo Montenegro(RCA's in-house movie tune wrecker) sound palatable.

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Robert M Eastman

You can add me to the list of people who purchased the LeRoy Holmes album. Mine is about to be consigned to the Leroy Holmes Memorial Frisbee Collection, that I maintain, along with my (aptly named) POO Breakheart Pass platter ( and a few others.)

I am glad to see Devil's Brigade finally get a decent and legitimate release. A really good Alex North effort in the action/adventure genre. I can't wait to hear this, as it was originally recorded (and conducted by Mr. North); especially the unused material. Another "found" score to delete from my list of the lost or missing. Ordered this a few minutes ago, along with the much-awaited Spellbound. And a hearty thanks to Intrada for making May 2007 a month that (for me) won't soon be forgotten

--Rich

I will start my experience of The Devil's Brigade with this new release.

I'm sorry to hear people had to endure the Holmes type efforts in the past, at least you can reminisce and I can find out what I missed.

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I'm an old cowhand ...

As had already been pointed out there weren't a lot of choices so you took what you could get and lived with it. I was of the opinion it was better to have something as opposed to nothing at all.
Tom

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"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which can not fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance...that principle is contempt prior to investigation.
Herbert Spencer

I've been listening to this today, it's great stuff! Thanks Intrada, and a very late thank you to Alex North for writing this wonderful score. Does anyone else here think some of it foreshadows some of Bruce Broughton's music for "Tombstone" and "Silverado", just a little bit? I wonder whether North is one of Broughton's influences? Never thought about it before, but I can definitely hear it, especially in "The Devil's Brigade".

Back at ya later

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Robert M Eastman