INTRADA Announces:
THE WAR WAGON
Composed and Conducted by DIMITRI TIOMKIN
The score for the 1967 Universal Studios western The War Wagon is nothing short of classic Dimitri Tiomkin: full of outdoor melody, unbridled energy and ripe with orchestral color. As with his classic western score to High Noon, the main theme is based on an strong main title song -- “Ballad Of The War Wagon”—energetically performed by expert singer Ed Ames. It is a typical Tiomkin confection, with lyrics from his High Noon collaborator, Ned Washington. As with his other classic western scores, The War Wagon boasts Tiomkin's own singularly unique writing style with numerous bowed, plucked and pizzicato effects from the strings and busy running figures from all the players, not to mention an enormous amount of tongued (staccato) figures, trilling passages and mordants (very brief trills) in woodwinds. He also required generous amounts of flutter-tonguing from his brass players as well as having them constantly change mutes. But the orchestral fury Tiomkin unleashed in his action music and the ever-changing myriad solo colors he delivered from his woodwinds and brass was without peer.
For this premiere release, Intrada had access to the 1/2" stereo masters in mint condition stored in the Universal vaults, allowing for this complete presentation of this never-before-released Tiomkin western in stunning sound -- this late period score is as energetic and exciting as any Tiomkin ever wrote.
The War Wagon tells the story of Taw Jackson (John Wayne), newly released from prison, where he’d been sent on trumped-up charges engineered by corrupt mining company honcho Frank Pierce (Bruce Cabot). While in jail Pierce stole Taw's ranch and is now pulling a fortune in gold and Taw swiftly concocts a scheme to hijack Pierce’s War Wagon—an armor-plated vehicle always accompanied by two dozen gunmen—as it conveys half-a-million in gold dust to the safety of a local bank. Putting together a motley team, Taw makes an uneasy partner of Lomax (Kirk Douglas), a gunman who plays both ends against the middle by also offering his services to Pierce, who hires him to kill Taw.
This release is limited to 2000 units.
INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 146
Retail Price: $19.99
AVAILABLE NOW
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.6789/.f