YIPPEEE! I've tossed my hat high in the air, right in the main street of North Fork!
It's now clear why Intrada couldn't get the inside track on this music: This two-disc set is coming from a label started by the composer and currently run by his son. Regardless, this release of Herschel Burke Gilbert's iconic music is a landmark event for fans of the classic RIFLEMAN series, as well as for us hardcore admirers of director Sam Peckinpah.
Over at the FSM message board, an ill-informed member posted in an announcement thread that this TV series used "only five cues over and over" -- but he was put in his place. The set's 58-minute disc 1 offers all the cues which Gilbert composed specifically for the series, while the 62 minutes of disc 2 give us tracks which he created for earlier features but also were heard in THE RIFLEMAN over the years. Between them, the two discs offer every one of these addictive Gilbert cues that I had hoped would be there; there's even one version of the fanfare for the closing Four Star Productions logo.
Anyone who has ever found this music memorable -- distinctively bold, nostalgically pulse-pounding, or irresistibly tender -- should pick this up. It's a great release! And even if Intrada didn't issue it, you can at least buy it here. (Which admittedly I didn't, though only because I personally couldn't wait any longer!)
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