Intrada Soundtrack Forum

INTRADA Announces:



HOCUS POCUS
Music Composed and Conducted by JOHN DEBNEY
INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 254


The 1993 Disney film Hocus Pocus has become in the intervening years the quintessential Halloween film. The film opens with a young girl abducted by the town’s notorious sororal coven. The girl’s older brother, Thackery, is too late to stop the witches from absorbing her youthful life force. The angry townspeople corner and hang the Sandersons, but not before the witches turn Thackery into a black cat, cursed with immortality. 300 years later the town is still obsessed with Halloween and the Sandersons, but newcomer Max (Omri Katz)is unimpressed. On Halloween night he and his sister Dani (Thora Birch) link up with his new crush, Allison (Vinessa Shaw), and unwittingly unleash the Sandersons into the 20th century.

Composer James Horner was originally hired to score Hocus Pocus, writing “Garden of Magic” before production, since Sarah Jessica Parker needed to sing it on camera, but Horner couldn’t stay on to write the whole score. The sessions at Todd-AO studios were already booked, and composer John Debney had a mere two weeks to write the entire score before taking the podium. He conducted a 92-piece orchestra and a female choir during the first week of June 1993. The result is a colorful romp that soundtrack collectors have been seeking for 20 years. For the witches, Debney knew it had to be a triplet feeling..."I guess because I was influenced by Witches of Eastwick. I wanted it to be in a minor key, and I knew it would be fun to be a little Elfmanesque. ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ is in there too..." He also wrote a budding love theme for Max and Allison and a brother/sister theme.

For this release, Intrada was given access to the original 48-track digital scoring session elements vaulted at the Disney studios.

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 254
Retail Price: $19.99
Available Now
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.8274/.f [available at 4 pacific]

Thank you so much to all those involved!

I've been waiting for this score for so many years - like many others, I suspect. So, I'm completely in debt to both Intrada and Walt Disney Studios for being able to deliver this record to us all - the clamoring fans whom all had practically given up on ever seeing this title become an official release. You'll never know how much I appreciate the efforts and hard work.

When this news was announced, I was simply floored (still am); I had an inkling it was on the radar for a long while, but I didn't suspect it to arrive so soon. And while there are plenty of miracles this label has been responsible for over the years, none are more personal for me than this one. So, again, thank you so much Doug, Roger, Jeff, Regina, Joe, and all the others that have continued to place Intrada on the side of such great success and unparalleled quality.

I can't imagine a better score for the upcoming season than this (actually any season would have found me as equally elated!) A huge thank you of course to composer John Debney for his wondrous and energetic score for which I consider to be a huge aspect in what has made this charming film such a Halloween classic today. It's a sweet and swooping delight within the film; I can't wait to experience it on its own. And I have to agree; the action pieces are of considerable highlight. Thanks to James Horner, as well, for his contributions, especially the now-infamous Parker tune that is well-deserving of the attention it has received over the years. Just a beautiful theme, indeed. I'm very excited for both of today's releases to show up at my door.

Intrada - you know what comes next: Ordered (x3)!

Looking forward to hearing this. Bought.

Aside from not having the I Put A Spell You song, I would have liked to have seen an instrumental version of Come Little Children/Garden of Magic/Sarah's Theme. I think there are a few other alternates also left off, but still this is a great presentation great to finally have!

What a fantastic Halloween treat! This is easily ordered, thank you Intrada gang!

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Top 10 Grails: Revenge of the Ninja/Less Than Zero/Making Contact/Cobra/Over the Top/Highlander/Time Bandits/Top Gun/Listen to Me
Last 5 purchased: Jaws/Jaws 2/Back to the Future II/Back to the Future III/Nightmare Elm Street Box/Amityville Horror

Intrada, ok i'm a tad too early but what the hell. HAPPY HALLOWEEN.
Another superb release & so thankful it's been done the Intrada way.
Needless to say ORDERED.


@ Azella love the avatar

I loved the Midler song as well, but let's face it: It's more than understandable why it wasn't included, and I'm rather happy the CD found its anniversary screening. Also, I don't try to look at things like that anyway. I don't see 4 minutes of something not being bestowed to us fans; I see over 70 minutes being delivered whereas there were none before. So, let's rejoice that there's an official Hocus Pocus release now available!

I see this:

CONDUCTOR
John Debney
Donald R. Davis
Marc Shaiman

I pressume due to very late scoring sessions Davis was conducting while Mr Debney was composing... And maybe Shaiman conducted the song parts...

any info, please? Just curious.

Great release!!!

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** Sorry for my bad English, I'm from Italy **

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I´VE COME HERE TO DRINK COCONUTS AND *censour*...AND I´M ALL OUT OF COCONUTS...

I´m a dirt merchant and a figure of your imagination