Intrada Soundtrack Forum

INTRADA Announces:



RETURN TO OZ
Composed and Conducted by DAVID SHIRE
INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 319

The year 1985 was an extremely rich source of brilliant film scores. One of the most significant was David Shire's score to the 1985 Walt Disney film Return to OZ. Starring Fairuza Balk in the role of Dorothy and a host of new friends, the events take place after the story portrayed in The Wizard of OZ, with her Aunt and Uncle believing Dorothy is delusional in her belief in OZ, sending her for psychological therapy before she is whisked back to OZ where she needs to save it from the gnome king.

OZ was the first fantasy film for both Director Walter Murch and the composer. Armed with the London Symphony Orchestra, Shire composed and recorded a stunning magnum opus, rich in themes and motifs, color and beauty, suspense and terror, action and even some ragtime for good measure. In addition to several smaller motifs, Shire wrote a total of nine major themes representing the different characters in the film. He tied most of his themes into some instrumental or stylistic antecedent in American music, because he saw the story as Dorothy’s dream. Much of his score is derived from what he imagined Dorothy’s experience would be as a girl growing up in America during the turn of the twentieth century.

The complete score on this album is nearly twice the amount of music heard on the original soundtrack (which is presented in its Shire-curated purity on disc 2), edited and mastered from two-track digital stereo mixes derived from the 2″ elements stored in pristine condition in the Walt Disney vaults. It expands upon the original 1985 soundtrack album in numerous ways, including many previously unreleased cues and edits within various tracks as well as the inclusion of various “sweeteners” (xylophone, triangle, timpani, harp) that were not included in the album mixes. In fact, many of those LP mixes differed in substantial ways and in some cases became wholly new versions distinct from their film counterparts.

Just in time for the film's 30th anniversary, this restoration of one of the finest film scores is now available.

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 319
Retail Price: $29.99
SHIPPING NOW
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.9617/.f

auto-order! - One of, if not the best score by David Shire. Great Job Intrada!!!!!!

I can hardly think of a finer score from this era, or one more deserving of Intrada's royal treatment. Continuing a pretty fabulous year of Shire releases, too, although this one is sure my favorite thing the man ever did.

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Randy Wilson
Dallas, TX

Amazing little package indeed right down to the artwork.
But the best bit by far is all that glorious music.
It goes without saying a huge thank you to team Intrada, those awesome guys at Disney for looking after their vaults & to Mr David Shire for his wonder scoring.
This & Dredd ordered

Awesome ! Placed my order for a copy of this gem.

Simply amazing!

Ordered!

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Rame Tep! Rame Tep! Rame Tep!

Simply outstanding, Intrada.

I will be getting my copies in Burbank when the time comes but I will be getting TWO. I will also be purchasing my "Old Boyfriends" cd there as well - why not? David Shire is one of the sheer genius composers of his time - and that he never did any other scores of "OZ" scope is truly an enigma. Nevertheless, this score is his all time best - and has been produced in the BEST way necessary.

Thank you Intrada, and to David Shire for finally giving this score the treatment it deserves, and getting that treatment to US, respectively.

BRAVO.

I'm simply overjoyed by this release. Well done, Intrada!

I remember my first email to the grand poobah was about the possibility of an expanded Return to Oz. This was back in the day when the Internet was young and the idea of having direct contact with a luminary such Mr Fake was revolutionary. After all, his name was on the inlay card of so many of my CDs - he clearly was a rock star of the soundtrack world. Getting a reply from him was a real treat. Reading that he'd mentioned my appreciation for the score to David Shire was dizzying! Alas, back then all that Doug could say was 'no immediate plans ... but you never know ... be patient'.

Well, you know what they say about all good things ... and this really is exceptionally good. What a score. What a presentation. If you've never heard this before, you're in for a treat.

Gigantic news! This is on my list to buy now.

Thank you, Intrada.

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DavidinBerkeley

"Ask [the director] where the camera comes from and I'll tell him where the music comes from" (David Raksin)

I always thought this was an electrifying combination of image and score ...



... and now you can hear said score in all its isolated glory! Still made the hairs on my arms stand up, even without Mombi's gutteral snarl 'Doooorothy Gale!' ...

received mine today,
Return to Oz was and still is one of my most beloved scores. The old album was one of my most treasured cds. and now that 2 CD set, what a gem!
Thanks to all involved to bring this wonderful music to new live and new generations! And thanks to Mr Shire for composing one of the most beautiful scores of all time!

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Andy

Praise for the new RETURN TO OZ double CD set -

I had always hoped for such a complete release of David Shire's beautiful music, but never thought one would happen, and certainly not one so exquisitely realized.

The cover artwork is attractively rendered, a much better presentation of the poster art than the original '80s CD had.

The booklet is thorough, with lots of information I never knew before.

The music is the star here. I'm impressed with the absolute clarity of the sound from the seemingly very well preserved master tapes. The CDs boast so many tracks that weren't on the '80s album. I've been waiting for years to hear the creepy music in the asylum as the gurney wheels squeak, the terrifying chords that accompany the headless princess in pursuit of Dorothy, and the music as Dorothy falls through the Nome King's caverns. I am also pleased with the inclusion of discarded takes we've never heard before, as well as of the original soundtrack album, which does indeed offer an alternative way of exploring this beautiful score.

In enjoyed the soundtrack album in the '80s, but THIS new release is the one I had REALLY wanted in the '80s.... I am so glad to own it now, 30 years later. Major kudos to everyone at Intrada, including Douglass Fake, for providing this important archival, historical and entertaining service...and big kudos to Mr. David Shire for his composition and his involvement with the CD project.

This is like receiving a pristine gift from 1985, from Oz!

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Randy Wilson
Dallas, TX

Roger / Doug, when is this title expected to be back in stock? Many thanks.