The great thread of electronic/synthesizer soundtracks

[Micke]

Yes you're right, sorry for the mistake.

[Micke]

Legendary film composer Bernard Herrmann's involvement with electronic musical instruments dates back to the early 1950's
when he used bass and treble Theremins to great effect on the soundtrack for the sci-fi flick The Day the Earth Stood Still:





About 20 years later Herrmann would use the then-new Moog synthesizer in at least three movie scores, often for creepy
Theremin-like sounds.

Endless Night (1972, music rec.dec 1971):

This is one of the first movies to use a Minimoog.

Sisters (1973)


It's Alive (1974)


Howard Blake was the Moogist in the first two scores, not sure about the last one though.

[nathanscribe]

Not a classic film, but a nostalgic TV series - Starfleet, music by Paul Bliss and a bunch of Oberheims.

[Micke]

Cool, I wasn't aware of that TV-series/soundtrack. Do you have the CD?

The Oberheim system is also featured on the Airwolf and Terminator soundtracks. Not surprisingly, the OB-X,
OB-Xa and OB-8 were used on a lot of '80s scores.

[nathanscribe]

Cool, I wasn't aware of that TV-series/soundtrack. Do you have the CD?

No, though I did 'borrow' it from someone. From what I understand the newly released CD is partly re-created by Bliss to remove vocal cues and overdubs in some places, and to improve the quality of some battered tracks. I did read his own comments on it but can't recall where they were posted. I *think* he said it was his first commercial break, and they bought the Obie kit specially. MIght be wrong there, I'd have to try to dig up the info.

[Micke]

"Deadly Encounter" (1982) - Music by Michael Hoenig and Fred Karlin

[Micke]

Forbidden World (aka Mutant, 1982) - Music by Susan Justin
Electronic realisation by Craig Huxley



Megaforce (1982) - Music by Jerrold Immel
Electronic realisation by Craig Huxley



I have to admit I hadn't heard of these two films/scores until recently, but susprisingly they have both been released
on LP and CD!

[tim gueguen]

I saw Megaforce in the theatre when it came out in '82. Even as a fairly uncritical 14 year old I thought some of the special effects were pretty bad, and in general it was a bad film. The theme song, by a group called 707, apparently actually made it to #62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #13 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

[Cumulus]

I also saw Megaforce in the theater. I was a couple of years older than you but not very critical. I walked out before it was over. It was terrible.

[Micke]

I haven't seen Megaforce but I think Jerold Immel's underscore score is pretty darn good though, an almost
perfect blend of synths and orchestra. And great synth-work from Craig Huxley.

[Cumulus]

I hadn't thought about Megaforce in years and the day after I saw the post here a friend of mine mentioned it and how much he loved the 707 song...

[Micke]

I've been listening a lot to Rick Wakeman's synthesizer score for the 1981 horror flick The Burning lately and I really
dig it. From what I understand the A-side of the original LP contains variations of the music heard in the film while the
B-side contains the actual underscore. I haven't seen the film but I have the feeling Wakeman recorded more music
than what's available on the soundtrack album.



I was recently told by Wakeman that almost the entire score was done with the Prophet 10. However, the A-side of
the LP ("The Wakeman variations") features "Korg synthesizers" along with Prophet 5 and Prophet 10. Rick wanted
to replace a lot of his older instruments for the 1981 world tour, so he ordered a lot of new stuff from Korg including
two Sigma's, two Lambda's, two LP-10 electronic pianos, a PS-3200, Trident and a BX-3 organ. I guess some of that
stuff made it to the A-side of The Burning soundtrack album.

[mis psiquicios y yo]

The Illustrted Man from 1969. Seen it this weekend, great soundtrack, some good synth parts. Not much videos around, but you'll get the idea.

[Micke]

Oh yeah, that's one of my favorite Jerry Goldsmith scores. The synth work was done by Paul Beaver
on a heavily expanded Moog IIIP w/double seqeuncer complement (see picture below). The synth parts
on Goldsmith's later score to "Logan's Run" (1976) are kind of similar but at that time he did it all by
himself using an ARP 2500 and ARP 2600.


Electronic music pioneer Paul Beaver and his Moog, circa 1969/70.

[nathanscribe]

Rick wanted to replace a lot of his older instruments for the 1981 world tour, so he ordered a lot of new stuff from Korg including two Sigma's, two Lambda's, two LP-10 electronic pianos, a PS-3200, Trident and a BX-3 organ. I guess some of that stuff made it to the A-side of The Burning soundtrack album.

Ha! I wonder what he made of the LP-10... got one, no great shakes... not too bad for a simple tone, but the Lambda's better.

This is where I hide my head in shame and say that there's a MicroMoog in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 6, episode 6. The band playing at the club are using one.