The Goldsmith Odyssey

Pop quiz, hotshot: What's the connection between Jerry Goldsmith's scores for InnerSpace, Rent-a-Cop, Leviathan, Rambo III, and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier? If you said "a rich and innovative blend of orchestra and electronics," you'd be correct... but they're also scores that benefit from the work of Nancy Beach, who worked as an orchestrator for Goldsmith during the latter half of the 1980s. In this Odyssey Interview, your humble hosts Jens, David, Yavar, and Clark chat with Nancy about her specific contributions to these scores, memories of her interactions with Jerry, her close working relationship with Arthur Morton, her work for other composers like Claude Bolling and Joe Harnell, her father's successful career as a studio trumpet player, the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, and so much more! Along the way, you'll hear an abundance of great music from the many different chapters of Nancy's life and career. Lots of wonderful stories here, so give it a listen!
Please send your correspondence to goldsmithodyssey@gmail.com.

If your hands had the power to heal the sick, would that be a blessing or a curse? That's the question posed by "Jacob's Hands," a CBS Radio Workshop drama co-written by literary titans Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood (and narrated by the latter). Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark dig into this tale, exploring the unusual history of this script, Jerry Goldsmith's sensitive score, the episode's hit-and-miss handling of its supernaturally-tinged scenario, and much more! Plus, Clark offers a brief book report detailing the differences between this half-hour radio play and the more substantive published screenplay. So calm your breathing, slowly repeat the words "I'm going to hear the episode" three times, gently-but-firmly lay your finger upon the play button, and behold: an audio miracle* shall occur.

*Edited by Wes Deckers
Please send your correspondence to goldsmithodyssey@gmail.com.

As we near the last few days of his latest Kickstarter campaign, our friend Leigh Phillips joins us to talk about his plans for Thriller Volume 3. Your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark chat with Leigh about the virtues of Goldsmith’s scores for “The Cheaters” and “Guillotine,” the decision to record complete scores rather than suites for this volume, the possibility of including Morton Stevens’s “Pigeons from Hell” if a stretch goal is met, future recording plans, and more! It’s a fun and informative chat, loaded with good music, so give it a listen.

To contribute to Leigh’s Kickstarter campaign, click here. Both Goldsmith scores are fully funded, but as of this publication we still need a last-minute push to get “Pigeons from Hell” across the finish line. Let’s get this done!
Please send your correspondence to goldsmithodyssey@gmail.com.

Our recent Soundtrack Spotlight on Explorers was full of lively, engaging conversation, a substantial portion of which was about topics other than Explorers. As such, we’ve assembled this music-rich Gold Shaving for your listening pleasure. Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark are joined by special guests Roger Feigelson, Jeff Johnson, Stéphane Coëdel, and Marshall Harvey for a relaxed chat about favorite Goldsmith scores, under-appreciated albums from the Intrada library, scores we'd love to see released or re-released in the future, and other topics. Throughout, you'll be treated to a generous sampling of musical excerpts that illustrate why this music brings us so much joy. If you're up for just hanging out with us for a while, give it a listen!

What is THAT track?  Here's an annotated list of what we played.
Please send your correspondence to goldsmithodyssey@gmail.com.

The last time Intrada released Jerry Goldsmith's Explorers on CD, 3000 copies sold out in a matter of hours. At long last, that enchanting score is back in print, and you'll hear all about it in this very special Soundtrack Spotlight. Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark are joined by a marvelous panel: director Joe Dante, editor Marshall Harvey (who didn't work on Explorers, but counts himself as an admirer of the film and score), album cover artist Stéphane Coëdel, and Intrada Co-CEOs Roger Feigelson and Jeff Johnson. You'll hear about Dante's complex relationship with the film, his deep admiration for Goldsmith's music, the critical role this score played in finishing an unfinished film (and in changing Intrada's business model), the fascinating alternate cues that justified a second disc, Stéphane's design process for the album's two covers, and so much more. This one's loaded with both fascinating insights and marvelous excerpts from the album, so hit play… and have a nice trip!

What's that music they're playing?  Here's the Track List!
Please send your correspondence to goldsmithodyssey@gmail.com.