The Goldsmith Odyssey

We realize that we've been interrupting our Odyssey with a lot of Soundtrack Spotlights lately. To make up for that, this month we're interrupting the Odyssey with a new Odyssey Interview ! Back in October of 2021, Yavar had an in-depth conversation with Retired Chief Master Sergeant Mike Davis, who served as chief arranger for the U.S. Air Force band for many years. Among Davis's n...

Intrada's Kickstarter-funded re-recording of Jerry Goldsmith's Black Patch and The Man is almost here, and we've got something special for you to enjoy while you wait: the Odyssey 's very first Production Report ! "What’s that?" Glad you asked, ma'am. In this case, it means your humble hosts Yavar and David conducting an in-depth conversation with Intrada's...

Centuries (or possibly just a few weeks) ago, your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark joined forces with returning guest and Tadlow Thriller reconstructionist Leigh Phillips to create a haunting work of art: a podcast examination of the Thriller episode "The Grim Reaper" and the moody, threatening Jerry Goldsmith score that accompanies it. In the decades (or was it days?) since, the ep...

Yet another Soundtrack Spotlight ! Our forces have been spread thin, our rations have been depleted, and we are so sleep-deprived that none of us can remember which day of the week it is. We remember the year, though: it's the Year of Goldsmith , which continues apace with the new Music Box release of Jerry Goldsmith's brilliant score for Ridley Scott’s Legend . Your humble hosts David a...

Hey, nice costume! Here's a little treat for you: the second and final part of David's Odyssey Interview with composer Leanna Primiani. After discussing the benefits of studying sheet music and Goldsmith's deep understanding of how to use an orchestra, David and Leanna dig into an wide-ranging examination of Poltergeist : the specificity with which the characters are drawn, the ways...

It's time for a new Odyssey Interview ! David sits down for a conversation with composer Leanna Primiani, who previously appeared alongside members of the Odyssey team on Score Masters: Celebrating John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith . In the first installment of this two-part interview, Leanna tells us all about her score for the new short film Ivory Wave , which is being performed live to pic...

La-La Land's wonderful Goldsmith at 20th series keeps rolling along and so do our Soundtrack Spotlights ! This time, we're taking a look at Volume 4 , which pairs Goldsmith's strikingly different scores for the aviation-themed films Tora! Tora! Tora! and Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies . Your humble hosts David and Yavar are joined by special guests Jeff Bond (who wrote the liner no...

Suppose a dying man should choose just one podcast as his gift to the living. What sort of a podcast would it be? Well, that of course would depend upon the man himself. If he's a very good man, he might leave a very good podcast. A very evil man... well, his gift might be called... The TMZ Podcast . And a genial, slightly playful, music-loving man who simply wants everyone to have a pretty g...

One day, new Goldsmith album releases will slow to a steady trickle, and these Soundtrack Spotlights will follow suit. However: today is not that day! Varèse Sarabande has released a new Deluxe Edition presentation of Jerry's under-appreciated score for Love Field , and we've got all the details (and lots of album clips) for you in this brief but informative show. Your humble hosts Yavar...

It's a special team-up episode! ANALYSIS TEAM-UP: Your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark are joined by musicologist Dr. Reba Wissner, author of A Dimension in Sound: Music of The Twilight Zone ! WEIRD TEAM-UP: Together, they examine the Thriller episode "Terror in Teakwood," in which an esteemed classical pianist forms a strange relationship with the contents of a mysterious teak...

Maybe you've heard of Cabo Blanco. Then again, maybe you haven't. It's a remote fishing village off the coast of Peru. It's also the name of an underwhelming movie, starring Charles Bronson and scored by Jerry Goldsmith. Despite Jerry being there, the film certainly didn't find its way onto any best-of lists that we know of. Nevertheless, this is the edge of cinema where l...

Clark and David pass around the collection plate on behalf of Intrada's Goldsmith-themed Kickstarter. If you feel led to contribute, click here: Black Patch / The Man (Jerry Goldsmith) New Recording! Please send your correspondence to goldsmithodyssey@gmail.com .

We're pleased to present our very first haunted episode! Returning guest Leigh Phillips joins your humble hosts Yavar and David for a discussion of the Thriller episode "Mr. George," which tells the story of a young girl's mysterious spectral guardian, and features a Goldsmith score built around an exquisitely tender main theme. Leigh has a good deal of unique insight into this...

Our latest Soundtrack Spotlight is (an examination of Intrada's new presentation of Jerry Goldsmith's gritty, propulsive score for) Extreme (Prejudice) ! Your humble hosts Jens and David are joined by Douglass Fake of Intrada Records and liner notes writer John Takis. Among the topics of discussion: the surprising complexity of Goldsmith's thematic work, the messy history of the sco...

The Goldsmith releases keep pouring in, which means we've got yet another Soundtrack Spotlight for you! This time, we're examining a particularly thrilling Goldsmith premiere: Intrada's new release of the rejected score for the 1992 film The Public Eye . Your humble hosts Yavar and David are joined by the album's liner notes writer Frank DeWald, who analyzes the score from a pu...

Soundtrack Spotlight ho! With only a few days left to order the latest physical CD edition, Douglass Fake of Intrada Records talks to Jens and Yavar about Jerry Goldsmith's wonderful London Symphony Orchestra re-recording of the vibrant western score Rio Conchos . Over the course of nearly 90 minutes, Doug discusses the motivation behind offering a new digital version of this album, the audio...

It's Goldsmith-pickin' season, and we've got another fresh, juicy Soundtrack Spotlight for you! Your humble hosts David and Yavar are joined by film music journalist Tim Greiving to discuss Varese Sarabande's new Deluxe Edition of Jerry’s rich, thrilling score for Franklin J. Schaffner's Lionheart . The guys discuss the challenges of doing research on this project, Tim&apo...

The good folks at La-La Land Records have released the third volume of their excellent Goldsmith at 20th series, and we're pleased to be able to place this one under the Soundtrack Spotlight ! This release pairs Goldsmith's alternately jazzy and tender music for the 1963 drama The Stripper with his quirky, entertaining effort for the 1974 comedy S*P*Y*S . Your humble hosts Yavar, David,...

Our chefs are hard at work in the kitchen, experimenting with various aural seasonings and editing techniques as they prepare to serve our next regular episode. In the meantime, however, please enjoy this delicious apertif: a brief, entertaining interview with film score reconstructionist (and friend of the show) Leigh Phillips, who fills us in on the status of a potential Thriller: Volume 3 Kicks...

A substantial Goldsmith expansion receives the Soundtrack Spotlight treatment! This time, your humble hosts David and Clark sit down on their tuffet for a conversation with legendary recording engineer and album producer Bruce Botnick, who produced Varese Sarabande's new complete presentation of Jerry Goldsmith's score for the 2001 thriller Along Came a Spider . Over the course of this c...

Way back in Episode 8 (our Fifties Roundup show), we talked about Jerry Goldsmith's memorable theme for the western TV series Black Saddle and also noted a couple fun cover versions of the theme we had found. Since then, we've uncovered a host of additional cover versions and thought it might be fun to produce a Gold Nugget featuring them. Over time, this nugget evolved into something co...

Wanted: 49 minutes of your time! Hot on the heels of The Don Is Dead and Take Her, She's Mine , the good folks at Intrada Records have served up yet another exciting Goldsmith premiere: the 1959 western Face of a Fugitive (previously covered way back in Episode 3 of The Goldsmith Odyssey ). As such, it's time for another Soundtrack Spotlight , with Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson of In...

Recently, The Goldsmith Odyssey was thrilled to join forces with The Legacy of John Williams podcast and the Ipswich Film Theatre to present Score Masters , a celebration of both Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams. While you can watch the full program on YouTube , we're pleased to present this audio-only version (enhanced by newly-added illustrative music clips) for those who prefer the podcas...

Your dear loving friends return! We plunge into 2021 with an incisive look at the 1961 Thriller episode "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper." Your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark take a stab at analyzing Jerry Goldsmith's piercing score, which features a killer main theme. They also dissect the episode itself, praising the sharper elements and skewering the weaker ones. We hope you e...

A little something for your stocking: it's the final Soundtrack Spotlight of 2020! Douglass Fake of Intrada Records joins Yavar and Jens for an exploration of Intrada's latest reissue of Jerry Goldsmith's rich, thrilling score for the ill-fated 1981 war movie Inchon . Over the course of this installment, the guys discuss Intrada's long-term relationship with this particular Gol...