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THE BLOB (and other creepy sounds)
Announcing the first MMM CD featuring original music tracks! The Blob (and other creepy sounds) [MMM-1955] is a special, numbered limited-edition of 3,000 copies, featuring the world-premiere release of the complete Ralph Carmichael-composed score from the 1958 cult horror film starring Steve McQueen. The CD features every cue from the movie as well as music not heard in the picture. Of particular note is the unused “Main Title,” which was replaced by the Burt Bacharach/Mack David novelty song. The original orchestral cue is an outstanding piece that perfectly prepares you for the unfolding horror of the movie – as opposed to the humorous approach the song took. Both opening cues are included in this release.
The remainder of the CD is packed with over twenty horror and suspense cues from the Valentino Production Music Library, including pieces that were used in movies like The Green Slime, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, Terror From the Year 5000, as well as in the collectible album “Attilio Mineo Conducts Man in Space with Sounds.” Film composers represented include such distinguished figures as Angelo Francesco Lavagnino, Roger Roger, and Mario Nascimbene. There are over 50 tracks on this CD, and the music is guaranteed to ooze into your nightmares!
THE INTRUDER (and other music by Herman Stein)
Our second archival release focuses on the film music of legendary composer Herman Stein, and it’s a special, numbered limited-edition of 2,000 copies. After his Universal-International tenure, during which time he wrote music for such classic sci-fi thrillers as It Came From Outer Space, Creature From the Black Lagoon, This Island Earth, and Tarantula, Stein was hired to compose the score for Roger Corman’s The Intruder – a hard-hitting film about Southern racism. Known as the only Corman picture to lose money, 1962’s The Intruder is the finest film that Corman ever produced, and its failure at the box-office was due entirely to its touchy subject matter and the lack of a promotional campaign.
Starring a young William Shatner as a mysterious figure who fights integration in a small town by stirring up a racist mob, this superb motion picture elicited a powerful score from Stein, who captures the drama from all sides of the clash. At times lyrical, at other times thunderously aggressive, this is an extremely enjoyable orchestral score. Also included are three source music cues composed by Stein, featuring a combo comprising ace jazz musicians like Benny Carter and Buddy Collette. In addition to every cue heard in the picture, this CD contains music cut from the film.
The Intruder (and other music by Herman Stein) [MMM-1956] also includes the composer’s first film score, the delightful Career For Two. This short 1951 industrial film about savings banks contains a brief-but-highly-enjoyable score by Stein, one so good that upon hearing it, Universal-International’s music director Joseph Gershenson immediately hired the composer to work at the studio. Filling out the CD are a number of unreleased cues from various film projects, as well as a new recording: the world premiere of “Suite For Mario.” Stein composed this four-movement solo piano work in 1948 for his composition teacher, the renowned Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and this is a rare chance to hear a classical work from the great film composer. “Suite For Mario” is performed by award-winning pianist Brian Farrell.
