Join us for the debut episode of Sideshow Sound Radio, as we discuss the film scores that inspired each of us to become composers.
Starting with the symphonic and unashamedly emotional Star Trek First Contact score by Jerry Goldsmith and his son Joel Goldsmith, featuring an amalgam of almost all the Star Trek themes the film composer brought to the franchise including two new thematic gems, we go on to discuss the extremely underrated Thomas Newman and his intimate and well-crafted Meet Joe Black score featuring the heartbreaking cue “That Next Place”. Next, we discuss Frank Herbert’s Dune Soundtrack by Graeme Revell and the untraditional orchestration the composer used to help reflect the story of the three-part sci-fi mini-series, and finally, Danny Elfman’s dark, memorable, and tone-setting Batman 1989 score, orchestrated and conducted by the film score genius that was Shirley Walker.
Timestamps:
2:06 – Our composing backgrounds
6:01 – Star Trek: First Contact
17:53 – Meet Joe Black
26:13 – Frank Herbert’s Dune
34:12 – Batman (1989)
Links from this episode:
Interview with film composer Graeme Revell on creating the music for “Frank Herbert’s Dune” (2000)
Danny Elfman’s amazing 1990 open letter to Micah Rubenstein as mentioned in this episode
Sideshow Sound Theatre┃Halloween Music & Film Soundtrack Podcast 
I really enjoyed this. My theory: that eagle-squawk-scream is an overblown oboe or English horn. Looking forward to listening to the promptly-delivered episode 2!
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Thanks for listening Bob, we´re glad you enjoyed the episode! You are right to theorise that it´s a wind instrument. It´s actually a religious, Jewish instrument made from the horn of a ram called a shofar, that can also be heard in Jerry Goldsmith´s score for Planet of the Apes.
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I just found your podcast this week. As an avid podcast person, I have to say that your first episode sounded like anything but a first episode. All of you were engaging and insightful, making an easy listen, and one well worth giving the time. Many people haven’t gotten there by their 50th episodes, so hats off. Also, it can be very difficult for me to connect with others’ strong connections with scores that aren’t among my personal favorites. It often falls into the realm of “we all have different tastes” enough that I’d begun to think that it simply couldn’t be done well, but you all explained the impacts your influential scores made so clearly. I understood the whys of every influence.
Finally, regarding Elfman’s Batman, one of you said that he certainly couldn’t have gone to Williams’ Superman for inspiration, and you’re right, but try this. Break out John Williams’ score for The Fury, and try its first track, probably the re-recorded LP version is best for this, which I think has come with every release. Then play the first track of Batman, the opening of the film. I feel a match there, and wonder if Elfman, if he did indeed look to other scores for inspiration, I wonder if he bypassed heroic scores, but checked into some then recent, grandly symphonic horror music?
Oh wait, here are the cuts:
Fury: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EooTztXRQ_Y
Bat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JtDHoK9KL8
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Wow, what a comment! Thank you so much for the kind words William, we really appreciate the support! Cheers for the links, that’s a great catch. Those wild clarinets over the low brass passage pave the way for future Elfmanisms, outside of Batman too. We think you’re onto something and encourage our listeners to pursue this further, especially those who haven’t heard this dark entry from the maestro.
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