What decade would have a great score by a French composer for a violent English film done in Hollywood style set in Africa? The 1960s, of courseand you can find the CD on Film Score Monthly's Silver Age Classics.
Dark of the Sun (1968) starred Rod Taylor and Jim Brown as mercenaries (the film is also known as ''The Mercenaries'') on a mission in war-torn Congo of the early 1960s to retrieve refugees and an expensive cache of diamonds before they can fall into the hands of Simba rebels. The film becomes a ''Heart of Darkness''-style tale plagued by violence, betrayal and murderand it has a corker of a score by French composer Jacques Loussier, famous for his ''Play Bach'' jazz albums and largely French film and TV assignments such as the theme to Thierry la Fronde.
Loussier's score to Dark of the Sun matches the offbeat melodic invention of Ennio Morricone and the brassy inflections of John Barry's James Bond scores while remaining the very personal work of its composer. The main theme consists of three layered ideas: a plucked pulse, a jazzy, syncopated bass line for piano and harpsichord, and a distinctly European minor-mode melody often voiced by strings. The score expresses the tragedy and subtext behind the violence of the on-screen images, while acknowledging the action explicitly in several jazzy action cues.
The Dark of the Sun score somewhat defies description except that it abounds with the kind of invention and melody that marked 1960s film scoring (such as that of Barry, Schifrin, Legrand, Goldsmith, Morricone and others) and has long been a favorite of soundtrack collectors. Loussier never again scored this kind of mainstream adventure film but he provided a winner in this premiere effort.
FSM's definitive CD of Dark of the Sun features the complete score (less one brief cue which was lost) in stereo, containing all of the music from the previous MGM Records LP (and Chapter III CD)and much morein improved sound quality. Liner notes are by Didier C. Deutsch, Alexander Kaplan and Lukas Kendall incorporating new comments by the composer.
Dark of the Sun
Music Composed and Conducted by Jacques Loussier
1M1 (Main Theme From Dark of the Sun) 3:10
1M2 (Drive to Ubi) 3:39
2M1/2M2 (Dr. Wreid) 1:01
2M3 (The Mercenaries) 2:36
4M1 (Claire's First Appearance) 3:44
5M1 Pt. 2 (Friendly Natives Having Fun Pt. 2) 2:19
6M1/6M1A (The Fight/Port Reprieve) 3:39
6M2/7M1 (Curry and the Diamonds Pt. 1) 2:38
7M2 (Claire and Curry) 3:46
7M2 Wild (The Mission) 1:37
8M1/8M2 (The Simbas Attack/The Coach Rolls Back) 4:51
8M2 Wild/8M3/9M1 (Tracks Blown/Stakeout/Diamond) 1:13
9M2 (Infiltration) 1:22
9M3 (Curry and the Diamonds Pt. 2) 0:44
10M1 (The Doctor Is Found) 3:45
10M2/11M1 (Curry's Plan/Ruffo's Death) 2:38
11M2 (Curry's Drive With Claire) 1:57
11M3B (The Chase) 1:17
12M1A/12M1B (Revenge) 3:30
12M1C (Curry Kills Henlein) 2:10
12M2/12M3 Remake (Curry's Decision/End Title) 3:23
Total Time: 55:43
Bonus Tracks
7M2 Remake (Clare and Curry Alternate) 3:50
Main Theme From Dark of the Sun (album edit) 1:20
12M3 Original Version (End Title Alternate) 0:42
3M2 (Natives Source) 1:02
5M1 Pt. 1 (Friendly Natives Having Fun Pt. 1) 2:13
3M1 (Natives Source) 1:50
Total Time: 11:11
Total Disc Time: 67:03
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