FSM releases its first film musical in a spectacular and unprecedented 3CD edition: Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), featuring songs and music by Leslie Bricusse, conducted and supervised by John Williams.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips was Arthur P. Jacobs's musical remake of M-G-M's acclaimed 1939 drama, based on a novel by James Hilton about a stuffy British schoolmaster and the woman who brings love to his life. Peter O'Toole starred as Mr. Chips, alongside formidible musical talent Petula Clark as Mrs. Chips. The film was unconventional in that the characters do not "break out into song," but perform as a kind of psychological counterpoint to the story.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips was the first of John Williams's three large-scale musical adaptations (the others being Fiddler on the Roof and Tom Sawyer), a massive creative undertaking in which he was solely responsible for the film's underscore, conducting, orchestrations and source music. For Williams, this was an all-encompassing effort which helped forge his legendary "blockbuster" sound familiar on such later films as Superman and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.
Although the Goodbye, Mr. Chips production came in under-budget, it had a long and colorful history of "development hell" in which multiple composers, directors, and stars were attached—and a wealth of music generated. This comprehensive 3CD set focuses on Bricusse's and Williams's involvement with a definitive chronicle of their recordings:
Disc one features the complete score as it was intended for the finished film (including several unused Williams score cues).
Disc two features an "alternate narrative" of the story through different versions of the songs (many of which were included on a "demo" LP of the soundtrack), source cues, score alternates, and promotional interviews given by the film's stars.
Disc three features the original 1969 soundtrack album, followed by yet more demo and alternate versions of songs, including "Tomorrow With Me," sung by Petula Clark and orchestrated by Williams and one of Bricusse's favorite unused songs.
The 48-page booklet features a definitive account of the movie and soundtrack's creation, written by album producer Michael Matessino (of the Star Wars Trilogy Special Editions and other Williams CD restorations).
The album is almost entirely in stereo, with interview tracks and a few source and demo cues in mono.
If you do not have any movie musicals in your collection, Goodbye, Mr. Chips is an ideal first purchase: the soundtrack was a major project for John Williams, and foreshadows his famous "epic" sound. For fans of the film, this 3CD set is a definitive presentation of the many songs and alternate versions that have been in circulation since 1969.
Track listing
Disc 1
1. Overture (04:00)
2. "Fill The World With Love" (Main Title) (04:33)
Chorus
3. "Where My Childhood Go?" (03:46)
Chips
4. Flossie From Fulham Overture and Play-On (00:57)
5. "London Is London" (03:29)
Katherine & Chorus
6. Pompeii (02:46)
7. "And The Sky Smiled" (03:14)
Katherine
8. Know Yourself ("And The Sky Smaller" Reprise) (01:50)
Katherine
9. "Apollo" (01:19)
Katherine
10. "When I Am Older" (03:11)
Boys
11. "Walk Through The World" (04:18)
Katherine
12. "Fill The World With Love" (Assembly) (01:44)
Katherine & Chorus
13. Katherine Overhears (01:30)
14. First Act Finale (01:39)
15. Entr'Acte and "What Shall I Do With Today?" (03:39)
Katherine
16. "What a Lot of Flowers" (02:20)
Chips
17. A Lesson ("What a Lot of Flowers" Reprise) (01:47)
Chips
18. Fifteenth Anniversary (03:13)
19. The Postcard ("And The Sky Smiled" Reprise) (02:23)
Katherine
20. "School Days" (01:53)
Katherine & Boys
21. "When I Was Younger" and Chips Resigns (03:20)
Chips
22. "You and I" (02:20)
Katherine
23. Chips Accepts (01:25)
24. Very Pleased (00:44)
25. Katherine's Death (01:26)
26. The Boys React (02:09)
27. "Fill The World With Love" (Finale) and End Title (03:28)
Chips & Chorus
28. Exit Music ("You and I" Orchestral Reprise) (02:26)
TRACKS 1-28: FILM SCORE RECONSTRUCTION
29. "Fill The World With Love" (Main Title) (film version) (04:12)
Chorus - including Prelude and Fugue in G minor, J.S. Bach)
30. First Act Finale (alternate) (01:37)
31. End Title (film version) (01:01)
TRACKS 29-31: ALTERNATES
Disc 2
1. "Fill The World With Love" (Main Title) (treble version) (02:49)
2. Interview Segment #1 - Peter O'Toole (02:31)
3. "Where Did My Childhood Go?" (alternate) (03:10)
4. Interview Segment #2 - Petula Clark (02:01)
5. "London Is London" (alternate) (03:25)
6. Savoy (source) (03:53)
7. Pompeii (alternate) (02:26)
8. "And The Sky Smiled" (alternate) (04:06)
9. "Apollo" (alternate) (01:20)
10. "When I Am Older" (alternate) (02:56)
11. "And I Would Love You" (source) (01:08)
Diana Lee, Jerry Whitman
12. "The Perfect Man" (source) (01:50)
Diana Lee
13. Katherine's Party Piano (source) (05:29)
14. "Walk Through The World" (alternate) (03:11)
15. "Fill The World With Love" (Assembly) (solo version) (01:43)
16. "Integer Vitae" (source) (02:02)
Boys
17. First Act Finale (alternate #2) (01:24)
18. "What Shall I Do With Today?" (alternate) (01:28)
19. Ursula's Party (source) (01:34)
20. Ursula's Memory (source) (01:43)
21. Interview Segment #3 - Peter O'Toole (00:43)
22. "What a Lot of Flowers" (alternate) (02:17)
23. 'O Workship The King" (source) (00:43)
Katherine & Chips
24. "What A Lot of Flowers" Reprise (alternate) (00:53)
25. Interview Segment #4 - Petula Clark (01:42)
26. "School Days" (alternate) (02:22)
27. "When I Was Younger" (alternate) (01:01)
28. "You and I" (alternate) (02:52)
29. Interview Segment #5 - Peter O'Toole (02:50)
30. "Fill The World With Love" (Finale) (alternate) (01:46)
31. End Title (alternate) (01:00)
TRACKS 1-31: NARRATIVE SEQUENCE OF ALTERNATES AND SOURCE MUSIC WITH INTERVIEWS
Disc 3
1. Overture (04:00)
2. "Fill The World With Love" (02:10)
3. "Where My Childhood Go?" (03:12)
4. "London Is London" (03:29)
5. "And The Sky Smiled" (04:05)
6. "Apollo" (01:21)
7. "When I Am Older" (02:47)
8. "Walk Through The World" (03:19)
9. Entr'Acte and "What Shall I Do With Today?" (03:38)
10. "What a Lot of Flowers" and Reprise (03:14)
11. "School Days" (02:23)
12. "When I Was Younger" (01:01)
13. "You and I" (02:50)
14. "Fill The World With Love" (Finale) and End Title (03:10)
15. "You and I" Orchestral Reprise (02:26)
TRACKS 1-15: ORIGINAL 1969 SOUNDTRACK ALBUM (LP)
16. Peter O'Toole on Location (06:33)
17. Petula Clark on Location (04:49)
TRACKS 16-17: INTERVIEW SEGMENTS
18. "Fill The World With Love" (demo) (01:15)
Ian Fraser
19. "The Roll Call" (demo/unused) (02:08)
Leslie Bricusse
20. "That's A Boy" (demo/unused) (03:20)
Leslie Bricusse
21. "Today" (demo/unused) (02:30)
Ian Fraser
22. "No One's Ever Been In Love (demo/unused) (02:15)
Ian Fraser
23. "Walk Through The World" (demo) (03:19)
Petula Clark
24. "London Is London" (original playback) (04:24)
Petula Clark & Chorus
25. "Tomorrow With Me" (unused) (02:38)
Petula Clark
26. End Title (demo/alternate) [chorus] (01:18)
|
.jpg)
