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La-La Land to release 15-disc original series score set

Someone was trying such a project. Well, a couple people were. It's harder than it looks.

D'oh! Yesterday was the 47th anniversary of recording City on the Edge of Forever! I have some writing to do!
 
I have to say, it really is a lot tougher than it sounds. Some episodes use music from more than one episode to create a new cue, or two or three cues from the same episode cobbled into one. I made a Corbomite Maneuver edit and it was a total pain in the ass. I couldn't begin to write down what cues I used, the duration's and so on. I was going to do Balance of Terror, but it’s worse. And some of the “firing at the Romulan” music is so disjointed with VERY obvious cuts that it makes for a crappy listening experience.

Major props to the music editors on the series, who had to do it with razor and tape (and under strict deadlines). We at least have easy to use audio editing programs and spare time.
 
Personally, (and I know this will come as quite a shock to all of you) I am quite content with listening to the music as presented by the guys at LaLaLand; if I want to listen to the episode scores from the episodes themselves, I'll watch the show. The music however, as presented on the set, is perfectly acceptable and quite delightfully entertaining on its own.
 
Personally, (and I know this will come as quite a shock to all of you) I am quite content with listening to the music as presented by the guys at LaLaLand; if I want to listen to the episode scores from the episodes themselves, I'll watch the show. The music however, as presented on the set, is perfectly acceptable and quite delightfully entertaining on its own.

I agree. I actually prefer listening to it as it was originally recorded as opposed to the episode edits. It is interesting to see what the editors did but I too am quite content to hear those edits only in the episodes.

Fifteen months later and I’m still listening to this set. I haven’t grown tired of it and always find some time to pop in a favorite score. . . . . . My love for this set is unparalleled in my library. It is easily the jewel in the collection and my actual Holy Grail.

I couldn't agree more. After waiting for so long (and thinking that it would never happen) I must say that I am not disappointed at all and in fact; this was one of the best purchases I have ever made for the value. I have listened to the entire set 4 times start to finish and a ton of parts of the set. When my ipod is on shuffle and one of these selections comes up it ALWAYS makes me happy!! I am a little surprised that it has not yet sold out but I have mine so I'm good!! :)
 
There are some edits I like and almost expect because of all the years I've heard them a certain way. So it's cool for me to recreate a few of them. I'll probably never do another full episode recreation, but a few bits here and there - like the last moments of All Our Yesterdays and putting the music cue from the original opening credits of WNMHGB in the scene where Mitchell recovers from the force field on Delta Vega.

For the most part, I listen to them in the order in which they were put on the discs.
 
I have to say, it really is a lot tougher than it sounds. Some episodes use music from more than one episode to create a new cue, or two or three cues from the same episode cobbled into one.

I was thinking of this post while watching Errand of Mercy this morning. The opening Klingon attack on the Enterprise is a perfect example of the piecemeal assembly of music to create a great effect on screen...but a lousy listening experience on its own. To create music for this short sequence, cues from the following episodes were cut up and edited together into one piece:

WNMHGB: When Your Eyes Have Turned to Silver
WNMHGB: Power Mad
The Naked Time: Lurch Time
WALGMO?: Ruk Attacks
WNMHGB: Situation Grave

All for a 40 second sequence. So, I can totally understand why nobody is anxious to put together an index of every episode's tracked cues....
 
I would gladly do it if I had a reliable source to work from; with reports of the Blu-Ray 7.1 audio being wildly incorrect in some places and no reliable audio rip of a "correct" source available, though...
 
I have the set, but I would get interested in episode-edits only for scenes I love musically. Like the medley of love themes when Kirk pleads with Rayna in "Requiem." They threw in the kitchen sink for that one, but it's a beautiful sink. :bolian:
 
Instead of going the route of creating episode-specific sequencing of tracks, I've been working on just compilations of highlights per season. I initially assembled three CD's, one for each season, each about 78 minutes in length. Some scores were easier than others to pare down, I was trying for 6-7 minutes per score, but some titles, such as "Friday's Child", "Amok Time" and "The Paradise Syndrome" deserved longer suites at around 10 minutes each.

However, after listening to these often, I think they might be too crammed and needing some space, so I might create 2-disc highlight sets for each season....

Below is my Season 1 Highlights, the single disc version:

Star Trek: The Original Series - First Season Highlights

"The Cage": Main Title
"The Cage": Probing/Monster Illusion/Monster Fight/The Kibitzers
"The Cage": Vina's Dance
"Where No Man Has Gone Before": Beyond the Pale (No Man Before)/Main Title
"Where No Man Has Gone Before": Power Mad/Situation Grave/Epilogue
"Where No Man Has Gone Before": End Title - End Credits
"The Corbomite Maneuver": Radiation/Cube Radiation/Baby Balok/Fesarius Approaches
"Mudd's Women": Space Radio
"The Enemy Within": The Rock Slide*/Beam Up*/The Evil Kirk
"The Enemy Within": Confrontation
"The Enemy Within": What to Do?
"The Enemy Within": Another Brandy/The Evil Grin/Double Dog Death
"The Enemy Within": Two Into One
"The Enemy Within": One Captain Kirk/Thank You, Yeoman
"The Man Trap": Circle One/Monitor Gizzard/Down Again/Grey to Greene
"The Naked Time": Out of Control/Lurch Time/Punchy Kid
"The Naked Time": The Big Go
"The Naked Time": Time Reverse*/Future Risk and End Title
"Charlie X": Space Orbit/Charlie X/That's a Girl
"Charlie X": Kirk's Command/Charlie's Mystery/Charlie's Gift
"Charlie X": Zap Sam/Zap the Pistol
"Charlie X": Goodbye Charlie/Finale
"Balance of Terror": Romulan Warship / Romulan Theme / Centurion
"What are Little Girls Made Of": Meet Andrea / Big Ruk / Ruk Protests
"The Conscience of the King": Lenore
"The Conscience of the King": Play-On #2*/Quick Ship*/Phaser Overload
"The Conscience of the King": Go for Baroque
"The Conscience of the King": Opheliamania*/Bridge #2*/Last Cue
"Shore Leave": Knight/Joust
"Shore Leave": 2nd Ruth/Ruth to Commercial
“Shore Leave": A Clue/Finnegan's Return/The Leg Trick/Dirt Trick
"The City on the Edge of Forever": Edith's Theme
Impension (First Season Library Music)
End Title* (electric violin version)
 
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Instead of going the route of creating episode-specific sequencing of tracks, I've been working on just compilations of highlights per season. I initially assembled three CD's, one for each season, each about 78 minutes in length. Some scores were easier than others to pare down, I was trying for 6-7 minutes per score, but some titles, such as "Friday's Child", "Amok Time" and "The Paradise Syndrome" deserved longer suites at around 10 minutes each.


That's a good idea. I should make my own greatest hits CDs from the set. Your 2 and 3 lists would not go unappreciated. :bolian:
 
No problem, happy to share!

Star Trek: The Original Series - Second Season Highlights

1. "Charlie X": Main Title* (cello version, arr./cond. Steiner)
2. "Catspaw": Orbiting Ship*/Fog Planet
3. "Catspaw": Racial Memories/Captain Kirk/Mace Fight
4. "Catspaw": Wand-Breaking/The Prototypes/Five to Beam Up
5. "Metamorphosis": Shuttlecraft/Shuttle Helpless
6. "Metamorphosis": Cochrane
7. "Metamorphosis": It's Her/Loveliness
8. "Friday's Child": Capella IV
9. "Friday's Child": Distress Signal
10."Friday's Child": Sonic Ambush/Bouncing Boulder
11."Friday's Child": Kras on the Rocks/Paternity Case/New Capellan in Town
12."Friday's Child": Forfeit
13."Friday's Child": Coochy Coo/Godfathers
14."Who Mourns for Adonais?": Apollo's Temple #2
15."Who Mourns for Adonais?": Apollo's Kiss/Apollo's Storm/Final Battle
16."Amok Time": Episode Title*/Mr. Spock/Log
17."Amok Time": Processional
18."Amok Time": The Ancient Combat/2nd Kroykah
19."Amok Time": Resignation*/Lazarus Returned/Pig's Eye
20."The Doomsday Machine": Goodbye M. Decker
21."The Doomsday Machine": Kirk Does It Again/One's Enough
22."Mirror, Mirror": Blackship Theme/The Agonizer
23."Mirror, Mirror": Blackship in Space/Blackship Underscore
24."Mirror, Mirror": Evil Kirk
25."Mirror, Mirror": Goodbye Marlena
26."I, Mudd": Harry Mudd/Mudd's Series
27."I, Mudd": Mudd's Detention/Stella 500
28."The Trouble with Tribbles": The Muzak Maker
29."The Trouble with Tribbles": Bartender Bit/Big Fite
30."The Trouble with Tribbles": Dead Heap!/Close That Door/Hissing Tribbles/Poor Jonesy/No Tribble at All
31."By Any Other Name": More Neutralizer
32."By Any Other Name": Rojan's Revenge/Rojan's Blocks/Broken Block
33."Return to Tomorrow": The Voice
34."Return to Tomorrow": Who Are You/The Globes
35."Return to Tomorrow": Thalassa Recalls
36."Return to Tomorrow": Last Moments
37."Patterns of Force": Military Mite (Nazi March)
38.Fight on Captain's Theme (Second Season Library Music)
39.Sad and Thoughtful on Captain's Theme (Second Season Library Music)
40.End Title*
 
And last but not least... you'll probably notice I decided to place the scores in production order, instead of air date order, just for variety's sake.

Star Trek: The Original Series - Third Season Highlights

1. Main Title* (soprano version, stereo; arr. Courage, cond. Hatch)
2. "Spock's Brain": Alien Ship/Meet Kara
3. "Spock's Brain": Communicators/Scientific Fight
4. "The Enterprise Incident": Aberrated Captain*
5. "The Enterprise Incident": Unfair Exchange
6. "The Enterprise Incident": Ear Bob
7. "The Paradise Syndrome": Episode Title/Puzzled Kirk/Miramanee/Maximum Warp/Engine Strain
8. "The Paradise Syndrome": Bad Memory*/Breath of Life*/The New God/Deflection
9. "The Paradise Syndrome": Check-Up/Death to a False God/Mind Fusion
10."And the Children Shall Lead": Triacus*/What Goes Kids?
11."And the Children Shall Lead": Last Whammy
12."Is There in Truth No Beauty?": Enter Marvick/Enter Miranda
13."Is There in Truth No Beauty?": Ambassador Arrival/My Life Is Here/I Must Know/Starship Party
14."Is There in Truth No Beauty?": Marvick Mad/Marvick Berserk/Marvick Dies
15."Spectre of the Gun": Melkots' Warning*/Hailing Frequencies*
16."Spectre of the Gun": We're Trapped/Shoot Out, Part 1
17."Spectre of the Gun": Shoot Out, Part 2/Kirk Wins!
18."Spectre of the Gun": Final Curtain
19."Plato's Stepchildren": Episode Titles
20."Plato's Stepchildren": Delirium Parmen's
21."Plato's Stepchildren": Slap Unhappy
22."Plato's Stepchildren": The Little Visitor
23."The Empath": Lost Trio/Enter Gem/The Vians/Kirk Stunned/Force Field/Kirk Healed
24."The Empath": Cave Exit/Star Trek Chase/Slow Motion Kirk
25."The Empath": Vians' Farewell/Off Again
26."The Empath": Empath Finale
27."Elaan of Troyius": Mission to Elas/Meet Kryton/Meet Elaan
28."Elaan of Troyius": Realization/Battle Stations
29."Elaan of Troyius": Battle Music
30."Elaan of Troyius": Thematic Bridge*/Goodbye Elaan/Kirk in Command
31."Whom Gods Destroy": Arab Hootch Dance (Hootchie Kootchie)
32."Requiem for Methuselah": Pseudo Brahms Esq.
33."The Way To Eden": Far Out Jam
34."The Savage Curtain": Drums/Salute to Our President Fanfare
35.End Title* (soprano version, stereo; arr. Courage, cond. Hatch)
 
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It's been a while since I was really paying attention to this but "production order" puts scores OUT of the order they were recorded in. ;) e.g. Corbomite was recorded AFTER Charlie X, The Naked Time, Mudd’s Women, and The Enemy Within.
 
It's been a while since I was really paying attention to this but "production order" puts scores OUT of the order they were recorded in. ;) e.g. Corbomite was recorded AFTER Charlie X, The Naked Time, Mudd’s Women, and The Enemy Within.

Very true, I noticed that when re-doing these compilations and checking the recording dates in the CD liner notes... I guess there are a variety of ways one can gather this music together for presentation! :)
 
I just listened to "The Paradise Syndrome" CDs back to back. First the LLL and then the Royal Philharmonic.

In the LLL, I think I'm hearing a harpsichord during Spock's climactic mind meld, although it isn't listed in the orchestra credits.

The original is of course unbeatable. "Miramanee" is better at the original tempo, as many have observed; it gets her lively youth across. "Forest Montage" is the most important cue that the Royal Phil omitted. And "Miramanee's Death" plays out more effectively in the original. I got into it and actually welled up a little. It's great.

That said, I still got tremendous enjoyment out the Royal Phil. It's a tight, highlights-only presentation, so the 20 minutes go by fast. In a sense, it's like when you skip the previously unreleased atonal cues in THE WRATH OF KHAN. And I'm not tired of this music as the LLL comes to a close, so the re-recording is like an encore.
 
This set is the gift that keeps on giving. It still gets repeated play, some episodes more than others, but maybe two days – maximum – go by without my dipping into the music. Really thought I’d be over it by now, but nope. Not yet.
 
It's been a while since I was really paying attention to this but "production order" puts scores OUT of the order they were recorded in. ;) e.g. Corbomite was recorded AFTER Charlie X, The Naked Time, Mudd’s Women, and The Enemy Within.

That's because the score is just about the last thing done, after the editing and effects have been completed -- otherwise the composer won't know what he or she is scoring to. And as Harvey said, "Corbomite"'s effects work took a long time to complete, which is why it was aired so late in the season.
 
It’s really interesting how they chose what music to track in the second season. After the initial batch of episodes were scored, certain types of episodes would have a lot of music from the same source. For example (and this isn’t all inclusive or without exceptions):

Space based/combat/Starfleet centric episodes would have a lot of music from The Doomsday Machine (Obsession, The Ultimate Computer, The Immunity Syndrome, The Deadly Years).

Episodes with lots of countryside location shooting and primitive tribes would get the similar sounding Friday’s Child/Catspaw music (A Private Little War jumps out at me).

Episodes with arena style combat: Amok Time fight music (Gamesters of Triskelion, Bread and Circuses, The Omega Glory)

And the phaser firing finale of The Apple’s similarities to Who Mourns for Adonias? Are reinforced by the use of that episodes score from the same scene, just a little differently and enhanced by library cues from The Cage.

The other two seasons more freely mixed and matched the music, with less thematic emphasis. For example, a lot of the music from Spock’s Brain was reused repeatedly in the back half of the third season. The last few episodes opened with the same cue. The first season also just put in whatever seemed right for the moment. However, the second season was interesting in its thematic unity.
 
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