ORIGINAL STAR TREK MUSIC SET DETAILS

Last week, La-La Land Records announced details regarding their upcoming 15-CD box set release of the melodelicious music from the original Star Trek television series.

It will be a limited release -- of course -- of 6000 units; based on feedback the record company has gotten. (Based on what I know of similar releases of late, which I'll get to in a moment, I anticipated a pressing of about 4000.)

Star Trek - The Original Series Soundtrack Collection will sell for $224.98 and La-La Land hopes to release the set around late November.

The Canadian Dollar has been hanging around at a little over parity with the U.S. Dollar. Go, Canadian Dollar! You've been served your papers; you've got two months to make an even bigger difference....

Back to my earlier point on "what I know of similar releases of late": About two years ago a 14-CD box set by the name of "The Ron Jones Project" was released; consisting of all, or most of, the music that Ron Jones wrote for Star Trek: The Next Generation, it was bound to be a sure-fire seller to fans of that series and his scores; even at the price of $149.95. Five-thousand units were manufactured; a few months after hitting the market, the set had sold the grand total of around 900. I've since heard that more have been sold, but the producers of the set took a bath. Which begs the question: Where are all the fans of this stuff?!

Last year a 4-CD set of music from The Next Generation was released and it has sold below expectations. Where are all the fans?

So, my point is: Hopefully Star Trek - The Original Series Soundtrack Collection will be wanted by the fans. I'm on my way; last week I bought a new piggy bank at Honest Ed's....

BEST OF BARRY - "BEST CANADIAN FILM" - ORIGINAL POSTING: MAY 14, 2008

There is a joke that goes something like, 'you can't have a best Canadian film as it is an oxymoron'.

Only self-loathing Canadians (some Canadians are) say things like that. For the sake of streamlining my argument, I am going to count English-speaking cinema only. Besides, it ain't fair; on average, Quebec movies are way ahead of their Anglo cousins -- so my first pick would be Don Shebib's 1969 super flick, Goin' Down the Road.

Hold on a moment: Goin' Down the Road is not the best Canadian movie ever made. The best Canadian movie ever made is Starship Invasions.

STAR TREK - 46 YEARS AFTER LIFTOFF

Star Trek premiered on NBC forty-six years ago today? Time sure flies. While I did not see the legendary series until June of 1970, I was old enough to remember the premiere had I been watching in September of 1966.

The good news is I discovered Star Trek in the full in the fall of 1970 when CFTO (CTV Toronto) played it at 5pm, weekdays. The show was magical and it captured our (my friends and I) little minds and hearts. We thought and talked about ST an awful lot. (I think my grade-4 teacher was more than a little frustrated with our chatter... and drawings.)

And some of us are still talking.

Put it this way; a friend of mine recently watched a DVD that contained two episodes of the original Trek -- "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and "Amok Time".  As my friend admitted, he was a casual television watcher growing up, and as far as our show in question was concerned, he guessed that he saw "perhaps ten episodes in total". I had to ask him what he thought of the show, given these parameters.  He answered:  "Excellent! I watched each one twice." After a moment, he added with the passion of discovery, "It's much more profound than I remember it being." I quipped, "that's why we're still talking about it".
 

THINKING ALBUMS 6

How often do we hear a song that we really like but when we buy the album (at least we used to at one time) there is basically just the one song of note... maybe another... maybe?

It was a pleasant surprise when, after deciding the song "Tubthumping" had to be mine, I picked up Chumbawamba's album, Tubthumper, and after giving it a spin I ended up letting it spin right to the end. That is rare for me. And especially the fact that I enjoyed the whole thing, from beginning to end.

Something I recognized right away while listening to the album, was the source of the frequent audio sampling as being the movie 'Brassed Off', which I watched and liked when it first hit home-vid.

(By the way, I decided to post the above after listening to the album this evening. Now, where's that Hercules album I bought a few years ago? "The Mighty Hercules", from Golden Record.  Win Sharples! Have I played that CD since first buying it? Put on the headphones, tuck in under the sheets....)

STAR TREK'S MR. WORF GETTING OWN TV SERIES?

I heard the rumour about "Lt. Worf" getting his own Star Trek series, and had to investigate...
http://screencrush.com/star-trek-worf-tv-serie/

No... please, no. Just kidding. Whatever turns 'them' on.  Yet another show with just 4 million viewers. If that!

I like Worf, he was one of the few interesting characters in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but I feel even he is too two-dimensional. Not interesting enough to carry a show past three episodes; never mind a season.

I sent the above idea to a friend and he came back with this...

"commanding his own ship, on the front lines, chasing terrorists."

Because a trillion-dollar spaceship is just the thing to catch terrorists with. When they're hanging around on the front lines.


To quote from an episode of the original Star Trek: "Brain?! Brain?! What is brain?!"

PRESS RELEASE RE STAR TREK MUSIC BOX

COMING SOON FROM LA-LA LAND RECORDS - STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION

Burbank, CA — La-La Land Records proudly announces its forthcoming release of STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION, a limited edition 15-CD box set, showcasing all episode scores as heard in all three original seasons of the landmark sci-fi television series STAR TREK (1966-1969). This special collection of ground-breaking, iconic music, from one of television’s most acclaimed and beloved series, has been newly remastered from studio elements and features hours of stellar material previously unreleased in any format.

Original series composers Alexander Courage, George Duning, Jerry Fielding, Gerald Fried, Sol Kaplan, Samuel Matlovsky, Joseph Mullendore and Fred Steiner are all represented in this deluxe collection, their historic work meticulously assembled, restored and remastered to ensure the finest presentation and sound quality possible. A 100-Page CD Booklet, featuring exclusive, in-depth liner notes from film music writer and Star Trek historian Jeff Bond, complements this attractive set, which is housed in a hardcover slipcase.

The collection is expected to be released in late fall 2012. It will be a limited pressing, but the total number of units to be manufactured has yet to be determined. You can help the label decide how many units will ultimately be pressed by visiting www.lalalandrecords.com now and signing up for the STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION MAILING LIST.

STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION is licensed by CBS Consumer Products and produced in cooperation with GNP Crescendo Records, the longtime home of pioneering classic Star Trek television and film soundtracks. GNP Crescendo’s Neil Norman has allowed for episode scores previously and exclusively released by Crescendo to be newly expanded and remastered for this box set, in order to make the collection as comprehensive as possible.

This release marks the kind of authoritative collection of original Trek series music that fans have desired for decades. “For 45 years, those like me who love this music could only dream about having it all,” remarks album producer Lukas Kendall. “This is the major, historical piece of sci-fi music, television music and pop culture music that we have always wanted to release in a definitive form for the collector.”

“A majority of the music featured in this set has never been released,” adds Executive Album Producer and La-La Land Records President MV Gerhard. “Of that unreleased music, there is a fairly large percentage that no one has ever heard because it was written and recorded for the show, but never featured in the episodes.” Regarding some of these previously unreleased tracks, Album Music Editor Neil S. Bulk comments, “No original music from season three, apart from the main title, has ever been released. It’s really distinct and definitely Star Trek… It’s what people have always wanted.”

“The original show was very theatrical,” says Trek historian and liner notes writer Jeff Bond. “So the music reflected that. It was huge and very expressive and thematic. And that makes it very exciting to listen to apart from the show.”

The original Trek series scores team with action, adventure and drama, but they are also infused with deep emotion and the greatness of the human spirit. Such characteristics have kept these richly orchestrated tracks vital and relevant decades beyond their original recording. “Trek was always about the human condition,” remarks Co-Executive Album Producer and La-La Land Records VP, Matt Verboys. “And the scores have that in it and I think that’s what has made both the show and its music timeless.”

For more about STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION, visit www.lalalandrecords.com  now and join the STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SOUNDTRACK MAILING LIST to receive important forthcoming information and announcements regarding the release, such as the official release date, the number of units pressed, pricing and much more!

COMING BACK - SOON - STAR TREK MUSIC

Hello, dear readers. I've been neglecting this blog spot for a while. And I have been very conscious of that fact, if unconscious in many other areas.

The news last week about La-La Land Records preparing a release of a cosmic-sized CD box set of the complete music of Star Trek (the original series) has turned many people on; including me. I decided this morning that I would use this exciting news to kick-start me into getting back into "this thing". My article will be an overview of the original Star Trek's outstanding music, and, for me, it will be a lengthy piece. I've already started making notes. "Coming soon!"

For now, probe and enjoy this teasing five-minute video on the people who produced the upcoming 15 CD set...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA34dfODi4M

TORONTO SUN BUILDING - NOT

Yesterday, I passed by the Toronto Sun building and decided to take a picture to illustrate how bad things are with that ridiculous outfit. (An L.C.B.O. store, and a Dollarama?!)

A few weeks ago I learned that the Sun now occupies just one floor of their own building. There's a story....

BEST OF BARRY - "JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT" - ORIGINAL POSTING: OCT 7, 2010

If someone where to update, or extend, Emile de Antonio's excellent 1972 documentary, Painters Painting: The New York Art Scene 1940 - 1970, would painter Jean-Michel Basquiat be included?

Automatically, I would think...
http://barrysmight.blogspot.ca/2010/10/jean-michel-basquiat.html 

BEST OF BARRY - "IRWIN ALLEN COMPUTER" - ORIGINAL POSTING: NOVEMBER 25, 2010

A particular movie prop continues to be used; it's been around for years.  I blogged about it after seeing it in an episode of "Lost", and after finding a video on the ubiquitous device on Youtube.  It's all here...
http://barrysmight.blogspot.ca/2010/11/irwin-allen-computer.html