SFT

I was quite happy when the single CDs of BODY HEAT and DRAGONSLAYER finally came out -- they were WAY too expensive as LPs -- the double LP of DRAGONSLAYER, in particular, came at a ridiculous price I wasn't willing to pay. Who remembers what that set was like? As I recall it -- I've only seen the DRAGONSLAYER LPs in person once, at a Japanese collector's home, oddly enoough -- the two discs were recorded in 45 RPM! even though they were sized like 33 RPM discs.

Any plans for a reissue?

Back in the early 80s, he set out to release a limited number of film scores on virgin vinyl by subscription only with the promise that they would never again be reproduced. This was the incentive for collectors to jump on board and pay the at-that-time very high prices for a title. I think many of you know today that releasing a score is a costly proposition. FSM manages to afford its issues through a deal struck with the AFM. I don't know how much of a reuse fee reduction they get, but it has made the series possible. I don't know whether Lasher cut a similar deal or not, but he did have access to masters and created some sterling recordings. "Body Heat" and "Dragonslayer" were certainly two of the "limited" titles, never again to be reproduced. These titles would be recorded at 45 rpm for maximum sound quality. "Dragonslayer" was to be a boxed set with color insert offering full discussion of the music, samples and color photos. The insert never happened, but it was printed in an issue of "CinemaScore" in black and white. I bought all the titles he offered up through 1984. They included "Frances," "Cheyenne Autumn" and "Sophie's Choice."

Hah! He not only reneged on that promise, but he apparently had John Barry nipping at his heels. Mr. Barry did not take kindly to either the CD release of his score or the numbers of them pressed. Judging by the scarcity of the CD, it would seem logical that another reason, possibly the first, had more to do with it, but I don't know. The "Dragonslayer" CD is less scarce. Who knows how many unnumbered CDs were distributed. I have one of them. I never knew about the numbered ones until they were all gone. I'm glad many more people got to enjoy these scores, but I hope you don't mind that I'm truly ****ed about the betrayal of trust Mr. Lasher perpetrated when he released his Label X titles on CD.

Mr. Lasher was in Walnut Creek, CA. Then he was in Australia. Now he seems to be in New Zealand. There were any number of releases by him and his various company names. Label X was the label for the limited titles. Southern Cross was another name and some great scores were released on both labels on both LP and CD. "Fifth Continent" was part of one of the label names at one time. Those same titles can now be found on Didgeridoo (sp???), his current label incarnation.

Ron Pulliam

[This message has been edited by Ron Pulliam (edited 21 March 2000).]

I'll just have to wait until SuperCollector gets around to rereleasing it (I'm sure they will eventually).