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THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN AN ALEX NORTH TREASURE!
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Topic: THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN AN ALEX NORTH TREASURE!

piero2

Oscar® Nominee

From Cousin Zooba:Hi Gang. Just recently found an old Cassette of Alex North's THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN. Wow What a Blockbuster! I remember many years ago finding the Original LP at Woolworth's for 69 Cents. I Was probably around 15 years old and just really getting into Soundtrack and Movie Music. I remember so clearly that Cover with the Chinese Guy looking so angry. This is one of Alex North's most underatted Scores and I think is a Masterpiece in it's Pure Majesty, Passion and Power. Never released on CD I have just transferred the Cassette to CDR and can't stop listening. It's also such a varied score as well. I love the Great Bombastic Rome and Religious elements but the soft moments interspersed and North's delicate harpsicord and mandolin cues are wonderful. If you have never heard it please get it at any cost. I will even make CDR's for anyone in Trade for something you can make me. The Passion Maestro North has captured in this score is awesome. He has always been one of my Very Favorite Composers and hearing this SCore as a boy and loving it then and now a Big Zooba I have come to love it even more. Oh, to think what Musical Treasures Alex NOrth would continue to give us if he were still around today. I had the Honor of meeting him at UCLA a few years before his passing and at least got the chance to shake his hand and Thank him so much for his great music. He was a True Gentle Man and simply one of Film Music's most Talented Maestros! Treat yourself to SHOES and you will know that the Passion and Love of Alex NOrth Lives!! Best to all! Zoob
posted 09-01-2001 01:27 AM PT (US) 
John C Winfrey

Oscar® Winner

This is indeed one great score. It is among my many favorites by him:1. Spartacus
2. Death of Salesman-with that great car crash sequence-great action cue
3. Agony and Ecstasy
4. Penitent-walk up the mountain is a powerful piece of music, needs to be recorded, one of his best not recorded
5. Misfits
6. Cleopatra
7. Viva Zapata-some great cues on there
8. Cheyenne Autumn
9. Dragonslayer
10. Wonderful Country-great western score
11. Streetcar Named Desire
and many others in '50s and '60s.Take care, John.
posted 09-01-2001 05:18 AM PT (US) 
JJH

Oscar® Winner

an EXCELLENT score deserving the full treatment and restoration dammit.We can get obscure Jerry Goldsmith TV stuff, but not Alex North's feature film masterpieces. Annoying.
I have the LP and that sounds okay.In the (a tad longish) film, it's simply sounds marvellous.
NP -- The Claim, Nymanposted 09-01-2001 09:03 AM PT (US) 
Graham Watt

Oscar® Winner

That's a good score all right from the great Alex North, though I seem to recall some glitzy game show-like travelogue music near the start which I felt to be a little odd and somewhat cringeworthy. Did that cue work?Incidentally, the "theme" as such was used in a Schwarzenegger film, (Red Heat perhaps, I can't rightly remember), played on solo trumpet at a Russian soldier's funeral, so it may not actually have been an original North composition. Anyone know anything about this? I caught the last few minutes of a Shostakovich work on the radio a few months back, and thought I detected the same melodic progression. Wish I'd heard the whole thing to see if that theme turned up in a more recognisable form earlier on in the piece.
Summary: Alex North is great. Shoes Of The Fisherman is great but has got odd cues. It turned up in Red Heat. Maybe it was Shostakovich all along.
posted 09-01-2001 11:24 AM PT (US) 
Luscious Lazlo

Oscar® Winner

I sure wish I could hear what the rest of you are hearing. I've listened to SHOES a few times and---guess what---it still insists on boring me to tears. Not only is it dull, but it's bombastically dull.
posted 09-01-2001 03:19 PM PT (US) 
John C Winfrey

Oscar® Winner

Graham, you may be right on that because every so often North did that in some of his scores. Also, note these:1. Somebody Killed Her Husband-1978-Has substantial classical music borrowed and rearranged=Carnival of the Animals, etc.
2. Prizzi's Honor-same type of use of classical music
I am sure there are several others but these are two I thought of right off the bat.John.
posted 09-01-2001 03:38 PM PT (US) 
Graham Watt

Oscar® Winner

True, John. Alex North wasn't afraid of recycling other stuff (his own and other peoples'). Shoes Of The Fisherman has parts which appear in his rejected score for 2001, but I'm not sure which he wrote first.
posted 09-03-2001 04:20 AM PT (US) 
John C Winfrey

Oscar® Winner

Yes, Graham, I agree. I told the other board about some of his reuses of his own music and one North fan said he didn't believe it. If he was that familiar with his music he would have picked it up.Here are some reuses I have noticed over the years:
1. Good Morning VietNam, reuse of music from 200l/Africa-chase scene in alley
2. Pocket Money-short clip from South Seas Adventure-surfing music-Marvin and Newman driving in Cadillac
3. Bite the Bullet-lots of reuse from earlier scores including Cheyenne Autumn, Bite has tons of reuse including music from Wonderful Country
4. Spartacus has some music from Viva Zapata
5. part of Rose Tattoo, I have heard in at least one other score by him
6. Dragonslayer-some music from 2001
These are a few I recall off the top of my head.I love these cues by him:
1. "Apache Death" from Wonderful Country
2. All the battle music and Roman legion on the march cues, Crassus music from Spartacus
3. battle cues in Cheyenne Autumn
4. End titles from Shoes of Fisherman
5. Main title from Agony and Ecstasy
6. Misfits-many cues
7. walk up the hill from The Penitent
8. some music from Under the Volcano
9. Death of Salesman-car wreck cue-great action piece
10. "Grant Me an Honorable Death" from CleopatraTake care, John.
posted 09-03-2001 06:29 AM PT (US) 
JJH

Oscar® Winner

There isn't a composer alive who doesn't re-use something.It's hard enough just doing concert music, but I imagine it's more difficult with the limited time you have on film scores.
still, good composer this Alex North!
NP -- Indecent Proposal, Barryposted 09-03-2001 01:31 PM PT (US) 
John C Winfrey

Oscar® Winner

True, JJH. Wasn't really critizing him. I like his music. John.
posted 09-03-2001 04:29 PM PT (US) 
Graham Watt

Oscar® Winner

Bingo! Flicking through the radio channels tonight, I caught again that classical piece I mentioned before. This time there's no doubt: it's the theme for Shoes (not the bit similar to 2001, but the developed theme first heard in the Overture).SHOSTAKOVICH, CHAMBER SYMPHONY OPUS 110
posted 09-07-2001 11:50 AM PT (US) 
Valere

Oscar® Winner

Name me ONE composer who does not re-use his own work.
posted 09-08-2001 08:09 PM PT (US) 
John C Winfrey

Oscar® Winner

True, Valere. Some use a lot less than others though. John.
posted 09-09-2001 07:20 PM PT (US) Old Infopop Software by UBB
