MovieChat Forums > The Incredible Petrified World Discussion > The Soundtrack

The Soundtrack

posted 15 years ago by thegalaxybeing
18 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone know who wrote the eerie music that appeared in the following films?

The TV series, "Space Angel" (Only in season 1)
Teenagers from Outer Space
The Incredible Petrified World
Night of the Living Dead

There is music in all of these that was obviously from the same composer. It seems he didn't get much recognition. The music is considered "stock library" score music. Since these movies have other library scoring, it's also difficult to pin down an individual composer. A shame since he created music that was interesting and moody. It would be great to have it on a CD.

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

I wish I could help you, thegalaxybeing, as I would like that stock music, too.

I don't know if you have ever heard the soundtrack album from Midnight Cowboy (1969), but there was one track in there entitled "Science Fiction". When I heard it many years ago, it sounded awfully familair and may have been some of the stuff we are looking for. I'll have to see if I can find it or any other of the bits you mention. It is so cool!

(Whoa! -- UPDATE: I went to Amazon and found the above album and sampled "Science Fiction", an original composition by John Barry. While it has the feel, it is not what we are looking for http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B00000DQWS/ref=pd_krex_listen _dp_img?ie=UTF8&refTagSuffix=dp_img

If I find the McCoy, I'll be sure to let you know.

[–] thegalaxybeing 14 years ago

That was pretty interesting.

I just get the feeling listening to the pieces in the movies I mentioned that it was written as one long composition, or at least, a record of similarly themed pieces written about the same time by one person. I'd love to get my hands on that record.

These movies don't quite make it clear who wrote what. They all seem to use bits of other music too. (with the possible exception of season 1 of "Space Angel").

If I find anything out (I'm always looking) I will post.

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

And I'd be grateful for that.

The Incredible Petrified World lists only a "Musical Director", so that probably means he deternined the music cues and music choices but no composing.

It seems doubtful that the entire library would be tossed out, the recordings must exist somewhere

It is an interesting chase. I hope to write something positive or hear a good report from you sometime soon. There are certainly other audiophiles out there that might help, too.

The game is afoot!

[–] thegalaxybeing 14 years ago

Here's something interesting:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0394780/

I caught this and it interested me I'm entering this now so I don't forget the name "Geordie Hormel" who this page is on.

Note 3 of the credits he was involved in musically;

Night of the Living Dead
Space Angel
Teenagers from outer space

I'll have to check into this a little further.

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

Well, now we're getting somewhere.

Yes, I'd forgotten that the familiar weird music was also used during tense scenes in Night of the Living Dead (1968).

Geordie Hormel -- Now we're getting somewhere!

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

Plenty to go. There is this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NIGHT-OF-THE-LIVING-DEAD-SOUNDTRACK-COLLECTION-RAR E_W0QQitemZ330410208323QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CDsDVDs_CDs_CDs_GL?hash=i tem4cedfbac43

But that's not much really and a bit steep.

Onward...

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

Well, I'm going to let it stew a bit.

The Wikipedia entry on Night of the Living Dead is interesting ("Music and Sound Effects" chapter):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead

I don't know if you ever got to see a cartoon serial called The Space Explorers (1957). I was mighty young when it was broadcast but I believe it used some of that strange music, too.

In going about our search and along the way recalling this title, I found the below link and further discovered that the show may soon be available on DVD! Wow!

http://www.thespaceexplorers.com/

According to the web-site, the music was stock material gleaned from a music library.

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

This might be a better source:

http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?moviei d=36518

Apart from this Soundtrack Collector does not have a listing for Geordie Hormel nor his Space Angel.

Onward...

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

I found many titles on e-Bay but nothing like the ones we're looking for.

The Day the Earth Stood Still , The Mole People... , Plan 9 from Outer Space , Rocketship X-M , Forbidden Planet and a some others I can't recall now.

[–] thegalaxybeing 14 years ago

Found this interesting:

Especially the part about reels (D reel apparently was his dramatic music)

I think that may be the stuff I'd like on a release. But I need to check further.

http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com/2009/06/cartoon-music-of-geordie-hormel.h tml

It's a shame some of these writers never got the credit their work marts.

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

That's a good site, thegalaxybeing. So far it seems tha tnone of the three titles your originally listed ever had released soundtracks. Well, Night of the Living Dead but -- holy cow! -- that's quite an investment.

I was looking around taking a differnt tack, to film resources. Well, that's a maze right there!

But even a maze has a solution.

Onward...

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

I've been asking around. Who knows? -- maybe somebody has a line on these things.

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

I thought I may have been on to something when some of the weird music we're talking about turned up in a sequence of the stock heavy The Crater Lake Monster (1977). While it lists no less than 4 music directors none listed seem to have composed the music in question.

Onward...

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

Maybe some of the music can be found on this CD:

http://www.varesesarabande.com/details.asp?pid=VSD%2D5634

I don't remember all of the music used on these titles.

[–] Adirondack 14 years ago

The music is on 2 Halloween music/sound things I have. 1 is a collection of 2 CDs and a DVD. It's either called "Halloween Collector's Edition" or simply just "Halloween". The DVD is the 1968 film Night of the living Dead. CD 1 is movie music. CD 2 is the one with our music. The case says, "performed by John St. John", but that could refer to the person who combined of the music and sounds or just the person behind the sounds. Maybe you can write to this address for info:

Malady Entertainment
P.O. Box 1445
St-Laurent, Quebec, Canada H4l 421

The other one is a cassette tape called "Sounds of Halloween". No credited name, but it has the same address on it.

Btw, the music is also in the 1957 film, Space Master X7.

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

Many thanks, Adirondack. It is so good of you to go to the trouble to respond. Thegalaxiebeing will surely be grateful as well. I'll make sure he sees your message.

[–] escalera-2 14 years ago

Please take note of Adirondack's very kind response.

[–] porfle 10 years ago

I believe the music that plays while their diving bell is first descending was also used in THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE.

hkfilmnews.blogspot.com
porfle.blogspot.com