SH Spotlight "The most complicated project SH ever worked on?" Franz Waxman "The Nun's Story" WB soundtrack CD

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Nov 13, 2013.

  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Waaaaaait a minute. This sounds like it's from the cassette I gave my "music expert" back in the day. That studio chatter at the beginning, that's Ray Heindorf in Burbank, not Franz Waxman in Italy. Wow, my cassette has been booted, maybe? Soundtrack collectors are really crazy.

    Actually, I could be wrong and possibly they used my "restoration" tapes at WB? That would be a first, usually my stuff sits on a shelf over there. But the fact that it's all mono means it could be from my initial work on the score. That's a first.
     
    McLover, Sax-son and Plan9 like this.
  2. jjh1959

    jjh1959 Senior Member

    Location:
    St. Charles, MO
    I'm assuming he's referring to one of the promo sets from Paul McCartney's MPL Productions company highlighting various music it holds the rights to.
     
  3. kevinsinnott

    kevinsinnott Forum Coffeeologist

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Wow, I had no idea. Would you like to me to delete it? I don't want to spread bootlegs.
    Does make me salivate for a Steve Hoffman-mastered CD.
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    No, it's great, leave it. Someone went to some trouble to blend some of this stuff, I hear Burbank and Italy both. All in mono. Has to be from my initial work (before I discovered the three-channel reels).

    The fact that they left some Heindorf studio chatter at the beginning meant a fan over there did this. Kind of a clue for the in-crowd. Neat.
     
    McLover, GerryO and kevinsinnott like this.
  5. Reader

    Reader Senior Member

    Location:
    e.s.t. tenn.
    Did it.

    Good luck and let us know if it works out. I would like to hear it.
     
  6. Sax-son

    Sax-son Forum Resident

    Location:
    Three Rivers, CA
    That is a great story and a testimonial on the painstaking work it takes to save these musical treasures. Franz Waxman was one of the greats and had his own interesting story. My dad was one of the musicians on "Crime in the Streets", another Waxman score, and it was one of my dad's high moments of his career.

    It is mindblowing to me, that a company such as Warner Brothers would treat their product as if it were "fast food". Many on the soundtrack scores from the past stand toe to toe with much of the great classical music pieces. It's a shame really!
     
    McLover and kevinsinnott like this.
  7. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    When you think back on it, or listen to the soundtrack, do you have a sensory recall of the vinegar smell? ;)
     
  8. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Yes, every time. Truly was enough for a lifetime.
     
    Mark L. and Changingman like this.
  9. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    I'll bet. Quite the story, though. No doubt you'd not want to endure such hardship again.
     
  10. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    It wasn't so much the hardship, but my girlfriend and I had just broken up and I was alone for the first time in forever. Working on this, with the gas mask and goggles really cut me off from even being able to feel air on my face. 40 reels of smelly tape lined up in my hallway, taunting me, unmarked except for take numbers, and 10 more projects just like it piled up behind them (GYPSY, MUSIC MAN, GIANT, RIO BRAVO, SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS, etc). I could probably handle it now because I have a support group of sorts. Back then, nothing, just me, no one else. And I had a full-time day job at DCC. Too much.

    Pity Party of One!

    I know, TMI.
     
  11. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    Nah, not TMI...no worries. You lived it, made ya stronger :)
     
    Mark L. and Steve Hoffman like this.
  12. Good stories, keep 'em coming.

    :-popcorn:

    -s1m0n-
     
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Did I ever tell you guys about the Amboy Dukes tapes, with the gross green mold growing on them like grass? Gross beyond words. Or the crushed dead rat in a box of tape?

    Good times.
     
  14. MickAvory

    MickAvory Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    Was that in the Wheels of Fire tape box?
     
  15. shicorp

    shicorp Senior Member

    Location:
    Austria
    Many thanks for the insights. Really interesting :)

    I assume all of Warner's nitrate music tracks had already been dumped long before this? Were all the acetate films/tapes transferred to digital/analog tape before they were dumped or only selective titles?
     
  16. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Selective, sadly. And only for that early 1970's silver box set of WB film scores that came out. What was used on that was saved in nitrate.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2016
  17. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Reliving old memories. I still can't believe I got through this. Without a doubt the most crazy mastering I've ever been involved in.

    DO YOU HAVE ONE OF THE CD'S? Can you let me know? Thanks.
     
  18. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    I have heard this. Basically "The Youth Fitness Song". "The Music Man" meets a military styled, march tempo, exercise record. Many children of the 1960's and even 1970's got to hear this one in school many times. "Go You Chicken Fat Go". It had the full version on one side (6 minutes something) and a Short Version for airplay on the other side, on a 7" 33 1/3 RPM record. Capitol pressed these, sent them to the National Jaycees, who distributed them to schools as a public service. There also was a Jaycees label version. Capitol catalog number for this is CF-1000. Written by Meredith Willson of "The Music Man" fame.

    Your perspective on "The Nun's Story" soundtrack job is very interesting. Looks to have been the challenging job of a lifetime. The smell of vinegar syndrome once experienced, is never to be forgotten.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2018
    Hamhead and Steve Hoffman like this.
  19. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Just another day at the office. I shouldn't complain, it was stressful but such great music..
     
  20. Brian Mc

    Brian Mc Member

    Location:
    Denver, CO
    Nice story! That sounds insane.

    I should be familiar with this film, but I apparently just overlooked it over the years. I've always liked Audrey the human being and if she said this was her favorite of her films, then it's worth watching for that if nothing else. Will have to watch it now and who knows, maybe get the soundtrack afterwards.
     
  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    It's a really good movie, grim for the most part. She's wonderful in it. Franz Waxman's music makes it even more intense.

    I still find it hard to believe that I worked on this without having seen one frame of the actual film.
     
  22. Brian Mc

    Brian Mc Member

    Location:
    Denver, CO
    Franz is one of the masters, so I don't doubt that he did a good job with the film. I see that it was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Music, etc. and a lot of people do seem to like it. I ordered the film and I'm anxious to see it.

    I find that to be unimaginable. Absolutely insane!
     
  23. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Yes, it was insane. I was looking over my old notes yesterday and noted that my handwriting was wobbly. It was really a crazy time.
     
    Brian Mc likes this.
  24. kevinsinnott

    kevinsinnott Forum Coffeeologist

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Steve, you know the one I have. Let me know if you want me to send it to you.
     
  25. shicorp

    shicorp Senior Member

    Location:
    Austria
    Steve, I think soundtrack collectors will be eternally thankful to you for all these titles you've worked on and which appeared on official (and not so official) releases. :goodie::goodie::goodie::goodie::goodie:Unfortunately, preservation at the movie studios is still a mess. It's a shame that titles that have been in storage as late as the 1990s (and many of them even transferred to more modern media) are now lost forever due to carelessness.
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine