Advertise on podcast: The Goldsmith Odyssey

If your hands had the power to heal the sick, would that be a blessing or a curse? That's the question posed by "Jacob's Hands," a CBS Radio Workshop drama co-written by literary titans Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood (and narrated by the latter). Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark dig into this tale, exploring the unusual history of this script, Jerry Goldsmith's sensitive score, the episode's hit-and-miss handling of its supernaturally-tinged scenario, and much more! Plus, Clark offers a brief book report detailing the differences between this half-hour radio play and the more substantive published screenplay. So calm your breathing, slowly repeat the words "I'm going to hear the episode" three times, gently-but-firmly lay your finger upon the play button, and behold: an audio miracle* shall occur. *Edited by Wes Deckers Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

As we near the last few days of his latest Kickstarter campaign, our friend Leigh Phillips joins us to talk about his plans for Thriller Volume 3. Your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark chat with Leigh about the virtues of Goldsmith’s scores for “The Cheaters” and “Guillotine,” the decision to record complete scores rather than suites for this volume, the possibility of including Morton Stevens’s “Pigeons from Hell” if a stretch goal is met, future recording plans, and more! It’s a fun and informative chat, loaded with good music, so give it a listen. To contribute to Leigh’s Kickstarter campaign, click here. Both Goldsmith scores are fully funded, but as of this publication we still need a last-minute push to get “Pigeons from Hell” across the finish line. Let’s get this done! Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Our recent Soundtrack Spotlight on Explorers was full of lively, engaging conversation, a substantial portion of which was about topics other than Explorers. As such, we’ve assembled this music-rich Gold Shaving for your listening pleasure. Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark are joined by special guests Roger Feigelson, Jeff Johnson, Stéphane Coëdel, and Marshall Harvey for a relaxed chat about favorite Goldsmith scores, under-appreciated albums from the Intrada library, scores we'd love to see released or re-released in the future, and other topics. Throughout, you'll be treated to a generous sampling of musical excerpts that illustrate why this music brings us so much joy. If you're up for just hanging out with us for a while, give it a listen! What is THAT track?  Here's an annotated list of what we played. Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

The last time Intrada released Jerry Goldsmith's Explorers on CD, 3000 copies sold out in a matter of hours. At long last, that enchanting score is back in print, and you'll hear all about it in this very special Soundtrack Spotlight. Your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark are joined by a marvelous panel: director Joe Dante, editor Marshall Harvey (who didn't work on Explorers, but counts himself as an admirer of the film and score), album cover artist Stéphane Coëdel, and Intrada Co-CEOs Roger Feigelson and Jeff Johnson. You'll hear about Dante's complex relationship with the film, his deep admiration for Goldsmith's music, the critical role this score played in finishing an unfinished film (and in changing Intrada's business model), the fascinating alternate cues that justified a second disc, Stéphane's design process for the album's two covers, and so much more. This one's loaded with both fascinating insights and marvelous excerpts from the album, so hit play… and have a nice trip! What's that music they're playing?  Here's the Track List! Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Intrada's new re-recording of Jerry Goldsmith's The Chairman is now being shipped to Kickstarter supporters, and our new Production Report offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this remarkable album. Your humble hosts Yavar, David, and Clark are joined by a large cast of key contributors: conductor William Stromberg and his wife Anna (both of whom worked on preparing the score for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra), producer Leigh Phillips, and Jeff Johnson and Roger Feigelson of Intrada Records. Over the course of this revealing conversation, the group talks about the The Chairman's unique instrumentation, the benefits of conducting from the podium vs. listening from the booth, amusing moments from the two-day recording sessions, the remarkable collection of bonus tracks recorded for the album, and so much more! Plus, a sneak preview of Intrada's next recording with the RSNO. There's an abundance of great stuff in this one, so check it out! Note: while we're primarily an audio-only show, in this instance, we'd recommend watching the video version of the program on YouTube. In addition to seeing the friendly faces of all involved, you'll be treated to an abundance of behind-the-scenes photos and videos that provide further insight into the recording process. However, if listening is easier than watching, we've provided this audio-only version for your convenience. And here’s a link to the unlisted General with the Cockeyed Id video on YouTube! How about our man, Leigh's own video "THE GAME OF THEIR LIVES (Goldsmith) - "Jerry's Demo #1" from mock-up to orchestral recording"? Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

The good folks at La-La Land Records have unveiled this year's Black Friday releases, and we're pleased to bring you a Soundtrack Spotlight on their latest Goldsmith offering. J. Lee Thompson's 1985 film King Solomon's Mines takes much inspiration from Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Goldsmith follows suit with an old-fashioned, fully orchestral adventure score. Your humble host Jens is joined by album producer Neil S. Bulk and liner notes writer Jeff Bond for a conversation on correcting the pitch and tempo of the music, how much of a debt the music owes to John Williams, the sonic adjustments Mike Matessino made to the score during the mixing process, why the score has more depth and complexity than it's given credit for, and much more! In the words of King Solomon: "Checking out this new Spotlight would be a wise decision, imo." Enjoy! Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

If your musical tastes are anything like ours, odds are you've been spinning the wonderful new recordings of Jerry Goldsmith's music for the TV movies Pursuit, Crawlspace, and The People Next Door quite frequently over the past few months. Now, we invite you to join us for a look at the creation of this terrific album. Before the main event gets underway, our show begins with a tribute to composer, orchestrator, and reconstructionist John Morgan, who passed away only the day before we recorded this program this past January. Following this, your humble hosts David, Yavar, and Clark chat with Leigh Phillips about how these three scores were chosen, the benefits of him working in the booth while Adam Klemens conducts the orchestra, the challenges of recreating a vintage '70s sound for these scores, the subtle adjustments that are made over the course of the mixing process, the tantalizing musical preview of The Waltons offered at the end of the album, and much more! Apologies for the delay on this one, but we think you'll enjoy the music, memories, and conversation. Edited by Wes Deckers. ...who made us a handy Track List! Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

With the aid of their magic amulet, the good folks at Intrada Records have finally located the missing pieces of Jerry Goldsmith’s score for the 1982 animated film The Secret of NIMH. In this new Soundtrack Spotlight, mastering engineer Chris Malone, liner notes writer Jeff Bond, and Intrada's own Roger Feigelson join your humble hosts Jens, Yavar, David, and Clark for an examination of the definitive new presentation of this extraordinary work. You'll hear conversation about why this score sounds richer than ever, what the handful of new cues add to the listening experience, this score's significance within Goldsmith's larger body of work, and much more. As always, you'll hear plenty of illustrative excerpts from the new album along the way. Remember: you can unlock any door if you only have the key, and you can listen to this podcast if you only click the play button. Here's the track list! Special thanks to Chris Shaneyfelt for getting us the early LP pressings version of "Jadwiga Relived," from QB VII! Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

It's a long road  when you're fixing First Blood  And it hurts when  you have to double dip  But this new release  Corrects some notable flaws  In some crucial ways  It really rights the ship  It's a Spotlight  Your hosts David and Jens, they'll tell ya  They're here to inform ya  And they brought some friends  Roger Feigelson  And Neil S. Bulk  Serve as our special guests  Explain why this new release is the best,  For you and meeeee  Cause restoration is long, yeah  Each step is only the beginning  They've fixed the speed now  And added tiny pieces that were missing  It's a good show  And it's short as hell  You should give it a spin  Before you buy  Now they've fixed First Blood  And that's the end of it  A definitive release that just might  Make John Rambo cry!  Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

It's another Soundtrack Spotlight! This time, your humble hosts Yavar and David are joined by liner notes writer Tim Greiving and mastering engineer Chris Malone for an examination of Jerry Goldsmith's alternately lyrical and chilling score for Robert Mulligan's 1972 horror film The Other. Previously only available on CD as a 22-minute suite, the complete score has been beautifully restored and reveals itself as a yet another remarkable Goldsmith work. In this show, you'll hear discussion of the film's troubled production history and mixed critical reception, the advances in audio restoration tools since the release of the previous album, Goldsmith's eclectic instrumental choices, and much more. Plus, as usual, you'll hear plenty of musical selections from the new album along the way. Unfortunately, the CD sold out long before we were able to get this program to the finish line, but remains available for digital purchase and can be heard via the major music streaming services. So give our Spotlight a listen, or just wait until we learn how to astrally project our thoughts into your mind. Enjoy! Here is your The Other Soundtrack Spotlight Track List Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

With only three days left to pledge your support for a New Recording of Jerry Goldsmith's score to The Chairman on Kickstarter, Jens makes an impassioned plea to all of you to help make it happen. Click here for the Kickstarter page Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Intrada's new release of Jerry Goldsmith’s original film tracks for Islands in the Stream gave us the opportunity to not only talk about a score the composer regarded as a personal favorite, but also to share memories of Intrada’s beloved founder, Douglass Fake. On this very special Soundtrack Spotlight, the complete Odyssey team — Jens, Yavar, David, and Clark — is joined by Intrada producer Roger Feigelson, shipping manager Jeff Johnson, media consultant Joe Sikoryak, liner notes writer Frank DeWald, and mastering engineer Chris Malone. First you’ll hear a discussion of the new album, including details on the sound improvements this release makes over the original FSM presentation, the integrity of Goldsmith’s work as a complete composition, Intrada’s long history with this score, and more. Following this, the group takes some time to offer personal memories of Doug, who meant a great deal to all of us in different ways. In addition, at the program’s conclusion you'll hear a special bonus: a pair of never-before-released excerpts of past conversations with Doug, teasing the then-unreleased Intrada presentations of Goldsmith’s MacArthur and John Williams’s The Patriot. This is a meaningful one, and we hope you’ll enjoy it. Islands In the Stream Soundtrack Spotlight Track List Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

Say, what's that great big thing, amidst this collection of freshly-lopped heads? Sacre bleu! I's a new regular episode! Longtime friend of the show (and Certified Thriller Expert) Leigh Phillips joins David, Yavar, and Clark to discuss Jerry Goldsmith's music for the Thriller installment "Guillotine," a score that is by turns ominous, slyly beautiful, and darkly playful. The guys examine the score's echoes of other Goldsmith works (particularly Basic Instinct), debate the degree to which the episode is intended as dark comedy, consider the possibility of this score being re-recorded for a potential third volume of Leigh's Thriller series in the future, and much more. So grab a big plate of fresh pancakes, press play, and enjoy! Thriller: Guillotine Track List! Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

In June of 2024, The Austin Symphony offered an evening of live Jerry Goldsmith music containing selections from Gremlins, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Total Recall, and other beloved scores. A few months later, Yavar and Clark — who were in attendance at the concert, along with Goldsmith Odyssey co-founder Jens — spoke to conductor Peter Bay and principal librarian Ali Verderber about the performance. You'll hear about Peter's long-time passion for Goldsmith's music, Ali's efforts to secure the rights to certain pieces, the difficulty of staging a Goldsmith concert vs. a John Williams program, the pieces that proved most challenging in rehearsals, and much more! It’s a fun and informative chat, and we hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did. Here is your track list! Please send your correspondence to [email protected].

It's always a treat to hear from filmmakers who got to work directly with Jerry, and we're thrilled that director Jonathan Kaplan took the time to share his memories with us. In this wide-ranging Odyssey Interview, Jonathan tells David and Yavar about his father Sol Kaplan's career as a film composer, the thrill of watching Isaac Hayes perform the Truck Turner score, collaborating with Goldsmith on Love Field and Bad Girls, helping James Horner craft the main theme for Unlawful Entry, the budget limitations that led to Brad Fiedel creating a solo electronic score for The Accused, and so much more! This one is a lively, entertaining chat that's loaded with great stories (and plenty of musical illustrations), so we hope you’ll give it a listen. Track List - Odyssey Interviews - Jonathan Kaplan on Sol Kaplan, Love Field, and Bad Girls Please send your correspondence to [email protected].